Blu-ray bows to small sales, little fanfare

This week's launch of the Blu-ray Disc format, much like that of rival HD-DVD in mid-April, was more a dress rehearsal than anything else.
On Tuesday, the first seven titles, all from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, went on sale at select consumer electronics stores. The first player, from Samsung, was scheduled to go on sale five days later, but reports indicate that few retailers kept the machines in the backroom and away from the trickle of consumers willing to shell out $999 -- twice the cost of the entry-level HD-DVD player, from Toshiba -- to buy one now that the software was available.

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THELANDSOFSAND6480d ago

"I am evaluating my Blu-ray player, but based on my initial experience, I am most likely going to return it," Olshansky said. "I don't see enough value to justify spending $999 when HD-DVD is currently superior to Blu-ray and less expensive."

zypher6480d ago

here's what Robert Huebner, a 36-year-old video game developer from Marin County felt:

"I find the titles I've viewed so far to be more than adequate as launch titles; noticeably better than normal DVDs and quite seamless in their presentation. Blu-ray, despite the delays, feels like a finished, polished product. For me the quality bar was to see something that looked better than cable HD broadcasts from HBO, Showtime, etc., and Blu-ray definitely delivered that."

THELANDSOFSAND6480d ago (Edited 6480d ago )

http://www.hometheaterblog....

“For example Sony has said their only going to do MPEG2 rather than the newer codecs, either the advanced video codec that was pickled here in Europe or the SMPTE standardized VC-1 codec, both of those codecs are superior to MPEG2”

“Sony’s claim that MPEG2 is equal to or superior to VC-1 clearly says they haven’t been looking at it, in a manner in which they can see it’

“I’ve been doing demonstrations now for over a year, of what MPEG2 looks like versus VC-1 and in all cases in audiences I do it for; no one misses the differences between MPEG2 and VC-1”

subcell6479d ago (Edited 6479d ago )

Sony will come up with a 2X drive (or a 4X).

At 2x Blu-ray can read as fast as 12x DVD's minimum read speed. At just 3x Blu-ray is comparable to DVD at 12x; through the first half of the disc 3x Blu-ray is faster, through the second half of the disc 12x DVD is slightly faster.
MPEG2 can achieve higher bit-rate than
VC1 and this with no compression at all!

johnrichardandrew6480d ago

However much you like/dislike the format you cannot deny that this sort of launch was inevitable, who would rush out to get an expensive unit at the start of a format war when a $600 unit arrives in less than 5 months?

I personally don't think much of Bluray but the situation will get better for it, it may slump again later but this is nothing for Sony & Co to worry about.

THAMMER16480d ago

People do not even realize that the PS3 is Sony’s grand finally or desperation move. They are hoping that the risk pays off. I would like to see it work for them but it they have a slim chance that it will work. The 360 are in the best position in the world right now. They have broken Sony’s sales record, they have also produced a console that is easy for dev. to develop for, a working unified on line network, they have not taken any unnecessary risks. And most of all they have created the best consol that has been seen or read about in years Including the PS3 if you still think that is BS your are behind the curve. (Removing vibration, adding blue ray, and developing a cell processor with only one general propose core, the 2nd highest priced console in history, the 1st console in history with a high price but no real advantage over the competition graphically or in game play at all, poor public relations, and poor developer support, removing features that were promised in the being like 2x screen display and more, and so on and so on.) Play Station is the Barry Bonds of the game industry. Sorry guys you have been duped for years just swallow it

SDS Overfiend6480d ago

IPPON!!!!!!!!!! I with Thammer on this 1.

kingboy6480d ago

lol it don`t change the fact that the other console still stays lame..well u know which one i mean

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70°

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Coming Back for a New Generation

Originally launched in 2011, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is coming to Nintendo Switch, so It's time to look back at the original.

jznrpg1h ago

Still have my ps3 copies. Bought it at launch and another one when I found it cheap and in perfect condition about 10 years ago. I wouldn’t buy it on Switch but if they made a PS5 version I would. I still have one of my PS3 Fats hooked up so good to go either way.

darthv7251m ago

Id play it again on the switch. I wished my 360 version was bc but this is still a good way to play.

110°

Fallout 3's Reveal Led To Death Threats And Bethesda's First Security Guard

The artist behind Fallout 4’s Deathclaw reveals just how bad things got back when Bethesda took over the series

anast2h ago

People are stupid I get it. No one should feel unsafe,

But I think they need to talk about why they cut so many corners during the development process and why none of their games ever look current. And why they think all of this is okay while they charge full price.

LucasRuinedChildhood1h ago

As much as Bethesda deserve criticism, that's not really relevant to the reveal of Fallout 3 in 2007.

60°

Chatting Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered with Suda51

CGM Writes: While we were over at PAX East, we were able to sit down with Goichi Suda (Suda51) and talk about the upcoming remaster of Shadows of the Damned

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