Source - CNN
Blu-ray stomped HD DVD to become the standard format for high-definition movie discs, but years may pass before it can claim victory over the good old DVD.Analysts, movie studios and the Blu-ray Disc Association, a manufacturing group, all say Blu-ray discs will eventually dominate video sales. The question is when.
Consumers are balking at the $300-plus cost of most Blu-ray players especially because only limited movie titles are available in the format.
"People aren't going to pay three times as much for a platform that's only half-baked," said Steve Wilson, a consumer electronics analyst with ABI Research.
Many also are waiting to see how cable, satellite and online video services play out.
But, above all, consumers seem satisfied with standard-definition DVDs and players -- even consumers who upgrade to high-definition TVs that can tap into Blu-ray's sharper picture and clearer sound.
Velazquez said that because she was still paying off a $1,000 high-definition TV she bought in October she was happy for now to keep watching pay-TV movies and standard-definition DVDs on it.
Sony Corp.-backed Blu-ray was crowned the next-generation video technology in February after Toshiba Corp., creator of the competing HD DVD format, abruptly said it would drop the fight.
The move came after Warner Bros. decided to join most other studios by going solely with Blu-ray and video rental chains followed suit.
Manufacturers are planning a souped-up lineup of titles and special features on Blu-ray discs to boost sales this summer and during the coming Christmas season in the hope that Blu-ray can turn around the sagging home video market. And retailers are creating new displays to explain Blu-ray's benefits.
Full Report @ CNN
06-03-2008, 12:30 PM
BlueRay Vs HD-DVD - Still on?
