Blu Ray HD Technology For Less

Blu Ray HD has revolutionized the way we experience movies at home. Without going into all the technicalities like pixel scanning, color saturation and audio channels, let's just say the difference is noticeable. Finally, a format has arrived that can handle the massive amount of information required to burn a film in high-definition! Blu Ray discs are the perfect complement to your high-def TV set. But what if you're a late-comer to all this new technology? What if you don't want to spend a fortune, but would still like a modest DVD collection? There is a ray of hope for you.

While the coming of Blu Ray HD technology has been highly praised for its innovation, consumers aren't so enthused about the high price tag attached to Blu Ray disc players and Blu Ray titles. The initial rumor was that stand alone players could cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000 and Blu Ray movies could cost as much as $40! On top of that, if you haven't already purchased a high-definition television set and surround sound speakers, then honestly, what's the point? The good news is that you can get set up for just over $1,000 if you know how to buy smart.

New technology is always expensive for three reasons: 1) It costs more to convert factories over to new production methods, 2) The demand usually exceeds the supply capacity initially and 3) New technology hasn't been developed to find cheaper, more efficient ways of manufacturing yet. For the Blu Ray HD disc, the story is the same. First of all, some facilities are paying as much as $250 million to upgrade to 80 production lines for Blu Ray movies and games. Secondly, market analysts are predicting a shortage of 5 million Blu Ray discs this year as consumers' expectations overwhelm what manufacturers can possibly produce. Lastly, Pioneer and Mitsubishi are currently working on new technology that will make discs cheaper to produce, but it's not near completion just yet.

You may have heard of some people paying anywhere from $2,000 to $50,000 for the PlayStation3 when it first came out. Since there was a limited number, people went crazy for the new technology. Now, those who have patiently waited can buy a PS3 for just $399 and still enjoy all the benefits. The new Blu Ray HD craze will likely run its course in much the same way. Early buyers paid the penalty of having a less advanced machine, while newer Blu Ray players came out, allowing firmware upgrades via the internet and more interactive capacity. Waiting may be the best way to save money, but there are some great options now for the eager buyer as well.

First, we'll take a look at where to find cheap Blu Ray HD Players. Currently, the best way to get hooked up with the new Bluray HD DVD player, which will replace DVD players over the next few years, is to simply buy a $399 PlayStation3! These amazing machines can be fully upgraded, have the ability to play video games and will even be able to sync up to your iPhone, and in the very near future, will be able to transmit ringtones or accept remote control type signals. If $399 is still a bit too steep for your liking and you're not the kind of person who spends hours sifting through featurettes, interactive games or on-demand purchasing options, then you may want the bare bones basic stand-alone player, which is expected to drop in price when Sony unveils its 2.0 player this summer. If you aren't so much a quality/tech geek but you just want to be able to buy new movies, all of which are being released in Blu Ray format only, then there will be version 1.1 players that lack internet WiFi/ethernet capabi lities for much less eventually. Right now you can purchase the Samsung BD P1400 for as low as $259.99 from the Refurb Depot or for $299.99 from Amazon.

If you really just want "the cheapest of the cheap" Blu Ray HD player, then you can buy the Samsung BD P1400 for less than $300 from Amazon. This Bluray HD DVD player will give you all the quality of high-definition on a stand-alone Bluray player and it will be able to up convert your existing DVD collection as well. However, it should be noted that once you buy this machine, you will be unable to upgrade it as new interactive features come out. Tech geeks say that the best way to buy Blu Ray technology is to pay the $399 for a PlayStation3. The PS3 comes with a WiFi/ethernet connection so you can upgrade your firmware as new technology comes out, thereby never making your player obsolete. You'll also get "more bang for your buck" because the PS3 is made for video gaming too.

Now that the bidding war is over between Sony and Toshiba, there is good news on the horizon for consumers. By the time Christmas rolls around next year, those looking to buy a Blu Ray HD player will likely see many deep discounts in an effort to inspire people to upgrade their systems. Of course, they will be much more difficult to find at that time, too. This summer Sony is expected to unleash its next generation high-definition Bluray player that includes internet connectivity, faster memory, more interactivity and more advanced menu options. The best way to buy cheap is simply to wait.

Next we'll look at where to find cheap Blu Ray HD discs. Since the cost of manufacturing BR discs is so high (just a blank BD-R costs $25!), the cheapest way to buy is to look for all the deals from various retailers. Since the technology is so new, you can bet retailers will be marking down prices like crazy to offset the "start-up costs" of changing over from DVD to High-definition Blu Ray DVD. For example, Amazon.com has "Buy-2-Get-1-Free" Blu Ray sales right now. Similarly, Circuit City and Best Buy are dropping many titles down to $19.99 for a limited time!

Still need to buy that HD-TV and surround sound system to go with your Blu Ray HD player? This technology has been out for years already and prices have come down a lot. The Panasonic Viera series 50" flat-panel plasma screen is just $2,000, or you can buy the 42" for as little as $1,300. If size isn't as important to you as clarity, then Circuit City has a Samsung 30" Widescreen CRT for $899 or Panasonic Widescreen CRT for $599. Best Buy has a high definition Magnovox 30" 1080-pixel-resolution for just $499 as well. In recent news, Sony announced that it will begin manufacturing a new HD-TV set with a built-in Bluray player but they haven't announced a timetable for its release yet.

To handle the advanced audio of your Blu Ray HD, you may need a receiver with HDMI inputs. For just $270, the Sony STR-DG810 will do the trick, offering a Dolby TrueHD decoder. However, the next step up is the Onkyo TX-SR605 or TX-SR705 for $290 and $550 respectively, and these offer more advanced decoding with better amps for those really loud home theater experiences. In terms of sound quality, this is the most important component for great at-home audio, so check out the Monitor Audio, Paradigm, Definitive Technologies and Revel Concerta lines. Pioneer is also a good brand to keep an eye on, since they are always developing good-quality, lower priced products. If you have the Sony Playstation3, then keep an eye out for frequent (free) Bluray HD firmware updates, like the latest DTS-HD Master Audio support/High Resolution Audio codec!

You don't have to spend over $1,000 on the Sony VAIO to get a laptop that plays/rips Blu Ray discs. In fact, Dell has released the Blu Ray equipped Inspiron 1525 laptop for as low as $879. If you're looking to get into Blu Ray HD DVD authoring, then you may want to wait until prices come down. The blank discs alone will run you $25 and the burners take 45 minutes or more. You'll also need software to bypass the advanced copyright protection. For now, eager consumers may see higher prices but like anything, prices will drop as the demand goes down and technology finds cheaper production modes.