Blu-ray backers are banking on falling prices, summer blockbusters and an ad blitz to get consumers to make the leap to high-def despite predictions of a dismal holiday shopping season.
Although Sony’s Blu-ray is the clear successor to the DVD after beating out Toshiba’s rival HD DVD format, sales so far have been modest and retailers are facing a tough time this Christmas.
Major movie studios and consumer electronics companies are optimistic they can break through in the next couple of months and are backing a $25 million marketing campaign for Blu-ray discs.
The “Tru Blu” campaign, which spans TV and the Internet, features “The Dark Knight” and other summer hits to showcase Blu-ray’s superior picture quality.
“This year the format war is behind us and awareness is very high,” said David Bishop, president of Sony Home Entertainment and of the Digital Entertainment Group, the trade group behind the Blu-ray blitz. “Now the message is this is flat out the best way to watch movies at home.”
Part of the challenge is convincing consumers to upgrade to the latest Blu-ray player when surveys show that most people are pretty happy with the quality of mainstream DVDs.
The Digital Entertainment Group estimates US consumers will buy 2 million to 2.4 million Blu-ray players this year – triple the number sold in 2007.
Accelerating the adoption of Blu-ray players has taken on added urgency as sales of regular DVDs slow and competition from digital download services increases.
Beyond the ad blitz, retailers are slashing prices of Blu-ray players. Consumers can pick up an older model for less than $200, and some analysts predict holiday prices will range between $150 and $200.