Samsung: "Blu-ray has 5 years left"

gadgtfreek

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May 29, 2006
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Samsung has said that it sees the Blu-ray format only lasting a further 5 years before it is replaced by another format or technology.

"I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10", Andy Griffiths, director of consumer electronics at Samsung UK told Pocket-lint in an interview.

Hoping to capitalise before it's too late, Griffiths believes that 2008 is the format's year.

"It's going to be huge", he told Pocket-lint. "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment."

Citing online rental sites like LoveFilm's adoption of Blu-ray titles, the move to offer cheaper players and a now clear path to adoption following the Blu-ray HD DVD battle, Griffith says the format will be a winner, although not for long.

Samsung: "Blu-ray has 5 years left"
 
Yeah, the explosion of BD player releases is a strong indicator of a collapsing market. :rolleyes: And then for him to go on to say they're putting their faith in OLED (instead). Apples vs camshafts. Maybe he was drunk at the time. Or a still bitter anti-Sony so anti-BD type?

Does he post here under a non pseudonym? :p
 
Yes. Maybe what he should have said was Samsung had maybe 5 years left in the BD market before their failings drive them out completely.
 
The crossover point will be when there are just as many new releases in BD as there are in DVD. Until then BD is still on the increase. Irritates me each week when BlockBuster only gets 1 new release while there are still so many SD DVD releases.
 
If you pre-order discs (even BD releases), several sites give you 30%-35% off on pre-release orders. That's a significant savings over $30+ retail purchases.

Depending on the movie, it can be easily rewatchable.

As for BD's future, standard dvd is still selling strongly and BD is being adopted fairly quickly by many of the high-end folks, so I think it has a strong 10 years left ahead for itself, not a mere 5. It was difficult enough getting digital tv adopted and engineered here in the U.S. It's taken 5-7 years, billions of dollars and at least one delay in the cut-over date and we haven't reached 02/09/09 yet. The next generation of HD is 4k resolution and it took 60+ years to get 1080i/p. It's likely to take 30 years to get 4k, so I'm not concerned about my recent tv or BD purchases being obsoleted too soon...
 
I just dont see it dying in 5 years. I think it may have overcome and be seeling more than DVD by then, but DVD may still be around. Hell, look at how many still dont have an HDTV and how many dont have HD.

50-60" tv's are more than most are gonna buy anyways, and 1080p is just fine. A higher resolution might not be marketable for a long time, I mean how longs it gonna be before a network provider goes 1080p.

3d may be a big thing, I dunno. Im not a big 3d person, but there may be more to it with new technologies.

Im more curious about OLED 5 years from now than I am worried about how BR will be doing.

I never preordered before, but have started using the Amazon preorders because its great and easy. I always waited till the movie I wanted was out, but sometimes you wait longer that way.

I also agree, the most I think Ive paid for a movie is $27, and thats rare.
 
I wonder if the 1080p Vod from providers will have any effect?

I just dont see it, I mean the PQ from D*'s test is very good, but lacking the HD audio. One thing will always remain the same for me, I buy about 30% or so of all the movies I watch, rest are Netflix/BB Online. Downloads wont replace owning, but could affect online rentals. Theyll have to do better than $5-$6 / movie for that though.
 
That's the other thing...VOD and online rentals.

VOD (1080p or not) is just plain absurdly expensive. I won't touch it. If they had stuff for .99 or free, then sure, I might do that, but at it's present price, no chance.

PPV - same issue.

Online rentals - same issue.

If I were a "one watcher" (and sure, a lot of movies are "one watchers") person, the occasional PPV, VOD or online rental wouldn't be a big deal. But I'm a movie fanatic and watching movies is one of my hobbies. PPV/VOD/Online rentals would kill me...so I watch a lot of movies on the premium movie channels (sure am glad more and more of them are HD!), HDNet Movies and MGM-HD. My general purchasing of standard dvds has declined recently due to my purchase of a blu-ray player. I presently have 2 BR discs...I'm sure I'll buy more, but very few will be be duplicates of SD titles I already own...
 
Its funny, my purchasing has increased with Bluray. I have about 150 dvd's in a 8 yr period, have purchased 68 BR's in about 18 mo's.
 
I own more BDs than DVDs. Unfortunately, I still own a lot of VHS I really need to get rid of. Haven't even cataloged them. A few, like Full Metal Jacket, were never even opened.

Not much of a movie watcher, but much more so with Blu-ray. MUCH better than going to a noisy, crowded, sticky, commercial filled expensive movie theater with a screen so small that at the distance I sit I probably get a better relative screen size at home.

That said- when they open one of those super high class theaters with service to your (large, comfortable) seat with clean floors, I'll try them out.
 
Yeah, i think what jacked my purchases up was the cost related to a theater, and the quality now of the HD disc along with the audio. Really no need for a theater as far as Im concerned. $9/ticket, $5.50 per food item
 
Hehe, not bad. Ever since I bought my new plasma in April and got the Onkyo for HD audio, it made me more excited about getting movies in BR. Cant wait to buy the matrix.
 

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