Have your say & ask the experts

I bought my first blu ray player today, so I eagerly popped into hmv, for a first film, after work.

I had already planned to buy a few films online (amazon, play), but I wanted to watch one tonight. I left hmv empty handed.

I'm not discovering something new, and I was aware that films were more expensive in the shop (clearly). What did surprise me was that prices were ranged from between 30 - 150% more expensive in the shop. Nothing even came close to tempt me to buy a disc. Some highlights include:

2001, Elite Squad, Warlords - £25 v £9.99

Iron Man, Wall E -  £30 v £14.99

Body of lies - £27 v £16.99

Hancock - £18 v £10.99

There are countless examples, and in some cases the difference was 'only' £5, but that's quite a lot on a £15 film.

My question, in addition to this rant, is: how many people on this forum buy blu rays, and how many do so online, rather than in somewhere like hmv.

It just seems to me that at those prices they wouldn't sell very many discs. I mean, when did it become acceptable to charge £30 for a film - that's video game price. I know they're higher resolution, but it can't cost that much more to produce a blu ray disc, and i even read somewhere that the costs involved are similar.

Oh, and we're in a recession. (i throw this in since it seems appropriate - and we're always hearing about in the news, at work, in the paper, in the bank.....)

HMTB - Could not agree more old fruit!

I get mine from Blockbuster via their rental scheme, blu ray, dvd or music - whatever you want!

failing that - amazon have some stonking deals as do play.com which also offers free delivery and its quick.

hope that helps

matt

fast eddie:

online or instore if its on a 2 for 20 or something. Always check onamazon first via my phone to make sure its a good price though. Instore really is a rip off.not buying so many atm as we have lovefilm.

I don't buy in HMV anymore as there's none close to me since we've moved.  Up until the move there was one just down the street and I have to say there were quite a few impulse buys down there, almost always on the 2 for £30 or the newer 2 for £20 deals.  The vast majority come from Play.com.  I wish they had a rewards card type program, I'd have so many points by now!  And then there's always the steady supply from Lovefilm.

Never bought a Blu-Ray from a bricks and mortar. I have a look every now and then but, as you say, even if it's only £2 - £3 more (and many times it's a lot more than that), why pay it when I'm not really in any hurry for the film - order from Amazon before 3pm and I get it next day anyway. It's not as if the bricks and mortar really offer anything over the likes of Amazon / Play either - you don't get the ability to preview the film and make sure it's one you like or anything.

It is crazy really as many people still cite high prices as a reason not to upgrade to Blu-Ray, mainly because they've only seen the Blu-Ray in a shop for £25 when the DVD is sitting about five feet away for £5.

I rent from lovefilm and it's great. Unlimited 3 disc a week, for £15.65 a month. Granted, you don't get the most current titles but it does it for me as I like to watch many older movies on blu-ray anyway - for that I go to Blockbuster and rent 4 discs for £10.00.

I also look out for great used (sometimes new) offers on E-Bay and have nabbed quite a few deals.

Agreed - I'd only buy in the high street if on offer or was for a last minute present etc where I couldn't wait for delivery.

I often pop into my local HMV just to have a laugh at the extortionate prices asked for Blu Ray. Another reason for not buying is that often there's an enormous queue at the check out which puts me off but also proves people are buying (something)...

I worked for one of the big online sellers mentioned and the yearly growth rate even now is huge - meaning that allot of people must still shop on the high street and not online. Chains like HMV realise this and happily make a large margin while they can while trying to grow into new markets - HMV seems more focused on growing gadgets (iPods, etc), gaming and now have even started a second hand game trade in / resell offer. Blu-ray sales online are not that big yet as a percentage of overall sales though, still a growth market for all.

I know what you mean, it's exactly the same in my local Tesco's. How they sell any at those prices is beyond me, normally at least £5 more expensive than online. Saying that though I noticed Asda's prices are alot more reasonable with quite a few of the new releases the same price as online, from what I could remember. I bought the 40th anniversary Italian Job on bu-ray for £12.49,  50p cheaper than Play, bargain.

EDIT: The Italian Job was my 2nd ever bluray purchase from a proper store/shop, the othe being Planet Earth boxset from Tescos as it was the same price as online at the time. Better deals online from play or amazon etc.