Name brand Blu-ray players break the $200 barrier

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EngadgetHD has been keeping a close eye on the prices of Blu-ray players, and recently noticed that both the Samsung BD-P1500 and Sony BDP-S300 have fallen below the $200 mark at certain stores (RadioShack and Amazon.com, respectively.) This is right in line with previous reports of falling Blu-ray prices, and while the BDP-S300 is pretty old, the BD-P1500 is currently Samsung's most recent Blu-ray player. In many ways, these cuts are more important than the budget players we've seen from Insignia and Memorex, since for many people it's a lot easier to drop $200 on Blu-ray if they know they're getting a "Sony."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10047500-1.html

I remember when HD DVD did this and the BDA said it was an act of desperation ... hmmm

They are also giving away free Blu-ray movies with magazines, which is discussed in this story:

Bad signs for Blu-ray: Free discs, cheap players, and declining market share

Here's the link to the sub-$200 Sony player in question:

Sony BDP-S300