Is Blu-ray Technology Worth Paying a Premium For?

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The marketplace seems to be saying absolutely not. A couple years ago, Blu-ray players cost like $1,000. Until very recently, Blu-ray DVDs cost $40 and up. But after pathetic sales trickled in, Blu-ray players have been knocked down to under $100, and new DVDs go for under $10.

Maybe we’ll all be using Blu-ray technology down the line, but that time looks to be a long ways off. The assumption is that consumers always fall into line by adopting cooler and newer technology, but perhaps this is situation is one in which the 8-track tape has been introduced after people have already gotten used to the cassette (or the MP3). Or perhaps even more likely, before Blu-ray really has a chance to catch on, there will be something newer and cooler to grab our attention. 3-D TVs and players maybe?

It’s hard to say what’ll happen, though, as the WSJ reported, Blu-ray player sales have picked up slightly, but only because of dramatic price discounts.

And if you’re in the market for Blu-ray DVDs, in many cases you can get them for about as much as you’d pay for a standard DVD, as dealnews shows with $6.99 to $7.99 deals from Amazon and
$9.99 deals from Best Buy.