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Although HD DVD continues to be the leader when it comes to affordable hardware, Pioneer is helping Blu-ray take a step closer towards a lower cost of entry. While not a standalone player, those with capable PCs will be able to watch Blu-ray movies on Pioneer’s upcoming BDC-2202, a Blu-ray Disc computer drive, which will be available to consumers beginning next month for a suggested price of $299.

The BDC-2202 can read BD-ROM/BD-R/BD-RE at up to 5X and can read BD-ROM (DL) and BD-R/-RE (DL) at up to 2X speed. The drive can also read and write digital content to DVD and CD…

Those with home theatre PCs will likely view the BDC-2202 as a low-cost way of viewing Blu-ray Disc movies. The next cheapest Blu-ray Disc player is the PlayStation 3 at double the price, though it is a standalone solution. The low-cost HD DVD player for HTPC owners is the HD DVD drive for Xbox 360, which is compatible with PCs, at $199. The cheapest HD DVD standalone player, the Toshiba HD-A2 is also double the price at $399.

Buying one or the other format doesn’t make much sense at the moment when soon there will soon be affordable combo drives that will play both formats. That is, unless one just has to have on or the other now because it’s new and the Joneses need their noses rubbed in it.

Posted under Hardware