Sony has announced its plans to slash the price of high definition, according the Associated Press. At a New York press conference, Sony talked up its forthcoming BDP-S300 Blu-ray player. The big selling point? Its $599 price.
The move is clearly a reaction to the lower cost of HD DVD players, which are already available for less than the new Blu-ray machine. Still, $599 is far more palatable than the $1,000 price tag of Sony's current flagship player, the BDP-S1.
In addition to the lower price, the unit comes in a smaller form factor, and it can play CDs. It's also the same price as Sony's PS3, which includes a Blu-ray drive and can be had for $499 or $599. For customers who have no interest in shooting aliens, though, Blu-ray just got far more affordable.
Perhaps the HD DVD/Blu-ray format war will have one positive result after all—more quickly driving down the cost of next-generation players in general. The HD DVD consortium has been stressing the format's lower manufacturing costs for some time, and there's a good chance that a manufacturer will attempt to undercut Sony even further before the BDP-S300 launches this summer.
Whatever format wins the battle for your wallet, this is good news for next-gen movie buffs.