With Black Friday only a few days away, U.S. retailers have slashed the price of entry-level Blu-ray players in an attempt to bring shoppers into their stores. With these players being channeled to the Japanese and American markets, media research firm Screen Digest expects that affordable Blu-ray players will be in short supply in Europe this holiday season. Screen Digest also stated that this shortage, combined with the recession, will slow the adoption of Blu-ray in the European market.

"A shortage of cheaper Blu-ray players means that the sub-$300 machines that are already appearing on U.S. shelves are unlikely to materialize in Europe this Christmas," Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper said in a report.

"Combined with the recession, this means the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year," he said.

 

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Blockbuster recently announced the launch of its new MediaPoint digital media player. Manufactured by 2Wire, this set-top box gives consumers the ability to instantly stream thousands of TV shows and movies directly to their television. The player features built in ethernet and Wi-Fi as well as support for HD video content. The MediaPoint digital media player is available now as part of a $99 package which includes the device as well as 25 movie rentals.

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B), a leading global provider of media entertainment, and 2Wire, a provider of integrated broadband solutions, today introduced the 2Wire MediaPoint(TM) digital media player, an easy-to-use, on-demand video solution that offers movie fans instant access through their television sets to BLOCKBUSTER(R) ONDEMAND content, including thousands of titles from the latest movie releases to classic favorites.

Beginning today, for a limited time, the MediaPoint digital media player is available free with the advance rental of 25 BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND movies for $99 at http://www.blockbuster.com. Unlike subscription-based services, which typically offer movies years after their release, BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND includes hot new releases, many available within weeks of leaving theaters. After the initial 25 rentals, movies are available for as little as $1.99 each. The players will begin shipping in time for the holiday season.

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plextor logo.jpgPlextor, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, announces new products as a part of its new 2008 lineup. Featured in the new offering are 6x Blu-Ray Combo drives, 22x Super Multi DVD±RW drives, and an 8x Slim External USB DVD±RW for PC and Mac.

“Plextor continues to strengthen its position in the optical storage market with the addition of these new drives to its already robust line of products,” said Bob Gronski, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. “Now more than ever, people are going out less and taking advantage of home entertainment more, so it’s a perfect time for us to introduce such an extensive line of products.”

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A-DATA sent out a press release today, announcing its new line of XPG 2.5-inch Solid State Drives (SSD). Available in capacities up to 192GB, A-DATA's new SSDs use a high-speed SATA II interface that is capable of 170MB/s read and 100MB/s write speeds. The drives also feature a mini-USB 2.0 port that allows them to be used as an external hard drive.

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With the ever-growing popularity of compact notebooks and high-end portable devices, the demand for Solid State Drives (SSD) is greater than ever. A-DATA offers a new SSD aimed at a growing, more casual audience seeking for fast and solid storage device.

A-DATA XPG 2.5” SSD is an innovative gadget available up to a tremendous capacity of 192GB. Having both, SATA II high-speed interface and an extra built-in mini-USB 2.0 port, this SSD combines the advantages of SSD and conventional hard drives, such as mobility and great convenience, in one device. Equipped with a tough but lightweight case, high reliability, low power consumption and incredible shock resistance, A-DATA XPG SSDs delivering exceptional read/write speeds of up to 170MB / 100MB per second to guarantee fast transfer rates.

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Reuters recently interviewed the president of Sony Electronics' U.S. operations, Stan Glasgow. In the interview, Glasgow stated that Blu-ray player sales have fallen short of Sony's expectations. Along with the tough economy, player sales have been hampered by the high price of Blu-ray titles.

High definition Blu-ray disc players may be one of the holiday season's best sellers, but they will still fall short of expectations, due to the tough economy, the head of Sony's U.S. electronics unit said.

Sales of the next-generation movies players, developed by Sony and sold under brands including Panasonic and Samsung, could benefit from a late shopping spurt as budget conscious U.S. consumers find deals, Stan Glasgow told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

But they will not meet the worldwide target of 5 million units, most of which had been expected to sell in the United States.

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