Only possible in today’s crazy world: Chinese OEMs who planned to steal Blu-ray marketshare with sub-$200 players are being bloodied by name brands like Sony and Samsung selling their players at that price.
https://gizmodo.com/dealzmodo-15-cheap-blu-ray-players-as-low-as-200-5093230
Despite Sony’s Stan Glasgow stating their firm intention not to dip below a $299 MSRP on their Blu-ray players, you can easily find their BDP-S350 for $250, or even less. And there were loads of $200ish deals on name-brand players around and after Black Friday—if they weren’t literally giving them away.
https://gizmodo.com/why-you-probably-wont-find-amazing-sony-deals-for-chris-5094428
And $199 is exactly the pricepoint that the Chinese OEMs—i.e., Walmart Blu-ray players—wanted to waltz in at, given the tough talk from Sony and others about sticking to $300, $250 at the worst. Instead, Walmart—and every other retailer—is smartly playing up these super-cheap players from brands you’ve actually heard of before. So, the Chinese OEMs, those classy undercutters and free-market propellants, are on the receiving end of the pain they usually dish out, assaulted by the very people they usually assault.
Here’s the question: Is it because Blu-ray is failing? Or just another anomaly only possible today’s world? [Digitimes]
