What will be the cost of Blu-ray products?
As with most new technologies, the first generation of products is typically quite expensive due to the low production volumes. This shouldn’t be a problem much longer as there is a wide range of Blu-ray related products from players and recorders to drives, writers and media that are planned, which will help to drive up production volumes and lower the overall production costs. Once the overall mass production of components for Blu-ray products begins, the prices are sure to fall abruptly. The Blu-ray Disc Association has stated that the overall cost of manufacturing Blu-ray Disc media will in the end be equal to that of producing a DVD. The reduced injection molding costs (one molding machine rather than two, no birefringence problems) compensate for the additional cost of applying the cover layer and low cost hard-coat, while the techniques used for applying the recording layer remain unchanged. As a result of increased production volumes, production costs will ultimately fall and b
