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Why Has Blu-ray Failed To Catch Hold?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the paying-for-plastic dept.

Velcroman1 writes "My VCR is stashed in a closet, right next to a couple of CD-ROM players, a laser disc player, and other forgotten electronics. Is my Blu-ray player about to join them? Blu-ray really hasn't caught on — and probably never will. 'I'm surprised DVDs have continued to hang on,' said King, referring to the fact that player sales of over 20 million units in the US last year were pretty much evenly split between DVD and Blu-ray models. Blu-ray discs and players are clearly superior to DVDs, offering more features and a better picture overall. So why haven't shoppers been impressed?"

3 of 1,162 comments (clear)

  1. Price! by MozeeToby · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Because "regular price" for many blu-ray movie is $29.99 compaired to $17.99 for a DVD. The only times I buy blu-ray over DVD are for action movies that I really enjoyed (and that the improved picture quality is actually noticeable) or deep discount sales when I can get them for under $15.

  2. Too good by Gorkamecha · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Honestly, the quality is too good - You can see the wizard behind the curtain. Real life example: My geeks friends and I were all standing around watching Iron man 2 on a super huge LCD screen at best buy. It was the scene where Tony escapes his captors in the clunky MKI armor. We all noted that the suit looked like plastic, not metal. That you could see where the joints didn't quite connect. In short, the illusion was shattered. I haven't bought a blue ray video since. (I have a PS3, I own a few blueray films that I got for the extra features - But I prefer to watch plain old DVDs.)

  3. Re:Not bothered by TheLink · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There's another difference which makes DVDs more easily playable.

    You can easily buy _cheap_ multi-region DVD players.

    It's still not easy to find cheap multi zone Blu-ray players.

    I know some guy who buys lots of original stuff (especially shelves of anime) and he lives in NZ.

    The trouble is most english sub-titled bluray anime releases are in the wrong zone for NZ blu-ray players!

    So he had to go to a different country to buy a bluray player and take it back... I told him he shouldn't support such idiocy, but he just had to buy one.

    Who gets hurt by this bullshit? Good customers like him. Those people downloading MKVs aren't hurt :).

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