Economic Crisis Could Kill Blu-Ray

[wraggster]

If there is one sector that is sure to ride out the economic downturn in some comfort it has to be business punditry. Today's instalment in Things That Will Be Either Better Or Worse In The Next Financial Cycle comes from the HD3 Conference in LA, where a panel of entertainment execs discussed how the Blu-Ray format might suffer as the credit crunch begins to bite.

Sony may have won the format wars - seeing HD-DVD driven before them and hearing the lamentation of its early adopters - but longer term the discs may go the way of the Betamax and it's all that pesky economy's fault.

"The economy is the biggest challenge, because there are just so many pieces to the Blu-ray puzzle that consumers face," said Disney's Lori MacPherson, "You need the high-definition television set, you need the player, you need the cables, you need the software . . ."

http://kotaku.com/5085847/economic-c...d-kill-blu+ray

[JLF65]

Nonsense... people crave their creature comforts. If it comes to a new house and/or car or buying HDTV, BD, beer, and cigarettes, you can bet the bank that HDTV, BD, beer and cigarettes will win hands done. I guess that's why the banks are in trouble - they bet on houses and cars. What idiots!

[Phungus]

I don't know about this...I think the technology drives itself. In the US, the 'big switch' to all digital format is pushing the sales of HDTV, which in turn will help Blu-Ray. It's just really new right now, and I think it will come around once people see how superior the picture is on their new TV. DVD's were out for YEARS before stores finally quit carrying VHS.