Further delay for launch of standalone Blu-Ray player

October 23rd, 2006, 12:00 Posted By: wraggster

The launch date for Sony's first standalone Blu-Ray player, the BDP-S1, has been pushed back yet again - meaning the machine won't now arrive until the PS3 is already in shops.

The BDP-S1, which has been repeatedly delayed, was most recently down for an October launch.

However, according to the official Sony website, the machine will now be available "on our about December 4, 2006". As a result, the PlayStation 3 - which is due to launch in the US on November 17 - will be the first Blu-Ray player to hit the market.

That was not the original plan - but it could be that Sony has now decided against its strategy of getting Blu-Ray established in the marketplace first, opting to use PS3 to promote the format instead.

Or it could simply be that the company is worried about blue laser diode shortages compounding the problem of PS3 shortages, and has decided to delay the launch of the BDP-S1 in order to allocate more diodes to PS3 manufacture.

The BDP-S1 is still set to retail for USD 999.95 in North America - making the PlayStation 3, which costs USD 499 for the 20GB version or USD 599 for the 60GB model, a cheaper alternative for early Blu-Ray adopters.

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