Rich Fiscus
6 Mar 2008 2:25
Despite speculation by some that we may see a $200 Blu-ray player before year's end, no such product appears to be in sight. In fact, the Chinese companies responsible for the boom in low priced DVD players a few short years ago don't even seem to have a chance to be licensed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA).
Sony Electronics CEO Stan Glasgow told Gizmodo "I don't think $200 is going to happen this year. Next year $200 could happen. We'll be at a $300 rate this year. $299 will happen this year." He apparently intimated that no Chinese manufacturer was even close to getting a license, which many have suggested is the key to low priced players of any type.
What Sony is apparently hoping to accomplish this year is establishing a presence in the video download market. Rival console maker Microsoft has been able to build a successful service with the Xbox Live store, which includes a number of SD and HD titles. Meanwhile Sony, owner of a great deal of their own content, has somehow failed to establish a similar marketplace for PS3 owners, despite the console being billed as a home entertainment device rather than simply a game console.