June 9, 2006 - It appears as though Blu-ray may have just as soft a launch as HD-DVD did, with only one playback device available at the format's launch. Earlier this week, Pioneer announced that it would delay the launch of its first Blu-ray machines until sometime "this autumn."
Sony updated the Sony Style website to announce that the BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc Player will now be shipping "on or about August 15, 2006." The player was originally expected to launch at the same time as the first Blu-ray movies, which will take place later this month.
Sony's delay leaves Samsung's BD-P1000 as the only Blu-ray player still on schedule to launch on June 25. No causes have been cited by either Pioneer or Sony to explain the delays. Skeptics believe that demand for the Blu-ray drives themselves may well be outstripping supply, especially with Sony grabbing as many components as it can while trying to manufacture 4 million PS3s before the end of the calendar year. Others suggest that the rather soft impact HD-DVD has made in America thus far has taken the pressure off of Blu-ray partners racing towards launch.
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