What will Blu-ray products cost?
The cost varies with the manufacturer and the features on the players itself. The manufacturing costs have come down since the launch of Blu-ray players. The new models with profile 2.0 will be more expensive than the older models. Also, the level of audio decoding done on the player can increase the overall price. The typical Blu-ray players can cost anywhere between $300 to well over $1,000. According to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the overall cost of manufacturing Blu-ray Disc media will in the end be no more expensive than producing a DVD. The reduced injection molding costs (one molding machine instead of two, no birefringence problems) offset the additional cost of applying the cover layer and low cost hard-coat, while the techniques used for applying the recording layer remain the same. As production volumes increase the production costs should fall and eventually be comparable to DVDs.
As with any new technology the first generation of products will likely be quite expensive due to low production volumes. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for long as there is a wide range of Blu-ray related products (players, recorders, drives, writers, media, etc) planned, which should help drive up production volumes and lower overall production costs. Once mass production of components for Blu-ray products begins the prices are expected to fall quickly. According to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the overall cost of manufacturing Blu-ray Disc media will in the end be no more expensive than producing a DVD. The reduced injection molding costs (one molding machine instead of two, no birefringence problems) offset the additional cost of applying the cover layer and low cost hard-coat, while the techniques used for applying the recording layer remain the same. As production volumes increase the production costs should fall and eventually be comparable to DVDs.
