Sony said Monday it is bringing out a cheaper player for Blu-ray discs early this summer, a crucial step in its battle to make the high-definition format the replacement for DVDs. The BDP-S300 will cost $599, yet will have the same capabilities as the $999 BDP-S1 Sony is currently selling, said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the home products division of Sony Electronics. Sony and Samsung, which also makes a Blu-ray player, have been undersold by Toshiba’s players for the rival HD DVD format. Toshiba has a model on the market for $499.

Most people buying high-definition discs are apparently doing so to play them on PlayStation 3 game consoles. There are two versions of the console, for $499 and $599, and Sony sold 1.8 million units last year. The BDP-S300 is a smaller unit than the BDP-S1, and is about the same size as a DVD player. Like the current model, it will be able to output a signal in the highest high-definition format (1080p) through an HDMI connection. The player supports various video formats, including MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC and VC1. It will also be able to play CDs, which the BDP-S1 does not.

Sony has previously complained that DVD players became a commodity product too soon, and that it was hard to make a profit in a market dominated by $50 units. Glasgow predicted that Blu-ray players would take the same route.