Blu-Ray Format On The Ropes – Forrester
Forrester Research believes unless the camp behind the Blu-Ray high-definition format gets more agressive in their dealmaking and can begin cutting costs on its players, it will go down for the count in less than two years. Even though the Forrester report claims that the format war between Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD will continue for at least 18 more months, it is obvious that the HD-DVD has got momentum right now.
According to the report, Blu-ray’s content advantages are somewhat diminished since the recent decision by Paramount to commit exclusively to HD-DVD. Further, HD-DVD hardware prices have dropped significantly — right into the sweet spot of consumers’ preferred price range. The Forrester research suggests that typical owners of high-definition televisions are not willing to pay more than $200 on average for a new HD-DVD or Blu-ray player. Currently, a Blu-Ray player sells for around $500 while HD-DVD players can be purchased for under $300. Although, Sony just premiered a new hybrid HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player for $500 and Blu-Ray prices are expected to be “priced to move” for the upcoming holiday season.
The Future: Blu-Ray is being seriously hindered by the lack of PlayStation 3 sales, which Sony was banking on to proliferate the format throughout the world.
