The history of all consumer electronics products is that with time they get better and the price drops. The computer I bought 10 years ago cost 10 times more than the one I bought last yeat and doesn't hold a candle to it. Blu-ray will be no different, Sony bashers notwithstanding. As for downloads, assuming bandwidth catches up and makes download times reasonable, it is unlikely that the high-res sound formats available on Blu-ray will accompany the downloads. This will be particularly bothersome when it comes to concerts. A-goner's should be concerned about that.