Catching Blu-ray wave will cost Americans

The first Blu-ray video players to hit store shelves in the United States will carry a hefty price tag that some analysts fear could turn off consumers.

Samsung said late Thursday that the BD-P1000 player would retail for $1,000 and would be on the market June 25, in time for the release of the first wave of movies recorded in the high-definition format.

Samsung said Blu-ray produces images that translate to sophisticated high-definition televisions with a sharpness current DVDs can't produce.

"Until now, there hasn't been a pre-recorded media solution for consumers to take full advantage of the pristine picture their HDTVs are capable of producing," said Samsung Vice President Jim Sanduski.

Rival technology called DVD-HD costs less than the Samsung price tag; however, analysts say Blu-ray has some technical advantages DVD-HD does not, including 1080p playback capabilities.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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