With dominance of the market for high-definition
movie discs still up in the air, Sony Corp. said Monday it is including
a small surprise with the new Blu-ray disc player it is shipping this
week: a price tag $100 lower than previously announced.
When Sony announced the BDP-S300 player in February, it put the price at $599, but it has now set a list price at $499.
That
means the new player costs half of what the company's first Blu-ray
player cost when it launched just six months ago — probably one of the
fastest price declines in the consumer electronics industry. The new
player has essentially the same capabilities as the older BDP-S1 but is
smaller.
The price cut is due to falling production costs and the
growing demand for Blu-ray products, according to Chris Fawcett, vice
president of Sony Electronics' home products division.
This undated handout photo provided by Sony Corp. shows the BDP-S300
Blu-ray player. The player is expected to go on sale in June. (AP
Photo/Sony Corp.)
Sony has
been undersold in the market for high-definition disc players by
Toshiba, which created the rival HD DVD format. Its players are now
selling for less than $300, 14 months after Toshiba's first player
appeared in U.S. stores.
Neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD players have
caught on strongly with consumers, who have been waiting for the market
to settle on one of the formats. But dropping prices for players and
HDTV sets in more homes mean a big showdown between the discs may be
looming this holiday season.
Hollywood studios are split on the issue, but Blu-ray has the strongest support.
Most
people buying Blu-ray discs are apparently buying them for their Sony
PlayStation 3 game consoles. The cheapest version of the console costs
$499, but its game-oriented wireless controller and relatively loud fan
makes it a less than ideal movie player.
On the Net:
Sony Blu-ray site: http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/hpd/bluray
