Published:
03-Jul-09
Promotional prices for entry-level Blu-ray Disc (BD) hardware fell below $100 for the first time in the US in June. CE retailer Meijer offered Curtis Mathes' CMMBX130—a BD bonus view profile 1.1 machine—for just $99.99. Other US retailers have also reduced entry level prices.
- Wal-Mart offered Japanese electronics manufacturer Funai's Magnavox NB500MGX BD player for $128 as part of a Father's Day promotion which also included two BD movies for $20.
- US retail giant Best Buy is selling Insignia's NS-BDLIVE01 and NS-2BRDVD players at $199.99.
- Amazon.com lists sub-$200 BD players from Funai subsidiary Sylvania: NB500SL9 and NB530SLX priced at $179.99 and $184.99 respectively.
Our take...
Screen Digest analysis indicates that the price of hardware is critical to the adoption of a format and the US video market—which accounts for 44 per cent of world video spending—will inevitably be key in establishing the format as a mass-market product worldwide. However, mass market access comes at a price for those keen to promote BD's interactive capabilities. The players currently advertised at the sub $200 level are all older, lower profile machines capable of little other than hi-def play-back. Only machines that conform to the higher specification Profile 2.0 or those that can be upgraded to meet this standard will be able to utilize the advanced BD Live functionality which is increasingly featuring on new BD titles.
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