And while Blu-ray struck the nail in the coffin of rival HD DVD years ago to become the high-definition video format of choice, a recent Harris Poll found that only 11 percent of Americans own a Blu-ray player, while 11 percent own an HD DVD player.

Blu-ray by all accounts was supposed to revolutionize personal video with crisp high-definition picture quality and booming sound. But uptake has been slow. Here are five reasons that Blue-ray isn't making the splash it was expected to.

1. The competition is heating up.

Blu-ray faces stiff competition, not just from its HD DVD foe, but from a host of other video formats that are making their way into American homes. Cable providers are offering on-demand HD content including movies, music and more, at low price points. Meanwhile, the Internet, with the likes of Hulu and other consumer facing video sites, have seen a massive upswing in viewers, who, in most cases, access video content for free. Satellite, too, is starting to eat into Blu-ray revenues.

"In the near future, access to high-definition movies may be a download or streaming delivery of one's favorite movies to a home media server that eliminates the need for a Blu-ray player and Blu-ray disk," wrote Milton Ellis, vice president and senior consultant for Harris' interactive technology, media and telecom practice. "One thing is for sure, the market will be highly competitive and consumers will have a wide variety of choices for their entertainment experience."

2. The price for Blu-ray is still too high.

Like with any relatively new technology, the early adopters struck first, plunking down sacks of cash to be the envy of their friends and neighbors. But once the early adopters were out of the way, mainstream buyers balked at picking up a Blu-ray player or drives because they just aren't as affordable as their standard DVD or HD DVD counterparts, often costing upwards of $100 more than the alternatives. Same goes for the Blu-ray discs themselves, which can cost $10-plus more than standard DVD versions of the same movie or TV show. Meanwhile Apple iTunes offers many HD videos for roughly $3 and a monthly Netflix membership is even more affordable.

3. High-definition television sales have stalled.

Harris found in its new poll that about 47 percent of Americans now own a high-definition television, which is up from 35 percent in May 2008. Still, logic would dictate that there are a number of potential HDTV buyers out there who are waiting for the recession to turn around before dropping more than a cool grand on a television. The vast majority of HDTV owners in the U.S. also likely still rely on trusty standard DVD for their in-home video, waiting to see if Blu-ray establishes longevity and stickiness.

4. Laptop and desktop vendors aren't including Blu-ray drives.

If Blu-rays in-home outlook is bleak, it's also hurting in the computer market. At its launch, laptop and desktop makers embraced Blu-ray, but few have released actual PCs with built-in Blu-ray capabilities. Further, a number of laptop offerings are doing away with optical drives completely. As the world gets more mobile and users want portability, the battery-draining, hefty drives are the first thing to go. Additionally, laptop and desktop users have access to video content in high-definition from a host of other areas, such as Hulu, Apple iTunes and myriad other providers, eliminating the need for a Blu-ray drive.

5. File-sharing is eating in to HD video sales.

Much like Napster did with music, online sharing of HD video content is whittling away at Blu-ray sales. Illegal downloads of movies, television shows and other video content are out there, you just have to know where to look, and not worry about copyright infringement.