HD-DVD Players Under $200

TonyNo

Active Member
Just in case anyone missed it, Toshiba is apparently subsidizing an HD-DVD player deal by lowering the price by $100. Circuit City has them now, Wal-Mart this weekend, and maybe even Best Buy soon.

Linky to Google Search
 
Just in case anyone missed it, Toshiba is apparently subsidizing an HD-DVD player deal by lowering the price by $100. Circuit City has them now, Wal-Mart this weekend, and maybe even Best Buy soon.

Linky to Google Search
I'm out of the loop on this. Who's winning the HD vs Blu-Ray war? This may be to into another BetaMax player in a short time.
 
http://www.cepro.com/article/blu_ray_outse...research_shows/

Blu-ray Outsells HD DVD Nearly 2-1 Through September, Research Shows

Home Media Research also estimates that, since the formats launched in the spring of 2006, Blu-ray discs have outsold HD DVD titles by an estimated 3.01 million to 1.97 million.

But despite the statistics pointing in Blu-ray’s favor, some analysts are saying that it’s not over for HD DVD.

Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, also said the 18-month period of exclusivity for HD-DVDs by Paramount and DreamWorks should strengthen HD-DVD’s hand this quarter.

“This definitely smooths out the edge that Blu-ray had in exclusive titles and it very much strengthens HD-DVD’s hand in the fourth quarter,” he said, but still expects Blu-ray will lead for the year overall.

The exclusive deal with Paramount and DreamWorks has helped the HD DVD camp sell more than 190,000 copies of newly-released Transformers in its first week, putting it “on track” to become the best-selling HD DVD title of all time.

Reports have recently surfaced that Microsoft and Toshiba are working together to put an HD DVD drive into the Xbox 360, potentially putting it on the same level as Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Sony recently dropped the price of the PlayStation 3, making the most affordable Blu-ray player even cheaper at $399.
 
I think it's important to look at the spoiler effect that the PS3 has had. Stats show HD-DVD standalone player sales are considerably higher than BluRay standalone players but the PS3 is being counted into BluRay adoption stats. Xbox 360 owners must purchase the add on player to view HD-DVD. In other words, are the numbers clear? No. They aren't. It is apparent that many more consumers have the ability to enjoy BD than HD-DVD at present but it's tough to determine if they are. The rental market is another place to look. Blockbuster still supports HD-DVD in stores that started with both formats but as they add hi def disc format options at new stores, it is a BD exclusive. My understanding is that Netflix operates in a similar fashion. Of the server manufacturers that support a format it is either both (a la Axonix) or BD (a la Xperinet. I am unfamiliar with a server manufactuer that solely supports HD-DVD (although, I could be wrong). The tea leaves currently point towards BD but I would never count MicroSoft out. My personal gut feeling is leaning towards a slow victory for BD but I think the upcoming holiday season will reveal much...
 
Well for me I think one of the nails in HD-DVD (which I was leaning towards) coffin is the fact that Blockbuster has chosen Blue.... and I would guess that most people will be renting HD movies. In fact they chose it due to the fact that a large percentage of HD rentals were supposedly Blue. Now whether that is a real truth or they got a kick back for dropping HD-DVD I think none the less the fact is I and many others want to continue to rent and for me its a dual format player or a Blue.... to be honest this is history repeating itself and as one who bought into the 'better format' (Beta HIFI) and then later had to backtrack with VHS HIFI I will sit on the fence for awhile and wait and see. The upscaled DVD played on my Samsung 56" DLP look great.

John
 
It does seem the Studios are the drivers for the HD technology for both the technology copy protection and the format. I doubt if the consumer really cares. Obviously Sony Studios will stick behind Blue Ray. There are likley financial incentives for the studios that have adopted HD DVD.

2007 technology favors HD DVD from both the production cost and the consumer cost. In a couple years the dual mode players will become cost-effective so the studios will no longer have the leverage they now have. In the betamax case the dual technology was not an option so one did have to win.

Just as with the HD TV, the HD DVD will hit a price point where the migration to better visual and audio quality will win out. Just ask Rupp and he will admit to paying the extra $ for HD capability. Someday he will also realize the opportunity cost of watching in SD rather than HD.

I am not aware of Blockbuster only renting Blue Ray, but it seems to me that making oneself less competitive vs. Netflix which rents both is a step in the wrong direction for the Blockbuster shareholder.

I was reading elsewhere where the Blue Ray prodution is licensed by Sony while the same hurdle does not exist with HD DVD. This means that if Sony does not like the content you expect to put on Blue Ray then they can prevent you from producing it. I think the porn industry is the target to this control, but should Blue Ray become the accepted standard then Sony has sole sensorship of what we watch on High Definition DVD.
 
I think I read somewhere that each Wal-Mart only has 15 units, so get there early!
Just got back. Got one of these and 2 of the laptops. Our WalMart had pallets of these DVD Players. Thanks for the heads up.
 
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