When Will Bose Go Blu-ray?
Written on Oct 13, 2008 by Brian and filed under Bose, News
Bose is one of the most visible home theater in a box system manufactures, in fact, they’ve been at the game longer than most other brands. But these high-priced systems are lagging many months behind competing brands that are bringing the latest technology to the market, like Blu-ray players. Has Bose lost touch with consumers?
Bose 3-2-1 System
Granted, the HD DVD battle was only won in the last year by Blu-ray, so it’s fair to expect some lag between Sony’s platform and integration with Bose’s HTiB systems, but still, Bose is being lapped by almost every other major player in the space.
How can it be that Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, JVC and seemingly every other brand who competes aggressively in the HTiB space can release updated models but Bose can’t, or refuses to. Bose, with their grand mall stores and brand-name premium needs to re-think the strategy and get to work.
Serious audiophiles often scoff at Bose because of their high price and lackluster performance in some areas, but Bose is still a respectable brand and one that has a lot to home theater system buyers. Their equipment looks nice and the speakers perform well. They were one of the first to push simulated surround sound and other now commonplace technologies. It’s time for Bose to get cracking again and bring Blu-ray and other new technology to their systems.
Moreover their own fixing of the problem is probably worse than the problem itself. I wanted to follow their advice and purchased their VS-2 only to discover, in addition to the huge number of cables cluttering my desk only to connect it to the mediacenter, that it did not work with the model I had – even if it had all the needed connections! Contacting Bose I was said that for a ‘mere’ expense of 450 Euro (about 600 $) I could have the most recent version of the Mediacenter in exchange for mine. Then I discovered that the VS-2 is not able to route HDMI inputs into Component outputs – the reason I originally wanted the appliance given my tv lack HDMI inputs – and the mediacenter occasionally got switched on by itself (of course also switching on the tv, in the process). I was highly relieved when I got the chance to return the Mediacenter to Bose. This I did, also purchasing a simple composite switch for 19 Euros. I will eventually end this bad experience by selling the VS-2 on ebay.
I was told by Bose to expect something by September 2009. This was an unofical sorce but thats what I got from them.
It is now Nov 2009 and there is no 3-2-1 system that comes with blu-ray instead I am told by a salesperson to run my optical out from tv to the 3-2-1 system and buy a standalone blu-ray player and attach it to the TV. That is pathetic. I wasn’t going to pay a $100 for a system that I wasn’t going to use to it’s full capacity with the DVD player. I think bose will take a great hit for not updating the 3-2-1 system with a blu-ray player.
Bose is loosing customers without Blu-Ray functionality. I’m one of such people who was about to buy Bose but now look for alternatives.
I have been waiting and willing to fork out some dough for a bose lifestyle system with blu ray. Come on already! We just received our first Blu Ray disk and will probably end up buying a stand alone blu ray player. I refuese to buy the v series! I want all-in-one! Start listening to the people bose!
I almost purchased a 3-2-1 the other day. I paused, stopped the transaction and went home somewhat defeated and satisfied at the same time. I mean, I really want a 3-2-1, but then again, I don’t want an antiquated version that only plays DVDs. I am willing to pay the bucks for a Bluray all-in-one version. Any updates on Bose’s future plans on the Bluray platform?
Yeah I agree I was also waiting for a 3-2-1 Blu-Ray version but I gave up and now have a blu-ray player. I too was told to buy the 3-2-1 system and buy a blu-ray player but that doesn’t make sense, why would I buy the 3-2-1 system that plays dvds when the blu-ray players already play dvd’s. I guess I can look into buying the cinemate but don’t really like the setup of using the cinemate plus there are cheaper alternatives which sound just as good. Too bad bose, I think you may have lost me as a customer for this blu-ray stuff.
Well. It’s Jan 2010 and still no bose blu ray. I give up. Dumping my lifestyle 48 trashing all the bose equip in my media center, and going samsung.
I was told by a salesperson at Best Buys to expect the Bose 3-2-1- system with Blu-ray in April. Any chance of that?
LIKE MANY HERE I HAVE BEEN WAITING RELIGIOUSLY AS WELL. I HAVE THE 3-2-1 SERIES II- I ORIGINALLY HAD A 3.2.1 SERIES I. CURRENTLY I HAVE A SONY 46 INCH XBR T.V.. I WAS GIVEN A SONY BLUERAY PLAYER FOR CHRISTMAS– SO IT IS EITHER USE THE BLU RAY PLAYER AND GET A GREAT PICTURE AND O.K. SOUND , OR USE THE 3.2.1 FOR AN O.K. PICTURE AND GREAT SOUND. I’M GETTING REAL TIRED OF THIS BUT I DON’T WANT ALL THE DAMN WIRES OF A 5 AND LARGER SPEAKER SYSTEM. I/VE GOT BOSE IN THE CAR / IN MY BEDROOM / ON MY COMPUTER / AND THIS SYSTEM , BUT THE 3.2.1 COMPATABILITY SIMPLY SUCKS!!! FIRST BOSE STARTED HAVING THE PRODUCTS ASSESMLED IN MEXICO (PROBABLY BY AMERICAN WORKERS), AND NOW THIS —–WHAT’S NEXT OR NOT NEXT?
I spoke with Bose this week and they dont have any intentions of having a blu ray system. I cannot believe it.
they lost me as customer too
I am soooo disappointed with BOSE!!!
All of my home electronics are BOSE, except for my PS3. I have always been a true supporter of BOSE, but it looks like I am going to have to go elsewhere I have waited long enough!
Too bad BOSE.
F. Hyman
I waited for a long time for the 3-2-1 to be updated with Blu Ray. I am tired of waiting and looking for other alternatives. Anyone suggestions?
I was told once by a rep to buy a 3-2-1 and then a blu-ray player but to me this sounded very stupid to spend on a blu ray and dvd player. It is not worth it!
Any updates? I don’t see a 3-2-1 system with Blu Ray. I think Bose is losing a lot of customers who are not waiting for them to get their act together.
I almost bought a lifestyle 48 for $6250 (yes, its very expensive here in Denmark)but i changed my mind in the last minute, and bought a Samsung BluRay
Yeahh I’m buing staff from samsumg and Sony
I went to a BOSE retail location and asked them when the 3-2-1 was going to get blu ray. The salesman laughed at me and said, BOSE is not going to make the move to blu ray because they think blu ray is not going to make it, they think it is going to become a lost media via streaming or downloading movies directly to your computer/bose system…etc…
I think that is not very smart on their part. Considering blu ray players also play dvd’s.
with no blue ray thats the only reason why i’m deciding to wait for a bose home theater
can’t believe they don’t have an all in one option. I guess I have no choice but to go elsewhere.
thanks for nothing bose.
Well, this is very disappointing to see. One of the last flagship American high-fidelity companies is basically going to stick their head in the sand and ostrich themselves out of existence.
Maybe they think the Quiet Comfort headphones will get them thru, they are wrong. Without a true entry in the home fidelity market they are dead to me.
I guess I will soon be replacing my 3-2-1 system with a competitors model.
I guess BOSE feel that Blue ray has not grown rapidly in popularity due largely to the price of players and discs.
Plus Sony introduced different versions of Blu Ray software/firmware making their own players in some cases obsolete!
However i agree not giving customers an option is a really bad idea. We are all big enough to make our own decisions. Bose systems are not cheap and the company needs to get customer focused and stop sending rubbish mail shots out.
For several years now Bose has been at a stand still and really has done nothing to change this, hard to understand… They have lost lots of good customers by not moving into the blueray arena, however they don’t seem to care… However with years passing since blueray has won the battle of HD format and still nothing, this isn’t ever going to happen now! The only reason I could see is blueray is the brain-child of Sony and Bose don’t want to pay anything to Sony for using their product format, even at the cost of losing there good customer base, very foolish but this is how great companies go under every day – pride!! Too bad because I have always supported Bose products, but this time they sre way off in their ideas….
For years I’m a truly BOSE fan, have BOSE everywere. Recently I moved to another country ans sold al my equipment with the idea to get the latest head set, Pc sound system, Ipod speakers for the bedroom and the Lifestyle 48, however when I went to buy the system I found out that the latest still was like the OLD system, no BLUE RAY.
Well BOSE this is very unprofessional of you, just lost another customer who buy every two years more than $8000,- in BOSE equipments.
My comment to BOSE: Grow up and don’t be so stubburn.
Thx anyway SONY just gained a loyal customer.
I ordered the 3-2-1GS because of its sound quality and the up-scaling of its DVD player to 1080. Well, I returned it within 30 days. The sound was great, the set-up easier then I expected but, DVD play-back was not even close to the quality I had hoped for and I had two other major complaints… When playing a CD, the time counter only counts Up. My feeling is that I know how long the track time is by the sleeve. What I don’t know is how much time is left in the track and when it comes to the end of the song, if there is a hidden track. With time showing I know there is a hidden track. The other complaint is that there is no volume reset. Program ends and I eject the DVD/CD, but if I forget to lower the volume it starts again at the last volume level. Try playing NPR at 5am while getting ready for work and you wake up everyone in the house. I complained to BOSE but it seemed to fall upon deaf ears. In fact I felt they were critical of my complaint when they said nobody ever complained about this before. I replied that I purchased a premium product and expected these basic thoughtful features, but their only answer was to return it. So, I did. Durting this conversation we talked about why BOSE does not offer a Blu-Ray player and the rep told me “Bose is an audio company” and their priority is sound. Go figure, I replied that if that were true they would offer usable worthy features. My feeling is now that BOSE offers great sound in the 3-2-1 and that’s all. If you want current up to date features like Blu-ray or a CD count-down timer or even volume control, look elsewhere. If you want a great sounding, over-priced speaker system this is it.
Yes Bose has to get the Blue ray 3-2-1 system now. I will not buy any bose system until they get the blue ray out!
That is sad that Bose refuses to go Bluray!! Currently I’m hooking up myPS3 to CBL on my Boase 3.2.1
When!!??