Blu-ray shortage will see prices soar

Analyst Screen Digest predicts only the elite will be able to get hold of the technology as products become more scarce

An elite social class is emerging from the quagmire of the UK's technology recession: the Blu-ray Henries.

Only the richest people will be able to afford the latest Blu-ray Discs (BDs), as a supplier shortage hits the the country, predicted media analyst Screen Digest.

Research suggests that although DVD and its successor BD will remain the dominant force in home entertainment, the market in the UK could be hamstrung by shortages.

Supply problems earlier in the year, created by a shortage of components, have caused a knock-on effect.

The upshot is that the latest format, Profile 2, is in short supply.

Since the Japanese and American consumers are the key target markets for Blu-ray manufacturers, whatever stock is available will go to fulfilling demand there. Europe will have to wait and whether or not the supply shortage will push up prices is a moot point.

But Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper says only the privileged few will get top-end products in the UK.

Last Christmas there was a shortage of Wiis in the shops, and in March the Play Station III was delayed by a shortage of Blue Laser diode components. This Christmas many people will have to postpone their buying decisions, said Cooper.

“There will not be any entry-level Blu-ray hardware in the shops until the new year,” he added. “The sub-$300 (£202) machines appearing on US shelves will not materialise in Europe this Christmas.”

The retail economy is dire enough as it is, according to Dave Taylor, sales director at BTC, owner of the Emprex and CiBox brands.

"We will see relatively little demand for Blu-ray this side of 2008 anyway, because of the state of the UK economy and premium costs attached to the new format,” he said.