Sony having trouble with Blu-ray laser production?
by Kyle Orland 
{ Aug 29th 2006 at 3:30PM }
In a textbook case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, Sony is reportedly halting shipments of blue laser diodes to other manufacturers to ensure they will have enough available for the PlayStation 3 launch. Taiwan's DigiTimes.com is reporting that lower yield rates than expected mean that laser manufacturers, including Sony, can't meet the demand from the manufacturers of HD-DVD and Blu-ray drives and players. Despite recent analyst predictions that Sony will not be able to meet its own projected unit numbers for the PS3 launch, Sony still forcefully asserts that they will meet their commitments.
[Via HD Beat]
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
joe smith @ Aug 29th 2006 8:00PM
They have yet to start production (according to Kaz) so how hte heck will they have 2,000,000 machines in 2 1/2 months? There is no way they have manufacturing capacity to make nearly 200,000 systems a week -- even if they can get the components.
idioteraser @ Aug 29th 2006 8:00PM
Some warranties for 599 dollar devices are very expensive if you want the full coverage deal. Sometimes over a 100 bucks for electronics. Add in the HDMI cable other connections maybe pay for someone to come by and set it all up and test it out. Also it should be noted the PS3 is more expensive in other countries like close to 800 dollars expensive or more.
This blu-ray production issue could indicate a horrible quality control for the laser. So PS3s and blu-ray players could have high failure rates. Add in the other production issues and we could see far fewer PS3s this year then Sony wants out.
Not having the production up and running also creates it's own sources of troubles. Often a factory has to do a lot of work before it's ready to actually began producing a product that meets the quality control standard the company wants. You have to test the machines etc. Delays in getting the factory up and running means a whole lot of product issues.
Jonn @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:15AM
"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."
Except Sony is an electronics manufacturer.
And Paul is its fanboys.
The Dude @ Aug 29th 2006 9:41PM
Sony's always havin SOME type of problem- I really wouldn't be that surprised if they called the whole system project quits or just DELAY it again -___-;;
hey alex @ Aug 29th 2006 10:16PM
There was an article today about how some blu-ray players are having difficulty reading the recently released (announced?) 50GB BD discs. If this is true, then it's sounding like Blu-Ray was rushed to market before it was ready.
dolemite @ Aug 30th 2006 12:20AM
Sony is stopping the sale of their blue diodes, but I found this when I went to check my AVSforum mail:
"Utilizing BD drives in its own PS3 game consoles, Sony suspended shipments of blue laser diodes to other customers, the makers indicated, adding that only Nichia, Sharp and Sanyo continue shipping the diodes. Nichia, which currently holds 80% of the global blue laser diode supply"
Sony is trying to get all the components it needs, what's so wrong with that? And as for the HDTV thing, I own a 360 and it too really needs an HDTV to stand out. Sales of both these consoles are helping to push HDTV adoption. Next time you go to WALmart, check and see how many regular tv sets they have displayed compared to HDTV sets. Over the next year or 2, HDTV will grow even faster. Not everybody can get a 50 inch one, but they are now within the reach of joe six pack. Sony made an interesting choice to pack in blue ray, and I understand that everyone has a different opinion on it. Yes, 500 is high, so that's a decision that each person is going to have to make on their own. And there are sets that take 1080p over component, I own one of them. Don't get totally sucked into HDMI, it still has a few quirks left in it.I personally own a 50" 1080p Samsung DLP and a 1080p Westinghouse 42" lcd. I plan to use the ps3 to play blue ray movies. I would not run out and buy a blue-ray player right now, but since I will have a PS3 that plays the Bluray movies anyway, why not buy Lord of the rings or Spderman 1/2/3 on that format? Once you see HD-DVD or Blueray(hurry up and move to VC-1 bluray)on a good set, you will understand and not be satisfied with regular DVD's.
makesevenupyours @ Aug 29th 2006 10:42PM
23, 46:
great posts!! i must say!! not much to add to those!!
i must say that whoever said hd will fail is out of their mind, and they, as stated, OBVIOUSLY have not watched much hdtv.
2 of my cousins now own large hdtv's, and i saw them in person this summer and they are AMAZING!!
i was converted.
i will be saving money throughout this school year to get one sometime this summer so i can play some HALO THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE in hd.
as is...im playin on some piece of shit thing that my brother left when he moved.
and i use it as MY dvd player, cuz i have to have it in my room cuz my parents and my only sibling that still lives at home HATE video games. if i were to use it in the main tv room i would never get to use it cuz they rule is that they can watch anything over video games. so i would only get to play when they are gone.
i also doubt they will meet their 2,000,000 units...not a pain for me. im anti-sony.
now i try not to be biased, and try to make logical posts, but i am glad to see this.
look, sony has makes GREAT electronics. cd players, tv's, dvd players, plenty of stuff, but their gaming division has really pissed me off.
it all started with SOE...damn they destroyed some good stuff in the MMO market...they were responsible for the downfall of star wars: galaxies. and MUCH more.
and i was always unhappy with the fact that you had to buy a connector piece to have a 4 player option when using their consoles. i felt like they were just sucking more money out of me, when 4 player support came standard with the other consoles.
and im not gonna lie, the ps2 was a pretty solid system, i HAVE one...and it DOES have some good games, but i feel it lacks lots of good shooters.
anyway, enough of my ant-sony rant. im trying to stay unbiased here.
Wild Homes @ Aug 30th 2006 12:16AM
to #55, dolemite.
actually, if your Westinghouse is the LV42w2, which is the only 42" 1080p display listed on the website currently, it's important to note that it's a monitor and not a television. this might seem pedantic, but it _does_ indicate important distinctions. second, the site totally indicates even that set CANNOT accept a 1080p signal over component-in.
it's been widely documented that Sony downplaying the effects of the missing HDMI-out is kind of poor salesmanship. it's unfair to tell someone the system can output 1080p over component (and to be honest, I'm not sure how they determined it CAN) if there is no television on the market that can receive a 1080p signal over that same component connection.
dolemite @ Aug 30th 2006 12:42AM
@56:
If you read the review of the LVM42w2 on Audioholics web site, they too confirm that it can receive 1080p via the component inputs.So does Sound and Vision magazine in the June issue. That along with the price is why I bought it. HDMI is a great thing, and you are right, very few tv's I know of, or monitors for that matter, will take 1080p via component. But I have been enjoying HD for a while now, and for most people who have a tv that does not have an HDMI port, then not having it on the PS3 will be fine. Those that have HDMI equipped tv's will then need to decide whether or not the extra 100 bucks is neccessary. 1080i via component is awesome as well on a 1080p set, and most people have a 720p or 1080i set anyway. My friend at work is buying a 720p set in a few weeks, a 32 inch I believe, and it has 1 HDMI port, but since it only does 720p, he is getting the 500 unit. I do agree with you though, that SOny will need to educate people on the differences between the two units, and we need more people like yourself to educate others on these matters. Very rarely do I here from someone who is not a raving fanboy on Joystiq.
get over it @ Aug 30th 2006 11:33AM
REDSPEAR:
"the HD-DVD drive uses another diode...They are both blue though"
and
SUBNET6
"However, while both lasers are blue, the diodes are NOT the same"
do a little research, they do use the same 405-nm diode laser. they may have different focusing lenses and possibly even different output powers to the diodes (although i can't any find verification of that) but they are the same diodes.
"While both formats make use of a 405-nm diode laser to read and write data, the disc structures are completely different, and thus the formats are incompatible."
Source: about halfway down the page
http://lfw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARCHI&ARTICLE_ID=248128&VERSION_NUM=2&p=12
"...each format relies on 405 nm blue-violet laser diodes..."
Source: Current story on Engadget, HD Beat and DigiTimes Systems
chimp o death @ Aug 30th 2006 12:36PM
"What happens if Sony doesn't meet their projected unit numbers for the PS3 launch. Slap on the wrist? Shrug of the shoulders? Will anyone really care?"
If you've plunked down the bulk of your pre-order cash and have no PS3 by the end of the year, you'll care. Ask the guys who pre-ordered 360s.
josh @ Aug 30th 2006 3:47PM
nootau - i bought two Apexes.. They were $150 each and among the first players to be all region hackable with just the remote (you had to enter a combination of fast forward/rewind/pause while on the setup screen, which led to a screen that said "YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE" and let you change the region setting). I kept one and sold the other one ebay after the player was pulled off the market. Picture quality was not as good as a name brand, but it was all region and only $150 at circuit city.
josh @ Aug 30th 2006 3:47PM
"The downturn in DVD profits likely is driven more by consumer copying of discs after DVD burners became standard on most new PCs and a very inexpensive upgrade. The problem wasn't the Netflix rental, it was the rental acting as the source for a dozen copies to the renter's circle of friends."
I don't know ANYONE who does this. I do know at least a dozen people who used to buy DVDs almost every week, but almost never buy them now, after getting Netflix. Personally, I probably used to buy at least 8 DVDs a month. Now, I might get one - and those are usually either box sets I don't feel like clogging my queue with, or cult stuff not from major studios, because I'm afraid it will go out of print. Anything major, I know will always be on Netflix so unless it's a big favorite, I don't buy it.
And yes, Netflix I'm sure has some level of kickback to the industy, but it has to be far smaller than if people bought all the movies they rented, or even spent the same amount of $ on DVDs instead of Netflix's fee.