Consumers appear lukewarm on Blu-player purchases
Aug 5, 2008 8:00 AM
There is widespread reluctance among consumers to commit to a Blu-ray player in the near future with more than half of 1000 respondents to a new ABI Research survey citing “other priorities” and saying they have no plans to purchase one.
The survey, part of the ABI Research brief “Blu-ray: Consumer Survey Results” also found 23 percent who say they are likely to buy a Blu-ray player, but not until sometime in 2009.
According to ABI Research principal analyst Steve Wilson, the lukewarm reception Blu-ray players have received among consumers is due to their perceptions about the value proposition of the devices. While half of the survey respondents say the quality of Blu-ray video is “much better” than that of a standard DVD, 40 percent said it was only “somewhat better” and most were satisfied with the performance of their existing DVD players, he said. High Blu-ray player prices and the need for an accompanying HD television were also leading barriers to wider adoption, the survey showed.
One bright spot on the Blu-ray horizon is Sony’s Blu-ray-enabled PlayStation 3 game console, Wilson said. “PS3 console shipments will go a long way to help bring down manufacturing costs and drive down Blu-ray player prices,” he said.
For more information, visit http://www.abiresearch.com/products/research_brief/Consumer_Video_Technologies_Market_Update/115/Blu-ray:+Consumer+Survey+Results.
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