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Sony: PS3 Will Secure Blu-ray Format
As part of Sony’s announcement today that it will be cutting the PS2’s RRP by $30, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton took a moment to make parallels between old and new.
“Just as PlayStation 2 is delivering on a 10-year lifecycle and helped expand and solidify the DVD format for home entertainment along the way,” he said, “we believe Playstation 3 offers the same promise by helping secure the Blu-ray format.”
Tretton went on to say that the PS3 offers “unprecedented value” as the total home entertainment solution for the next decade, clarifying perhaps that the business has no immediate plans to reduce the price of the PS3.
The latest wave of PS3 price drop speculation passed by only just days ago, with an anonymous source incorrectly stating that an announcement will have occurred by now. Just weeks ago Screen Digest Games Analyst Ed Barton claimed that Sony was “under pressure” from various publishers to drop the retail price of its latest home console.
Sony states that the PlayStation 2 was the first home console to integrate DVD technology, and claims that the “rapid growth” of the PS2 install base “helped establish DVD as the standard optical disc media format worldwide.”
Sony now envisions the same level of success for Blu-ray as the media format continues to establish itself. Just over a year ago, Toshiba conceded defeat in the high-definition format war by withdrawing its support for HD-DVD.
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Sony is a joke! I bought a PS3 just over one year ago. That being said, sony offers a one year warranty with the system. That is great, if only they would learn about customer care! The blu-ray reader went out two months after purchasing it. Called, had them "fix" it. I received it three weeks later in the same condition I sent it. Called back once again and explained my problem. Customer service said it was fixed. I had to explain for twenty minutes that it was not fixed and it must have sat on a shelf until someone who does not know how to do their job decided to box it up and send back!
Finally, I convinced the rep that it was inoperable. Sent the system back and two and a half weeks later I received a new system. "Not the one I purchased." Sony's web site stated "my system" was repaired and shipped back. I thought nothing of it.
Once again six months later, the blu-ray reader goes out. I call again and set everything in motion. Two weeks go by, and my system is not in the Sony's web site. I called to find out what was going on with my $600 dollars,(PS3). The rep had told me, "the serial number does not match the serial number in their system." I asked what that meant. She explained, "they would fix my system for $150 dollars even though it had not been one year since purchase. I told the the rep tp just send me the PS (piece of &#@%) back to me unfixed, and from this point forward Bill Gates would be receiving my money. I am very pleased with XBOX 360.
I will never be a PS person again.
This is just one mans opinion! I am just giving advise.
Uhh huh! Step away from the electronics equipment!
Your 360 will probably conk out sooner than the PS3. It's highly unlikely that your console will suffer repetitive breakdowns in a span of less than a year, unless your not taking care of it. The spot that you're putting your console either has to be a very dusty place or there isn't enough space around the console for the heat exhaust. My PS3 had a similar problem and after I bought a new one I put it in a different location making sure there was enough space for the heat exhaust and covering the unit after I play with a dust-protection cover. After almost a year, I've had no problems with the machine at all.
PS3 helped Blu-Ray's short-term prospects, but Blu-Ray condemned PS3 to third place status so I'm not sure if there's a net gain for Sony.
I wish reporters would finally do their jobs and call Sony on their repeated claim that the PS2 is what made DVD a viable format. Just because you repeat something often enough doesn't make it true. PS2 had absolutely no impact on DVD acceptance and growth as stand-alone player sales eclipsed that of PS2 throughout its life-cycle and movie sales grew in direct correlation to stand-alone DVD player sales with no discernable impact when matched with PS2 sales. People bought PS2's overwhelmingly to play games - not watch movies. If Sony understood that better they wouldn't be in the situation they are today with PS3.
I bought a PS2 at Game Stop at Midnight, the date it was released. (along w/ 5 games)_
Now, granted, I already had a nice Sony ES DVD player, but it was at the other end of the room, inconveniently tied to my TV through a switchbox and my Denon 5803 receiver. Still, in all the history of owning the PS2, i've only played about 5 DVDs in it, to this date. Although an originally large number of Japanese PS2 buyers bought it as a player, most Americans saw that as a bonus, not an insperation for purchase.
If the PS2 price keeps dropping, of course it will be a 10-year system. I paid $400 for mine. Who wouldn't pay $39.95 for one in a few years? And it has tons of good games.
When (if) I buy a PS3, it won't be to play video movie discs. It will be to play video game discs. A half decent BluRay dedicated component is worth the extra investment (and look at the way prices have already fallen on fully featured models from numerous manufacturers!). I read one post who says that they have to make room for the BluRay player on the TV. Why MUST it be there, and when ya got the buucks, get one and put it somewhere else if ya have to . . . . . Geez!
All Gaming is Good Gaming!
Mark..................................................................................................
You're right. the PS2 was not a boon to DVD. It was the other way. DVD was a boon to the PS2. Why? Because people actually wanted DVD. It did not require a new tv to take advantage of it. It brought a noticeable increase in resolution to the viewer and it was easier to store. It was a desired step up from VHS. Since people wanted DVD, they saw no problem getting a gaming system that offered a DVD player. I still use mine as my primary DVD player.
Blu-ray on the other hand has really been forced on the viewers. People need to upgrade their tv to take advantage of it. Most tvs (720p ie the ones that people are most likely to buy) will show little noticeable difference between Blu-ray and an upscaled DVD for those who are not videophyles. They are more expensive that DVD. The Players are more expensive to DVD. Most of the people in the world are still using SD television sets. For the average electronics consumer there is no reason to get Blu-ray and thus the need to get the most expensive console on the market is lowered substantially because of that.
Does anyone see digitally delivered movies as a serious threat to BluRay over the next 5 years? I know we've all had this talk before, but today is seems no one is bringing that up. I thought about getting a non-PS3 BluRay player since they're dirt cheap now, but I don't have a spot on my TV stand for it and I subscribe to Netflix mainly for DD movies which I don't need a BluRay player for. Maybe some day I'll get one, but probably not (though, if Gladiator, LoTR, or Braveheart come out on BluRay I'll buy one day and date with those movies).
"Broadband" as categorized by the FCC in the U.S. is virtually anything faster than dial-up. I'm stuck with a lowly 1.5Mbps DSL connection, which is nowhere near enough to stream HD content. It's pretty spotty with SD content as it is.
Netflix just sent out an email yesterday stating that they're bumping up the Blu-Ray "access fee" from $1 per month to $5 per month because they're "adding more Blu-Ray titles all the time." Too bad for me that only 10 of the 248 titles in my queue are available in Blu-Ray format. I killed the Blu-Ray option on my account yesterday.
Disney, on the other hand, seems to have realized that bundling the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital copy discs for the price of a Blu-Ray disc will produce more sales. My kids can now watch the Blu-Ray at home, the DVD in the car, and the digital copy (or a rip from the DVD) whenever they're on the go; they don't currently do the latter, but it's nice to have as an option.
Aside from Disney's recent bundling move, Blu-Ray media prices haven't dropped other than some older titles around the holidays. Sony needs to let go of the “unprecedented value” rhetoric and drop prices on PS3 and Blu-Ray media fast if they want to increase sales before *real* broadband becomes widely available.
Yeah, I was pretty annoyed to get that same Netflix email. That's the second increase now for Blu-Ray on Netflix and I think I'll stop that option too. I suspect that Netflix is souring to the format and prefers the benefits they've seen of streaming to PC/360 (their membership has skyrocketed since NXE launched), rather than the increased costs of supporting the Blu-Ray format.
I would hold off on buying a stand-alone Blu-Ray player until next year, Nick. This next Holiday Season should prove critical to the continued viability of the format and if you see all the studios sticking with it then it should be a safe bet. By that time, you can probably get a PS3 for a good price and might as well take that route so you can pick up some PS3 exclusives.
It's funny you mention the potential of studios not being too confident in the format. I've noticed the marketing for BluRay has been scaled back to advertise the DVD version. The BluRay version would be front and center, and it seems like DVD/digital are taking up more of the screen/air time than BluRay lately. I think people and maybe studios thought DVD would die a quick death and now it seems DVD has gotten a bit stronger, having more features, digital copies have taken off, and they're cheaper, too. I've even noticed DVD prices have gone back up slightly over the last 6 months or so.
Anyway...I'm a sucker for anything LoTR but I think the studios are taking a wait-and-see approach with their major back titles. They're either waiting for the BluRay installed-base/adoption rate to be significant to ensure the best possible return or they just don't think there's much money in it. As far as getting a PS3 when the price drops so I can enjoy physical media HD movie goodness AND some nice PS3 games...don't know about that. I think not only do I have very little time, but only a couple of my 360 friends have PS3's and I'm already a part of a gaming community with my 360 and don't really have time for another one. It may sound kinda lame, but the 360 offers me a lot more than just gaming/movies/PC streaming, the community aspect that has grown over the last 5 years can't really be replaced or supplemented (nor do I need it to be) with another console. I may be very naive, but I just have no desire for another gaming system. If I had a PS3 first I'm almost positive I'd feel the same way, just the other way around (and if I wasn't a sucker for Halo ^^).
I'm waiting for LoTR to be released on Blu-Ray as well, and it can't come soon enough. Also, if you haven't watched anything on Blu-Ray on a good HDTV, you don't know what you're missing. It's not just an up-scaled DVD.
Digital copy is broken due to (surprise!) DRM. Most publishers only allow a digital copy to *one* computer and *one* media player; I can copy the files wherever I want, but they'll only play on those two devices. My wife's iPhone died over the weekend, taking our digital copy of Horton Hears a Who with it. Fox won't allow another digital copy to replace it.
That's why I prefer Disney's new bundling model because I can rip the DVD once and move it wherever I want to, as well as streaming it on any UPnP/DLNA device in the house. Now I just need to upgrade the discs in my NAS to hold it all :)
I have two HD-DVD players, one for my 360 and one in the bedroom. I have about 20 or so HD-DVDs and they all run 1080p on my Samsung 50" DLP (newer model). Some movies look fantastic and others look like unconverted DVDs. So I've experienced 1080p movie viewing and in some cases it's amazing and in others (the Matrix trilogy) look only so-so. But it wasn't enough difference for me (plus no HD/Bluray movies offer discrete 6.1 DTS-ES so I'm taking a step backward in the audio department) to buy a BluRay player. There are surround sound systems that support 6.1, 7.1 etc, but it's not discrete. The receiver just splits the signals and "guesses" where the sound should be coming from. My receiver is a Panasonic DTS-ES 6.1 and only my movies on regular DVD have discrete 6.1 audio on the disc so the receiver isn't "guessing" anything as it's playing the audio the way it was encoded on the disc, only in 6 channels. DTS-HD and DD-HD may have lossless sound, but without the 6.1 support I'm very disappointed. Do yourself a favor and look at what audio your BluRay discs support, they're all disappointedly 5.1. Like I was saying, your receiver will fake 6.1 or higher, but you're not getting real 6.1. That rear center speaker makes quite a difference.
Oops, didn't mean to go off there.
True about the digital copy, that sucks (I wasn't aware that was the case with most digital copies).
No wonder you're having crummy video and audio. I checked out your receiver and it appears it doesn't have any HDMI connections. HDMI is important to achieve full 1080p image resolution and Tru HD 5.1 audio, although using less speakers than a 6.1 set-up, is more detailed and vastly superior to set-ups using just optical or coaxial connections. The Matrix Trilogy is so detailed in my HDMI set-up that you can see the stitching in Neo's black pants and trench coat. Using just S-video, all these would just appear to be a sea of black mush.
Downloaded movies will not have the same impact as mp3 had on music and even if it did just take a look down the high street- there are still loads of people buying their music on CD.
The PS3 needs its price lowered. We all know that. I do understand Sony's unwillingness to do so. I've mentioned before, I would be happy if they just added back in the functionality they scrapped (i.e. full backwards compatibility) now that the price should be reduced.
The PS3 is a good value compared to the 360 and it's add ons, but the ability to buy a system now and add wireless later is pretty attractive, even if it means paying more a few months down the line.
I like my PS3 a lot. Much better than my third 360 after 2 general hardware failures. I think it's a good system. They innovated a little with their online stuff (full games for download), but not so much that you would really notice. It's just too expensive of a console. Cut the price $25 and sales will go up, I think.
Sony, Sony, Sony. *sigh*
Brian
www.brianwoods.com
If it gets a $25 price cut, I think most people will bitch about it not being more.
The PS3 needs at least a $50 price cut. $20-25 would be a slap in the face & turn off the fence sitters.
THANKS
This year's Sony exclusives + Blu-Ray means my PS3 is an invaluable addition to my entertainment centre.
I personally know a few people who doesn't give a flying fk about videogames, yet buy PS3s just to watch Blu-ray.
I personally know a few people who couldn't give a flying fk about HD whatsoever and some actually have HD TVs...
I think 90% of the population still don't have a clue what it actually is. They were just told by their son/grandson to "ask for HD".
You know, It's quite interesting that when you look at the statistics, you realize that there are a lot of folks out there with HDTVs who have yet to watch a BluRay disc or an HD broadcast, relying on their TV systems upconversion for their 'sudo' HDTV. Those are the likely candidates for mediocatic attitudes about HD. I view through a 72" 1080P DLP and I'm so spoiled that all I now watch in NTSC are my DVDs. I won't watch broadcast NTSC anymore (even upconverted with my 4rth gen integral upconverter). I also am selling the neighborhood here on the benefits to be gained (integrated digital 5.1 as standard, included).
HDTV is more than just eliminating those annoying horizontal gaps in the picture.
I agree with you, but it doesn't have to be that way.
All Gaming is Good Gaming!
Mark......................................................
Hmm... people who have HD TVs yet don't have a clue about what HD is. Perhaps they just like how their HD TVs complement the living room?
You'd be surprised. I know plenty of people with HD LCD TVs that only have SD sources for their viewing and pretty much all of them made their buying decision based on what looked good in the living room.
Knowledge on the benefits of HD, and how to take advantage of it does generally remain with in the specialist interest groups (eg. games, serious movie fans).
Exactly. Explaining the difference between 1080p and 1080i leaves a stupefied look in most people I talk to.
I know what you mean, I already have mine, but I was just hoping for Sony to make a return to the no.1 spot. Doesn't look likely either.
As for the exclusives line-up, I'm sorry but it isn't drool-worthy.
Yeah I just think that while a price cut would be really welcome those people that are sitting on the fence should just suck it up, stop being cheap arses and buy one. The games....oooh the games.
At the current prices, it's not worth my while.
If I didn't have a 360 already, then a PS3 might be a worthy buy (which would come down to which console had the most appealing exclusives - which is a subjective matter), but since I do have a 360 the value of a PS3 is only in the exclusive games and right now there aren't enough that interest me to justify the price (and until I get an HDTV, the Blu Ray doesn't provide any benefit to me just now either). £280 (or whatever it is just now) just isn't worth it to be able to play LBP, MGS4, Drakes Fortune and Wipeout HD.
Yes, there are some nice games for the PS3, but unfortunately there are not enough for me to justify spending $400 on it. I need to be able to get at least 5 games within the first couple of months for me to justify it. Unfortunately for me, there are only 2-3 that really appeal to me at this time.
As much as it pains me to say it, doesn't look like they'll be cutting the cost any time soon.. what do I care anyway, I've already got one and its freekin awesome. and the games... oooh the games. take a peek at 09's line up... clean that dribble up will you!