Blu-ray's toughest competitor: The humble DVD
Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:27AM EDT
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Blu-ray may have won the battle when it vanquished HD DVD in February, but it's still waging a war—and for now at least, it looks like a David-vs.-Goliath face-off. Who's Goliath in this scenario? Turns out it's your old friend, the DVD.
But here's where the bad news starts. Nielsen just released its most recent Blu-ray vs. DVD disc sales figures, and if you're a Blu fan, the numbers are daunting. For the week ending April 13, DVD enjoyed a whopping 95 percent of the total disc sales market, leaving a paltry five percent for Blu-ray. Ouch.
Meanwhile, industry watchers believe that any market share that Blu-ray happens to be gaining is mostly thanks to the Blu-ray-equipped PlayStation 3—and beyond that, "there's very little installed base," according to one analyst.
Part of the problem, of course, is that stand-alone Blu-ray player prices are still hovering around $300 to $400—and that's for older players like Samsung's BD-P1400 and Sony's BD-S300, which are already out of date. Meanwhile, Blu-ray prices aren't expected to drop significantly until next year.
Another hurdle for Blu-ray is that standard DVD players are ridiculously cheap. I was browsing the aisles at Best Buy the other day and stumbled on a progressive-scan DVD deck for $29—cheaper than some Blu-ray movies. I also found plenty of name-brand upscaling DVD players well south of $150.
And after all this time, I still find myself regularly having to explain the benefits of Blu-ray over DVD—and more often than not, I'm greeted by a blank stare, which turns to disbelief when I mention the $300 price tags for players.
So for now, at least, it still looking like Blu-ray has a long row to hoe—and indeed, with streaming HD movies via cable, Vudu, the Xbox Video Marketplace, and Apple TV gaining traction, Blu-ray may never take off in the way that DVD did.
What do you think? Will Blu-ray eventually succeed DVD once Blu-ray player prices drop? Or will Blu-ray have to settle for second (or third) fiddle?
Related:
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending April 13th, 2008 [Engadget HD]
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27 Posted by xiang_fa_zhao on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:53PM EDT Report Abuse
http://www.stablecables.com You need HDMI cables for any HD device.
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28 Posted by brownnote on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse
As excited as I am about higher quality viewing with Bluray, The current economic condition is not in favor of the higher priced luxury items right now. Keeping your home is a little more important than upgrading your video equipment. Just bad timing, maybe the economic stimulus will help
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29 Posted by sdc151 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse
Not true xiang_fa_zhao although I do use HDMI cables for my PS3 and HDTV you can use component video cables to hook it up. They are capable of sending HD content through, however the HDMI cables perform better and if your willing to spend $1000+ on a TV why spend $60 for the best cabling. BTW what's up with time warner not supporting 1080p only 1080i?
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30 Posted by sdc151 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse
You can easily notice a difference between HD and SD. If you know someone with a HDTV and HD service have them show you a playoff basketball game in SD then change the channel to the HD version and you will be blown away by the difference. Although the difference is not as dramatic in movies (DVD vs Blu-Ray), it's still easily noticable.
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31 Posted by hartzog04 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse
Roguea07 is exactly right. Anyone remember DAT (Digital Audio Tape) and MiniDisc? Two other digital formats (allegedly better than their competitors) invented by Sony that were supposed to be the "next great thing" but yet still failed. I can see the same thing happening to Blu-Ray. DAT was supposed to be the successor to regular analog cassettes, but never caught on outside of the radio and recording industry, primarily because CD's were easier to use (for obvious reasons). And for whatever reason, MiniDisc, while a good idea, still hasn't succeeded in replacing the CD, or even being a viable alternative to CD's. Sony has failed with more formats than it has been successful with because they either can't get the timing right (DAT/Blu-Ray) or the public just doesn't warm up to their products (MiniDisc/Betamax). To me, this looks like another bad timing situation, compounded by the way-too-long HD-DVD format battle. The next step in movies is downloadable HD content, either on your cable system or PC. Blu-Ray will likely never get the market penetration to become a must-have product.
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32 Posted by lorecamiranda on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:56PM EDT Report Abuse
I agree with the first five comments. In addition the drop in the price of upconverting DVD players provide a picture quality that frankly, the average viewer finds superior to regular DVD's, however they would not be able to see a great diffrence in the picture quality of a Blue Ray DVD and a regular DVD played on upconverting players. Secondly the average DVD consumer only gets to view Blu Ray's picture quality when they walk into a BEST Buy, Circuit City Etc. Add to the mix flat panels equipped to display 1080P coupled with upconverting players selling for $29.00-$150.00 and the argument to invest $300-$400 for Blu Ray Players utilizing Blu Ray Disc that sell for $25.00- $35.00 goes out the window. Timing is everything I believe comment number two ha----- on something important. The public is getting very savvy at researching what is the latest and greatest in electronics. Once we discover virtual programmming will be the next experience coming down the pike. Blu Ray may find itself just that Blu(e).
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33 Posted by mike_mora@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:20PM EDT Report Abuse
I've heard that Studios introduced these more so they would not be as easy to have the code cracked when copying and there wasn't much difference in the picture. I agree what post 3 said in that we got rid of our VHS tapes, bought DVDs and now have a whole collection of DVD's and then the studios do this. You get the people have a lot of disposable income and bought all the hype about Blueray HD was even better but how many people want to go out and rebuy everything they own again. I bought an upcoverting DVD player which gives you a clearer picture and we love it. Oh and it was cheaper than a new 400.00 Blueray player.
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34 Posted by jckunich on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse
Take this to the bank....as soon as the release date for the Blu-Ray versions of the Glitter, ShowGirls and Gigli are announced, expect a TREMENDOUS spike in Blu-Ray player sales. Mark my words.
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35 Posted by mbarthicus on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:12PM EDT Report Abuse
Not everyone has an HD-TV or the internet. Why buy Blu-ray if you don't have a HD-TV. HD is still in the process of diffusion. HD will be more readily accepted by consumers as HD-TVs fall in price. I think once the SD-TV era upgrades to HD-TVs, then Blu-ray sales will improve. I just feel bad for the early adopters who blew their money on the HD-DVD.
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36 Posted by proart22 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:19PM EDT Report Abuse
Until the Blueray players and recorders drop prices we will still love the DVD format the prices of DVD Dual Layer are drop and we get 8.5 GB of media. we know that the video and the sound quality its better but we get the good quality in DVD too. even we cant find movies in DivX format in 1080p for our upscale DVD players that run this format or our pcs! So I believe that maybe in two years the blue ray disc , movies and games will be the real media king but just not now!
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37 Posted by mwszeftel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse
Frankly, the quality of Blu-Ray transfers needs to improve dramatically if it's ever going to compete with standard DVD. Some Blu-Rays look great --- astonishingly great --- but far too many of them look just a little bit better. They don't take your breath away. For Blu-Ray to compete, it has to look so good that people feel they've got to have it. I'm one of the biggest suckers on Earth for new technology (otherwise I wouldn't have bought a player) but I've been disappointed with most of the discs I've bought, and consequently I rent a lot more than I used to. Most BR discs look good, but not so much better that you can't live with the DVD.
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38 Posted by dallasbr549 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse
I have a Denon 757 dvd/cd player hooked up to onkyo 7.1 in combo to Sony 32" xbr. The sound quality is excelent the upconverted standard dvd picture is crystal clear-Even the most gifted of sound experts can tell the difference between my Picture and sound vs. Blu-Ray. I'm satisfied-Besides look at what is out on Blu-Ray--old movies that someone decided should be called classics--Move over "Beta" Blu-Ray is headed for Video Historic Museum
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39 Posted by rickandrews2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:40PM EDT Report Abuse
I have a 1080P capable TV, but I won't touch Blu-Ray until the price of the players gets under $100. Consumer electronic equipment does not have long enough lifetime for me to feel compelled to go out and pay $400 for any function. Also, have you seen close-ups on some of the actors on Blu-Ray? I didn'y know that there was such an epidemic of actors with poor skin and blemishes. One reason for me to stick with DVD, I don't really need to be seeing that!
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40 Posted by azteen_2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:00PM EDT Report Abuse
bluray may not take over like dvd did but it will more than make enough on computers due to higher capacitiy data storage.who does'nt have 100's or 1000's of burned disks will be big advantage for data storage...once the price drops of course i remember paying around 150 for a 2x CD burner(internal rom) when it first came out..but i own so many partial seasons of tv shows on dvd i will continue collecting dvd format to finish my sets(like only 10 seasons of simpsons available out of 19 seasons) picture quality really only comes into play if you have hdtv anyway..so twice as pricey as same dvd movie really does'nt appeal to me...to me dvd on crt monitor looks pretty clear or clear enough anyway
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41 Posted by slewis24 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:27PM EDT Report Abuse
It wouldn't surprise me if they suddenly stopped making dvds. How many new albums are available in cassette form? if they stop making them, you can't buy them. And we're all such suckers for this- for upgrading. There are many albums I own cassette, vinyl and cd for, and of course guess how many of them i use (hint, I love my mp3 player).
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42 Posted by son_of_soren on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:33PM EDT Report Abuse
I believe it will be a third fiddle situation. 1) Physical media - DVD 2)downloaded SD and HD content 3) physical HD media (blu ray)
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43 Posted by mark_butler@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:08PM EDT Report Abuse
I think blu-ray will be around, just as a "also available on blu-ray" for many years until the content-producers decide to stop making things available on DVD like they did for VHS and force the consumer to switch. Downloadable content is fine for the tech-savvy minority but it is too complicated and iffy for the vast majority of America. You can't buy it at Wallmart, therefore it will not a major force.
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44 Posted by ztien777 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 11:02PM EDT Report Abuse
I've still never understood how Blu-ray beat out HD-DVD. HD was much cheaper and I don't know any non-PS3 owners who use Blu-ray.
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26 Posted by david_wedler on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:38PM EDT Report Abuse
I have a PS3 and enjoy the picture and sound quality. But if you are someone who hasn't upgraded their TV or Surround Sound System in the past 12 - 18 months it's not worth buying. You would have to upgrade your system and TV to really see the enhancements. So as a result with buying a $300 player then then it's not cost effective to upgrade your system. The discs our over priced just when DVD first came out but the picture quality was far noticeable of VHS on a regular Analog TV in comparison. If there is a movie I want, I have to buy it on the day it is released to catch the sale. Other than that the average disc price is $30 and a TV series or whole trilogy is anywhere from $60 - $100+. I do remember buying DVD when it first came out and that player was $699 and the discs were $24-$30+ for each movie. I think Blu-ray will eventually take off, but a much slower pace than DVD. I would give it 3+ years. The holidays are when the sales of the Blu-Ray players will drive the Discs. I also remember when DVD came out alot of the Disc manufacturers were mailing free DVD's from a catalogue for every 3-5 proof of purchases. I ate that up when they did that. So there are a lot of factors. But I do enjoy my PS3 for the games and movies.