http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/ Engadget HD Comments for http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 10:28AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 10:37AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
The reason that it's so expensive is that they're actually making money off of it. The PS3 is still deeply subsidized by Sony to help drive game adoption. I'm sure if a similar profit structure were applied to the PS3, then the price would be much higher than $700.00.]]>Jun 11th 2008 2:00PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 2:12PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
The Panasonic yields profit to:
1) The manufacturer
2) The retailer

The PS3 yields the profit to:
0) No one

The PS3 exists to sell games and movies. Nothing else. That's why it's so cheap. ]]>Jun 11th 2008 2:49PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
I see no reason to believe the PS3 isn't selling at or very close to break even point already. Especially when Sony have said as much in past statements and independent analysts support those views.

Certainly profits on consoles come from games more than they do hardware, but that doesn't mean any console maker likes selling their hardware for a loss. And they work very hard to ensure that they don't even if they might at the beginning of the console's life time.

As for Panasonic's $700 MSRP. The clue is in the MSRP. It doesn't cost them that much to make, and indeed I expect you'll see those players go for $500 by Christmas with Pansonic still enjoying a profit.]]>Jun 11th 2008 5:56PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 18th 2008 6:11PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
Another expensive Blu-ray player that completely coincidentally and for some very strange reason is a deeply underwhelming DVD player.

Seems like the obvious advantage they have (in the USA) over standard def (only 480 lines visible in the USA on SD) isn't quite enough & they have to rig the game even more, eh?]]>Jun 11th 2008 12:03PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/]]>Jun 11th 2008 2:14PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 3:01PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
When faced with the facts clearly mentioneed in the article (a high price & underwhelming DVD performance) the resident Blu-ray cheer-leader resorts to the usual weak personal attacks.

Is there no Blu-ray story you can't 'soft-soap' no matter how bad, eh?

.......oh, & not forgetting the other one continuing that ridiculously lame & totally laughable camapaign to get me banned.

LMAO]]>Jun 11th 2008 3:09PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
I have a PS3 and a Panasonic BD-30. I love the BD-30, but if I were interested in BD Live, a PS3 is definitely the way to go now (or Sony or Samsung if you want a stanalone unit).
]]>Jun 11th 2008 12:25PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
The only hope is that maybe this is an issue with software and can be fixed with a firmware update.]]>Jun 11th 2008 12:34PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
Somehow I think Panasonic's strategy is to get rid of the BD30's and even BD10's before they lower the price on the BD50. You will probably see the BD50 at Best Buy for $700, though, with an occasional sale bringing the price down to $600 until the MSRP is lower to the $500-$600 range later this year.]]>Jun 11th 2008 12:39PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 2:00PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
]]>Jun 11th 2008 2:30PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 3:24PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
The 'spurs engined' DVD players & HD TVs are going to be making a big splash later this year.

Whether Blu-ray can withstand competition from regular DVD-priced players that give a much improved (way better than upscale) image is another matter.

Similarly the improvement they will offer to HD TVs is going to get noticed fast.

Sharp for instance have already licenced the tech from Toshiba......

.....and they won't be the last to either when this takes off.]]>Jun 11th 2008 4:09PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
Lol every time you predict something I laught so hard. You have no credibility. You were wrong about almost everything regarding the format war.

So why would anyone believe a word you say?]]>Jun 11th 2008 4:13PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 6:55PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
I've heard of the future Sammy and Daewoo.]]>Jun 11th 2008 4:14PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/Jun 11th 2008 6:20PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/11/panasonics-dmp-bd50-blu-ray-player-gets-reviewed/
Incidentally, what is the big deal about an upscaling DVD player? If the DVD player doesn't upscale the image, the HDTV will. Otherwise, it wouldn't be displayed full-screen. It certainly doesn't add any detail to the image that wasn't there to begin with, so what's the point?]]>Jun 18th 2008 7:27PM