Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

[aholbert32]

I dont think I'm down for paying 15-20 more bucks for a movie just because its in true HD.



Daily Variety


HEADLINE: SONY DIVES INTO THE BLU

BYLINE: PAUL SWEETING

BODY:

WASHINGTON
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has kicked off the Blu-ray title wave, announcing the first releases and setting a retail pricing range from $29.95 for catalog pics to $34.95 for new movies.
Titles in the Sony's first wave include "The Fifth Element," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Hitch," "House of Flying Daggers," "Sense and Sensibility" and "Stealth."
MGM titles (now controlled by Sony) include "For a Few Dollars More," "The Last Waltz," "Robocop," "Species" and "The Terminator."
Among the new releases from Sony will be "Underworld: Evolution," which is expected to hit DVD and Blu-ray in early summer.
No other studio has yet announced retail prices for new releases, but Warner Home Video said recently that catalog titles on HD DVD would also be priced at $29.95.

[Graphik]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I dont think I'm ready ethier. I already say 20-25 is to much for a new dvd. 30-35 is simply to much to build a collection with.

[fishepa]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

They can kiss my *** with those prices.

[23]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I agree thats just too much. Progressive scan doesnt look that bad.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I won't pay over 19.99 for a DVD unless it's a TV show or box set. Most DVD's I get are 14.99 or even 9.99 after they get discounted.

So, let's use Doom which came out yesterday. You walk into Best Buy and it's a 2 disc set with tons of features for 14.99 or the Blu Ray version with same features is 34.99 sitting next to it?! Which will you buy? I think by when Universal released the Super Bit DVD's bare bone's and $10 more than the normal loaded disc, they would have learned. Those discs never sold well, people want the movie, they don't want to pay a fortune.

[Skerik]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I am, but you're talking to someone who rebought the Superbit editions of the Fifth Element and other movies because I'm an audio/videophile. True HD is most definitely worth $10-15 per movie to me.

But I bet the average consumer doesn't regard true HD as enough of an upgrade to warrant purchasing an HD-DVD player, much less spending that much more money per movie. Given the way the Superbit editions were largely ignored by consumers despite their enhanced bitrate and superior sound and picture, I'm guessing there will be a lot of late (and non-) adapters to HD DVD.

But the thought of true HD movies has me totally excited. Once I watch even one movie in true HD on my home theater, It'll be difficult for me to watch anything on regular DVD again.

[fishepa]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I won't pay over 19.99 for a DVD unless it's a TV show or box set. Most DVD's I get are 14.99 or even 9.99 after they get discounted.

So, let's use Doom which came out yesterday. You walk into Best Buy and it's a 2 disc set with tons of features for 14.99 or the Blu Ray version with same features is 34.99 sitting next to it?! Which will you buy? I think by when Universal released the Super Bit DVD's bare bone's and $10 more than the normal loaded disc, they would have learned. Those discs never sold well, people want the movie, they don't want to pay a fortune.

I can't fathom paying $35 for a movie I'll watch probably once.

[Kodiak33]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

I can't fathom paying $35 for a movie I'll watch probably once.

The sad thing is people paid over 20 bucks for PSP UMD movies. It still shocks me and I wish it failed so that they would lower their costs. I doubt Sony will budge much on this price range in the near future.

[ehh]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

People already don't go to theatres anymore, so are they trying to competely destroy the film industry by charging $35 for a DVD?

[Husker_OS]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

Geez...I have a hard time paying $40 for a season of Family Guy for example...so does that mean now itll be around $60? No way..not yet..

[Skerik]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

People already don't go to theatres anymore, so are they trying to competely destroy the film industry by charging $35 for a DVD?

Price is pretty low on the list of reasons why most people don't go to the theaters anymore.

[aukevin]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

Price is pretty low on the list of reasons why most people don't go to the theaters anymore.

It's on the top of the list why many of my friends don't go. They have no incentive to pay $8 per ticket for a movie you can rent at home 4 months later, especially my friends with kids. Even I have been slacking on going to movies lately because of the price, and I used to go to 2-3 movies a week now it is once a month. I love the theater experience even though I have a nice home theater, but the price is out of control at the theaters now considering the short time to DVD for movies.

[kuruption]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

It's on the top of the list why many of my friends don't go. They have no incentive to pay $8 per ticket for a movie you can rent at home 4 months later, especially my friends with kids. Even I have been slacking on going to movies lately because of the price, and I used to go to 2-3 movies a week now it is once a month. I love the theater experience even though I have a nice home theater, but the price is out of control at the theaters now considering the short time to DVD for movies.

agreed...i dont go to the theaters because of the price also.

[Skerik]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

It's on the top of the list why many of my friends don't go. They have no incentive to pay $8 per ticket for a movie you can rent at home 4 months later, especially my friends with kids. Even I have been slacking on going to movies lately because of the price, and I used to go to 2-3 movies a week now it is once a month. I love the theater experience even though I have a nice home theater, but the price is out of control at the theaters now considering the short time to DVD for movies.

Granted $8 a ticket is pricey, but how much have prices really increased over the past 5 years or so? Theaters were still booming 5 years ago...how much have prices risen since then? Surely not enough to make people who enjoy going to the movies stop going altogether. If I loved going to the movies now as much as I once did, I'd have no qualms about paying $8 for a ticket.

I really think the theater industry is going to collapse in the semi-near future. We're already seeing the simultanous DVD-theater release of movies, and once HD DVD movies come out and have dropped to an affordable price like DVDs have, the only people going to the theaters will be people who don't have the money for an HDTV. And those people are going to regard the theater prices as being too high, so they'll stay home.

[aukevin]

Re: Blu-ray movies to cost 30-35 dollars each

Granted $8 a ticket is pricey, but how much have prices really increased over the past 5 years or so? Theaters were still booming 5 years ago...how much have prices risen since then? Surely not enough to make people who enjoy going to the movies stop going altogether. If I loved going to the movies now as much as I once did, I'd have no qualms about paying $8 for a ticket.

I really think the theater industry is going to collapse in the semi-near future. We're already seeing the simultanous DVD-theater release of movies, and once HD DVD movies come out and have dropped to an affordable price like DVDs have, the only people going to the theaters will be people who don't have the money for an HDTV. And those people are going to regard the theater prices as being too high, so they'll stay home.

well, maybe it is the combination of high prices and quick DVD releases. I would say movie prices have increased $2 per ticket over the last 10 years (I'm estimating) and the concessions have increased a dollar or two as well. Then you have to multiply that by the number of people you are taking to the movie.

So maybe the prices aren't way much higher, but the urge to wait is easier because of DVDs. You don't have to have a nice home theater, just the fact that the movie is coming out on DVD so much faster increases the perception of higher prices at the theaters.