Sony to introduce Blu-ray in May

Culver City (CA) - Sony today announced that it will release the first batch of Blu-ray movie titles on 23 May. There will be a very limited initial lineup of movies and - and players : Samsung will be only company to offer a Blu-ray player in May.

Sony is first to announce the release date of its high-def media format, but it will be everything else than a broad product introduction that will appeal to a wide variety of consumers. According to the company, the Sony and MGM will launch a first "wave" of eight movies that will include the titles 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight’s Tale, The Last Waltz, Resident Evil Apocalypse and XXX. Seven more titles will be following on June 13, including Kung Fu Hustle, Legends of the Fall, Robocop, Stealth, Species, SWAT and Terminator. Underworld Evolution will debut in "early summer."

The impression of an early introduction that is mainly targeted at early adopters is somewhat confirmed by Sony’s decision to support the product launch with just one available Blu-ray player. Samsung will sell the BD-P1000 Best Buy, Circuit City and electronic specialty store consumers on 23 May ; Pioneer is expected to follow with a device shortly thereafter. Pricing of the BD-P1000 has not been announced, but sources we talked to at CES in January suggested a retail price of about $1000. This first generation of devices will not offer the kind of interactivity the industry has promised - such as additional dynamic content that is accessed via a broadband Internet connection.

Sony itself will not be offering a Blu-ray player at launch, but mentioned that it will be introducing a "BD compatible Vaio PC" shortly after the introduction of the technology. Sony’s first Blu-ray player for the family room (BDP-S1) was mentioned in a press release as an "upcoming" product, but the company did not say when the device will be available.

Related article :
Sony to acquire HD-DVD know-how through joint-venture with NEC