Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2009) -- Either Blu-ray discs cost too much money or the high-def movie is becoming a hot item.
Why?
Police officials in several cities are now reporting that the Blu-ray disc has become one of the top items on the shopping list of thieves.
*The Southtown Star in Illinois reports that thieves recently took $778 worth of Blu-ray discs at a neighborhood Wal-Mart.
* A Lexington, North Carolina couple this month was arrested for trying to steal 21 Blu-ray movies.
* A ring of robbers recently swiped $900 worth of Blu-ray movies at a HMV store in Cambridge, Ontario.
* And the cops in Albuquerque, New Mexico say stealing Blu-ray discs has become one of the fastest growing shoplifting activities in the city.
Maybe Winona Ryder could "pick up" a few of her own movies in Blu-ray.
The problem is getting so bad in Albuquerque that the police department says it's had to begin working with the loss prevention divisions at area stores that sell Blu-ray discs to prevent their theft, particularly by shoplifters.
The APD says it's arrested several Blu-ray shoplifters in the last month, according to KOAT.com, the web site for the city's ABC affiliate.
Many high-def enthusiasts often complain that the Blu-ray disc, which is often priced at $10-15 more than the DVD edition, is too costly. And apparently thieves are taking advantage of that sentiment by selling the discs for less than the retail price on the black market.
So long as people continue to believe that Blu-ray discs are too expensive, it appears that the criminal element will continue to steal them.
KOAT reports that one Albuquerque thief was a homeless man who admitted to taking more than a dozen Blu-ray discs because "he wanted money to eat."
But he's not the only homeless person with a preference for Blu-ray. The Kitsap (Wash.) Sun reports that a 19-year-old homeless man was arrested last week after he stole box sets of Blu-ray discs and then tried to sell them back to the store using an acquaintance.
"We have had to be a little more cautious with our (Blu-ray) product," admits Tommy Wong of Noble Collectibles, a New Mexico store that sells the high-def disc.
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Why?
Police officials in several cities are now reporting that the Blu-ray disc has become one of the top items on the shopping list of thieves.
*The Southtown Star in Illinois reports that thieves recently took $778 worth of Blu-ray discs at a neighborhood Wal-Mart.
* A Lexington, North Carolina couple this month was arrested for trying to steal 21 Blu-ray movies.
* A ring of robbers recently swiped $900 worth of Blu-ray movies at a HMV store in Cambridge, Ontario.
* And the cops in Albuquerque, New Mexico say stealing Blu-ray discs has become one of the fastest growing shoplifting activities in the city.
Maybe Winona Ryder could "pick up" a few of her own movies in Blu-ray.
The problem is getting so bad in Albuquerque that the police department says it's had to begin working with the loss prevention divisions at area stores that sell Blu-ray discs to prevent their theft, particularly by shoplifters.
The APD says it's arrested several Blu-ray shoplifters in the last month, according to KOAT.com, the web site for the city's ABC affiliate.
Many high-def enthusiasts often complain that the Blu-ray disc, which is often priced at $10-15 more than the DVD edition, is too costly. And apparently thieves are taking advantage of that sentiment by selling the discs for less than the retail price on the black market.
So long as people continue to believe that Blu-ray discs are too expensive, it appears that the criminal element will continue to steal them.
KOAT reports that one Albuquerque thief was a homeless man who admitted to taking more than a dozen Blu-ray discs because "he wanted money to eat."
But he's not the only homeless person with a preference for Blu-ray. The Kitsap (Wash.) Sun reports that a 19-year-old homeless man was arrested last week after he stole box sets of Blu-ray discs and then tried to sell them back to the store using an acquaintance.
"We have had to be a little more cautious with our (Blu-ray) product," admits Tommy Wong of Noble Collectibles, a New Mexico store that sells the high-def disc.
Comment on this article!
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