Sony Announces Blu-Ray Disc Pricing Structure...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-02-08 05:18pm

From The Digital Bits:

Also today, Sony has officially announced its pricing structure for Blu-ray Disc titles. Catalog BD titles will be released at a wholesale price of $17.95. New release BD titles will wholesale for $23.45. That should mean that the top prices for Sony titles on the format will top out at about $29 (for catalog) and $35 (for new releases). The first titles are expected from the studio early this summer (think May or June). In addition, the studio has suggested that it may bundle Blu-ray Disc titles with versions of the same film compatible with other formats. So you might be able to buy a combo pack that contains both Blu-ray and UMD versions of the film, or Blu-ray, DVD and UMD all in one pack. The studio has already announced DVD/UMD combo packs of several titles, as we reported a few days ago (click here and slide down a paragraph of two). Ultimately, the studio may offer you a way to... say... buy the Blu-ray Disc version physically, along with the option to download the film in other formats. You can read more here at Home Media Retailing. A similar story is available at Video Business as well.

FYI, the only word we have yet on HD-DVD format pricing comes from our Warner coverage last week, in which we learned that the studio's catalog HD-DVD releases would be priced at around $29.98. What that means is that while title pricing for BOTH of the new high-definition formats is going to be slightly higher than standard DVD, it will still be comparable to what DVD was priced at when the format first launched back in 1997.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-02-08 08:27pm

$10 is slightly higher? On a 20$ product? That's near a 50% increase in price!

No suprise here, sooner or later production will get down in price and once agian we will be paying 500% markup for our movies rather than it's current 180% markup

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-02-08 08:33pm

Um, most DVD releases have an MSRP of about $30, so it's actually only a $5 increase at maximum compared pricing ranges.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-02-08 09:34pm

Ok, I can understand Blu-ray disks being higher priced - you need new equipment to make them, and Sony's probably got some fee in there, as well. But HD-DVD? You can produce those disks with exist equipement? Why am I'm paying $5-$10 more per movie? Why am I paying for more bits, when those bits already exist in the source material, anyway? Fucking greedy bastards (I'll retract that if someone can give me a good, technology-based reason).

FedRebel · Post by **FedRebel** » 2006-02-08 10:10pm

Arrow wrote: Why am I'm paying $5-$10 more per movie? Why am I paying for more bits, when those bits already exist in the source material, anyway? Fucking greedy bastards (I'll retract that if someone can give me a good, technology-based reason).

Just because it is made with the same equipment that does NOT mean that it is identical to DVD.

Have you ever pondered to capacity difference between a DVD and an HD-DVD disk? Undoubtedly they're doing something to cram in the extra 40.3 GB, and like everything else it costs money.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2006-02-08 10:14pm

Arrow wrote:Ok, I can understand Blu-ray disks being higher priced - you need new equipment to make them, and Sony's probably got some fee in there, as well. But HD-DVD? You can produce those disks with exist equipement? Why am I'm paying $5-$10 more per movie? Why am I paying for more bits, when those bits already exist in the source material, anyway? Fucking greedy bastards (I'll retract that if someone can give me a good, technology-based reason).

Look at it this way. Do you want 5-6 discs for just the movie with extras, like LotR, or would you prefer to have them all on one disc that you can access with relative ease?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-02-09 08:19am

FedRebel wrote:Just because it is made with the same equipment that does NOT mean that it is identical to DVD.

Have you ever pondered to capacity difference between a DVD and an HD-DVD disk? Undoubtedly they're doing something to cram in the extra 40.3 GB, and like everything else it costs money.

The equipment is the major capital expense. Obviously, the software that runs them needs to be upgraded, and I'm betting some of the physical hardware needs updating, but that still can't come out to $10 a disc. The only logical reason I can think of is the volume they'll be producing. But I still think $10 more is too much for getting the majority of consumers to switch. I'd love to have Blu-ray/HD-DVD, but the pricing is too high.

General Zod wrote:Look at it this way. Do you want 5-6 discs for just the movie with extras, like LotR, or would you prefer to have them all on one disc that you can access with relative ease?

For ten bucks less, I'll take the 5 discs.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2006-02-09 08:51am

Obviously, both the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD camps realize that the cost of a movie isn't a major concern to those who'll fork out the $$$ to be guinea pig...er, early adopters of the technology.
As for me, I'll buy a player.
Eventually. After I'm forced to buy a hi-def TV set when analog TV finally dies, and a format war winner has been declared.
Until then, why pay for something that I can't see on my TV?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-02-09 08:57am

HDTV is picking up fast here. It's only been on sale 6 months, if that, but already practically every telly out there in the shops now is HD ready, future proof as it were. Many stores don't even sell standard CRTs, instead, stocking only LCD and plasma (much like how no new VCRs are being bought now or film based cameras). While I wouldn't touch the current LCD or plasma TVs with a 10' barge pole, we're at least seeing the market explode.

That means the date for analogue TV being shutdown can be brought nearer, 2008 I believe, and HDTV starts broadcasting on Sky next month. Blu-ray and HD-DVD, if they're introduced right, could make as dramatic an impact in so short a time. But since standard DVD is the mainstay and given the price of the new players, I expect it's a real gamble.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-02-09 09:07am

Arrow wrote:But I still think $10 more is too much for getting the majority of consumers to switch.

It's not $10 more, it's only five across the comparative price ranges.

EDIT: IMDB has reported the story, also, and specify that it's a 15% increase compared to DVDs.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2006-02-09 09:08am

While I wouldn't touch the current LCD or plasma TVs with a 10' barge pole

I don't blame you a bit.
I'll struggle along with my 1987 Trinitron (Sony used to build good TV's) until I absolutely have to replace it.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2006-02-09 11:07am

Arrow wrote:Ok, I can understand Blu-ray disks being higher priced - you need new equipment to make them, and Sony's probably got some fee in there, as well. But HD-DVD? You can produce those disks with exist equipement? Why am I'm paying $5-$10 more per movie? Why am I paying for more bits, when those bits already exist in the source material, anyway? Fucking greedy bastards (I'll retract that if someone can give me a good, technology-based reason).

Pricing is not dictated on a "cost-plus" basis and you know it.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-02-09 11:18am

Glocksman wrote:
I don't blame you a bit.
I'll struggle along with my 1987 Trinitron (Sony used to build good TV's) until I absolutely have to replace it.

There was a good article in the paper a few weeks ago about plasma TVs, technology that is really a couple of decades old anyway, being thrown out of the Natural History Museum because of logo caused screenburn. I know someone who has more £s than brain cells and who bought a 60" screen a couple of years ago which is already fading in luminosity. Plasma is bullshit. LCDs are better, at least having a 20 year lifespan given optimal usage, but the backlight, still somewhat noticeable refresh rates and contrast ratios make me wait.

Aaanyway, that aside, I don't see these two new DVD mediums being popular outside of videophile circles until display technologies have become cheap enough in the HD lineup to warrant people throwing out their CRT when it's still perfectly functional.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-02-09 11:29am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Aaanyway, that aside, I don't see these two new DVD mediums being popular outside of videophile circles until display technologies have become cheap enough in the HD lineup to warrant people throwing out their CRT when it's still perfectly functional.

Well, that's pretty much Pioneer's perspective on the situation. For at least a while, they expect Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to basically fill in the corresponding niche laserdisk held compared to VHS.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-02-09 03:40pm

phongn wrote:
Arrow wrote:Ok, I can understand Blu-ray disks being higher priced - you need new equipment to make them, and Sony's probably got some fee in there, as well. But HD-DVD? You can produce those disks with exist equipement? Why am I'm paying $5-$10 more per movie? Why am I paying for more bits, when those bits already exist in the source material, anyway? Fucking greedy bastards (I'll retract that if someone can give me a good, technology-based reason).
Pricing is not dictated on a "cost-plus" basis and you know it.

Yeah. I guess its just my engineering mind set. And Zod's right - I probably would shell out more money, despite the fact I said I won't a few posts above. Honestly, I'm just pissed at the whole clusterfuck HD is becoming (Ars' article on CableCARD, and how it affects HTPCs, is what got me pissed in first place about this subject). I've already had it with DRM, format wars and price hikes - and these issues haven't really taken affect, yet.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-02-09 05:04pm

Let's do the math, people.

Downgraded signal on virtually all HDTVs + oppressive DRM + significant price hike = guaranteed failure as a mass market product.

Hopefully the executives that replace the current ones (after the investors have flayed them alive) will finally realize the foolhardiness of the current mindset in the music and movie industries.

Lost Soal · Post by **Lost Soal** » 2006-02-10 05:19am

General Zod wrote: Look at it this way. Do you want 5-6 discs for just the movie with extras, like LotR, or would you prefer to have them all on one disc that you can access with relative ease?

Do you really think they'll sell the movies on a per disc basis? Hell no. While a series on DVD can take 6 discs and cost £50+, when there released on 1 Blu-ray disc they'll still charge £50+. Maybe even more than normal due to the "increased costs of manufacturing".

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2006-02-10 05:30pm

I think I'm just going to wait until high-quality DVDs are no longer produced before I go to one of the high-definition formats. Sure, there may be a noticable increase in picture quality on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies, but DVD picture quality is already a fair bit above my "good enough" threshold and the new formats' DRM and other restrictions really don't seem to be worth it.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2006-02-10 05:41pm

Lost Soal wrote:
General Zod wrote: Look at it this way. Do you want 5-6 discs for just the movie with extras, like LotR, or would you prefer to have them all on one disc that you can access with relative ease?
Do you really think they'll sell the movies on a per disc basis? Hell no. While a series on DVD can take 6 discs and cost £50+, when there released on 1 Blu-ray disc they'll still charge £50+. Maybe even more than normal due to the "increased costs of manufacturing".

So what? My post had nothing to do with the cost, it was merely about the convenience of not having to deal with 5 or 6 discs in exchange for something that can easily fit onto one.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-02-10 06:18pm

Except they'll still have just as many discs because it will be in hi-def format, and if it's looking like it will all fit on 1 or 2, they'll just pile on the extras. People won't pay the prices they're charging for a single disc, because they won't feel like they're getting their money's worth.