According to the web site, Blu-ray.com, $298 Blu-ray players are showing up on shelves of certain Wal-Mart stores under brand names such as Magnavox and Sylvania.
However, the players apparently are coming from manufacturer Funai, which has been rumored for months to be working on a low-cost Blu-ray player.
Funai, a Japanese company, is known for manufacturing low cost electronics products, which often pressure the industry to lower prices for name brand devices.
A message thread at Blu-ray.com says the $298 player supports the Profile 1.1 BD standard, which offers Picture-in-Picture features.
Sony and other well-known Blu-ray manufacturers have said their prices will likely stay around $399 for now. However, the introduction of a $298 Blu-ray player could change that in the coming months.
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