One of Sony’s major arguments for buying a PS3 game machine is about its relatively inexpensive cost as compared to a standalone Blu-ray DVD player, which until recently, was in the price range of $699-$1000 or more. But this pillar of its marketing campaign will be going down the tube as Pioneer has announced a new Blu-ray player that will cost only $299.
The Pioneer BDC-2202 will be available in June and is the lowest priced Blu-ray DVD player on the market. Pioneer’s drive will be able to read single or dual layered Blu-ray disks but burning functions will be limited to DVD and CD formats.
With the huge price drop coming from Pioneer, it is the first indication that Blu-ray devices have finally reached a price point where the average consumer can comfortably consider purchasing one. But it also means that the cost per unit for these players is at an all-time low. If this is the case, then production costs for the PS3 have probably lowered significantly as well. What this means in the long run is a cheaper PS3 for sale. But the big question is, when?
