Blu-Ray Launch Expected Next Week

grammar fascist writes "According to a Reuters article, two Blu-ray players and 'various titles' are expected in stores next week, June 20th. From the article: 'Blu-ray, one of two much-hyped high-definition DVD formats, debuts next week, but the launch is expected to be muted amid device delays and consumer confusion, industry analysts said on Thursday.' On the 20th, Samsung, not Sony, is launching a set-top player (Sony's is due this fall), and Sony is launching a Blu-ray compatible VAIO PC. Sony's fall set-top player will probably cost $1500. No word on the cost of Samsung's player yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be cheap."

Comments

Netflix starting to roll out blu-ray support, too.

[IvyMike]

I'm not going to be using it anytime soon, but I noticed the other day that Netflix is starting to roll out their support for blu-ray.

Re:Dual-Format Player

[BalanceOfJudgement]

Ohh common, since when has "not allowed in the license" ever stopped a chineese company?

Uhh... you are aware, right, that Samsung announced it would build a dual player and was summarily trounced by Sony for violating some obscure section of their license agreement?

Don't hold your breath. Sony has no intention of letting anyone produce systems that will allow HD-DVD to exist.

And that, by the way, reveals their true intentions for creating Blu-ray to begin with, and why it is stuffed chock full of DRM: vendor lock-in. They couldn't care one whit about protecting content.