Pioneer breeds bargain Blu-ray

With the world’s most expensive console, the PS3, currently serving as the UK’s cheapest Blu-ray player, you can forgive a hard-stretched gadgeteer for deciding to hold off on Sony’s hi-def format of choice until prices start to tumble.Well, that moment could be about to come. Joining Pioneer’s existing BDR-101A (pictured) is the company’s new Blu-ray drive for the PC, the BDC-S02, with a price tag of just $300. With the cost of a suitably capable graphics card also starting to fall, the time to buy could soon be upon us.It’s a player only so it won’t help you with burning BD discs but at such a bargain price we’re really not complaining. It will, though, play and burn CDs and DVDs which is always a bonus.It’s out in China first, with Pioneer vaguely promising that it will go on sale in other countries some time later. Expect an inevitable price hike if it comes here, but that should still leave it costing well below any other offerings. We’re clearing a drive bay as we speak.

Pioneer BDC-S02Price: £TBA (US$300 in China)On sale: TBA (now in China)Contact: PioneerRelated stories:LG preps another drive for all discs

Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home