With Blu-ray Disc the clear victor in the high-definition format war, there are two possible directions for hardware pricing. Those previously on the fence will regain confidence in the future of high-definition movies and will purchase more players, causing prices to fall from economies of scale. The other angle is that hardware prices will remain status quo due to the fall of HD DVD.

Thankfully for consumers, it appears that at the biggest Blu-ray Disc backer of all plans to make hardware more affordable as time goes on. Gizmodo quoted Sony Electronics CEO Stan Glasgow on the continual price drops of hardware at around $100 a year.

“I don't think $200 is going to happen this year. Next year $200 could happen,” said Glasgow. “We'll be at a $300 rate this year. $299 will happen this year.”

Should a $299 Blu-ray Disc player materialize, it could be the first time that standalone hardware would be cheaper than a PlayStation 3 – unless, of course, there are to be further price drops on the Sony console.

The falling prices won’t come from cheaper Chinese brands, however, as Glasgow made it clear that the Blu-ray Disc Association has yet to license any of the technology outside the larger electronics companies.

Sony recently announced its first Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 players, the BDP-S350 and the BDP-550 at about $400 and $500, respectively.

Other tidbits releases by Glasgow include Sony’s drop of Memory Stick slots on its televisions, perhaps as another sign the format’s under-acceptance. High-end televisions, though, sold well – with half of them 1080p sets.