Pioneer BDP-HD1 Blu-ray player coming in May

$1,800 isn't really all that much for Pioneer's forthcoming player, which bundles 1080p output and 1080p video upconvert,  and supports DTS-HD,  DTS and Dolby Digital.  Besides an HDMI jack for one-cable hookup, the BDP-HD1 will be able to network with any DLNA-compliant server or any PC running Windows Media Connect.

[ROFLROFFLES @ Jan 4th 2006 6:03PM]

ROFL, that's very cheap.

[hmurchison @ Jan 4th 2006 6:07PM]

No $1800 is in fact a lot of money for most people. Nice player but I'm not spending them ducats. Playstation 3 better be cheap because I'm not liking Blu Ray pricing.

[Peter @ Jan 4th 2006 6:11PM]

FINALLY! A halfway decent looking machine. Take a look at the other Blu-Ray players, especially the Sony prototype which looks like a clam:



http://www.blu-ray.com/players/



Just awful.

[elliot Hosch @ Jan 4th 2006 6:13PM]

Man this thing is huge, technology is suppose to get smaller and cheaper, not bully and overpriced, and I agree with hmurchison it is alot of money, if technology companies want consumers to pick this up, these players need to be cheeper.

[pgib @ Jan 4th 2006 6:14PM]

that thing looks like a 1987 cd player.

[PJ @ Jan 4th 2006 6:15PM]

If I was on Gizmodo and not Engadget, I would have thought you were serious with the "$1800 is not very much comment..."

All I have to say is that, no matter what, the PS3 will be freaking expensive. I don't want any Fanboys to give me that "oh it is a subsidized trojan horse" crap. It may be subsidized, and it may be a trojan horse, but it is going to be extremely pricy. $599 for the PS3 is my guess. Games? $79.99.

[Broo @ Jan 4th 2006 6:17PM]

but can it play CDs?

[retro @ Jan 4th 2006 6:20PM]

Kind of funny considering the PS3 has been confirmed to have the exact functionality, and people are estimating anywhere from $299 to $649 American. And people say the PS3's cheap? Man, Sony's going to sell it like crazy.

[James @ Jan 4th 2006 6:23PM]

If people are not willing to pay $500 for a HD-DVD player, what makes you think people are willing to pay $1800 for a Blu-Ray player?

[jsis @ Jan 4th 2006 6:26PM]

ahahahaha.



What a backward leap in terms of aesthetic and design.

[audioeric @ Jan 4th 2006 6:29PM]

Hmmm.. $500 for HD-DVD or $1800 for BluRay... They're going to have to do a lot of convincing for someone to chose BR over HD with a price split like this..



BetaMax... MMCD... :D :D



eric

[Derrick @ Jan 4th 2006 6:33PM]

The pricing is not surprising for a couple reasons:



1) any new format/technology is expensive at the beginning ... just look at what CD, DVD, SACD and DVD-A players cost when they first arrived.

2) everyone knows the PS3 is coming sometime in 2006 ... the only chance manufacturers have to sell these players to the early adopters at the prices they want to charge is to do so before the PS3 launches

[Peter @ Jan 4th 2006 6:42PM]

#7, good question and the answer - I think - is NO. Check out the Pioneer press release, which does not list CD as one of the supported audio formats. This is just like the Pioneer Blu-ray computer drive they announced. Another reason to avoid first generation gear.



http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060104005022&newsLang=en



And really, everyone needs to chill and stop freaking out about the price. This is the first gen and for the rich early adopters who won't blink at dropping $1800 for a player so they can play movies on their 100" screens with their $20,000 front projectors. It's not for you and me. Prices will come down soon enough.

[Mike @ Jan 4th 2006 6:43PM]

Lol? 1800$?? Die blu-ray die. HD-DVD all the way. Considering I paid $1,000 for the first gen Sony DVD player 7000 model 500$ for HD-DVD is ch$$p.

[Sean @ Jan 4th 2006 6:48PM]

For goodness sakes people, this is a Pioneer ELITE series player and as such is quite expensive in its own right, Blu-Ray or not.

[kilo113 @ Jan 4th 2006 6:52PM]

for 1800 you're better off buying a high spec(small form factor) pc with a blue ray drive. it would be cheaper, more powerful and better looking.

[Becky @ Jan 4th 2006 7:07PM]

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are not going to sell like DVD did.



DVDs offered a substantial increase in content and functionality over VHS � no rewinding, better quality, special features, small storage � Blue Ray and HD-DVD are not going to offer much improvement over DVD. Also, only 15% of TVs are HD.



Regular DVDs will dominate for at least 2-3 more years.

[Wes Felter @ Jan 4th 2006 7:08PM]

Come on people, stop comparing the most expensive Blu-ray player to the cheapest HD-DVD player.

[msm @ Jan 4th 2006 7:15PM]

wow, comparing a PS to a high-end Pioneer Elite. I guess people posting here are completely missing the point, this clearly isn't marketed to you bottom dwellers.

[JeffNLA @ Jan 4th 2006 7:42PM]

# 17 my thoughts exactly! I have two HD tv's and LOVE new toys, but I wont buy a blu-ray player. The cheapest one I've read about so far is $1000



There is a HD-DVD player listing for $500. I'm going to wait either way.



My prediction - Sony will cave in and NOT have Blu-Ray in PS3!!

[JeffNLA @ Jan 4th 2006 7:43PM]

# 17 my thoughts exactly! I have two HD tv's and LOVE new toys, but I wont buy a blu-ray player. The cheapest one I've read about so far is $1000



There is a HD-DVD player listing for $500. I'm going to wait either way.



My prediction - Sony will cave in and NOT have Blu-Ray in PS3!!

[Andy @ Jan 4th 2006 7:46PM]

Does anyone know how much the movies will cost?

[Liam @ Jan 4th 2006 10:07PM]

Man, that thing is huge, agree with #5. they could have at least made the drive door a little smaller.

[box @ Jan 4th 2006 10:18PM]

Lol. I love it. people bitching right out of the gate! I agree though; too expensive and a regression in design and size! WTF? It is 1987 all over agin!!

[Douglasp @ Jan 4th 2006 10:24PM]

Who knows how much they cause but read this link and a BR recorder alone cost 1000$ for the PC and 50 $ a BR Disc. If HD-dvd is alot cheaper guess what I am buying.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=172

[FlyByWire @ Jan 4th 2006 10:24PM]

Can anyone say BetaMax

[Raider @ Jan 4th 2006 10:57PM]

#19 is half right, it is for the high market. That is what Pioneer Elite is all about. It is also for the early adopters, especially in the high-end marker. Plus it's newer tech for the US.

It's like prescription drugs, we pay 3-9x more than any other country, because we pay for it (we have the money(at least some do)).

But the point is, it will all get cheaper over time. Especially since the fact that PS3 will not be $1,000 but more like near half of that. So in time, given even a long time, it will be the price of brand name DVD players now. Don't forget you will be able to buy your generic Cyberhome, LiteON, etc. kind of player for 1/3 the price @ some point.

[Raider @ Jan 4th 2006 11:15PM]

#17. True HD DVD will not sell like DVD. Blu-Ray will just a little more because of PS3. Now it would have been more even if HD DVD was in the 360.

And for 15% of US TVs are HD, that will change in time. With the manditory date of 2009 for Digital TV, also along with the manditory manufacturing of a bigger percentage of HDTVs out of all TVs.

[Chris @ Jan 4th 2006 11:37PM]

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_15020671_30442807,00.html



as you can see the regular Pioneer elite DVD players are already going for 1000 dollars so an 1800 bluray isn't that crazy of a price

[DN2004 @ Jan 5th 2006 3:14AM]

Dam! thats huge and ugly and expensive... wait a few years im sure thye will be cheap... but im sure people wont pay that price to get one.. you will have to take out a small loan to buy one lol

[Yo @ Jan 5th 2006 7:48AM]

Actually that's extraordinarily cheap for a top-of-the-line first generation optical media player! CD players used to cost 3-4 times that much.

[Michael Honore @ Jan 5th 2006 9:29AM]

You shortsighted individuals, first off look at the label that says ELITE. Pioneer Elite still sells 1000 dollar dvd players. Its a high end product and priced properly for its design. You will see less expensive models once the baseline and lower end brands begin to make them. Don't be so quick to complain.

[1080p @ Jan 16th 2006 9:14PM]

I t looks really nice....some people have no taste I guess.

I don't know if I will buy the Pioneer as Sony has analog outs for DTS/DD HD,and also upconversion of sd dvd to 1080p which no HD player will be doing.

I will be buying a B/R player and a Ps3 for the kids though....but will not be supporting HD with its tiny 39% studio support when B.R already has 79%.

[Tom @ Jan 24th 2006 9:04PM]

The pioneer elite is a high end video product, of course its going to be expensive and the fact that its new technology helps raise the price. Look at the prices of other pioneer elite dvd players, there the same price. Pioneer also makes players that are regularly priced. All elite models including televisions, amplifiers, etc are expensive but are all excellent quality especially video products. Elite is top of the line video products.

[Douglas @ Jan 26th 2006 11:50AM]

Very suprised at the objections. Clearly none of the pundents have ever seen Blue Ray on a Sony Qualia 06. Pioneer Elite is just that, the top of the line.

Quality is never cheap, and long after you will forget the price, your jaw will still hit the floor. Why question the price for 1920 x 1080P. This spec is why you want HD in the first place.