Oh noes teh sky is falling!

[MacHaggis]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

First of all, let me say that I enjoy blu-ray and my Sony BDP-S1; I am buying the Spider Man trilogy tonight. But it's the "average guy" that determines the direction of consumer electronics. Remember, we're talking mainstream stuff like movies here, not SACD and other esoteric items that myself and other members of this forum enjoy on our $10K+ systems. I saw it happen in the 80's, when I KNEW Beta was better. The issue back then was movies and it's movies now. If Toshiba and the HD-DVD camp can maintain prices that low for any period of time and Blu-ray continues to sit on the fence - believe me, that "average guy" is NOT going to pay 3 or more times for a BD player, Disney or not, and a critical mass will quickly build. Superiority or not, loss or not, blu-ray MUST make their product affordable, or this technology and this forum is in for a rough ride.

I totally agree as well...

This seems to be coming down to a slug-fest and the BDA must be able to handle this.

If they do, I think this war will be over sooner rather than later. 95% of the public still has to be convinced and that's a huge task.

As far as Warner is concerned. Until they actually become Blu-ray exclusive, it is too early to make predictions. Anything can happen. If you don't believe it, ask yourself this question...

Were you surprised when Paramount/DreamWorks went HD DVD exclusive?

All I'm seeing right now from the Warner camp is some leanings towards the Blu-ray format, not much more. It is highly controlled rhetoric.

Let's play it cool and not jump the gun.

Bogdan

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by Go Blu

720 is considered EDTV (Enhanced Def)

HD starts with 1080i

Wrong!
Enhanced Definition = 480p
High Definition = 720p, 1080i and 1080p

[gvortex7]

The only reality that matters is this: People can buy the cheapest POS all the want but then they're going to be looking for movies to feed it.

They'll be looking at Spideys, Pirates, Pixar, Disney, Die Hards...and therein lies the rub.

You know it.

[sj001]

Best Buy Drops Toshiba HD DVD Player to $99; Supplies Very Limited
Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 05:10 PM ET
Tags: Best Buy, Toshiba, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In the immortal words of Crazy Eddie, Best Buy is now offering Toshiba's entry-level HD-A2 HD DVD at a price so low they're practically giving it away.

Coming only a week after retailers almost universally dropped prices for the 1080i player below the $200 mark, Best Buy has lowered its price on the player to just $99. This latest price drop from Best Buy follows this morning's news that Wal-Mart would offer the same player for just $98 as part of a special in-store sale beginning this Friday.

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There is a hitch, however. Although Best Buy's website listed the HD-A2 at its new low price earlier today, it also stated that the player was sold out. Some consumers have had better luck finding it at the chain's physical locations, but there too, many have reported that the player is out of stock.

At press time there was no word on whether new allotments of the player would be offered by Best Buy.

For those unable to find the player at Best Buy, there's still Wal-Mart's $98 "Secret In-Store Special," which kicks off Friday at 8am, although be warned: promotional materials state that the player will not be available in all Wal-Mart loactions.


------------------
Like I said before, IF you can find it! Maybe they are all out back in the garbage dumpster...

[revvie]

Hi all,

It's my first post so be gentle.

I was thinking about this $98 A2 sale and was wondering if it'd be worth it to print out the Disney 2-page spread from last week's HMM and strategically leave it around the HDDVD players at the offending retailers. Might make some people to take pause and reconsider their purchase.

Just an idea.

/back to lurking

[Muskratty]

Mark Hachman - ExtremeTech
Thu Nov 1, 8:44 AM ET

Wal-Mart is holding a "secret" sale on Friday with some big deals for tech enthusiasts, including a $99 HD DVD player from Toshiba.

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The Wal-Mart secret sales site forwards to a "holiday.ri-mart.com" domain, but company officials contacted Thursday confirmed the site was legitimate.

Five products are being offered at discounted prices: the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player for $98.97; a Sanyo 50-inch plasma HDTV for $998; an Acer laptop with 1 Gbyte of RAM for $348; selected HD DVDs for $14.96; and a Fisher-Price NASCAR ride-on toy for $144.72.

Typically, the holiday season starts on "Black Friday," or the day after Thanksgiving. But a Wal-mart spokesman said that there was no reason to hold to a fixed date. "Basically what it is is that we don't think that shoppers need to to wait until after Thanksgiving to receive low prices," he said. "We're Wal-Mart, and we're about saving shoppers money."

The discounted HD-DVD player may have an effect on holiday sales of next-generation DVD players, locked in a brutal war with the rival Blu-ray format. Sales of Blu-ray discs have outsold their HD DVD competitors for most of 2007. Last month, Toshiba indicated that it would push freebies at buyers in an attempt to sway them to the HD DVD format, which it helped develop.

The sales will be pat of "special Christmas shops," Wal-Mart said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20071101/...2WWjPPsBUE1vAI

Their embers are fledgling, they're fanning them vigorously in hope they will become ablaze again. Looks like they need another sacrificial lamb like 'Paramount' to make some difference. I think they should just lay down and die, rather than hope for Warner to choose HD over BD. Too bad though, I'd buy one at those prices if it wouldn't help HD so much.

[JAGUAR1977]

Unfortunately it seems Best Buy have betwen zero and zilch in stock, even in store, suggesting this is a firesale of limited stock.

[kaliraver]

No BBY local to me even has any HD-DVD players for $99.

[davidthebruce79]

Walmart is selling that piece of crap toshiba hd-a2 player for $100 bucks starting tomorrow. If this isnt a sign that the end is near I dont what is. Also a bunch of movies are on sale for $15 a pop. The four horseman are approaching!!!!!!!!!!

[Micker]

I checked out best buy today looking for the $98 hd-dvd player. They had one left, it was $98 came with any two in store hd-dvds I wanted and 5 free ones through the mail, AND they would throw in a two year warranty!!!!

Let me tell you I am a big bluray supporter and think hd-dvd is dying and the lesser technology, but how could I resist???? At worst, when hd-dvd dies, it can replace my old dvd player upstairs. I paid more for my sony sd-dvd player last year. I got Transformers and Batman Begins for free and I am sending out for 5 more free movies. I mean wtf, the movies alone would have cost me more then the player did.

I state again that I think hd-dvd is on its way out and bluray is the technology I want to win, but this is almost a freebie. I was gonna buy a dvd player anyways, so I got and hd player and 7 movies for under $100.

Am I dirty for fooling around with the other side ?? I haven't seen Transformers or King Kong yet, so I will be happy to see them in hd at least for free. I will buy any movies that come on both formats on blu of course. I will also be able to check out hd-dvd and see whats up with it.

[StilettoViper]

It kills me but I'm probably gonna dive too. It's too good to pass up. That's like 3 blu-ray movies. I've bought more than that in a weekend before. LOL

[talbers23]

one of my friends won one and offered it to me for free cause he has one and i wont even take it.

[95pgtproject]

good for you but everyone that goes purple can keep that to themselves on here and if you feel the need to tell the world about your stupid decision then go post it on AVS because WE DONT WANT TO HEAR THAT CRAP HERE THANK YOU

remember this is blu-ray.com not Iturnedintoanidiot.com

after the new year the $99 crap player you think u got a deal on will prove to be a complete waist. Another one bites the dust

[mastertang]

n

[Micker]

n

[seto]

+1 to 95pgtproject.

Honestly, we don't want to hear that you could not keep your resolve. We also don't need to see another 20+ threads on this.

[savage1984]

Amen to that. If you were really pro blu-ray, you would have some restraint. I mean come on, why waste $100 on a soon to be dead format when you could be buying WB blu-rays, converting them to the light side!!!

[ArkGuy]

Originally Posted by Micker

I checked out best buy today looking for the $98 hd-dvd player. They had one left, it was $98 came with any two in store hd-dvds I wanted and 5 free ones through the mail, AND they would throw in a two year warranty!!!!

Let me tell you I am a big bluray supporter and think hd-dvd is dying and the lesser technology, but how could I resist???? At worst, when hd-dvd dies, it can replace my old dvd player upstairs. I paid more for my sony sd-dvd player last year. I got Transformers and Batman Begins for free and I am sending out for 5 more free movies. I mean wtf, the movies alone would have cost me more then the player did.

I state again that I think hd-dvd is on its way out and bluray is the technology I want to win, but this is almost a freebie. I was gonna buy a dvd player anyways, so I got and hd player and 7 movies for under $100.

Am I dirty for fooling around with the other side ?? I haven't seen Transformers or King Kong yet, so I will be happy to see them in hd at least for free. I will buy any movies that come on both formats on blu of course. I will also be able to check out hd-dvd and see whats up with it.

You mean you care about watching the movies you want in hi-def than ...

Better watch out.

[spam.curitiba]

seriously why do you post this shit here? You think we care?

[DViper2399]

Yeah does sound like a good deal!!! A good deal for HD-DVD to boast about over the next 18 months how well thier $98 player sold ecspecially when supposed Blu supporters are even buying it.....Thanks alot you & everyone with the same mind set as you just prolonged the format war!