Rumor: Blu-Ray Player Pricing May Drop to $150 in Time for Holiday Season

To the victor go the spoils, so why then is Sony having such a tough time pushing its Blu-ray format on consumers now that HD-DVD has long been laid to rest following the high-definition format war? There's no single answer, and instead the explosion of digital downloads (thanks in large part to Netflix, who is intent on getting its streaming service on every device out there), upconverting DVD players, and high prices are all factors leading to a slower adoption rate than many might have thought. Looking for a holiday surge and reacting to market conditions, high prices may soon become less of a factor. According to ABI Research, holiday season prices for Blu-ray players could hover in the $150-$200 range , despite previous market forecasts to the contrary. The price drops can already be seen, particularly in what ABI calls tier 2 players, models which have been available for 6-9 months. On Amazon, it's possible to pick up an earlier model player along with four Blu-ray movies for under $200 , ... (link)