Someone REALLY needs to do something about Toshiba

[OokieSpookie]

http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/storie...4735440&EDATE=

New Marketing Strategy for Mass Market Adoption

Taking the holiday season sales based on promotional prices into full
consideration, these new manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) are
designed to meet the potential demand for HD DVD players in the U.S.
market. Effective on January 13, 2008 the MSRP of the entry-model HD-A3
will be $149.99, the HD-A30, with 1080p output, $199.99, and the high-end
HD-A35, $299.99.

"While price is one of the consideration elements for the early
adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer," said Yoshi
Uchiyama, Group Vice President Digital A/V Group. "Consumer sales this
holiday season have proven that the consumer awareness of the HD DVD format
has been elevated and pricing is the most critical determinant in
consumers' purchase decision of

the next generation HD DVD technology. The value HD DVD provides to the
consumer simply cannot be ignored."

Extended Advertising Campaign

Toshiba plans to execute an extended advertising campaign that will
further enhance consumer awareness of the benefits of HD DVD and drive
sales to retail among potential consumers. Advertising strategies will
include television, print and online media channels. Toshiba will also work
with its dealers and studio partners on joint marketing and promotional
initiatives to promote HD DVD. Current promotions include "The Perfect HD
Offer" - a mail-in offer allowing consumers to select five HD DVD titles
for free from a selection of 15 with the purchase of any Toshiba HD DVD
player.

And my favorite :

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products,
L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announced that it is stepping up its successful
marketing campaign for HD DVD as it experienced record-breaking unit sales
in the fourth quarter of 2007. Major initiatives, including joint
advertising campaigns with studios and extended pricing strategies will
begin in mid- January and are designed to spotlight the superior benefits
of HD DVD as well as the benefits HD DVD brings to a consumer's current DVD
library by upconverting standard DVDs via the HDMI(TM) output to near high
definition picture quality.

[bkbluray]

Originally Posted by OokieSpookie

http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/storie...4735440&EDATE=

My guess is, just more of the same type of people are going to buy the players. That is, the people who will only rent HD-DVDs or use the player to upscale DVD's.

I certainly hope no one buys in at this point. Then again, if they already heard about the Warner thing, it's nobody's fault but theirs.

[richard lichtenfelt]

Could just be an attempt to sell the rest of their inventory without it looking like a liquidation.

[MerrickG]

You made this thread a full minute before I made mine.


Toshiba ****ing sucks.

[OokieSpookie]

They are seriously going to do what they can to drag this on as long as they can.
And I seriously can not believe that Universal and Paramount are going to help them, it honestly blows my mind.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

Could just be an attempt to sell the rest of their inventory without it looking like a liquidation.

I wish this were true, but DV informed me on friday that Toshiba has apparently convinced Universal and Paramount to see what happens with HD-DVD.

Seriously this crap pisses me off.

To me it now seems that Universal and Paramount are more interested in seeing bluray fail than selling movies for the future.

I really hope the retailers step in and put a stop to this nonsense.

[Joon]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I wish this were true, but DV informed me on friday that Toshiba has apparently convinced Universal and Paramount to see what happens with HD-DVD.

Seriously this shit ****ing pisses me off.

To me it now seems that Universal and Paramount are more interested in seeing bluray fail than selling movies for the future.

I really hope the retailers step in and put a stop to this ****ing nonsense.

If there is any truth to this....that sucks. If Toshiba has a person that was able to convince two major studios to "wait and see" that guys needs to be making 8 figures. How do they honestly expect to keep the format alive with only two studios?

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Joon

If there is any truth to this....that sucks. If Toshiba has a person that was able to convince two major studios to "wait and see" that guys needs to be making 8 figures. How do they honestly expect to keep the format alive with only two studios?

Apparently the people running the company are trying to save face.

btw I apologize for my language. Im just not real happy about this crap.

Granted, Id rather be in this position than be in HD-DVD camps position.

[Loki]

I don't think that the two remaining studios (I guess 3 'technically') will hold out for too long when sales of next gen media begin to take off on Blu-Ray.

To me.. holding out and prolong this format war is preventing the real money to be made..

The longer they hold out.. the sooner the well runs dry as other products surface to serve the demand. HD-DVD is a dying format.. everyone knows it.. I think it is now just a matter of pride and contracts...

Personally I am hoping the Floppy Disc makes a big comeback... Nobody would even see it coming... who wouldn't want to own a couple thousand Floppies for a nice 240x160 sized video of Transformers... HELLZ YEAH.

[mystiksuicide]

That's ok it gives more time to bask in they're misery. Bring it on Toshiba we was getting bored in the forum.

[JohnGalt]

Originally Posted by Loki

To me.. holding out and prolong this format war is preventing the real money to be made.

To a point but there's definitely a window in which competition between various formats is going to happen. There was at least one article published recently stating that DVD sales weren't down as much as projected in '07 so perhaps Paramount and Universal are calculating that the window of competition here is somewhat longer than they believed recently.

[nails]

FIRE SALE!

I only feel sorry for consumers that don't know any better.

[Kayne314]

I hate to say this, but I could use another upconverter for the bedroom.

If it's cheap enough... I just might.

BD movies only from now on though. Not gonna support Universal or Paramount until they smarten up.

[OokieSpookie]

The most irritating part is that reds who had slinked off under a rock somewhere are now all of the sudden coming back out and using this as some kind of inbred rallying cry insisting that people said that hd was dead at last years CES.
We NEED one more studio to come across so that we can bury this crap behind us.
As long as there is even one hd on the shelf it is still causing the consumer confusion that we thought was on the way out.

[OokieSpookie]

Originally Posted by Kayne314

I hate to say this, but I could use another upconverter for the bedroom.

If it's cheap enough... I just might.

BD movies only from now on though. Not gonna support Universal or Paramount until they smarten up.

You can buy better upconverters cheaper.
That is a pretty lame excuse to buy an hd player.
The Warner switch was great for press, but until titles hit the stores that will not be on hd it does not really hit home.
I am no longer really buying into the NDA thing concerning Universal or Paramount because if they were already in a position where they needed to set up ndas there would be no way that Toshiba would be ballsy enough to do this,

[Blu4You24]

just a quick question...if xbox had included an hd dvd in their system, do you think they still would have had that year head start?!?

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I wish this were true, but DV informed me on friday that Toshiba has apparently convinced Universal and Paramount to see what happens with HD-DVD..

I'm sure you'll forgive me if I take the word of The Financial Times & Variety over that of a 4th rate movie reviewer.

So Toshiba's grand rescue strategy is to 'see what happens'?

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Fozziwig

I'm sure you'll forgive me if I take the word of The Financial Times & Variety over that of a 4th rate movie reviewer.

So Toshiba's grand rescue strategy is to 'see what happens'?

Take what you want, but this press release from Toshiba unfortunately supports Dave's story more than Variety's and Financial Times.

It makes no sense to me that Toshiba would prepare this MASSIVE press release and all of the sudden Universal and/or Paramount start a switch.

Makes NO sense.

[richard lichtenfelt]

I still think it might just be an attempt to sell remaining stock without taking a loss.
More wait n' see apparently.

[Patranus]

I guess they just want to drag the HDM ship down.

Toshiba: "If I'm going down, I am taking you down with me."

I really hope that retailers wake up. I am sure that they have been inundated with returns of HD-DVD players. I am sure that they are getting tired of dealing with angry customers.

Any informed consumer would not consider buying an HD-DVD player at this point. The problem is, is that there are few informed consumers these days.

The fact of the matter is, with Fox, Disney, Sony/MGM, Lions Gate, and now New Line and Warner Brothers a lock for Blu-Ray, there is NO chance for HD-DVD to win from an industry stand point. No studio is leaving the BDA at this point in time. Additionally, over 4 million players need to be sold to catch up with the install base that Blu-Ray currently has in place.