Wal-Mart HD-DVD mess up

[akristler]

I just got off work at my local Wal-Mart. I work in the electronics area and low and behold and horrible item came in on our semi's. A $198.00 HD-DVD players (HD-A2), and I was horrified! I have 27 Blu-ray's and this was like a horrible vision in my eyes, how can Wal-Mart be so stupid as to side with a losing format; since we started finally carrying HD movies, ( 5 rows accross and 7 down for Blu-ray and only 3 accross and 7 down for HD-DVD, it just doesn't make sense. Wal-Mart has just lost it's mind.

[SNAP]

My Walmart has the Sony300 & theToshi A-3. No Hd-DVD movies and 4 BD movies....PATHETIC.

[bhampton]

If they hit $59 before X-mass then I'm in.

(I think I can safely say that won't happen though. Die HD DVD Die!)
-Brian

[akristler]

I am tru-Blu, not every going to go HD-DVD; regardless of price - Blu-ray is just the ultimate!

[jdsanko]

Originally Posted by akristler

I just got off work at my local Wal-Mart. I work in the electronics area and low and behold and horrible item came in on our semi's. A $198.00 HD-DVD players (HD-A2), and I was horrified! I have 27 Blu-ray's and this was like a horrible vision in my eyes, how can Wal-Mart be so stupid as to side with a losing format; since we started finally carrying HD movies, ( 5 rows accross and 7 down for Blu-ray and only 3 accross and 7 down for HD-DVD, it just doesn't make sense. Wal-Mart has just lost it's mind.

Isn't the A2 the old model? Sounds like an excess inventory dump to me. I have seen Tosh HD players at my local Walmart here Pittsburgh area.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by akristler

I am tru-Blu, not every going to go HD-DVD; regardless of price - Blu-ray is just the ultimate!

I would rather go VMD than hd-dvd.

[ikbradley]

Originally Posted by akristler

I am tru-Blu, not every going to go HD-DVD; regardless of price - Blu-ray is just the ultimate!

You ever think about sabatoge. Just grab a discount HD-DVD from a giant chain that has a liberal exchange policy, get the mail-in rebate for whatever amount of movies they give, then take said machine, and poop in it. Return said machine to liberal customer return, keep the movies to sell for blu-ray movies, deny new sales of HD-DVDs boost blu-ray movie sales, and bring justice to the Toshiba by having them refurbish a unit that has poop in it.

[Luis_A51]

Originally Posted by ikbradley

You ever think about sabatoge. Just grab a discount HD-DVD from a giant chain that has a liberal exchange policy, get the mail-in rebate for whatever amount of movies they give, then take said machine, and poop in it. Return said machine to liberal customer return, keep the movies to sell for blu-ray movies, deny new sales of HD-DVDs boost blu-ray movie sales, and bring justice to the Toshiba by having them refurbish a unit that has poop in it.

I wouldnt mind doing that. Man I hate toshiba.

[SNAP]

Luis,

Here's more Toshiba stuff to hate: They get $$ for every DVD that's sold as they are the creator of the format.

SNAP

Originally Posted by Luis_A51

I wouldnt mind doing that. Man I hate toshiba.

[JJ_L]

Individual Wal-mart stores have been given free rein for the format wars. Some are Pro Dud others are totally blu. While most are on the fence.

Too bad they dont just kill the Dud and stay blu... It matches there colors.

[StilettoViper]

The masses do not appreciate quality anymore. A cheap HD-DVD player will appeal to the Wal-Mart types. Get the blu-colored blinders off people because this is truly a threat. I love Blu as much as everyone else here but reality reigns!....Look for the cheap HD-DVD players to start increasing HD-DUD's market share. It's inevitable....

[SNAP]

Stiletto,

Good points but the masses NEVER appreciated quality. It's still a long reach for a consumer to pay $250-$300 for a Toshiba player, let alone $450 for a Blu, when they have the mindset that a $70 DVD player that upconverts to 1080 is the same thing.

Originally Posted by StilettoViper

The masses do not appreciate quality anymore. A cheap HD-DVD player will appeal to the Wal-Mart types. Get the blu-colored blinders off people because this is truly a threat. I love Blu as much as everyone else here but reality reigns!....Look for the cheap HD-DVD players to start increasing HD-DUD's market share. It's inevitable....

[tron3]

It appears that Walmart is a dual edged sword and is marketing each store according to demographics. Some will be BD heavy, others HD, and still others about neutral.

They are not stupid. They want to make money too. Corporately, this is just another way to make money and are blind to format wars. They have stock holders to make happy - not just consumers.

Originally Posted by StilettoViper

The masses do not appreciate quality anymore. ....Look for the cheap HD-DVD players to start increasing HD-DUD's market share. It's inevitable....

Though true that some people just don't know or care. Almost everyone appreciates quality. Many are not willing nor able to pay for it.

Cheap players will help the red campers, no doubt. Maybe this is a good time to go neutral.

[BluOgre]

Wal-Mart at this point is not important to this war. Until the price range of software is lowered considerably, Wal-Mart customers will NEVER jump in. People keep thinking Wal-Mart is the key to victory when that's far from the truth. In a few years when software and hardware are lowered to acceptable thrift prices.....yes Wal-Mart will become important.

There is a reason why Best Buy sales much more than Wal-Mart in highdef software. People are too busy sifting through that $3.00 DVD dump bin to even glance at $30-40 highdef discs.

[StilettoViper]

Originally Posted by BluOgre

Wal-Mart at this point is not important to this war. Until the price range of software is lowered considerably, Wal-Mart customers will NEVER jump in. People keep thinking Wal-Mart is the key to victory when that's far from the truth. In a few years when software and hardware are lowered to acceptable thrift prices.....yes Wal-Mart will become important.

There is a reason why Best Buy sales much more than Wal-Mart in highdef software. People are too busy sifting through that $3.00 DVD dump bin to even glance at $30-40 highdef discs.

I think that is true to a CERTAIN point but I do believe consumers ARE becomming more educated about High Definition programming and media with the huge demand for it in the cable and Satellite markets, I believe more and more are becomming acclimated to HDM as well and they will go for the best price. $198 is getting to a level where people will upgrade. Just my opinion. Hell I hate HD-DVD and I would strongly consider buying one now just because of the price. It's tempting even for me.

[SNAP]

I see your point and I have both players. But w/HD-DVD what are you gonna upgrade to??....Just the stuff that's on Paramount and Universal? Do you think I'm gonna buy The Jack Ryan Collection after reading on how they totally blew it?...Hell no....As many of you Know I'm waiting for Trek's TOS first season next month. And by next year if Paramount is blu the I'm buying Blu Treks.

Yes, the avg customer is more educated about hidef because many of them now have it on Sat or cable and you can believe that most of them will still not buy Blu or HD because those movies will be available to them within a year and since they'll get on TV they wont go out and buy either format....IMHO of course.

Originally Posted by StilettoViper

I think that is true to a CERTAIN point but I do believe consumers ARE becomming more educated about High Definition programming and media with the huge demand for it in the cable and Satellite markets, I believe more and more are becomming acclimated to HDM as well and they will go for the best price. $198 is getting to a level where people will upgrade. Just my opinion. Hell I hate HD-DVD and I would strongly consider buying one now just because of the price. It's tempting even for me.