It has been said that a Blu-Ray player priced at below $300 would jump-start the high-def market and, according to some early reports, Wal-Mart may be ready to do so. According to Home Media Magazine, Wal-Mart may be readying a Blu-Ray player priced at $298, $100 cheaper than the Playstation 3.

The Magnavox NB500MG9 is a Profile 1.1 player with HDMI 1.3 connectivity, picture-in-picture and upconverting technology that converts standard DVDs to 1080p. A Wal-Mart representative declined comment on the news.

Richard Doherty, media analyst with The Envisioneering Group in New York, commented that the price reduction is a start, but the manufacturers and studios both need to start working together on why consumers should go Blu.

"There needs to be a more consistent message out there," Doherty said. "Fewer than one in 10 Blu-ray players will have all the features. The same [goes] for the movies."