Sometimes anecdotes mean nothing. But they can hint at the bigger picture.
Whenever WWTW drops by his local Best Buy outlet I ask about interest levels in the latest tech gear even though I’m not in the market for any new tech goodies like a 3-D television. Mrs. WWTW would serve me with divorce papers if I bought a new flat screen set so soon after my last purchase.
But lately the clerks I chat with are telling me Blu-ray interest is really picking up. That’s also what a worker at the local DVD/Blu-ray shop told me a few days after Christmas. Given the plunge in Blu-ray player prices I’m not surprised.
Even Mr. TVPredictions.com himself, Phillip Swann, is saying Blu-ray player sales will explode in 2011.
And the Wall Street Journal suggests strong sales mean people want to have a concrete library at their disposal.
The Blu-ray window may end up being smaller than past media formats. Streaming movie technology isn’t going away, and the iPod model tells us people don’t mind storing content on hard drives rather than stacking CD jewel cases around their living room.
I still love looking at rows and rows of DVDs and Blu-rays in my movie collection. I just wonder if that attitude will go the way of the VHS tape.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think it’s pretty gutsy to say sales of ANYTHING will “soar” in 2011… The reading I’ve done indicates that those few who are still employed who do buy Blu-ray due to marketing bullying (i.e. reducing the number of DVDs and DVD players available in-store) come to regret it. The DRM-riddled machines seem to require updates pretty much any time a new disc comes out and comment boards are stuffed with complaints about players not working right. Those of us to buy movies with the intention of watching them for YEARS to come are not impressed with the idea of spending $30 on a disc which won’t be able to play in 2016. Downloading is already thought to be a bit of a bore and the infrastructure isn’t in place yet for massive streaming. (Nor is a money-making finance plan.) Finally, new optical technologies have already been invented that put Blu-Ray to shame. Remember that 8-track actually hung in there for about 10 years, so enjoy your Blu-rays while they’re still around because I don’t think they are long for this world!
I’ve owned my blu-ray player for 2 1/2 years now and have had to update the firmware just twice; once when I first brought it home and again a few months ago. I’ve never encountered a disc that wouldn’t play in my machine either.
The price of Blu-Ray discs has come down a lot over the past year. New releases are typically just a few dollars more than the DVD version and many catalog titles are now available for under $10.
Blu-Ray is going to be around for awhile, so holdouts should get used to it. Streaming technology is convenient, but it’s no replacement for a physical disc I can watch at my leisure. I don’t have to worry about licenses, availability, device compatibility and the reliability of my Internet connection. I can just pop in the disc and enjoy the movie with the highest video and audio quality available.