In the ongoing push to make Blu-ray hardware more affordable, SonyNEC Optiarc (a joint collaboration between Sony and NEC) has predicted that Blu-ray drives for desktop PCs, capable of reading Blu-ray Discs and reading and writing DVDs and CDs, could go for under $100 (about £60) by the end of 2008.

It’s worth bearing in mind that this is most likely to be a wholesale price for PC manufacturers. Similar drives for notebook PCs could hit the $150 level, while Blu-ray burners will be priced in the region of $150-$200…