Cheap Blu-ray players for Europe in short supply

Cheap Blu-ray players will be difficult to find across Europe this Christmastime, potentially affecting sales and success of the format, according to the latest report from media analyst Screen Digest.

In the report the company wrote, "Hardware supply constraints earlier in the year meant that the anticipated European BD promotional campaigns had to be reined in. Rather ironically, the unexpectedly rapid withdrawal of rival format HD DVD from the market in early 2008 caused a problem for Blu-ray by stimulating retailer demand for BD players when a severe shortage of an essential component meant that manufacturing could not keep up."

The report implies that the more expensive Blu-ray players will be available, presumably because they have lower demand over all, whereas the European equivalent of sub-$300 machines being sold in the US are unlikely to be available until next year.

Analyst Richard Cooper said, "BD hardware prices will start to fall in 2009, and in due course even price-conscious consumers will start upgrading, not least because the format's backwards compatibility means they can continue to make the most of their existing library of DVDs."

The report also suggests that, despite the hype surrounding movie downloads from the Internet, in 2012 only two per cent of spending in Western Europe will be on such content. Physical media will still rule, even seeing a 25% increase in sales value over 2007.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

Powermat: Revolutionary Gadget Charging

Comments