HD DVD gets a decent player? (Onkyo announces the DV-HD805)

[dialog_gvf]

ONKYO Introduces its First HD DVD Player, Including High-Bit-Rate and Lossless Audio Streaming via HDMI 1.3a

08/09/07 - ONKYO USA has announced the launch of its first HD-DVD player, the DV-HD805. This player has been introduced to realize the potential of high-definition HD DVD content. It is also one of the first HD DVD players to take advantage of high-bit-rate audio streaming via HDMI version 1.3a. The DV-HD805 will be available in the fall of 2007

The DV-HD805 will be available in the fall of 2007 at a suggested retail price of $899.

[theknub]

lol @ $900

gotta love the price "advantage"

[hyperdine]

Onkyo makes good stuff. The only problem here is that HD-DVD keeps pushing the low-price player argument and this definitely doesn't fit that strategy. So much for the "Blu-Ray players are expensive" comments

[Rob Zuber]

The executives at Onkyo must be distressed to see what is happening in the market. Not only is BD outselling HD-DVD, but Toshiba is putting severe price pressure on the hardware side. They should be nervous.

[darinp2]

Just in case people are expecting it soon, "Fall" means by about December 21st. Hopefully we'll get more specifics at CEDIA.

--Darin

[WickyWoo]

Just keep in mind, that this is merely an A2 or A3 that has had its DACs upgraded and various other tweaks

This is not an original design

The fact that Onkyo was unwilling to spend the $$ to produce one says volumes

[scragham]

the price is also telling, especially if the design's based off one of toshiba's players.

this is probably more closely related to the real cost to manufacture one of toshiba's players + reasonable markup.

[LeoneFan]

Onkyo just became a bottom of the barrel brand. Since they like to support inferior technology I'm taking them off my receiver shopping list. I guess their image and reputation is not very important to them.

[WickyWoo]

Onkyo just became a bottom of the barrel brand. Since they like to support inferior technology I'm taking them off my receiver shopping list. I guess their image and reputation is not very important to them.

Oh come on, that's completely unreasonable.

They signed a contract they had to fufill to produce a deck. They did

Putting out a shoddy product with poor picture and audio quality, and bad reliablility, THAT's when you do that

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by LeoneFan

Onkyo just became a bottom of the barrel brand. Since they like to support inferior technology I'm taking them off my receiver shopping list. I guess their image and reputation is not very important to them.

They are producing a BD deck and are a member of the BDA.

You boycotting LG & Samsung too?

[blitz6speed]

Re-Badged junk. Also, which cheap bastard HD DVD owner is gonna drop 9 bills on a player?

[gand41f]

Originally Posted by Rob Zuber

The executives at Onkyo must be distressed to see what is happening in the market. Not only is BD outselling HD-DVD, but Toshiba is putting severe price pressure on the hardware side. They should be nervous.

Onkyo is an ex-subsidiary of Toshiba. That's probably how they got talked into this, um, situation. I'm sure Toshiba offered a lot of help with the design and manufacturing process too.

I don't think their optical disc player business is big enough to be really affected by this one way or the other, but they should be concerned from the perception from the growing Blu-ray user base. For instance, I have an Onkyo home theater system now, but when I'm upgrading, I'm choosing another brand because of this.

enjoy
gandalf

[PeterTHX]

Onkyo is an ex-subsidiary of Toshiba

No they are not.
Onkyo's been around for 60 years.

For instance, I have an Onkyo home theater system now, but when I'm upgrading, I'm choosing another brand because of this.

So you don't buy Warner or Paramount titles?

[BTBuck1]

RCA all over again....One and Done, I gaurantee it!

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Re-Badged junk. Also, which cheap bastard HD DVD owner is gonna drop 9 bills on a player?

I'd rather buy the Samsung dual format player or pretty much any BD player over this. $900 for a player of a format on the way out....who does that?

[gand41f]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

No they are not.
Onkyo's been around for 60 years.

So you don't buy Warner or Paramount titles?

Trust me, they were. Not a wholly-owned subsidiary, but Toshiba was a major stockholder from 1957 to 1994. (Gandalf checks Wikipedia. Interesting, the English version of Wikipedia doesn't mention it. Quite different from the Japanese version.) It says so on their own company website, if you read Japanese.

As for Warner/Paramount -- well, I don't think those are relevant comparisons but if I have a choice of buying one movie studio and one only, I'd look at Sony or Disney first. I like their commitment to quality. (Although Paramount is getting there.)

enjoy
gandalf

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Re-Badged junk. Also, which cheap bastard HD DVD owner is gonna drop 9 bills on a player?

It's supposedly a reworked XA2. Which is definitely not the original design promised when it was announced in January. Although this could be a matter of time. MS-Toshiba were so desperate for another maker that they convinced them to take a shorter route to market.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

RCA all over again....One and Done, I gaurantee it!

I agree, although I'm truly perplexed that Onkyo would waste their time, money, and resource on something like that at this stage of the game.

The stray handful of people that would have bought one of the more expensive HD-DVD players have already done so.

You have this thing coming out and supposedly a Toshiba XA3 along with two other "third gen" players this Fall. It amazes me how Toshiba can run along generations every six months.

HD-DVD is headed towards burial at Christmas. This rebadged Xa2 of theirs is headed towards certain doom, especially for the earlier point about the typical cheapskate HD-DVD supporter NOT looking to put down 9 bills+ on a player. It just isn't going to happen.

I'm surprised Onkyo didn't go ahead and opt for the quickie dual format player like Samsung and LG, watch it fail like those are/will, and call it a day after that?

This is where I again salute companies like Denon who show me yet again that their people are more forward thinking, looking long term, and making the smart choice.

I've lost a lot of respect for Onkyo on this and I doubt I'll ever buy one of their products again anytime soon, if ever, for this stupidity.

If they show this lack of good judgement and vision on this, what else are they going to show lack of good judgement on?



The big three offenders obviously are: Universal, Microsoft, and Toshiba. These three companies will not be forgiven or forgotten for a LONG time to come (if ever) with many people for propogating and prolonging this pathetic "format war."

It's going to bite some people in the ass some day and it probably won't be that far off in the future.

[BLURAYSONYES]

Onkyo decided to take the HDDVD road. The site says "This player has been introduced to realize the potential of high-definition HD DVD content". YEAH RIGHT! Check it out.


http://www.audioholics.com/news/pres...es-hd-dvd.html

-dan

[WickyWoo]

Well, if what Penton says is true (99% it is)

I don't think Uni is going to be getting a single royalty/replication discount when they're forced to go Blu. Sounds to me like they'll be punished for quite awhile