Sony has long maintained that the PS3, with its included Blu-ray DVD player, was a bargain compared to what a stand alone Blu-ray DVD machine would cost. These words have come true as the first Blu-ray player has been announced for release on June 25 by Samsung Electronics. The player, named BD-P1000, will retail at an MSRP of $999.99, according to reports from Information Week.
For those who have present gen DVDs, the player will be able to add greater resolution and will give increased detail during playback. In addition, the BD-P1000 will be able to also play CDs and also have a 10-in-2 memory card reader that supports all major formats. The Samsung Blu-ray player costs about twice that of the competing format, HD-DVD.
As more Blu-ray machines enter the market, the vast price difference between a PS3, which runs for $600, and stand alone Blu-ray players, which will cost hundreds more, will make Sony,s next-gen game console look like a bargain in comparison. However, the race for next gen DVD supremacy has only just started and it is difficult to gauge at this time, if the Sony backed Blu-ray technology will become the standard accepted by the public and the industry.
Microsoft has gone on record as supporting HD-DVD, but the difference between the Big M,s strategy and Sony,s is that Microsoft has not committed to having an onboard next-gen DVD machine in the 360.
