Getting consumers excited about high-def

Janet Babin Feb 27, 2007

TEXT OF STORY

SCOTT JAGOW: Sony says it’s gonna drop the price of flat-screen TVs 20 percent this year.And it’s rolling out a new, cheaper Blu-ray DVD player. Janet Babin reports from our Innovations Desk at North Carolina public radio.


JANET BABIN: Sony’s original Blu-ray player is selling for about $1,000. This new version will be available by summer for $400 less.

The company’s hoping the lower price point will entice consumers to upgrade but the cost is still higher than Toshiba’s hi-def player in the HD-DVD format.

Ted Schadler with Forrester Research doesn’t think Sony’s lower price will attract more buyers. He says most people think their current DVD player looks great.

TED SCHADLER: So you really have to be convinced that these new high-definition DVD formats are worth it, they’re really worth bothering for. We believe consumers are gonna wait. They’re gonna wait and see which format wins.

Schadler says one format isn’t a lot better than the other, but more manufacturers are making Blu-ray and more movies are available on Blu-ray.

Still he says consumers buy electronics based on price. That might leave manufacturers in a race to the bottom.

I’m Janet Babin for Marketplace.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.