2015 UHD player prices?

[4K fanatic]

Any inside info or educated guesses on how much the first stand alone players will be priced at? I'm wondering if I'm going to need to wait awhile to purchase one because they'll price these like the Sony BDP-S1 at $1k a piece. I'm not buying in for a grand. I'd pay max $350 but therein lies the problem- in order to get the price point lower for these players, they must produce and sell on a massive scale. With UHD tvs representing a very small percent of HD tvs in the home and an even a smaller percentage of UHD owners wanting to buy UHD Blu-Ray players, I'm guessing I'll be able to buy a
PS4 and Xbox One together for cheaper. What's your thoughts on United States prices ( U.S. dollars) for the first stand alone players?

Lastly, my thoughts ( if the UHD alliance was smart) would be to get them into an updated or any future Xbox One/PS4 consoles. They should make a deal to put the tech in at cost so adoption can spread and make money off the software ( movies) and not the hardware ( the players) until profit margins increase, while production margins decrease. Blu-Ray took hold, largely in part, IMO due to PS3 and its $400-600 price vs the $1K price of standalone players. I know I personally returned my BDPS-1 in exchange for both a PS3 and Xbox 360 for the same total price.

[bailey1987]

Reports say two to three times the price of current players.

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

Reports say two to three times the price of current players.

Don't know what those reports are...

As the wholesale sector has zero pricing...or model numbers. (and "we" know that stuff 6 months before CEDIA. Which means there probably won't be any info for the October convention. CEDIA "home theater boot camp", at the end of this month...has nothing scheduled for UHD disc)

[4K fanatic]

If UHD Blu-Ray wants to even have a small shot of success they've got to launch this year. People can obviously stream select Netflix and Amazon titles in 4K. With Blu-Ray dying a slow death to streaming, the BDA has got to launch now and for a low entry cost for quality players. They've also got to have a launch library of minimum 100 titles with top tier ones out- think a Avengers, Avatar, Titanic, etc. I'm more worried about this format's success because the format must launch to give competition to 4K streaming as well as be on the leading edge of the format.

[sonicyogurt]

Originally Posted by schan1269

Don't know what those reports are...

That's referencing a quote from Ron Martin, VP of Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory.

"[Prices] will be high to start with, relatively speaking," Martin said. "But it won't be as severe as some launches in the past, we won't be seeing thousand dollar machines. Maybe two to three times the cost of equivalent HD players. But that will drop over time."

[Dylan34]

I'll pay 300, 350 tops. UHD is supposed to be an extention of the blu-ray format, not an entirely new intity. If players are any higher, it's game over for 4K blu-ray IMO.

[Wendell R. Breland]

For reference, the Sony FMP-X10 has a MSRP of $699.99, the Nuvola NP-1 has a MSRP of $299.00, Redray (now defunct) was $1,600.00. AFAIK those are the only two UHD/4K devices on the market as of now, don’t know of anyone that discounts them.

IMO, introductory, entry level UHD BD players will be $300 to $400

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

For reference, the Sony FMP-X10 has a MSRP of $699.99, the Nuvola NP-1 has a MSRP of $299.00, Redray (now defunct) was $1,600.00. AFAIK those are the only two UHD/4K devices on the market as of now, don’t know of anyone that discounts them.

IMO, introductory, entry level UHD BD players will be $300 to $400

I didn't know Redray had gone, as for the prices, I agree with you 300-400 tops, in pounds I don't want to spend over £200.

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by sonicyogurt

That's referencing a quote from Ron Martin, VP of Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory.

So IFA in September means nothing for the US. Typically IFA announcements lead into January for the US.

Nothing on the docket by October in the US. Which means we will probably be lucky if anything is available by Black Friday.

(the lack of noise in the US leads credence to what I've said for a few years now. Europe and Latin America will be the last bastian for physical media*...with Germany and Brazil leading the charge...

*non "tent pole" movies.)

[sonicyogurt]

It's definitely down to the wire. A soft launch would sound about right: not all that much promotion behind it, only a couple models available for the first few months, a very limited selection of movies at the outset, and not much that really seizes full advantage of what the format has to offer, with something more fully formed and appealing following 4-6 months later. That's certainly the story for the past few home video formats. It doesn't seem like a winning idea for a format to come in so hot at the holidays, though.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

I didn't know Redray had gone

Yes, Redray and Odemax, the UHD/4K video service are gone, other Red products seems to be alive and well. The NanoTech site (Nuvola NP-1) seems to be abandoned.

We were supposed to get Amazon on our Sony FMP-X10 this spring but it never happened. Same for Ultraflix. Both supposedly are still in the works.

[DavePS3]

Samsung rep was saying they're shooting for early fall and guesses the pricing will be 400 to 500.00 - but we will see...

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Dylan34

I'll pay 300, 350 tops. UHD is supposed to be an extention of the blu-ray format, not an entirely new intity. If players are any higher, it's game over for 4K blu-ray IMO.

Even though they're calling it an extension there is still a lot of new technology and chipsets and each component manufacturer is going to want to recoup their own R&D for their product.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Even though they're calling it an extension there is still a lot of new technology and chipsets and each component manufacturer is going to want to recoup their own R&D for their product.

There is also probably higher licensing costs. Don't expect these players to be cheap. My guess is that profit margins are unbelievably slim on current BD players, especially those priced below $100. UHD players are going to be far more expensive, especially at launch. Consumer expectations for cheap players are absurd, IMO. We've really been spoiled by Chinese manufacturing. The amount of technology packed into a modern BD player is really amazing. If you think about it, just the WiFi connection that exists in most players should be priced at least $40.

[Frank@Chicago]

My best guess:

Players for $500-$600, 10-15 titles at launch, and movies for $30-$40 (depending on newness).

With no established player base and no game console support, it will be a *rough* launch.

Oh, and they will probably chicken out and let the launch slip to Spring of next year...

[Derb]

Players, like um name brands should be around $200 & discs (New) $20 (Catalog) $15

If not, epic fail.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

There is also probably higher licensing costs. Don't expect these players to be cheap. My guess is that profit margins are unbelievably slim on current BD players, especially those priced below $100. UHD players are going to be far more expensive, especially at launch. Consumer expectations for cheap players are absurd, IMO. We've really been spoiled by Chinese manufacturing. The amount of technology packed into a modern BD player is really amazing. If you think about it, just the WiFi connection that exists in most players should be priced at least $40.

All I'm saying is that if they want UHD 4K blu-ray to be even remotely successful, don't price yourself out of the game at launch or you might as well not even bother launching period. As far as the majority of consumers go, most of them are fine with DVD. I was an early adopter of blu-ray but if they're going to launch players at what it costs to get a new 4K tv ( you can get one of the 2015 Sony 4k tvs 49 inch for like 989 or something like that) I'm not paying that. I'm not paying 1000 dollars for a player, and that's not being cheap or a tight wad or whatever you want to call. Basic players should be around 300 to 350. Flagship players 500 to 550.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Dylan34

All I'm saying is that if they want UHD 4K blu-ray to be even remotely successful, don't price yourself out of the game at launch or you might as well not even bother launching period. As far as the majority of consumers go, most of them are fine with DVD. I was an early adopter of blu-ray but if they're going to launch players at what it costs to get a new 4K tv ( you can get one of the 2015 Sony 4k tvs 49 inch for like 989 or something like that) I'm not paying that. I'm not paying 1000 dollars for a player, and that's not being cheap or a tight wad or whatever you want to call. Basic players should be around 300 to 350. Flagship players 500 to 550.

In spite of the fact that most sales of new model TVs are 4K TVs, 4K media is going to be an esoteric format for years to come. Blu-ray, with a 22% physical unit market share is really only a niche format, even if it's sold everywhere. 4K physical media is going to be a niche of a niche. Therefore, it's primarily going to sell to high-end buyers for which price doesn't matter much. Don't be surprised if at launch, players are $1K, although they'll fall quickly after a year.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Frank@Chicago

My best guess:

Players for $500-$600, 10-15 titles at launch, and movies for $30-$40 (depending on newness).

With no established player base and no game console support, it will be a *rough* launch.

Oh, and they will probably chicken out and let the launch slip to Spring of next year...

I'd say that's pretty much spot on, Frankie. I never thought we were ever gonna get some massive media blitz this year anyway, it was always gonna be CES 2016 where UHD BD would really get shouted about - but an actual slip to 2016 for the launch in general wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[steve1971]

For 4K Blu ray players to be successful and for 4K in general they better push and promote the hell out of it, at least a hell of alot better then they did Blu ray because if they dont then it will spell the end for 4K. If player prices are high and if they turn around and say "We have delayed it until 2016" then it wont bode well for 4K's future. Manufacturers have promised 4K Blu ray player releases at the end of the year and I hope they stick to that promise because if they dont then all hell will break loose because the 4K adopters will lose their minds. Me? I could care either way but if promises arent kept I will feel bad for those who went out and bought 4K tv's and I seriously mean that. Already people who have bought 4K tv's are not happy because they have these big expensive tv's with nothing really to take advantage of the tech and its time these manufacturers deliver as promised. The end of 2015 should be very interesting.