We were
wondering how well HD DVD was doing with those new price cuts, and now here's Video Business with the answer: according to sources at retailers,
Wal-Mart,
Best Buy and Circuit City -- among others -- were able to move 90,000 stand-alone HD DVD players this weekend. Most of them were last year's entry level
HD-A2, which sold for the low, low price of $99 --
but not all. This dramatically increases the user base for the HD DVD camp, but that's not saying much since the format only
sold about this many stand-alone players in its first year. In the world of consumer electronics, 90k isn't that impressive, but considering the estimated loss Toshiba took on each unit, we can see why they'd want to limit the supply. The problem for the HD DVD camp is that they're really up against the PS3's sales, and even though only 40% of
PS3 owners realize that there is a Blu-ray player built in, that's still about 750,000 people in the US. But ultimately, this format war is about selling movies, and we'll be keeping a close eye on the
weekly sales numbers to assess the impact of this early holiday sales blitz.
[Thanks, Utah!]
posted November 7th 2007 9:58AM
Best Buy is now doing the same thing. Dropping $200 of select Toshiba Regza TVs w/ purchase of any HD-DVD player!
Also, you gotta remember PS3 buyers are mostly video game players. I know it sounds obvious, but when you think about it, they are going to be too busy playing some pretty awesome titles coming out than to bother buying Blu-Ray. I'm not saying it will cause a halt to pushing titles, but the CEOs of HD DVD and BluRay have both said they don't want to rely on the gamer market for that reason.
I bought a PS3 in August and it's been great as a Blu-ray player but when I heard about the $99 HD-DVD player I decided that it was worth getting even if it eventually loses the format war, I'll have a great up-converting dvd player. In terms of picture quality, it has been just as good as my PS3. There is absolutely no difference whatsoever. Has anyone heard about that whole TotalHD thing Warner Bros. was going to pursue next year? That would be awesome since I have both formats.
Why is Engadget so biased for Bluray? Is Sony a major sponsor or advertiser on this site? Does anyone know of a gadget website out there that is more objective than this? I want to understand both formats from a fair perspective but all I keep getting is "Bluray" bias. Its annoying.
Andrew Hamilton
Videographers Las Vegas
Hamilton International Productions
http://www.hiproductions.com
I think that the issue is that there are many more companies in the Blu-ray arena so you get a proportional view. To be honest, you see more support for the hd-products as far as writers talking about function and features. They love to point out what standard each blu-ray is using (negative perspective), what is incompatible, and how restricted they are.
I grabbed a HD-A3 for $169 at Video Only that weekend. I know the audio isn't supposed to be as good but to be fair, it is similar sounding quality as my Denon DVD-3800 but with better separation in rear and center channels. The best part is the Video quality and the tight integration to my 1080i projector.
I am thinking that I need to get my Parents one for their new flat screen. Where is the best place to get an A20 or A30? Is an XA1 better than an A20? I feel like they are very similar save for the Unit dimensions.
i can understand y some of u ppl support the format u ppl paid hard earned money,but what i dont get is y some of ull actually talk like u own HD DVD or BLU RAY or like your life is dependent on the survival of your supporting format??
Thank God tht blu ray or hd dvd will penetrate into the middle east only after the format war almost ends!!and becoz of tht im happy tht i just hav to deal with microsoft/apple "fanboys" for now!!
ill pass on this, 1080p is way nicer than 720p
What is the best HD DVD/Blueray combo player available right now?
I'm a electronics retailer. I'm not sure why or if engdget loves blue ray, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
Toshiba @ $99.98 @ Wal Mart. Supposedly Toshiba didn't drop their pants on this deal. They sold 40,000 of the discontinued piece to WalMart. While no one knows for sure what WalMart paid, in states like Wisconsin, where state law keeps retailers from selling below cost, the unit sold for $184-$199 while other states were selling it @ $99. So, Toshiba didn't drop their pants.
What I was told is that WalMart told Toshiba they would promote them @ $199, and then went the the movie studios and got additional funding. That would be $4M, if they got the total amount, but no one knows if this makes sense. It DOES fit however. WalMart has the relationship with the studios and there's plenty of promotion money out there. Who is to say that WalMart didn't get a little creative?
Technically, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have a great image and sound. I wouldn't say one is better than another. So, it becomes a price issue. And that's where BlueRay is screwed. It's Sony's invention, and they had to invent and build the hardware that produces the disc. It costs more - I understand significantly more - to build a blue disc.
On the other hand, HD-DVD costs are minimally more than a standard DVD. The studios that back HD-DVD aren't stupid. They can price to the market or drop their price and still make money - this puts Blue Ray in a box. If you think that's bad...it gets worse.
Not only is HD-DVD backwards compatible, they have a hidden sales advantage very few people will talk about: The Porn Industry has backed HD-DVD. Of course, they had no choice - Sony wouldn't let them make Blue Ray porn. (This shows once again how STUPID Sony is. )
Worldwide, porn is a huge market. You and I may or may not approve of porn, but it's a huge base.
Finally, there's just the reality that Blu-Ray is ultimately SONY. And that means they will, just like Beta, spend millions of dollars and ultimately fail. It's been 30 plus years and they still think they control the market. Their arrogance did them in before on Beta, and you know what they say about history repeating itself. Then there's engadget, which thinks what it thinks is good enough for the marketplace. Bad news, guys, the consumer makes the decision based on what they think is best for them. Until you learn that, you'll make the same mistake Sony has. Only you won't have spent a billion or so.
spot on i just wish people would use there head and not there heart
Wow, I live in Hong Kong and I wish I can get one of these uber-cheap players. But no, since this is Asia, its sony and ps3 land. You only see blu-ray commericals over here, I don't think I've ever seen an ad for HD-DVD (Toshiba - get ya finger out ya ass). Can anyone point me in the right direction where I can get a cheap HD-DVD player here?? I refuse to buy any overpriced sony products.