Holstein912
08-08-2008, 03:38 PM
New study says standalone Blu-ray players are having sales troubles.
Consumers are still reluctant to buy standalone Blu-ray players, but Play Station 3 consoles are jumping off shelves.
That's the conclusion of a new study from ABI Research, as reported by Video Business.
The Play Station 3, which retails for $399, includes a Blu-ray player inside and past research has indicated that many PS3 owners are using the player, which has helped drive sales of Blu-ray high-def discs.
However, in a survey of 1,000 consumers, ABI found that more than half said they have no plans to purchase a standalone Blu-ray set-top in the near future. About 25 percent said they would likely buy one, but not until 2009.
The news is not good for Blu-ray manufacturers which plan to issue several new models later this year.
However, it could suggest that Blu-ray manufacturers need to lower the prices on its standalone players so they are clearly less expensive than the PS3; most new models start at $399, the same price as the PS3, which also serves as a game player.
Thanks to the success of the PS3, ABI says Blu-ray penetration continues to rise.
“While you might think gamers purchase fewer movie discs than others, we didn’t see any significant evidence of that in our results,” ABI principal analyst Steve Wilson told Video Business. “PS3 console shipments will go a long way to help bring down manufacturing costs and drive down Blu-ray player prices.”
ABI research also indicated that standalone Blu-ray player prices need to fall before they will take off.
Source: TV Predictions
Holstein912
Consumers are still reluctant to buy standalone Blu-ray players, but Play Station 3 consoles are jumping off shelves.
That's the conclusion of a new study from ABI Research, as reported by Video Business.
The Play Station 3, which retails for $399, includes a Blu-ray player inside and past research has indicated that many PS3 owners are using the player, which has helped drive sales of Blu-ray high-def discs.
However, in a survey of 1,000 consumers, ABI found that more than half said they have no plans to purchase a standalone Blu-ray set-top in the near future. About 25 percent said they would likely buy one, but not until 2009.
The news is not good for Blu-ray manufacturers which plan to issue several new models later this year.
However, it could suggest that Blu-ray manufacturers need to lower the prices on its standalone players so they are clearly less expensive than the PS3; most new models start at $399, the same price as the PS3, which also serves as a game player.
Thanks to the success of the PS3, ABI says Blu-ray penetration continues to rise.
“While you might think gamers purchase fewer movie discs than others, we didn’t see any significant evidence of that in our results,” ABI principal analyst Steve Wilson told Video Business. “PS3 console shipments will go a long way to help bring down manufacturing costs and drive down Blu-ray player prices.”
ABI research also indicated that standalone Blu-ray player prices need to fall before they will take off.
Source: TV Predictions
Holstein912