Pioneer set to release affordable Blu-ray drive

Blu-ray and HD-DVD have been slugging it out for quite a while now, both aiming to capture a market already flooded with media formats and playback devices. While both of the next-gen players have demonstrated that high definition media can be truly breathtaking, manufacturers have been unable to produce affordable players that stand a chance of being adopted by the mass market. Hoping to change all of that, and tip the balance in favor of Blu-ray in the process, is Pioneer. The company is set to unleash the world’s most affordable Blu-ray player, the BDC-2202 for $299. Before you get too excited there are a couple of caveats here. This is not a stand alone player, requiring an empty drive bay in your current PC to function. It will also not burn Blu-ray media, although it does have the capacity to read and write DVDs and CDs. Look for it next month on the shelves of your favorite retailer.

[Via Slashgear]

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