The format battle between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD is over, but the lone high-definition format is having a difficult time trying to excite the average consumer.
Both Blu-ray players and Blu-ray movie sales have been rather unimpressive since HD DVD folded earlier in the year, and the Sony PlayStation 3 remains the most popular Blu-ray player. But with the holiday shopping season rolling around, and standalone players dropping in price, now may be the best time for manufacturers to make a strong effort into sales and promotion.
For consumers wondering why Blu-ray is a good choice for home entertainment, it was described in a simple way for CDFreaks:
"Blu-ray is the only technology that produces 1080p resolution and is the ultimate entertainment experience," said Panasonic spokesperson Jeff Samuels. "Most CE companies are producing Blu-ray players: Panasonic, Sony, Pioneer, Denon, Toshiba, Samsung, LG, etc."
There has been a rise in popularity of DVD upscaling technology, which makes ordinary DVDs appear in high-definition, but home theater enthusiasts still haven't been swayed by upscalers. The average consumer, however, appreciates that upscalers can be purchased for half the price of the cheapest Blu-ray players, and can be used with a consumer's DVD library.
The Japanese company already has three different Blu-ray players and home theater systems, but has several looming product launches that have excited consumers. On the horizon, Panasonic looks forward to the release of its DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55 Blu-ray players.
"Both are BD Live and the BDFF features 7.1q surround sound, again contributing to the best possible home entertainment experience. Plus, prices have come considerably down," with Panasonic expected to release pricing information for both players sometime next month.
Panasonic also launched a Blu-ray player with built-in VHS, although it'll be available for the Japanese market only.
Sales numbers provided by analysts indicate Blu-ray sales continue to struggle, despite the best efforts of manufacturers and movie studios alike. Not surprisingly, Japan is one of the leading Blu-ray markets, while the rest of the world tries to catch up.
The demand for Blu-ray technology is "high in Japan," though Panasonic was unable to disclose how sales have been in other regions of the world.
As the price of standalone players continues to fall, more Blu-ray titles are becoming available by the movie studios, and with the 2008 holiday shopping season right around the corner, this could be the perfect time for Blu-ray supporters to strike.
