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A scarcity of cheap Blu-ray video players combined with the effects of a recession are expected to delay take-up of the new, high-definition Blu-ray DVD format in Europe, according to media research firm Screen Digest.

Screen Digest said on Wednesday that supply problems early in the year had led to a shortage of affordable Blu-ray players, and most of those available were being channeled to the more developed markets of the United States and Japan.

“A shortage of cheaper Blu-ray players means that the sub-$300 machines that are already appearing on U.S. shelves are unlikely to materialize in Europe this Christmas,” Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper said in a report.

“Combined with the recession, this means the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year,” he said.

Toshiba’s withdrawal of rival HD DVD video format early this year left the market exclusively to the Blu-ray camp, led by Sony, but caught Blu-ray components makers by surprise, leading to the shortage, Screen Digest said.

Sony said last week Blu-ray disc players would fall short of a worldwide target of 5 million units, most of which had been expected to sell in the United States, due to the tough economy.

Experts say electronics retailers are expected to slash prices of Blu-ray players, which sold for as much as $1,500 in 2006, to as little as $150 after Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

Major film studios such as Time Warner’s Warner Bros or Sony Pictures relied on video sales for 41 percent of their movie-related revenues last year, Screen Digest said, with rentals generating a further 10 percent.

European consumers are expected to spend 11.4 billion euros ($14.8 billion) buying videos this year, the research firm said, with Blu-ray accounting for just 3 percent of that total.

But by 2012, Screen Digest estimates the European Blu-ray market will be worth 5.4 billion euros, as high-definition viewing gradually becomes the norm, helped by the increasing availability of HD programs from broadcasters.

Blockbuster Inc on Monday said it would roll out a new digital media player that brings fewer, but more recent titles from the Internet to consumers’ televisions than a six-month old offering from rival Netflix Inc.

The MediaPoint player by broadband device maker 2Wire allows Blockbuster customers to download high-definition quality movies to their TVs via broadband lines for $1.99 apiece, after an initial $99 for the box and 25 films.

Consumers have 30 days to watch a film once it is downloaded to the set-top box, and must finish watching it within 24 hours of pushing the “play” button.

The service, called Blockbuster OnDemand, can be ordered at www.blockbuster.com beginning on Tuesday.

Unlike Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” feature, which streams movies to subscribers’ TVs or personal computers, the Blockbuster on-demand service will be open to customers who do not subscribe to its DVD-by-mail service, Blockbuster Online.

Blockbuster Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Keyes said the company’s longtime emphasis on new releases draws different consumers from Netflix subscribers, who are directed by its Web site to older catalog titles.

“Even though this is a very small market, the movies and the devices are the differentiators,” Keyes said in an interview, noting that the entire video on demand market is currently about $1.5 billion.

The service is essentially a rebranding and expansion of Blockbuster’s Movielink.com Web site, which offers about 10,000 on-demand movies for download to personal computers.

About 2,000 of those titles, such as recent DVD releases “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2″ and “Get Smart”, can be downloaded to TVs via Blockbuster OnDemand, the company said.

After December 15, Movielink.com customers will be redirected to Blockbuster.com, according to a posting on Movielink.com.

Blockbuster also is pursuing deals to package the new service with Blu-Ray DVD players and is considering alliances with video game console makers, but is not ready to disclose the details, Keyes said.

Blockbuster has been playing catch-up to Netflix since it launched its online movie rental service in 2005, and has incurred huge costs to try to win part of the $2.2 billion online rental market.

In May, Netflix launched the $99 Roku set-top box, and followed that with partnerships with companies like TiVo Inc, Samsung , LG Electronics and Microsoft Corp to enable video from its “Watch Instantly” service be streamed to television.

The “Watch Instantly” Web streaming service has a library of more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes, mainly older titles, and is offered free to its more than 8 million subscribers.

Global technology and IT services firm Mindteck said it would move 70 per cent of its outsourcing work to India in order to consolidate its businesses.”Our sales model has changed a lot. Now, wherever we go, we try to sell 70 per cent off-shore and 30 per cent on-shore.

Hence, the same team which was earlier managing 10 projects in the US, now managing 20 to 30 projects because a lot more work is coming to India,” Mindteck India Group CEO and Managing Director Pankaj Agarwal said in a statement.

After a series of global mergers and acquisitions, the company is now looking to consolidate its various businesses which will see more work being off-shored to India, he added. Global technology and IT services firm Mindteck said it would move 70 per cent of its outsourcing work to India in order to consolidate its businesses.”Our sales model has changed a lot. Now, wherever we go, we try to sell 70 per cent off-shore and 30 per cent on-shore.

Hence, the same team which was earlier managing 10 projects in the US, now managing 20 to 30 projects because a lot more work is coming to India,” Mindteck India Group CEO and Managing Director Pankaj Agarwal said in a statement.

After a series of global mergers and acquisitions, the company is now looking to consolidate its various businesses which will see more work being off-shored to India, he added. Mindteck has opened additional offices in Bangalore and Kolkata during the last quarter. It has offices and development centres in India, the US, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, and Bahrain.It offers core software solutions and services like business applications consulting, embedded systems, SAP enterprising consulting and security, infrastructure and managed services.