Blu-ray prices way down in 2009 -- and falling?

Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:27PM EDT

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At last the price of a Blu-ray disc is beginning to dip into viability.

According to Rentrak, the average selling price of new release Blu-ray discs has come down 12 percent in the last year. For catalog titles being reissued on Blu-ray, the average price has slipped a full 33 percent.

The average price for a new-release Blu-ray disc is now $23.47. For catalog titles, the average disc now fetches $17.23. (Note that only single-disc releases are included in this tally; box sets and deluxe editions are not.) Another research outfit, NPD Group, says it's measured similar swings since last summer.

Unfortunately for retailers and movie studios, continued cuts may be required to breathe life back into the dying packaged media market. As Video Business notes, consumers "remain reluctant to trade up" for Blu-ray despite its inherently better picture and video quality, especially for older titles. With catalog content, consumers seem happy to wait for promotions where $5 DVDs can be found by the armload.

What's the magic number? At least one executive thinks that consumers won't really make the move to Blu until it is priced just $2 to $3 more than the comparable DVD. Today that differential can be $8 to $12, or even more. Another retailer believes $14.99 to be the magic number at which product will really start to move off the shelf.

Still, further price cuts seem unlikely, as studios have been crowing about Blu-ray's huge gains so far: Blu-ray media sales are now up a whopping 78 percent vs. a year ago, though it still accounts for a tiny sliver of overall packaged video media spending.

What's your magic number, the point at which you'll buy a Blu-ray disc instead of a DVD?

 

Comments on Blu-ray prices way down in 2009 -- and falling?

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  • 1 Posted by crapdirector on Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think there is a difference between buying behaviours due to the price differential. At 5 dollars, consumers are willing to buy something that they have a marginal interest in (in fact, I have bought a few DVDs that I have had on the shelf for a few years but never watched - seemed like such a good deal at the time!), while for Blu-ray at a significantly higher price point, consumers want confidence that the movie that they buy is going to be watched - likely more than once. I won't buy a BD of something I haven't seen because if it isn't enjoyable, I'm out more money, but a $5 to 9 DVD? Sure, what's the harm?

  • 2 Posted by magpagbst on Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think most dvd buyers have all the movies they want already on dvd . . . in my case, i have about 450 dvd . . . if i were to upgrade to blu-ray at the 15 dollar price point . . . i would have to invest (450 X $15) 6,750 to upgrade my collection . . . so . . . as i am perfectly happy with the quality of my dvd's . . . i'll most-likely bypass blu-ray altogether . . . and wait for downloadable content to become more viable . . .

  • 3 Posted by toouncommon on Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    "What's your magic number, the point at which you'll buy a Blu-ray disc instead of a DVD?" I will not pay over $10 bucks for any media. What for? Its not like anyone ever watches them more than two or three times anyway! Frankly, Commercial Media generally is overpriced. Back when Top Gun came out, it sold for about 12 bucks. Titanic, maybe 13-14. Why pay more? Frankly, its a lot cheaper to watch on cable or just wait for it to come to free TV. I am still waiting to watch LOTR and the three prequel Star Treks because frankly, paying 20 bucks for plastic is a sin in a world where children are dying for lack of a quarter's worth of food! Where are our priorities!

  • 4 Posted by toouncommon on Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would NEVER pay more than TEN DOLLARS for any movie in the world. EVER!

  • 5 Posted by macksumum1 on Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    i stopped buying movies on blu-ray because they don't fill the whole screen,now all i buy on blu-ray is TV shows because you get a lot of episodes and you know what the show is about.most of these TV shows on blu-ray cost the same or less than a hit movie on blu-ray.the last TV show that i bought on blu-ray only cost $14.00 but i'm willing to spend up to $35 for a TV show on blu-ray.i want to buy the movie UP on blu-ray because i never seen it but i'm not going to spend no more than $20 for it.i used to spend up to $35 on a single movie on blu-ray but i will never do it again.

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