Sony hating is a results of more than just products. For me it's products somewhat, but mostly their tactics. Charging higher prices for the same stuff (ie: TV's), strongarming competitors (HD DVD), proprietary crap (memory stick), and sneaky practices (rootkits). That's all I can think of for now, I am sure there are more.
See, that's what I don't get. It seems like a double standard - especially by your own usage of the terms - and tends to amount to standard business practices except for a few things.
1. Many companies offer identical products with different pricing including Denon and Yamaha who have custom and consumer product which may have slightly different pricing structures.
2. Strongarming Competitors? Toshiba chose to not support Blu-ray after the BDA was formed. They have gone through very standard business practices to earn support... including signing incentives for studio support.
3. Proprietary Crap... Do X-Box games play on other systems? Does apple software work in Windows? Do my DS games play in anything besides my DS? Almost every major company has 'proprietary crap' - Toshiba, for example, has HD DVD which is easily as proprietary as Memory Stick...
4. Sneaky Practices: Let's be honest - The rootkit was flat out a crap decision by someone. They also had the bad batteries (which they did replace).
But, considering the above, how fair is it to focus on them so singularly? When you consider the 'same' product - what are you talking about? There is a great deal of Sony product used in the professional arena with incredible results. Sony also continues to get rave reviews for its displays and projection products. Yet, it makes some stuff that is undisputedly not very good.
Bluetooth only remotes are stupid, why should one have to buy an adapter to use their harmony??? Otherwise PS3 is an option, but standalone players suit more people IMHO. I don't want a game system and especially not one that looks like a game system. That thing would look like crap in my rack. Why can't they make an economic standalone that is capable of everything (except gaming) that the PS3 is???
There are some personal opinions here don't you think?
For many consumers, they don't have a universal remote, so the Sony PS3 remote is fine with them. They don't necessarily even know that it is Bluetooth, they just know that it works reliably. But, I imagine that including top notch IR relaibility would really piss off the competition (Panny, Samsung, Pioneer, etc.).
I agree that stand alone players are more suitable for most people. But, at current cost for development, Blu-ray has a cost that is a bit higher for comparible product between Blu-ray and HD DVD. While PS3 is subsidized, and (RUMOR) HD DVD is subsidized - or sold at cost - no Blu-ray stand alone player holds this distinction. So, with a PS3 you get what might normally cost $1,200+ for 400 or 500 dollars. With their players, they probably cost 200 or so, then come to consumers at $400 or so. That's a lot less product for the money.
Of course, if you don't want it, just because it would look 'ugly', then that is, once again, your choice, right, and opinion. But, it doesn't mean it doesn't work better than any other stand alone player, from any manufacturer, on the market.
Bottom line, these players are not reasonably priced, especially for what you get. The ones close to reasonably priced are old and will be outdated soon with the new specs.
Depends on what you mean by reasonably priced. Toshiba, operating as a monopoly, has been using subsidization practices to give consumers a 'reasonable' price, yet this doesn't work when you want free market competition.
As for 'old and outdated' - this is so true! Unless of course people don't care that much about PIP or web interactivity. In which case, the current players will last them forever.
Or, they have a PS3 which will not be outdated by 1.1 or 2.0 specifications.
I am waiting for final specs and a good price. From what I have seen, that will be a long time coming. I never got a laser disc player either, sound familiar
It sure does to me. Blu Ray will be another laser disc player if they don't get prices in line or force DVD out of existance (I doubt they can do that, but I wouldn't put anything past them).
I am waiting to get a stand alone player for the same reasons you are, but I'm not going to avoid enjoying HD movies because there is no stand alone player, when there clearly is a very good alternative. No, it's not for everyone, but it doesn't change the fact that it is excellent for most.
It's also great that there are options available to make it compatible with universal remotes.
The choice is to invest in a format that will not deliver 70% of the current movie releases come May.
If HD DVD had this level of support, then it would be a no brainer, but I think we would all see substantially higher pricing if this were the case.
