Sabotaging Sony PS3 blu-ray market?

[Porfie]

Im glad to see not all the media is bashing blu-ray. Many people want blu-ray to succeed but are just as frustrated as the rest of us on how SONY is not fighting back or pushing blu-ray like it could and should.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...station-three/

Sabotaging the Sony PS3 market?
On the Edge Column

I needed a Blu-ray player, and the PS3 is, without question, the best value for the money in the marketplace. It plays Blu-rays, upconverts standard-definition DVDs to near 1080 quality - and is a top-of-the-line video-game system to boot. Add to this wireless Internet capability and an ability to upgrade the operating system, and it's the Blu-ray system par excellence.

Over the past few months, I have grown to love my PS3. The image it puts out is, frankly, stunning: Combining it with a 1080p HDTV is the closest thing you're going to find to film for your home theater short of building a projector into the wall behind your couch. That is why I'm so depressed that Sony seems bound and determined to do everything in its power to hinder the market penetration of the system in particular and Blu-ray in general.
One brief example: Look at the holiday landscape. We're dealing with the worst economy since the Carter years. Deflation looms. Businesses desperately need a big holiday push to boost the bottom line. The Nintendo Wii remains the most popular system in the land, and, at $250, isn't necessarily a budget buster. XBox 360 has made serious inroads by dropping the price of its core system to $199. So how did Sony respond?

By releasing a new version of the PS3 ... that's $100 more expensive. Yes, it comes with a game, and yes, it has more hard-drive space, to which I respond: Who cares? Was the marketplace clamoring for more memory from the PS3? Is that why its market penetration is so low compared to its predecessors and competition? What were the Sony execs thinking? Now consider the following facts: Samsung has just released a Blu-ray player that will stream Netflix movies. (In other words, you can pick a select number of movies from the Netflix library and watch them instantly on your TV.) The XBox 360 has just added the same capability. How does Sony respond? By allowing PS3 owners to stream Netflix movies? No, that would make too much sense. Instead, Sony said Netflix couldn't stream any title from Sony's library to the XBox. That'll show 'em!

Sony also has done a terrible job of marketing Blu-ray players as a whole. Consumers don't seem to understand the benefit Blu-ray offers to owners of large standard-definition (SD) DVD collections. I have had conversations with reasonably tech-savvy people who didn't realize Blu-ray would upconvert the image of an SD-DVD to near-HD quality. One consumer admitted to me that he bought an HD-DVD player after the HD-DVD/Blu-ray format war was decided earlier this year because he "wanted something that would play my old DVDs" going forward.

Consumer ignorance is a death sentence in this struggle.

PlayStation 3

I understand, in theory, why Blu-ray manufacturers and the studios want to keep it on the hush hush that Blu-ray players make SD-DVDs look better; there's an awful lot of money to be made in suckering people into buying that back catalog of titles all over again in yet another new format. However, it's a losing strategy in the long run because consumers simply aren't that impressed by the difference in picture quality.

Sony and the rest of the Blu-ray manufacturers need to implement a radical shift in their marketing strategy: Hammer home the fact that not only will their new Blu-ray player play high-definition movies, it also will vastly improve the picture quality of their previously purchased libraries.

Without such a shift, the format might perish. Market penetration remains low, and every month people don't buy a Blu-ray player is a month they get closer to downloadable HD movies and the death of the format as a whole. Sony would be wise to step it up and do a better job at getting Blu-ray players into people's homes.

[ShelbyGT500]

How does Sony respond? By allowing PS3 owners to stream Netflix movies? No, that would make too much sense. Instead, Sony said Netflix couldn't stream any title from Sony's library to the XBox. That'll show 'em!

From what I had heard Sony got outbid on the Netflix deal by M$ and that's why they put the hate on the Xbox and Netflix. Other than that I totally agree with this article. Sony really needs to rethink their marketing.

[ozzman]

Personally,
Iam not worried about blu-ray.It sells itself.
I give it two more years and i can see it becomeing mainstream.
It has been a slow process.
Only time will tell but i think were not looking at a Laserdisk thing here.
Blu-ray players are getting cheaper,Shoot,you can buy a player a walmart now.
Walmart in itself does a good job of selling blu-ray.Everyone i go to there's a display for blu-ray right in the middle of the store.Just give it time.

Like i said no worries here.I just sit back and enjoy what i have so far

[WriteSimply]

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

You also have to put things in perspective. Wii is a casual-gamer console. 360 is a hard-core gamer console. The PS3 is a casual-to-hardcore gamer console and seriously puts a lot of value for money. The bigger HDD, Bluetooth controller, BD player AND free PSN are worth all the money.

Uninformed people may get the 360 thinking it was cheaper but when they want to get all of that - except the BD player - they'd have to spend more AND THEN SOME (X-Box Live is not free) each year. I pity the uninformed.


fuad

[LeeC22]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Uninformed people may get the 360 thinking it was cheaper but when they want to get all of that - except the BD player - they'd have to spend more AND THEN SOME (X-Box Live is not free) each year. I pity the uninformed.

If you pity the uninformed, stop misinforming people.

Bigger HDD? PS3 = 80GB, 360 = 120GB, which is bigger 80 or 120? Or do you want to compare 40GB to 60GB?

Bluetooth Controller = No different to wireless, except the PS3 controller is more expensive.

Headset, standard with 360, extra for PS3 (essential for online chat)

HD Cables, standard with 360 (HDMI and Component with the Elite), extra for PS3 (essential to see that "True HD" )

XBox Live IS free, unless you want online gaming, at which point, it's £28 for 13 months.

Which means you're left with the BD player... Is it what a gamer wants?

Seriously, if you are going to give facts, give facts. All posts like yours do is bait console wars, and when you start of with misinformation, it just ends up a mess and ruins the thread.

[Porfie]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

You also have to put things in perspective. Wii is a casual-gamer console. 360 is a hard-core gamer console. The PS3 is a casual-to-hardcore gamer console and seriously puts a lot of value for money. The bigger HDD, Bluetooth controller, BD player AND free PSN are worth all the money.

Uninformed people may get the 360 thinking it was cheaper but when they want to get all of that - except the BD player - they'd have to spend more AND THEN SOME (X-Box Live is not free) each year. I pity the uninformed.


fuad

I could care less about all the excuses SONY just needs to be more competitive and lower the PS3 price all ready.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Porfie

I could care less about all the excuses SONY just needs to be more competitive and lower the PS3 price all ready.

So Sony should take a bath and lose a ton of money because you think they should? They put their line in the sand and need to make money on the console. Price cuts are being rumoured for March. there are $200 options for stand alone players.

Want to make demands for a $20k BMW M3? who cares if they lose cash on every car sold.

[rlf3911]

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-160-GB-Uncharted-Fortune-3/dp/B001ELI4S4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=122939148 5&sr=8-5

Facts? Bigger HDD? PS3 = 80GB, 360 = 120GB, which is bigger 80 or 120? Or do you want to compare 40GB to 60GB?

Close.

[plowmanjoe]

it's a good article. i think sony won't drop the price because it will ruin the standalone market. and it's very true that most people have no idea what blu-ray is all about. and that's sony's fault. the only blu-ray promotions i see are the ones that play on sony blu-rays. i'm pretty sure if i'm watching a sony blu-ray, i'm already convinced it's worth looking into.

[Slec]

that part I do agree with. They aren't where they need to be but they continue to do a better job promoting the product. There are more and more commercials out mentioning the format and some even concentrate on blu-ray and mention DVD.

[Porfie]

[QUOTE=Slec;1408149]So Sony should take a bath and lose a ton of money because you think they should? They put their line in the sand and need to make money on the console. Price cuts are being rumoured for March. there are $200 options for stand alone players.


Why not damn it Im worth it!

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by LeeC22

Bigger HDD? PS3 = 80GB, 360 = 120GB, which is bigger 80 or 120? Or do you want to compare 40GB to 60GB?

Ah. I must've been living in 2007, back when 360's come in 20GBs or no HDD at all. What was I thinking? Mea culpa.

Though I did do a check. 120GB for 360 costs US$160. 320GB for a 2.5" SATA drive costs US$90.

Bluetooth Controller = No different to wireless, except the PS3 controller is more expensive.

Again, 2007. But I guess MS learned that lesson from Sony and Nintendo.

360's MSRP US$50 and discounted to US$40 for black and US$44 for white. Amazon prices.

PS3's MSRP US$55 and discounted to US$47 at Amazon. But I've seen it at US$40 on Amazon too. DS3 comes in black, white and silver.

Headset, standard with 360, extra for PS3 (essential for online chat)

Yeah, I've seen the standard headset of the 360. It's pretty much set the "standard" and for US$18 too. But at least you can use your snazzier cell phone headsets to be above "standard". By the way, it's only a standard with 360 Elite or Pro. Arcade and Core had none.

PS3 needs a USB or a BT headset, or you can use the Playstation Eye. If you already have a USB or a BT headset, you can share it with your PC/cellphone. Here's the thing: I can still talk with my BT headset in the kitchen while the DS3 is in the living room. A BT headset starts at US$16.

Sure, people have to spend a bit more on the PS3 but you also can roam further with a BT headset.

HD Cables, standard with 360 (HDMI and Component with the Elite), extra for PS3 (essential to see that "True HD" )

Component cable for the PS3 is US$4.32 at Monoprice while a HDMI cable costs US$4.72. If you happen to lose that component cable for the 360, it costs US$6.75 at Monoprice.

Sure, people have to pay more to get HD on the PS3 but it costs less than US$10.

XBox Live IS free, unless you want online gaming, at which point, it's £28 for 13 months.

X-Box Live Gold is MSRP US$50 and US$42 at Amazon. PSN is of course free, whether you want online gaming or not. By the way, 13 months is rather ominous.

Which means you're left with the BD player... Is it what a gamer wants?

I would think that a gamer would want the ability to play games without going to switch to Disc 2 and 3. Seriously, future games particularly first-person shooters, something that 360's gamers seems to want more of, will need more than 9GB. And BD25 can offer more than double this easily with a single layer.

A PS3 gamer on the other hand would WANT third party games to be built for the PS3 first and then ported over to the other consoles. I'm just saying.

Seriously, if you are going to give facts, give facts. All posts like yours do is bait console wars, and when you start of with misinformation, it just ends up a mess and ruins the thread.

So let's go full out and splurge on a console.

360 Elite 120GB Bundle US$400
Standard headset, HDMI/Component cables and 1 month Gold trial. The Holiday bundle comes with Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indy games.

PS3 80GB US$400
Just recently, SCEA had a promo with Amazon for this SKU. For the same price, you get The Dark Knight BD and LittleBigPlanet.

So the differences are just the headset, HDMI/Component cables and the HDD size. The 360 can only play DVD and since HD DVD died, that format doesn't count. So add a cheap Motorola BT Headset for US$17 and a HDMI/Component cable for US$5 and that brings the PS3's total to US$422.

So for just US$22 more, the 360 Elite wins over the PS3. Right...

I delayed mentioning that the PS3's Wifi BUILT-IN capability. The 360's Wireless USB Adapter is US$100. That brings the Elite total to US$500 and that is WITHOUT BD playing capability. With that extra US$76, a new PS3 owner can buy another controller and at least ONE BD movie or upgrade the headset to the official PS3 headset.

Here's the fact LeeC22: your ass just got spanked.


fuad

[lonewolf8]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Ah. I must've been living in 2007, back when 360's come in 20GBs or no HDD at all. What was I thinking? Mea culpa.

Though I did do a check. 120GB for 360 costs US$160. 320GB for a 2.5" SATA drive costs US$90.
Again, 2007. But I guess MS learned that lesson from Sony and Nintendo.

360's MSRP US$50 and discounted to US$40 for black and US$44 for white. Amazon prices.

PS3's MSRP US$55 and discounted to US$47 at Amazon. But I've seen it at US$40 on Amazon too. DS3 comes in black, white and silver.

Yeah, I've seen the standard headset of the 360. It's pretty much set the "standard" and for US$18 too. But at least you can use your snazzier cell phone headsets to be above "standard". By the way, it's only a standard with 360 Elite or Pro. Arcade and Core had none.

PS3 needs a USB or a BT headset, or you can use the Playstation Eye. If you already have a USB or a BT headset, you can share it with your PC/cellphone. Here's the thing: I can still talk with my BT headset in the kitchen while the DS3 is in the living room. A BT headset starts at US$16.

Sure, people have to spend a bit more on the PS3 but you also can roam further with a BT headset.
Component cable for the PS3 is US$4.32 at Monoprice while a HDMI cable costs US$4.72. If you happen to lose that component cable for the 360, it costs US$6.75 at Monoprice.

Sure, people have to pay more to get HD on the PS3 but it costs less than US$10.
X-Box Live Gold is MSRP US$50 and US$42 at Amazon. PSN is of course free, whether you want online gaming or not. By the way, 13 months is rather ominous.

I would think that a gamer would want the ability to play games without going to switch to Disc 2 and 3. Seriously, future games particularly first-person shooters, something that 360's gamers seems to want more of, will need more than 9GB. And BD25 can offer more than double this easily with a single layer.

A PS3 gamer on the other hand would WANT third party games to be built for the PS3 first and then ported over to the other consoles. I'm just saying.
So let's go full out and splurge on a console.

360 Elite 120GB Bundle US$400
Standard headset, HDMI/Component cables and 1 month Gold trial. The Holiday bundle comes with Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indy games.

PS3 80GB US$400
Just recently, SCEA had a promo with Amazon for this SKU. For the same price, you get The Dark Knight BD and LittleBigPlanet.

So the differences are just the headset, HDMI/Component cables and the HDD size. The 360 can only play DVD and since HD DVD died, that format doesn't count. So add a cheap Motorola BT Headset for US$17 and a HDMI/Component cable for US$5 and that brings the PS3's total to US$422.

So for just US$22 more, the 360 Elite wins over the PS3. Right...

I delayed mentioning that the PS3's Wifi BUILT-IN capability. The 360's Wireless USB Adapter is US$100. That brings the Elite total to US$500 and that is WITHOUT BD playing capability. With that extra US$76, a new PS3 owner can buy another controller and at least ONE BD movie or upgrade the headset to the official PS3 headset.

Here's the fact LeeC22: your ass just got spanked.


fuad

U forgot to mention the PS3 has built-in rechargable batteries in the PS3 controllers. 360 charges extra if you want rechargable. And if you play using regular batteries, that starts to add up even more.
The 360 is not cheaper when u ad up the xtras!

[doctorD]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Ah. I must've been living in 2007, back when 360's come in 20GBs or no HDD at all. What was I thinking? Mea culpa.

Though I did do a check. 120GB for 360 costs US$160. 320GB for a 2.5" SATA drive costs US$90.
Again, 2007. But I guess MS learned that lesson from Sony and Nintendo.

360's MSRP US$50 and discounted to US$40 for black and US$44 for white. Amazon prices.

PS3's MSRP US$55 and discounted to US$47 at Amazon. But I've seen it at US$40 on Amazon too. DS3 comes in black, white and silver.

Yeah, I've seen the standard headset of the 360. It's pretty much set the "standard" and for US$18 too. But at least you can use your snazzier cell phone headsets to be above "standard". By the way, it's only a standard with 360 Elite or Pro. Arcade and Core had none.

PS3 needs a USB or a BT headset, or you can use the Playstation Eye. If you already have a USB or a BT headset, you can share it with your PC/cellphone. Here's the thing: I can still talk with my BT headset in the kitchen while the DS3 is in the living room. A BT headset starts at US$16.

Sure, people have to spend a bit more on the PS3 but you also can roam further with a BT headset.
Component cable for the PS3 is US$4.32 at Monoprice while a HDMI cable costs US$4.72. If you happen to lose that component cable for the 360, it costs US$6.75 at Monoprice.

Sure, people have to pay more to get HD on the PS3 but it costs less than US$10.
X-Box Live Gold is MSRP US$50 and US$42 at Amazon. PSN is of course free, whether you want online gaming or not. By the way, 13 months is rather ominous.

I would think that a gamer would want the ability to play games without going to switch to Disc 2 and 3. Seriously, future games particularly first-person shooters, something that 360's gamers seems to want more of, will need more than 9GB. And BD25 can offer more than double this easily with a single layer.

A PS3 gamer on the other hand would WANT third party games to be built for the PS3 first and then ported over to the other consoles. I'm just saying.
So let's go full out and splurge on a console.

360 Elite 120GB Bundle US$400
Standard headset, HDMI/Component cables and 1 month Gold trial. The Holiday bundle comes with Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indy games.

PS3 80GB US$400
Just recently, SCEA had a promo with Amazon for this SKU. For the same price, you get The Dark Knight BD and LittleBigPlanet.

So the differences are just the headset, HDMI/Component cables and the HDD size. The 360 can only play DVD and since HD DVD died, that format doesn't count. So add a cheap Motorola BT Headset for US$17 and a HDMI/Component cable for US$5 and that brings the PS3's total to US$422.

So for just US$22 more, the 360 Elite wins over the PS3. Right...

I delayed mentioning that the PS3's Wifi BUILT-IN capability. The 360's Wireless USB Adapter is US$100. That brings the Elite total to US$500 and that is WITHOUT BD playing capability. With that extra US$76, a new PS3 owner can buy another controller and at least ONE BD movie or upgrade the headset to the official PS3 headset.

Here's the fact LeeC22: your ass just got spanked.


fuad

Somebody just got punked! I really enjoyed this.

By the way, you also forgot to mention the price of online gaming after that 1 month free pass expires. Most hardcore gamers will play online during the whole year so a 12 month pass I believe is $50 with one extra month free...that is where the 13 months come in. So the price would be $550 for the xbox 360. For that price, the new $499 160GB PS3 with Uncharted could be bought and currently The Dark Knight is $23.99 at Frys. So, you get the new PS3 and Dark Knight for $523

[lonewolf8]

Originally Posted by doctorD

Somebody just got punked! I really enjoyed this.

By the way, you also forgot to mention the price of online gaming after that 1 month free pass expires. Most hardcore gamers will play online during the whole year so a 12 month pass I believe is $50 with one extra month free...that is where the 13 months come in. So the price would be $550 for the xbox 360. For that price, the new $499 160GB PS3 with Uncharted could be bought and currently The Dark Knight is $23.99 at Frys. So, you get the new PS3 and Dark Knight for $523

The extra $50 you save each year by not paying for X-Box Live, is the average price of a game, give or take $10 bucks... so PS3 users have an extra $50 to use to buy games (and or those horrid blu-rays that no gamers could possibly want, cause everyone knows gamers couldn't be interested in movies like The Dark Knight or Iron Man in 1080P HD!)
Let's not even mention RRD, you know, that sick feeling you get in your gut when that magical power ring changes from a sickly green to a bright full on red ring.
As every 360 owner knows, that means hardware failure. Usually caused by heat warping the processor from the motherboard. The Elite is much less prone to this.
Of course if you get this, fear not, MS will replace your machine if you send it back in. That's right, they replace your machine with a refurbished one. (Just hope and pray yours was not formerly owned by a 13 year old with anger management issues. Hopefully QC and the tech guys didn't miss any of the problems beyond the red ring issue they repaired.
One of the two that died on me had a little problem with the DVD drive. It sounded like an old prop plane taking off in a wind storm... and it had a strange habit of stopping in the middle of the game and refusing to spin the disc.
Of course this was not covered in my warranty from my original 360. They only replace or repair units with RRD that are out of warranty, even if that unit is one they just sent you to replace a RRD'd unit.
Oh, yeah, that Gold membership you have been paying for has been going to waste while you wait for your repaired machine to get mailed out to you, (you first have to wait till they send you an empty box, then have it picked up by UPS and shipped out to Texas.) When you get your refurb 360 back, it might even come with a one month card you can use to extend your "Gold" membership.
Of course if you, like me, used a credit card to pay for your "Gold" membership. there is an automatic renewal, so getting them to use the one month card can be tricky... good luck with that.
In any case, you lose about 3 to 4 weeks of gaming while your 360 is "on vacation" in Texas, (after my 2nd 360 "went on vacation" I decided I'd had enough and traded my refurb in to Gamestop for credits for PS3 games and blu-rays...
I now game on my PS3, and I never once regretted doing it....

[Djnx]

Who cares about the PS3, Sony needs to push the Blu-Ray further.

[swifty7]

Originally Posted by lonewolf8

The extra $50 you save each year by not paying for X-Box Live, is the average price of a game, give or take $10 bucks... so PS3 users have an extra $50 to use to buy games (and or those horrid blu-rays that no gamers could possibly want, cause everyone knows gamers couldn't be interested in movies like The Dark Knight or Iron Man in 1080P HD!)
Let's not even mention RRD, you know, that sick feeling you get in your gut when that magical power ring changes from a sickly green to a bright full on red ring.
As every 360 owner knows, that means hardware failure. Usually caused by heat warping the processor from the motherboard. The Elite is much less prone to this.
Of course if you get this, fear not, MS will replace your machine if you send it back in. That's right, they replace your machine with a refurbished one. (Just hope and pray yours was not formerly owned by a 13 year old with anger management issues. Hopefully QC and the tech guys didn't miss any of the problems beyond the red ring issue they repaired.
One of the two that died on me had a little problem with the DVD drive. It sounded like an old prop plane taking off in a wind storm... and it had a strange habit of stopping in the middle of the game and refusing to spin the disc.
Of course this was not covered in my warranty from my original 360. They only replace or repair units with RRD that are out of warranty, even if that unit is one they just sent you to replace a RRD'd unit.
Oh, yeah, that Gold membership you have been paying for has been going to waste while you wait for your repaired machine to get mailed out to you, (you first have to wait till they send you an empty box, then have it picked up by UPS and shipped out to Texas.) When you get your refurb 360 back, it might even come with a one month card you can use to extend your "Gold" membership.
Of course if you, like me, used a credit card to pay for your "Gold" membership. there is an automatic renewal, so getting them to use the one month card can be tricky... good luck with that.
In any case, you lose about 3 to 4 weeks of gaming while your 360 is "on vacation" in Texas, (after my 2nd 360 "went on vacation" I decided I'd had enough and traded my refurb in to Gamestop for credits for PS3 games and blu-rays...
I now game on my PS3, and I never once regretted doing it....

LOL!!! you're cracking me up, after your second 360 went on...LOL!! vacation, you decided it was time to take a vacation yourself.

LOL!!!! great reading.

[ganthc]

The real problem for the ps3 is not blu-ray or even the price so much. It was the delayed release that gave the 360 the head start, and the fact that it doesn't have a large game library. But some of that is because programmers either not wanting to program for the Cell processor on the ps3, or because they want to develop software for a platform that has a larger install base. There is a reason that Playstation has lost a lot of their exclusive titles. I don't own a 360, but with the cheap entry fee and large game library, they are starting to putting the ps3 in a hole on the gaming side.

On the blu-ray side, I would argue that the ps3 was what helped win the war. I think that it still remains a solid bd player for a lot of people, but you won't get j6p to get a ps3 for watching bd movies. Most consumers will want to buy a traditional standalone player like the bdp-s350 or dmp-bd35. However, I think Sony needs to lower their ps3 price just from the perspective that they do have to remain competitive in the gaming world.

[prerich]

Moved this thread to the PS3 section - this is where it belongs.

[95pgtproject]

Originally Posted by LeeC22

Seriously, if you are going to give facts, give facts. All posts like yours do is bait console wars, and when you start of with misinformation, it just ends up a mess and ruins the thread.

Mabey you should take your own advice it looks like your the only one with the misinformation here.