Sony sets price for Blu-ray movie discs-two tier system

February 8, 2006

Hypnosis4U2NV used our news submit to tell us "They set the price for
the discs, but what about the players?"

Good question! Also, will the new fangled discs
even be able to display their high definition splendor on our
present devices? We just read in this interesting article posted
by Seán Byrne: "As the launch of HD DVD and Blu-ray products draws near, a
lot consumers are going to be disappointed to find that their TV, PC monitor or
graphics card will not be compatible with the equipment if it does not fully
support HDCP." Ouch!

Better find out before you shell out the cash for
these new high definition discs. Or worse yet, purchase an expensive Blu-ray
player only to discover you cannot play them in full resolution on your
"antiquated" equipment. You might just discover that you will be better off
sticking with DVD's until you can justify the investment in the new blue laser
format.

Sony Pictures on Tuesday became the first major studio to put a price tag on Blu-ray discs when they become available in U.S. stores this year. At the same time, the studio unveiled what many observers believe will be a key component of the next-generation, high-definition optical disc"s marketing strategy: bundling various formats together to give consumers more flexibility and mobility. Catalog Blu-ray disc titles will wholesale for $17.95, about the same as DVDs when that format hit the market in 1997.

New-release Blu-ray discs will wholesale
for $23.45, a premium of 15%-20% over what suppliers were charging for new
theatrical DVDs. The higher pricing structure for new releases is meant to
accommodate the sell-through and rental markets, said Benjamin Feingold,
president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Of course at DigiTimes we already read in January that
Blu-ray players are expected to run about $1,000-1800 dollars
US. Also, Samsung is touting a Blu-ray player coming for us in
April that is around $1000 bucks. However, this puppy can't cut the 1080p
mustard and will just output in 1080i! At any rate, here is the link to todays
article source if you would like to read a bit more about the movie
discs.

Source: Yahoo!