Blu-ray Doing Well In Europe

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While the overall tone of this article is pessimistic, there are nuggets of good news in it for fans of the Blu-ray format. Sales are up in Europe and the study suggests the trend may continue through 2009 with Blu-ray eventually taking 50% market share by 2012. The rest of the article isn’t so peachy.

According to the report, Blu-ray disc sales are up significantly in Europe so far this holiday season, and based on its findings, it believes the strong sales will continue through 2009. In fact, it believes European Blu-ray sales will triple during 2009, seeing 2.5 million players enter homes next year. Similar results are being witnessed in the U.S.
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with $30 movies I still don't see myself buying into it, I'll continue to netflix my bluray movies.
 
Doing good, huh? Fighting crime, abolishing injustice, curing disease, that sort of thing?
 
That's what I thought. Blu-ray doing mitzvahs? Saving the whales? Ending world hunger? Who would have thought?
 
Blue Ray is necessary so that we have an option for HD on physical media.

Just like not everybody wants an HD set, not everybody will want Blu Ray. However, those that do decide to go HD TV will need a physical media option, so Blu Ray is it.

There certainly are some things holding Blu Ray back, though. For example, the number of available alternatives for movies in HD over the internet. This will not stop Blu Ray, but will definitely compete with it.

I certainly do not see Blue Ray approaching the popularity of standard DVD because...there is a lot of other alternatives out there for HD content. But, as I said earlier, it's still important to have for those people who like owning the media in physical form (like me).

I don't have Blu Ray yet and it will be some time before I bother. Probably another 5 or more years before I really start to care, especially with the current economic conditions.

My existing 2000 Sony 60" rear projection CRT with component in does not do a good enough job of showing the difference between Blu Ray and a good upscaled DVD, so due to that I have no interest in going Blu Ray until at the very least that TV decides to kill itself off (and it will, as it's Sony and did so just after 2 years old). I may decide to get it repaired again since I actually like the large 60" 4:3 aspect screen size which are impossible to find anymore.

Until then, I'll keep watching DVDs.
 
timberdoodle said:
with $30 movies I still don't see myself buying into it, I'll continue to netflix my bluray movies.
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I've never paid $30 for a Blu-Ray movie.
I do like how people scoff at the price tag when DVDs were in the $20-25 range when they first came out.
 
Troz said:
I've never paid $30 for a Blu-Ray movie.
I do like how people scoff at the price tag when DVDs were in the $20-25 range when they first came out.
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Some DVD's still run for $20-25 in retail stores and the Blu-rays are only like $3-5 more.
 
This article frustrates me as there is so much misinformation being spread around.

First off, Blu Ray isn’t a replacement for DVD, it’s to be used in conjunction with standard DVDs as all Blu Ray players will all standard DVD content. You don’t HAVE to replace your entire collection. You can still watch and enjoy your DVDs.

Second, calling “Streaming HD” High Def is a half truth at best.

Thrid, anyone that can’t tell the difference between Blu vs. upconverted DVD either needs an eye exam, doesn’t have an HD TV, has it hooked up incorrectly or has a tiny TV. The difference on my 50in screen is night and day.
 
Troz said:
I've never paid $30 for a Blu-Ray movie.
I do like how people scoff at the price tag when DVDs were in the $20-25 range when they first came out.
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heh i had :p i pre ordered national treasure 2 for $30, the movie was all right, but they could of done a better job :/... but my dad on the other hand refuses to buy blu rays for $30 too haha he got happy feet/eight below for $15 each on ebay.. i try to avoid using ebay haha. and i will continue to buy $30 blu ray whenever a good one comes out, and i don't watch movie often, only when good ones come out.. im really picky i maybe only watch 1-2*new release* movies an year :eek:
 
I have been astounded at the quality difference between my bluray ps3 and upscaled DVD's on my Samsung HDTV.

If people say they cannot tell the difference then their TV must be inferior, or your setup is wrong / faulty or finally your eyes must be oozing shit. Its that simple.. night and day difference between the two.

There is only one reason why I have hardly any Bluray's at home... they cost a ridiculous amount of money for the movies.

In the UK, you can get the DVD for £12 to £13, or the Blueray for £18 to £23 depending on the movie.

Despite the amazing picture quality, I cant justify spending that much money on a single movie.
 
I don't know which is worse, the horse shyt about BR being night and day difference over upscaled DVD's or claims that there is no/little difference between the two formats. It's old...

Anyhow, the article sounds speculative and opinionated. A lot like the crap we loving read on the [H] forum whenever the subject of BR vs. DVD is broached. Personally, I don't give a damn about what media format Europeans use.
 
Out of the 728 million people in Europe, they're hoping 2.5 million will buy into Blu-ray. Doesn't really sound like a success to me.
 
Troz said:
I've never paid $30 for a Blu-Ray movie.
I do like how people scoff at the price tag when DVDs were in the $20-25 range when they first came out.
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....and I'm not buying those either.
The value of a dvd is not worth the price. Most of the movies I've seen I wouldn't watch more than once and then maybe again just as a lark. $20 bucks for that? No thanks. Just my interpretation of value though.
 
I don't know what the fuss is all about, if you want to watch movies in HD, buy Blu-Ray. I bought a PS3 and love this thing, checked out some stores here in Canada, the avergae movie is around $34 to $35 Canadian which is what I got Batman the Dark Knight for, and the experience is amazing!

Those who complain about Blu-ray either can't tell the difference between SD and HD or simply not ready to make the move. The HD experience is worth the extra few bucks for a movie. Also you can buy second hand for half price, so why not?
 
I am buying new movies in blue ray because of the stunning quality difference. And I will soon upgrade my reciever to one that does HD audio also. All hail home theater on fewer cables needed!!!
 
It's a pretty big leap in logic to assume that Blu-ray will be a dominant media in Europe 2012. Streaming 1080p is already well within the bandwidth of a standard Internet connection is much of Europe. Almsot anywhere that has the $ to be buying Blu-ray has access to 20+Mbit Internet access. (Amazing what happens when ISPs actually compete rather then lay out nice territories and stay out of eachother's way)Beyond that, I don't forsee $30 movies selling too well as the world heads into what will likely be the worst recession seen in decades.
 
Our infrastructure for online streaming is crap, and I don't expect it to work out anytime soon. Streaming content can no where match the bit rate of a bluray movie or even hdtv. If it did, the internet would come to a halt. Hulu etc and the 'hd' shit I've streamed isn't nearly as nice as hdtv even (stereo only sound too), and every time I turn around I read about how the internet isn't going to keep pace, big shocker in this country. How much of the market has broadband right now, anyway. I am betting that more people own dvd players than a broadband connection, hell I won't be surprised at all when the number of bluray players outsells the number of people who have a broadband connection even capable of streaming a steady "hd" online video. I'm tired of reading hyped up stories.

Then again we're talking about retard average consumer which keeps places like walmart and mcdonalds forever successful, so who knows how it will play out. The whole idea that someone needs to replace their entire dvd library and move it to bluray is fucking stupid. I bought a bluray player, it upconverts my dvds, and that is fine. New movies I buy on bluray though. Didn't most people keep their VCR? OH GOD they still sell VCRs, and OMG I still have one that is relatively NEW too!! Did every fucking tool on the planet rebuy all their VHS movies on DVD? I didn't, go figure. A lot of other people didn't either, otherwise there wouldn't be a demand at all for new VCRs which I can still walk into walmart and buy today. Its all bullshit folks, and its bad for you.

I never really have to pay 30 dollars for a bluray movie either. If you're doing that, you have your head up your ass and aren't paying any attention to pricing or competition. Some movies are worth rebuying on bluray, for instance I am chomping at the bit to get braveheart on bluray, just because its my favorite movie :>
 
timberdoodle said:
with $30 movies I still don't see myself buying into it, I'll continue to netflix my bluray movies.
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That's not unusual or unexpected. When movies are 25-30 bucks you'll "rent" more than if they are 15-20 bucks. At the latter disc pricing you'll start to see more and more people buying blu-ray. When the first older titles start hitting 10 bucks, in about 4 years, you'll see it selling the same as DVD does now.
 
timberdoodle said:
....and I'm not buying those either.
The value of a dvd is not worth the price. Most of the movies I've seen I wouldn't watch more than once and then maybe again just as a lark. $20 bucks for that? No thanks. Just my interpretation of value though.
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You would've hated the first few years of DVD's. 40 bucks a movie without extras in many cases.
 
Well it seems like sales of players are doing a bit better in the US now (still not what Sony wants), but the rentals are scarce. I now have 2 local stores that rent them, but their selection is VERY small and they only get pretty much 1 copy of each and only new releases. I have been using NetFlix instead, but when BD sales went up, they only increased the price a dollar and ordered less copies of new BD. I have 12 movies rotting on my waiting lists with short to very long waits. Some have been there quite a while... Hell Boy 2, Prince Caspian, Incredible Hulk, Hancock, Step Brothers, Horton Hears a Who, Futurama-Bender's Game, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Wanted, the Dark Knight, Fred Claus, and Meet Dave. I have only received a new release about once a month and only get older BD on my list the rest of the time. They have also slowed down their processing times, and transfer movies to other warehouses so I only get 1 movie that week. I was averaging about 8 movies a month for $9 with very few waits, but the last three months have been about 6 movies a month at $10 and horrible waits.
 
" for fans of the Blu-ray format"

Lol, people have really nothing else to do but being a fan of a file format? Come on...
 
This article doesn't really do anything new, and as others have noted, I don't give a damn what format Europeans are using. Good for them. I care about what people on this continent are using. That said, I think he did hit the nail on the head:

"I simply don't see the average consumer with a family, mortgage, minivan, and constant time concerns with work and baseball practice, choosing an entirely new media format over the simplicity and relative affordability of HD streaming."

That's the thing. Yes, I know HD streaming isn't HD. That's fine. But the fact is, he's right- in these economic times, especially, I think the average family is going to take the Roku, so they can stream movies instantly, without needing to leave or wait. The fact is that most people either can't tell or don't care about the difference, as long as it saves them time and money. Streaming does both of these, by a lot- While BD players are becoming cheaper and cheaper, I wouldn't want to spend any less than $300 to ensure quality and future compatibility. That is 3x the Roku right there, and then factor in movies (which obviously are only MSRP at $30, like everyone knows, they don't cost that much in real life if you can wait a week or two after it's out), and you're looking at real expense. Streaming is going to take over, I believe- show me a BD player that streams with Netflix, and you'll have success.

Until then, only the hardcore tech and A/V people will be going for Blu. And there aren't a whole lot of us compared to the population in general. And I'm happy being a Netflix streamer, I don't need Blu on my 32" 720p screen. It's good enough. A new computer is much more important to me. And I'm willing to bet that there are a few people who can identify with that.
 
The sales aren't going to keep going up, especially with the number of people pirating things each day. I say, it won't go to 50%
 
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