With the popularity of Blu-ray on the rise, there is a growing demand for Blu-ray equipped PCs. As a result, PC vendors such as Dell and HP are looking to buy BD-ROM and BD Combo drives. However, to get their orders, PC vendors want drive manufacturers to lower their prices by as much as $30.
ODM/OEM quotes currently stand at US$120-130 for a BD Combo drive and US$95-100 for a BD-ROM drive, but PC vendors have asked for the lowering of the former by US$20-30 to US$100 and the latter by US$5-10 to US$90, the sources pointed out. However, none of ODM/OEM makers are willing to cut prices because they are unable to keep down component costs and are reluctant to sacrifice profitability for orders, the sources explained.The price of BD drives have come down considerably over the last year. The way things are going, I really wouldn't be surprised if we saw a sub-$100 BD-ROM drive in time for the holiday shopping season. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes.
