Washington, D.C. (September 17, 2008) -- Some Blu-ray players now are available for under $300 at most electronics stores, but some analysts say the price is still too high.

Russ Crupnick, senior industry analyst for the research firm NPD, told the DisplaySearch conference yesterday that prices need to average around $260 to attract a mass audience.

According to Home Media Magazine, Crupnick said his firm recently graded Blu-ray on a variety of categories, giving high marks for consumer satisfaction and content availability but a grade of D for hardware pricing.

“Blu-ray continues to be a premium product," Crupnick said.

Some analysts have speculated that Blu-ray players will fall under the $200 mark for the 2008 holidays. But Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, said prices shouldn't fall too fast.

"There’s continuously a pressure to bring prices down,” he said. “… What people overlook is that you have to have a market for it first.”

Parsons added that the industry needs to improve sales volume before it can lower prices to standard-def DVD levels.

“Prices will go down,” said Parsons, according to Home Media. “But what people overlook is that you need a marketplace first before you start cutting prices. If there’s not enough awareness about [the technology] than low prices are besides the point.”

NPD's Crupnick said that 2008 sales through July show that 29 percent of set-top units sold were upconverting standard-def DVD players with only 11 percent high-def disc players such as Blu-ray. About 60 percent of set-tops sold were regular SD DVD players.

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