With the world’s economy going anywhere but in the right direction, sales aren’t expected to go very high for the premium-priced electronics. Russ Crupnick, senior industry analyst at NPD, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he expects the average consumer to act more careful when spending his money.

Furthermore, the consumer would be more inclined to go for products he’s likely to use more, like a gaming console or a HD TV, Crupnick adds.

On the other hand, Andy Parsons, Chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association’s US promotions committee, was more optimistic on the matter. According to him, the Blu-ray will eventually get its rightful place and things will turn out fine:

"We’re hopeful even though things are getting a little tough out there, economically speaking. Everyone thinks of DVD as an overnight success, but it actually took several years for that overnight success to happen."

It may just be that the need for a cheap Blu-ray player would drive up Sony’s sales of PlayStation 3 console and keep the format afloat for the time being.