@tande: No I'm not missing what is being said. At this point I'm sold on a PS3 until such time as a cheaper option is available.

Though I'm just afraid that if I bring a PS3 home the gf will plant herself in front of the TV to play games and never let me watch anything. ;)

Xavoc

Basically, some people are just very picky about what they buy, and from where. I've already been married and divorced.

Sadly I miss Ultimate Electronics the most. It was nice having salespeople who remembered you, comparable prices to Best Buy, and you know them offering you water to drink while you look around/wait.

Xavoc

@Xavoc: I don't think anyone is really missing the point. You just aren't seeing how they're saying the PS3 addresses it.

I went through a DVD player a year for a long time for pretty much the same reason. I didn't like what was on TV so I'd pop a DVD in and watch a show or movie I liked. Half the time I didn't even watch it as much as just have it on for the noise. Heck I even have to buy my parrents a new one every Christmas and they hardly know how to use the thing let alone do it to death.

Its mostly because DVD player are cheap anymore. Doesn't matter if its a $29 player or a $150 player they don't hold up that well in part because they are only designed to do one thing and do it fairly well at best. I'am at the point where I buy the cheap ones just because they seem to last me just as long as the pricer name brand ones and I'm only out $30 every year instead of $100.

On the other hand you probably wouldn't have to worry about it as much with the PS3. Its designed to do multiple things and do it well. If it can hold up to 24hr Resistance marathons with a lower failure rate then the "competetor" its probably going to hold up to your viewing habits (regardless of how extreme) just fine. Not to mention the fact that with the other features it offers (besides games) you may find your self watching your physical DVDs less anyways.

The picture quality is easily on par with other stand alone players on the market. So in that regard (which is really the only one) you aren't really going to get a stand alone that does it any better. On top of that since its software updatable you don't have to worry about the 1.0 2.0 mess you'd get into with a stand alone.

Admittedly it isn't going to be the best option for everyone. I doubt I'll ever convince my parrents that its a better option then the stand alone player but in your case especialy if you just are looking at one thats going to hold up its probably better.

tande

@yasudevil: No, I'm quite eaily satisfied. I'm just particular about where I buy things, and understand that my 'need' to have things 'now' will require me to pay more.

My past experiences with Best Buy as a customer and employee have seriously soured my belief in extended warranties, as well as the level of customer service they are willing/capable of providing.

I wasn't aware that a base level PS3 was the same price as an entry level standalone player, and that the image quality was comparable. (The same couldn't be said about Xbox/PS2 playback, so I assumed it was true for Blu-Ray.)

That having been said, I think I should own a HD TV before worrying about a Blu-ray player. I'm currently saving up for a 1080p front projector.

Xavoc

@Xavoc:

Man, you are one. Not easy satisfied person, I mean... not easy I'm beeing nice I should say your are not Satisfied at all...

You should just Rip everything and play on a Flash based player... than i think they'll last like... forever. Thats why DRM sucks... if you want to Rip just because you need, you can't!

yasudevil

@vertibraker: I also absolutely utterly refuse to buy anything from Best Buy that I have to plug in. (Another long story)

Xavoc

@MagnoliaBoy:
Hey, that's my catchphrase!

Galley

lamesauce..
I'm so glad I decided to wait for a Blue Reader to drop below 100 and a Blu Writer to drop below $200 for my HTPC before jumping in.

tarrantm

@Xavoc: That is why you go and use the 1x ecxchange condition for the warranty. Just turn it in and get a new one and get a new warranty for that.

vertibraker

@izim1: I own about 600 movies on DVD. I'm not in a hurry to replace them.

Xavoc

@vertibraker: Yeah, except for that whole "I don't have a DVD player while waiting for it to be repaired" bit. I don't like waiting 3+ weeks for something to come back.

Xavoc

besides.... it took YEARS for DVD player prices to drop. why all the whinning?.....

izim1

@newgalactic: not really. prices of the HDDVD players were between $2-350. BD players were at $350-500. it wasnt until HDDVD was starting to die that you could get one for under $200. and you cant really compare prices, then..... and the cheap ones were ALL 1080i. not p.
as for this article it is referring to SONY players not dropping to $200. not all the BD players, as the CEO of Sony isnt the CEO of samsung and daewoo and phillips and pioneer, etc... and has ZERO control over what they do.

izim1

@Xavoc: dude with your problem, you might as well buy the store warranty.

vertibraker

This

[www.buy.com]

Enjoy.

jetexas

Pioneer I mean Sony is taking over the world. Those Pioneer/Sony players R everywhere.

heroineworshipper

@Akmed: You're apparently missing the point. I have movies playing all of the time. Commercials irk me, and I don't have to change channels every 15 to 30 minutes wondering what's on.

Am I always watching the movie? No. I need the sound to drown out the ringing in my ears. So I'm always listening to music (which I stream using iTunes & Airport Express) or listening to a movie in the background.

I kill DVD drives. My laptop dvd drive is almost dead at this point because of this. Hehe.

Xavoc

Wasn't the BluRay camp claiming the the numerous manufacturers of BD players would foster competition and lower prices? This is why I voted for HD-DVD (along with a lower propensity for DRM). And yes, I know that Toshiba was subsidizing the heck out of the players. But facts are, we could get a 1080p HD player for well under $200, regardless of the "how".

newgalactic

@Xavoc:

dude, don't worry about it. it won't break. :)

i use it as a BD player every once in a while. when i rent the movies. it would be nice to get a stand alone BD player but i think we'll wait til it gets under $150. yeah, i'm that cheap. but for now i'll have to move our PS3 every time we need to watch a BD movie.

oh and PS3's BD seems better than most players for an odd reason.. built in memory, upgradable, and it can play almost ANY other format of videos. use web browser and DL a video. i do that sometimes. DivX videos work perfectly.

the most simple and useful feature of all though: press "Select" and it has a bar on the bottom telling you how far it is into the movie. with a little "T-1 hour" which is cool.

best deal: buy the MGS4 pack once it comes out.

Akmed

I know it's hard for this crowd to believe, but some people don't sit and play PS3 or Xbox or any gaming system. They have zero interest in owning a PS3. And this may not be anyone you personally know, but I can vouch that this is actually a huge demographic.

These type of people might think that gaming is a waste of time and for geeks, and would feel retarded buying a PS3 -- even if it is the only "future-proof" Blu-Ray player right now.

You probably know this person as "boss."

jetexas

@Xavoc: I've never seen a side by side comparison, but a Blu-ray disk on a PS3 through HDMI to a 1080p 50" plasma almost made me soil myself.

baltwade

Standalone - I play movies, supposedly better sound, that is all.

PS3 - Games (duh), Media Center with wireless networking to my home network and can access my OTHER movies, my family pictures, my music. Can be upgraded via software, from wireless network. BLU-RAY SPEC 2.0. Has a freakin HD built in!!$! Oh snap, I didn't mention, it can play Blu-Ray movies too. Future: downloadable content, internet communication (with probably video chat on your TV, on your freakin big screen TV).

No, a stand-alone blu-ray player that does 1 thing sounds much more intrigueing... I'll go waste money on a one trick pony that costs the same if not more.

gizak

@vertibraker: Uhm, yeah... I eat DVD players as it is... I've worn one out about every year since 1998.

Xavoc

@baltwade: For me it has more to do with a dedicated device that is designed to do one thing well.

I don't even own an actual TV (long story) right now per se. I have a 24" monitor connected to a mac mini that acts as my TV tuner/dvd/media player right now.

Since I am uniformed about blu-ray (and HD DVD for the most part)... Is the video playback quality on the PS3 as good as that of a dedicated player?

Xavoc

@Xavoc: Playing games actually hurts the console more than watching movies. Other than a few standalone players such as the pioneer elite or the samsung universal, the PS3 is a better blu ray player.

vertibraker

@Seiven:
At this time however, its the best deal out there. Stand alones either have to be 200 bucks when they release it next to a PS3 or not at all. Its utterly pointless for Sony to create stand alones if they don't price them properly.

daftrok

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that a lot of people play movies from their game consoles. I just watch so many damn movies that I'd really rather NOT destroy the drive in my expensive game console over and over again.

Xavoc

The title is misleading. It should say "$200 players won't be happening this year. Good luck next year."

shawnmos

I about 2 years you can always depend on Sony

yellow73

@Xavoc: Whats the point in getting a stand alone blue ray player when you dont have built in memory or ability to update your system? People who buys the current standalones over the PS3 just don't know better. They can be considered posers.

vertibraker

I'd buy that for a dollar!

MagnoliaBoy

@SigmundTheSeaMonster: that was the worst attempt at a joke ever.

imTheKing

$200? Getting warmer.

ripfire4

@Xavoc: How about the fact that it cost about the same as the cheapest stand alone Blu-ray player and it does a lot more beside the whole play silly games thing.
-Divx and Xvid support
-Downloading movies (hopefully coming)
-PVR ability with no DRM (hopefully coming)
-IT'S AWESOME

See, and I didn't even mention games.

baltwade

QUALITY!you might notice it now!as my first dvd player was a ps2!later when i got a stand alone player it was like wow!
dont buy multitasking devices with prices too true to belive since then!

nidinp

@daftrok: the standalone players have better playback and more audio features than the PS3...so for audiophiles and home theatre enthusiasts (that don't play games) the standalones are a much better buy.

don't get me wrong I love my PS3...but for some it makes more sense to get a standalone.

Seiven

"HA HA HA! You, Microsoft, think you set market with your RRoD Xbrox! HA HA HA! We, SONY, took name from greatest American monopoly, Standard Oil New York. You got nothing on us. HD FTW! HA HA HA!"--Sony Exec before seppoku

SigmundTheSeaMonster

Sony had $299 BluRay last year. Someone will have $200 players next year.

powerball

What's the point of buying a PS3 when you don't play games?

Xavoc

I agree The Ps3 is a much better deal and it even has a built in HDD so what is the point in buying a Blu Ray player when you dont get any storage and you cant play games?

mmplisskin

Dear Sony,

Please. PLEASE. PLEAAASSEE STOP MAKING STAND ALONE BLU RAY PLAYERS. Focus on the PS3. Instead of making Blu ray players the same price as the PS3, just fucking STOP. How about another price drop around the holidays to a 299/399 price point instead of wasting your time and money on these POS. Nobody is going to buy them with the PS3 out there so just FOCUS on that.

Sincerely,

EVERYBODY

daftrok

I think it's interesting, that if apple tv gets a large enough HD library you may not have to purchase a HD player. The only big (possibly temporary) drawback is that you can't buy HD movies from apple tv.

mrlibrary03

sweet sounds like great news

Seiven

@Type-E:

You won't find anything in stores like that. The majority of people don't even know you can switch out the hard drive. You have to include it.

NutManIV

Sell me a PS3 for $200 without HD, I'll buy my own harddrive. The ones come with ps3s are too small anyway.

Type-E

Sony might not have a $200 player but you can bet your boots somebody else will this year.

DrXym

I'll get a friggin standalone BD player once the spec is finalized...until then, PS3 all the way.

Jules Winfield

i'd like the drive from the ps3 player in a small enclosure that i can plug into the back of my xbox360. :)

until then i'll stick with my oppo dvd upconveter (which supports firmware updates) and my low-priced xbox360 external hddvd + xboxlive hd downloads.

i cannot bring myself to buy a sony product no matter how amazing everyone says it is.

rawlus

Actually, the PS3 was THE best BD player until at least fall of 2007. The initial $1000 Samsung player was absolutely awful and hurt BD's reputation in home theatre circles until the PS3 was released.

That, plus the PS3 is a huge chunk of the BD player market (and will be for years), so discs will be tested on them. That, and add the fact that the PS3 is the most upgrade-friendly player and you've got yourself a great BD player. Sure, it doesn't have analog audio outs, but neither will the $200 Blu-ray players we're waiting for.

FanDam

$150 with a few free movies and I will jump on the bandwagon.

nizzy1115

@daftrok:

Because there are alot of people who don't want a big, ugly, out of place looking PS3 if they are just going to use it to play movies. Sure, if you are using it for gaming or other features, you could live with the monstrosity sticking out like a sore thumb. But if you just want a movie player, you want a more attractive option.

robinandtami

@rawlus: you seem to have no problem buying M$ products. obviously you're "consumer values" can't be THAT high..........

izim1

@vertibraker: Sorry, No way am I going to put a PS3 up there with the components. I got a PS3 last fall, realized I had too many game systems and decided I would wait for BD live and such from component players. Until the PS3 works like a component (ie, can be programmed into my Niles Smart Control), it is not going in with the components.

It was a great Blue Ray player until I had problems and sent it back for warranty. But that doesn't mean it functions well as a component, let alone looking out of place.

Lizard_King

@robinandtami: A more attractive or a plainer looking version? Most people cant distinguish the difference between a blu ray player and a dvd player. Most people know what a PS3 is. If you are showing off an entertainment system, you should have the best you can afford and not be embarass by a PS3. A regular blu-ray player isnt going to help start up any conversation.

vertibraker

My first DVD player was a Konka because it was a bargain at just $200 in 1999. I wonder what crazy brand name my first BR player will have. I know it definitely won't have the name Sony. And it sounds like, thanks to the industry colluding BDA, it won't be anything like Konka either. Too bad.

mikeb787

@izim1: "besides.... it took YEARS for DVD player prices to drop. why all the whinning?....."

Everybody wants instant gratification...

...And we didn't have Blog back then.

ripfire4

$200 is the sweet spot for me. If they can get them down to 2 bills i have a 1080p TV to hook one up to.

aural

@Lizard_King: since when did the ps3 sprout ir ports?

the remote you get from SONY is a bluetooth unit

this is the only workaround I can provide you with:

[www.remotecentral.com]

skulldriveshaft

@mikeb787: most likely samsung, and quite shortly toshiba :]

skulldriveshaft

@jetexas: actually i know that person as employee, and that's what they will always be.

skulldriveshaft

ugh, now with HD-DVD gone, Sony is in NO RUSH to drop the price on their player......see? this is what happens without competition. Sony pays off the studios, they switch to blu-ray, Sony chooses to keep prices high....who loses? the fucking consumer

ugh.

MrBlahBlah

No thanks, blue ray sucks ass. I dont want to pay $20 for a disk. I make backups of my movies because it sucks when your dam dog gets a hold of one, doah! I think I'll just keep my 2TB(usable) file server, raid 1, and expand it when I run out of room. Besides, I play movies from my computer and would have to have a super-dooper computer to run a blue ray drive.

wizzledizzle

@skulldriveshaft: Ummmm.... I know. I had one. I never said it did, I said I cannot integrate it into my component system because it will not work with my Niles Smartcontrol (which is RF). IF it had IR, I could do that. If it had an open RF standard, I could do that. It just doesn't integrate well. If you want mutiple remotes, want to get the PS3 for gaming, don't mind the looks, then it's fine. It is just not for me.

Lizard_King

@Lizard_King: Dude your component must be old.

vertibraker

@wizzledizzle:

Then blu-ray obviously isn't for you. It's meant for 1080p hdtv's.

dea136