HD-DVD player and movies for $80, would you?

[Zman2k2]

I have a chance to buy a Toshiba A3 and 5 movies from a guy locally for $80. I guess he's moving on to BR. I'm thinking though, that I could buy the player and take advantage of the HD-DVD firesale going on now, and pick up some good movies for pretty cheap. Would you do it, for the cash? Please no format bashing, or "Red is Dead" crap.

[Blaumann]

i think the question is rather: would YOU?

Man i am purple, what can i say.... The discs will probably work as long as any BD. Imo you just have to think about how you feel and what you do, if the player fails on you after some time.

[skrill]

I say yes -- there are lots of titles on HD DVD that will not be BR for sometime (maybe ever -- think deeper catalog Universal titles like Dune).

The A3 is probably my least favorite player for a few reasons. I like the A2 better (mostly due to aesthetics and the casing). But I say go for it.

Check my sig for some of my recent HD DVD firesale scores.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Zman2k2

... Please no format bashing, or "Red is Dead" crap.

Geeze, you just took all the fun out of responding! But seriously.

Think long term. In 10 years will your movies still be playable on this player? The movies will be, the player probably will be dead with regular use. In 10 years time you will have a small library of HD DVD and possibly no player to play on.

Sure, ebay will keep this crap around for years. But you will have ZERO technical support. Zero firmware upgrades. Even unopened old stock someday suffers the fate of 8-track tape. Basically ZERO future.

[skrill]

Originally Posted by tron3

Geeze, you just took all the fun out of responding! But seriously.

Think long term. In 10 years will your movies still be playable on this player? The movies will be, the player probably will be dead with regular use. In 10 years time you will have a small library of HD DVD and possibly no player to play on.

Sure, ebay will keep this crap around for years. But you will have ZERO technical support. Zero firmware upgrades. Even unopened old stock someday suffers the fate of 8-track tape. Basically ZERO future.

Why do you need firmware upgrades when there will be virtually no new releases? How much technical support do you need for DVD player?

Toshiba will me parts for years to come for these. And I still have fully functioning DVD players that are 9 years old and CD players that almost twice that. This will function plenty long to get his $80 worth.

Besides in 10 years do you think BR will be alive? I am sure there will be new tech by then.

[DetroitSportsFan]

I wouldn't waste my money.

[Beta Man]

I'm purple, but for $80 It's a toss-up... if you like ALL FIVE of the movies he's giving you, then maybe, but figure that movies are gonna cost $5 each or so.... SOON. I might buy a $50 player, then just pick up the movies you like if you don't like the movies he has.

[Manmangler]

Yes

I have over 70 BD's. No I bueyd HD-DVD addon in X0. Several movies from firesale (15 HD-DVD's). Come on those movies are pretty cheap. Some even same price as renting those movies. I haven't seen paramount or universal BD's yet. So while waiting, I'm wacthing Transformers etc in X0's HD-drive.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by skrill

Why do you need firmware upgrades when there will be virtually no new releases? How much technical support do you need for DVD player?

...

Besides in 10 years do you think BR will be alive? I am sure there will be new tech by then.

Firmware is needed because don't these players still skip and have minor playback issues? DVD took forever to come out, but they pretty much had the firmware nailed down. I bet all firmware tweaks have already stopped weeks ago for HD DVD.

Yes, I fully suspect blu-ray to be around in 10 years and beyond. It will take longer than that to achieve market saturation. THEN the next thing has a chance. Why try to switch people over when everyone doesn't own the product yet? That is bad marketing.

One of the defining things behind the longevity of VHS is in itself the longevity! People buy something if they know it will be around a LONG time. This whole format war still has people gun shy.

Why? Because the history of this format war is being use to legitmize FUD about d/l being the next thing to unseat even blu-ray. Which is a load of blu-shat! "Oh hey, it rained really hard yesterday people but clear skys for today. But better carry an umbrella just in case!" Puh-leeze!

I expect the next format to be one of two things, holographic disc or flashram cards - possibly in USB format. If holo-disc, it remains compatible with blu-ray and DVD before it. The next format has to bring something to the table than just HD picture and sound. We have that now with BD. Anything new may be perceived as repackaged BD and could very well get shrugged off by the consumer.

[Blu Haze]

BUy some blu ray with the 80. I have HD DVD and have yet to buy one since they lost due to the fact that i like an all BLu ever playing at any1's house collection.

[Blaumann]

Originally Posted by tron3

Firmware is needed because don't these players still skip and have minor playback issues? DVD took forever to come out, but they pretty much had the firmware nailed down. I bet all firmware tweaks have already stopped weeks ago for HD DVD.

No, the updated Toshiba players are all fine, at least the second and third generation ones. I am excluding the first generation, because i don't know anything about them.

A problem might be buying a replacement player in let's say five years via eBay, that hasn't got the current updates. Where would you get these updates from then?

[JJ]

No, but I would kill a man for a Klondike bar.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Blaumann

...

A problem might be buying a replacement player in let's say five years via eBay, that hasn't got the current updates. Where would you get these updates from then?

D/L the latest firmware now and keep it for any replacement player you buy. Rest assured you won't find it on the Toshiba website within 5 years.

[skrill]

Originally Posted by tron3

D/L the latest firmware now and keep it for any replacement player you buy. Rest assured you won't find it on the Toshiba website within 5 years.

AVS has all the firmware updates (past and present). I am sure some HD DVD fanboy will have it saved for posterity.

The current FW play all discs just fine (can't say the same for some of the 1st and 2nd gen stand alone BR players ...<cough> Samsung players </cough>).

I would say -- it's worth the $80.

[skrill]

Originally Posted by tron3

Yes, I fully suspect blu-ray to be around in 10 years and beyond. It will take longer than that to achieve market saturation. THEN the next thing has a chance. Why try to switch people over when everyone doesn't own the product yet? That is bad marketing.

One of the defining things behind the longevity of VHS is in itself the longevity! People buy something if they know it will be around a LONG time. This whole format war still has people gun shy.

Why? Because the history of this format war is being use to legitmize FUD about d/l being the next thing to unseat even blu-ray. Which is a load of blu-shat! "Oh hey, it rained really hard yesterday people but clear skys for today. But better carry an umbrella just in case!" Puh-leeze!

I expect the next format to be one of two things, holographic disc or flashram cards - possibly in USB format. If holo-disc, it remains compatible with blu-ray and DVD before it. The next format has to bring something to the table than just HD picture and sound. We have that now with BD. Anything new may be perceived as repackaged BD and could very well get shrugged off by the consumer.

The current firmwares on all 2nd and 3rd Gen Tosh players are very "firm" and work fine. Since no new media is coming out -- I don't know that any further firmware updates are needed.

As to the future ... and why should be we listening to your speculations? Industry insiders and execs have already pretty much stated that BR will be the last shiny disc format. I have invested in it and hope that it sticks around for a while. But I doubt it will last a decode. Higher def displays will come out, and new media media formats (and yes downloads and Thumb Drive kiosk rentals) are in the works.

[savage1984]

how about this... don't waste your money. Have a little patience. Everything on hd-dvd will be on blu this year. Simple as that.

[skrill]

Originally Posted by savage1984

how about this... don't waste your money. Have a little patience. Everything on hd-dvd will be on blu this year. Simple as that.

I totally disagree ... not one announcement from Paramount or Universal that I know of. Universal especially put a lot of deep catalog titles out on HD DVD (Army of Darkness, Dune) or older releases (Grand Prix, Casablanca, etc.). I would not assume titles like that are making to BR anytime soon ... if ever.

[savage1984]

Originally Posted by skrill

I would not assume titles like that are making to BR anytime soon ... if ever.

Do you really believe all the bull you talk??? Universal and Paramount are both working hard on a lot of titles to come out this year. By May they shall have made announcements probably as deep as the fourth quarter of this year. I think anyone willing to put money in a dead format is a dope. Simple as that. Please stop trolling.

[skrill]

Originally Posted by savage1984

Do you really believe all the bull you talk??? Universal and Paramount are both working hard on a lot of titles to come out this year. By May they shall have made announcements probably as deep as the fourth quarter of this year. I think anyone willing to put money in a dead format is a dope. Simple as that. Please stop trolling.

I am not trolling in any way ... and I am sure both studios will have longs lists of BR releases. I am just saying that I would not count on deep catalog titles that probably never made real sales on HD format make a reappearance in BR. I mean ... yes the Bourne trilogy will be released in BR, but are you sure that there is a market for the David Lynch version of Dune, or for older pre-1970's films. I don't know -- we will see. If we see them -- they will be much later.

To be honest -- for $80 (we are talking about the price of decent 2-person dinner), he can get a player and five movies. Come on ... that is still good value. And have access NOW to all the great HD exclusive material (even if he just rents it) -- Matrix, Transformers, Bourne, etc.

[scragham]

be sure to buy more players unless that's the only player/location you're ever planning on watching those movies at.

or else you'll inevitably be double-dipping for the BDs at some point, in which case money saved = $0?