I’m convinced that the Blu-ray movie format has gone mainstream. One indication is the Yes Songs From Tsongas concert movie reissue, out today in the United States in three primary physical formats.
- Blu-ray, street price $15
- 2 DVD set, street price $22
- Music soundtrack on 3 audio CDs, street price $23
You’ll notice that you’ll pay less to get the best edition, and that is mainly because the Blu-ray format allows the entire movie plus extra content to be placed on one disk, at a lower manufacturing cost than the multi-disk sets the older formats require. It makes some sense to buy the Blu-ray edition even if it is your first Blu-ray purchase and you have to pay another $60 for a Blu-ray player. It wouldn’t take many movie purchases like this to defray the cost of the new hardware.
It’s this kind of financial logic that cements the position of a new format. The early adopters are people who will pay a premium price for an improved entertainment experience. The mass audience comes along when the new format will save them a buck or two.
