A Ray Disc Player Maybe?
Currently there are over 500 Blu Ray titles available, but the major networks like Sony, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Disney, to name a few, have all agreed to release new movies strictly on Blu Ray discs.
The Blu Ray player demand skyrocketed, driving prices well past $499, since Toshiba backed out of the formatting war and ended production of the HD-DVD player. Now you may be wondering what’s next for the Blu Ray disc.
If you were an early bird buyer, then you have the original prototypical Blu Ray disc 1.0 player. “The earliest Blu-ray player, Profile 1.0, are dinosaurs already,” reports The Courant’s Kevin Hunt. “Consumers who dropped $1,500 on a player a year ago cannot update their players.”
“Consumers who dropped $1,500 on a player a year ago cannot update their players.” These bare bones players offer the high-definition 1920×1080 pixels with superior coding and 7.0 surround-sound audio, but offer little in terms of extra features and menu options. Developers admit they probably should have just waited a year for the unveiling, but they were compelled to hurry up and compete in the Sony vs. Toshiba bidding war.
But just wait! There is the new Blu Ray disc 2.0 player set to be unveiled soon. These HD DVD Bluray machines are said to have been the prototype that finally wooed major networks like Disney, Warner Brothers and Paramount to side with Blu Ray rather than HD DVDs in the format war. The next generation of Blu Ray disc players will come with a function called “BDLive,” which includes an ethernet port for internet connectivity, so users can download high-def trailers and add additional language tracks or other bonus materials.
Experts say that buyers who bought the earliest version will still be able to play BR 1.1 movies, although some of the bonus features may not work. As of right now, all the Blu Ray disc releases have been in 1.0, though, so no worries. “Sunshine” is the first 1.1 release scheduled for the first quarter of 2008. Panasonic has 1.1 Blu Ray players for about $500 and market research analyst Paul Erickson says Profile 1.1 players will become the standard by next Christmas, with prices likely dropping below $200.
Some consumers are complaining about paying $40 for a Blu Ray disc, as opposed to the $20 for a regular DVD. To offset the cost of upgrading, many distributors and stores are stepping in to help promote the new Blu Ray disc technology. For instance, Amazon is offering a 2-for-1 Blu Ray discs sale on popular titles like Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, 300 and Pan’s Labyrinth. Super-saver shipping is free for orders over $25 while supplies last. They are even offering lesser known titles, like The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb Miniseries, The Last Sentinel or BBC’s Planet Earth Series at an extreme discount of only $10!
Leave a Reply