Sticker shock: PlayStation 3's unfair Blu-ray advantage

The sticker that appears on Blu-ray discs.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Sure, I and the rest of CNET's home-theater editors think the PlayStation 3 is the only Blu-ray player really worth buying today. But no matter how we feel, it's easy to spot why other machines have an uphill battle trying to unseat the PS3 from its Blu-ray throne: Sony's sticking it to the competition, literally.

Take a closer look at all those stickers on the front of all those Blu-ray discs in your local Best Buy and you'll see what I mean. There's the Blu-ray disc headline and then the fine print message, "For use only with Blu-ray disc players, Blu-ray disc computer drives and PLAYSTATION 3 game consoles." Glance quickly at the sticker and all you see is Blu-ray Disc and PlayStation 3.

I asked Sony PlayStation reps about it the other day and, while they didn't have any comment, they just smiled knowingly and said, "Yeah, we like that."

We're not sure how long the sticker deal is in effect but it seems that as long as it is, the PS3 is going to have a not-so-subliminal marketing edge over other Blu-ray players. How long do you think it will take for some other player to top the PS3 in terms of Blu-ray player sales? I think we're looking at a couple of years, even if the price for standalone players dips under $200 or less. After all, the PS3 will come down in price, too.

[modern617]

Hey,

You do realize how many people are ignorant about the fact that the PS3 plays blu-ray discs? Many consumers out there know the Playstation 3 as a video game console, and nothing else. The sticker is rather an emphasis on how the PS3 is, in face, a blu-ray player as well.

And how stupid do you think people really are? Do you think that they will assume that a Blu-Ray Disc will NOT play in a Blu-Ray Player? The sticker merely states that the disc is of the Blu-Ray format. That it will lead the consumer to think that a player that plays Blu-Ray format discs can read this disc. Its not hard.

[Frost7331]

Alot of people are stupid,I thought you knew this..Besides..It's the best price/perf ratio right there;you have a blu-ray player AND current gen console..What's not to like for the average Joe Shmoe? I definitely won't buy one,because I use my computer and haven't used a console in over a year.

[porscheguy]

I'm getting ready to buy a Blu-Ray player and I can assure you it won't be PS3. I want a player, not a game console. I'm eying the new Pioneer Elite BDP-05D. Haven't seen it yet but I'm told that it is a first rate performer. It might not be Profile 2.0 but I'm not sure I care about all of the interactive stuff. I just want a great player AND one that looks good too.

You can wait forever at the technology turn style for "latest, greatest' but you will be standing there forever. HDMI? Great! Which version? HDMI 1.3a or b or (I'm told c is right around the corner and they are not backwards compatible).

Geez....

[sellis16]

I think the reason Blu-ray won the format war is largely because of the PS3. People who would never drop $600 and up on a Blu-Ray player got one "for free" -- since it's there, might as well use it.

The $400 price is not likely to drop much or anytime soon. Sony takes a loss on each PS3 sold -- they have invested in the PS3 machine and the Blu-ray format to be able to be a dominant player in the gaming and DVD markets.

[lukenlogs]

Why is an HTPC with a Blu-Ray drive never mentioned as an alternative? I think lots of geeks are going that route, too.

[ledesmkv]

Porscheguy,


Do yourself a favor and pick up a PS3 from a place with a 30-Day return policy and give it a spin. Like you, I was dead set against buying a PS3 and wanted a standalone. In fact, I also bought a Panasonic BD30K at the same time and did a comparison. At the end, I kept the PS3...


The PS3 is just an incredible piece of machinery. Picture quality is incredible (look up reviews online). Constant firmware upgrades keep its Blu-Ray profile and audio codecs up to date through built-in wi-fi. Combination of built-in hard drive, network and usb connections allow for endless streaming and mpeg playback possibilities. And to top it all off, the GUI interface is way sexier then anything else out there.


There are 2 major negatives that initially prevented me from considering the PS3. FIrst was the lack of ability to bitstream HD audio codecs (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA)... you only choice is to use PCM. PCM turns out to be the better option anyways since secondary audio tracks (ex. sound effects in the menus and audio in the pop-up chapter selections) can only be heard using PCM. Second, the remote is not IR, but bluetooth based, so you have to buy the optional remote instead of using a universal one.


Throw in the fact that the PS3 can be had at a fraction of the cost of the Pioneer, and its a no brainer.

[make_or_break]

A month with my PS3 and I STILL haven't bothered watching a BD movie, despite the lack of quality gaming titles that justifies the purchase (although MGS4 was almost worth the price...well, not really). It just doesn't matter to me.

I had already bought one of those blowout HD-DVD drives for the 360 ($40 at Fry's), after watching King Kong that came bundled with it, and the Matrix trilogy...I found that I must be one of those low-aimers that couldn't care less about HD movies. Live hi-def football game...great. Hi-def Hollywood films that maybe I watch again one in a blue moon...big frickin' deal. It's not like an upscaled standard def DVD is all that bad. I didn't see the worth with an El Cheapo device (even it it's a dead format), I still don't see the value with the live format, even IF the gaming console is tossed in for FREE (it all depends on yer point of view, dude).

[dirty55409]

my POS3 is only used for Blu-Ray playback. I went into it figuring it would be primarily a BD player and thankfully I wasn't relying on good games to actually come out to play on it lol. That's what the 360 elite is for :P Netflix Blu Ray and a PS3 is a sweet combo. I don't own any PS3 Games OR Blu Ray Discs. Rent rent rent!

[shadymoin]

Did you know apple computers only use apple OS and that when you buy other software the apple reps will tell you that other software may not work as efficiently as their own! Shocking as it is the practice of a company to promotes its own products! If cnet spent less time trying to bash non-american and sony related products it would be a great. But it seems their is this obession on this site to deliver some sort anti-ps3 anti-sony line. Get a grip either tell us the objective facts of the technology and save the opinions for the mirror!

[ctxrover]

Um, care to report on some actual news? Those stickers have been around forever.

[Carlox1]

Many people doesnt know ps3 is blu-ray, even people who already owns one, so its ok that sticker to me, maybe the capital letter its not, maybe. anyway price rules(price-value), and the best option will be the one people buy

[ddanckaert]

Listen people, the reason to own a PS3 as a BlueRay player is not for the interactive features, but because of the continued firmware updates. A $399 PS3 and $20 Bluetooth Remote is a perfect addition to any entertainment center, even if you don't play games. I have all the consoles, always have, and I just read reviews to determine which console is best for a particular game, and buy it. For exclusives like MGS4 or Halo3, it's a no-brainer.

[jk3yboi]

A lot of people say that technology is ever advancing and that, to have the latest and greatest, we will need a new player or TV every six months... the PS3 is actually doing the opposite, as ddanckaert said, with its firmware updates. In the near future I wouldn't be at all surprised if your whole entertainment center, computer, video game player and dishwasher (jk, jk) was in one device, controllable from anywhere in your house. (in other words, you have three computer monitors running off the same tower). Technology is already pointing this way, with things like an internet browser and the Blu-ray player being the first to be integrated.

[jmbuchan]

Surprised that, thus far, no comment about Sony's Sony BDP Blu-ray player series. Yes, I have one, so try not to be too harsh in your responses.

[bodine465]

Sounds like all the manufacturers that climbed into bed with Sony, choosing Blu-ray over HD-DVD, got what they deserved. Did they honestly think they would get a fair shake against Sony, when it has to promote the fact that the PS3 is a Blu-ray player, instead of hyping it as a game machine? The lack of a variety of quality games, compared to the Xbox 360, makes the PS3 a Blu-ray player that also plays games, instead of the other way around. As such, how can other manufacturers compete against Sony, especially with it's sneaky "advertisements" and subsidized system?

[cyberDJ-2038765336053745013836]

It's called "cornering the market" or having a monopoly.

If Apple owned the Blu-ray format, they would the same thing Sony is doing:
Railroad the consumer over to the iPod/AppleTV/whatever and away from the others. By any means necessary.

This how the iPod/iTunes got all of the marketshare; never mind the BS about it being a better product.

Monopolies are the only way tech companies will be able to survive in the 21st century.
Making a better product is not good enough anymore.

[restoration85]

shadymoin,

Did you even bother to read the very FIRST sentence in the blog post? CNET loves the PS3 and consistently mentions it as the best PS3 available. Additionally, if you browse over the the mp3 player section, you will find that CNET loves the audio quality of Sony mp3 players. Further why would you come to a tech product review website to merely find objective product specs?! People navigate their way to CNET to read reviews which contain the opinions of the reviewers.

[lorax1284]

I admit to being an (ex) HD-DVD fan-boy, and Sony's stranglehold on the "Blu-Ray" market via their subsidized PS3 was part of it. Frankly, I am still a bit baffled why all those consumer electronics manufacturers jumped on the BluWagon when they were being stuck-to by Sony in this manner.

And tell me how the consumer wins when one company has this unfair advantage over others, and other vendors mysteriously allow it to happen? Good thing I picked up lots of cheap HD-DVDs to watch, so I don't have to pay nearly $40 for Blu-Ray releases to support my 1080P addiction.