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Blu-ray Lures Customers with Free Movies

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

June 28, 2007, 1:44 PM

Learning from its HD DVD rival, the Blu-ray Disc Association has launched a new promotion in which it will offer five free movies to purchasers of Blu-ray players -- including Sony's PS3 -- between July 1st and September 30th. Customers can choose 5 titles out of a list of 21.

Toshiba took a similar tack to increase sales of HD DVD players, offering a $100 discount and five free movies. The promotion seemed to work, with the HD DVD Promotions Group announcing earlier this month that sales doubled in May. In turn HD DVD regained the lead in the market with 60 percent of all high-definition players. Blu-ray's biggest problem remains its low attach rate; customers simply aren't buying movies for the PS3. The 5 free movie promotion could help, assuming there is demand for title like Pearl Harbor and Transporter 2.

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By ModderXManiac

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 4:28 PM

You know, it sounds like many of you people WANT blue-ray to fail. It's better than HD-DVD in terms of storage and bandwidth, and both have DRM, so that whole argument can be scratched out. It's not a Sony invention, and it beats the hell outta dvds, and won't get to the popularity or price of DVD's if people don't adopt.

Players are coming down in price, but the media is staying the same around $20-$30 people NEED TO ADOPT.

If more people just knew how effectively better this format was, if people would quit living in the '80s and get decent tv's. I own 4 hdtv's, not counting my computer monitors, and I'm not rich, get with the times people.

Score: 0

By Hocuspokus

posted Jun 30, 2007 - 7:48 PM

"it sounds like many of you people WANT blue-ray to fail".

- Yeah, that seems fair to me, an anti-consumer format specifically developed to take ownership & control away from the consumer deserves nothing less IMO.

"It's better than HD-DVD in terms of storage and bandwidth"

- It's slightly better bandwidth is meaningless for video when HD DVD can achieve 'transperancy' to the master copy at lower bit-rates and modern codecs
(theself-same bit-rates & codecs BD studios themselves are adopting - meaning that they increasingly - as they adopt the moden VC-1 codec - won't ever need or use that theoretically higher rate anyways)

The capacity lead is short-lived & 51gb TL will be here soon (it's now been formally submitted to the DVD Forum for approval).

.....but I'll look forward to your support for HD DVD when it is the formay that offers the greatest storage, eh?
Yeah right.

"both have DRM, so that whole argument can be scratched out."

- Er, no it can't.

The BD side have made a 'selling point' of the fact that BD comes loaded with more and more sophisticated DRM than HD DVD.

They are not the same.

HD DVD's DRM has already been cracked.

BD+ allows for a constantly moving 'target' via updates.

It is a whole new world of sh*t unique to BD.

"It's not a Sony invention"

- Actually you'll find Sony are the prime developers and hold the majority of patents on it.

"it beats the hell outta dvds"

- So does HDDs & HD DVD.

"won't get to the popularity or price of DVD's if people don't adopt."

- Which is what is happening.

Kiddies might love it on the games consoles (but seeing how few BD movie discs all those PS3s are shifting even that is wide open to doubt) but no matter what the PS3 will never become a big deal in the a/v market.

Score: 0

By Galway

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 6:52 PM

"Blu-ray's biggest problem remains its low attach rate"

So they are going to give them 5 free disks, making them less likely to buy any disks. This will make the ps3 an even bigger loss.

Id be more tempted to grab a HD display manufacturer to bundle the player with a screen and take the hit there. If you’re going to invest in HD then you need a player to appreciate it and as sure as eggs are eggs they will BUY disks to showcase their new toy.

Score: 0

By calcajun

edited Jun 28, 2007 - 4:29 PM

Can't wait for this to be over.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 9:10 AM

Can't wait for this to be over.

QFT

Score: 0

By Benjamin Linus

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 2:56 PM

"assuming there is demand for title like Pearl Harbor and Transporter 2."

Or Cars, Casino Royale, Pirates Of Caribean, and many others..

Or perhaps it will be the Star Wars, which is looking like a Blu-Ray exclusive...

http://ps3.qj.net/Rumor-...lusive-/pg/49/aid/91811

Score: 0

By Hocuspokus

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 6:27 PM

"assuming there is demand for title like Pearl Harbor and Transporter 2.

Or Cars, Casino Royale, Pirates Of Caribean, and many others.."

The only movie you have mentioned here which is on the lists is Pearly Harbour (which was a stunningly bad movie).

Movie Choices (you can only pick ONE movie per category)

Category 1
- The Guardian
- Pearl Harbor
- Invincible
- Chicken Little

Category 2
- Corpse bride
- Phantom of the Opera
- Blazing Saddles

Category 3
- Stealth
- Resident Evil 2
- Underworld Evolution
- Stir of Echoes

Category 4
- The Italian Job
- Black Rain
- Babel
- Devil's Rejects

Category 5
- Kiss of the Dragon
- Omen 666
- The Transporter 2
- Species
- Hart's War
- The Last Waltz

Score: 0

By SGD

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 4:31 PM

The article is right about being a rumor. Lucas has come forward and said flat out that there are no plans for any Star Wars movies coming to any HD format.

If Cars ever comes out, delay after delay, after delay.

Score: 0

By dlab21

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 5:34 PM

link?

if it comes hd its coming to blu-ray, bottom line

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 12:03 AM

"link?"

Take your pick: http://www.google.com/se...star+wars+movie+blu-ray

Score: 0

By Benjamin Linus

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 2:58 AM

http://digg.com/gaming_n...ome_a_Blu_Ray_exclusive

Score: 0

By carlitox

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 7:12 PM

i would go with google, not with your bullsh!t pendejo de mierda, chupame los huevos

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 9:45 PM

Fallacy. Link?

Score: 0

By SGD

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 1:55 PM

When HD-DVD did this it was claimed as an act of desperation I wonder what this fans will say.

Score: 0

By Alex Stevens

edited Jun 28, 2007 - 1:56 PM

I think we all know the answer to that. They will now claim it's an act of genius that will be the final nail in the coffin for HD-DVD. Fanboys are huge hypocrites you know.

Score: 0

By DaveBG

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 1:51 AM

Haha, yes it is the final nail because Blu-ray is on top and does it to kick HD DUDers arse while HD DUD does it save itself from sinking (which is impossible btw).

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 11:11 AM

"They will now claim it's an act of genius that will be the final nail in the coffin for HD-DVD."

These idiots are so predictable.

Score: 0

By SGD

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 12:56 PM

VERY much agreed.

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 6:06 PM

Exactly.

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 1:52 PM

http://www.bluraysavings.com/ gives a 404.

Score: 0

By SGD

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 2:15 PM

Nice Sony can't even have a reliable web server.

Score: 0

By TomeOne

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 6:51 PM

Disney, actually.

Whois info for, bluraysavings.com:

Registrant:
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
US

Domain servers in listed order:
SENS01.DIG.COM
ORNS02.DIG.COM
ORNS01.DIG.COM
SENS02.DIG.COM

All Disney nameservers

Score: 0

By bobthegoat2001

posted Jun 29, 2007 - 12:46 AM

Though Disney is owned by Sony. Go figure.

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 5:39 PM

Haha, nice trolling.

Score: 0

By terminalx

posted Jun 28, 2007 - 1:51 PM

Sony needs to drop the price of their players to remain competitive. This is a start but ultimately price is what the average consumer is going to go for.

Score: 0

By Hocuspokus

edited Jun 29, 2007 - 1:40 PM

Just so people know what we're talking about here this is the list of elligible players & the 'pick from' catagories.

People pretending you can get any 5 BD movies are simply ignorant of the facts or deliberately lying -

Eligible Blu-ray Players
Sony BDP-S1
Sony BDP-S300
Sony PS3
Panasonic DMP-BD10K
Panasonic DMP-BD10KA
Philips BDP9000/37
Pioneer BDP-94HD
Samsung BD-P1000
Samsung BD-P1200

Movie Choices (you can only pick ONE movie per category)

Category 1
- The Guardian
- Pearl Harbor
- Invincible
- Chicken Little

Category 2
- Corpse bride
- Phantom of the Opera
- Blazing Saddles

Category 3
- Stealth
- Resident Evil 2
- Underworld Evolution
- Stir of Echoes

Category 4
- The Italian Job
- Black Rain
- Babel
- Devil's Rejects

Category 5
- Kiss of the Dragon
- Omen 666
- The Transporter 2
- Species
- Hart's War
- The Last Waltz

Better than nothing I guess but not exactly as open and great a choice as some are determined to pretend.

I suppose they felt they really had to offer some sort of compensation for suckering people into grabbing out-dated players (the 'new' Sony s300 isn't even BD profile 1.1 compliant ffs) and the associated DRM they bring.

Anyone catch this news?

"No new Blu-ray player planned by Panasonic
Panasonic has confirmed that it will not up replacing its DMP-BD10a Blu-ray player with a new model this year. The decision could be seen as a tacit admission that interest in dedicated BD decks is limited, with the lion’s share of sales going to the PlayStation 3. Instead, Panasonic will be concentrating on its Viera TV ranges and Lumix cameras as core product lines, alongside a renewed emphasis on HD camcorders."
http://avzombie.com/blog...er-planned-by-panasonic/

I'm sure Dave will be along shortly to bleat on about how it's an HD DVD fanboy site (without a trace of irony or shame).

Score: 0

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