Shame on retailers, Universal & Paramount...

[zipbags]

With this newest Toshiba price drop their will be 1000's of new buyers buying into a product that is on its death bed. Not everyone going to buy a hd player is as informed as those who follow the formats. And I am sure most sales people/clerks selling these players will spew fud or worse don't even know about the Warner exclusivity in 2-3 months. So unsuspecting consumers will buy these products and be stuck. I understand that its "buyer beware". But, moves like this will certainly bring consumer anger..not against Toshiba. But, for whatever store sold them the player. Just look at all of the returns we are hearing about now. If I was a retailer. I would return the unsold stock back to Toshiba. Would it cause some bad blood between them? Sure. But, retailers know that Toshiba will not stop selling them. Whereas pissed off consumers may stop buying from them.

Shame on Universal & Paramount for being ambigous in their plans. I understand they want to sell off used inventory. But, unlike dvd. I cannot see the studios having too large of inventories. Hopefully, this is only temporary and we will hear something soon.

[Esteban]

I agree. This is absolutely irresponsible for all those involved. The market needs to be unified. Anyone of these retailers better tell the unsuspecting consumer the situation before they sell them on these players.

[181]

software sales > hardware sales.

[Bullseye]

I completely agree. If the retailers are really pushing for one format as has been indicated by both the insiders and moderators here then they should have nothing to do with this fire sale. This will only cause more confusion to an already confused general public. One week they hear that WB is going BD exclusive and the next they hear about dirt cheap HD-DVD players and combo discs and up converting your old DVDs.

It’s now up to the retailers to step up to the plate and say "We want nothing to do with these obsolete players" and "we cannot sell a player which is going to be useless to future fans of HDM when there is a unified format".

[dmazyn]

Another Look at it:

1. Retailers sell off all the HD-DVD players
2. Consumer comes in to buy movies for a few months.
3. Retailers stop selling players and movies.
4. Consumers come in to buy HD-DVD movies, retailer tells them we do not sell them anymore but we do have these Blu-Ray players and look at all the movies we have that play on it.
5. Consumer either says no to a new player and HDM loses or consumer buys new player and retailers get double the money from the same person.

[JTK]

Firesale and clearing out nonprofitable inventory to make more room for profitable inventory.

[dialog_gvf]

Retail Remains Unchanged Post Format War

Last week, Best Buy spokesperson Brian Lucas said the retailer would continue stocking HD DVD so long as studios release content in HD DVD and there is a market for the format.

“As far as we’re concerned there are still two formats and the format war is not really over,” Lucas said.

He said Best Buy would continue telling customers about the two formats and not take sides so they could make “an informed decision.”

Lucas said as more BD titles are released, stores would offer increased shelf space for them. He said Best Buy is responsible to its customers and not studio decisions.

“Unless one format drops out, it’s business as usual,” he said.

So, Toshiba has bought itself some time.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by JTK

Firesale and clearing out nonprofitable inventory to make more room for profitable inventory.

You need to check out the profit margins now.

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Retail Remains Unchanged Post Format War




So, Toshiba has bought itself some time.

So they are basically saying that we don't really care if the customer is aware of the 70%-30% content for each format. Do they at least advise people of the current situation so that they can make a better choice?

[JTK]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Retail Remains Unchanged Post Format War




So, Toshiba has bought itself some time.

Very disappointing. It's amazing they can buy anything at this point to say nothing about not being "out bought" by other forces.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

So they are basically saying that we don't really care if the customer is aware of the 70%-30% content for each format. Do they at least advise people of the current situation so that they can make a better choice?

As long as the customers' ownership gets past the 30 days (or whatever they shrink it to) then it's a double dip scenario for Best Buy and the other retailers.

Gary

[TK MANDO]

They just want to minimize their losses. It is a last ditch attempt before they go under...

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

As long as the customers' ownership gets past the 30 days (or whatever they shrink it to) then it's a double dip scenario for Best Buy and the other retailers.

Gary

Would you buy from the same retailer if he sold you a goose?

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Would you buy from the same retailer if he sold you a goose?

What would be your choices? One of the other retailers who's customers are now indignately going to your retailer?

If they deliberately steered consumers away from HD DVD, could they be sued by Toshiba?

Gary

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

What would be your choices? One of the other retailers who's customers are now indignately going to your retailer?

If they deliberately steered consumers away from HD DVD, could they be sued by Toshiba?

Gary

Good discussion. But say your working at BB or CC or Wal Mart where ever that might be. I know i for one would let the people know that there is currently a format war going on. That the safer money is on BD due to the 70% content. I would make them aware of Paramounts get out clause and the likelyhood of them going BD in the near future and that would basically force Universal to follow them. Do you think the guy would still buy the HD-DVD player?

Now would i be sued by Toshiba for giving out that information? And do you think that guy might come back to me in a couple of months after buying the BD player looking to upgrade his AV and speakers. I think he would. Now if I convinced him to part with his money to buy the HD-DVD player he would be into me in 2 months giving out **** to me for selling him a goose. And swearing never to do business with the company i am employed with.

[LynxFX]

Everyone should go into their local best buy and act like an uninformed buyer. Find a salesperson and say you want to get into high def media. Just play dumb and see what they say and if they lead you to blu, or explain the two formats.

[BTBuck1]

My store sells HDDVD on an "Ask for it" basis. If a customer is reccomended an HDM player it's always Blu-ray. The only people who get HDDVD have to ask for it, or grab and go with it. And even then, I generally try and stop them to have a discussion about it, such as:

"Hey, getting an HD player I see.....what made you choose the HDDVD?"

From there, I can usually find out one of a few things

1) "My last DVD player was a Toshiba, I like the brand plus I figured since it was the most expensive DVD player it would be the best one". -Ok, you do know this plays High Definition DVD's? If you are just interested in upscaling standard DVD's we have all of these players to choose from which are less money and equal in performance. What are HDDVD's? -These things in the red cases....OHhhhhh, I just want it for DVD's

2) "I want HDDVD because the players are cheaper" -You do realize that Blu-ray players are within $100 of these now right?, and are supported by Fox, WB, Sony, Disney & Lionsgate where was HDDVD basically just has Universal & Paramount (For now). If you love movies, you should really reconcider a Blu-ray player.

3) "Since DVD won, I figured HDDVD would too" -you do realize the only company making HDDVD players is Toshiba? If you didn't know already, almost every major CE manufacturer makes or is making a BD player with that type of support vs. Toshiba in it virtually alone, who do you think is going to be around longer? Wow, I just figured they all made both!


Ocassionally it's a customer who already owns a ps3 etc, and wants the HDDVD player for the titles not available in Blu.

[Dragonraine]

Well to be fair to retailers/Toshiba, they need to sell this stuff somehow. Just because something is "obsolete" doesnt mean they cant sell it anymore. Hell, up until a few years ago, you could walk into a record store and find cassette tapes. Its not like once CD came out, they threw all the cassettes into the garbage. Its inventory that is paid for and they need to move through it.

[LynxFX]

Well cassette tapes were a standard format and even after CD's came out they still had a user base of 10's if not 100's of millions of people.

You are right in that they need to move the inventory, but hopefully the retailers actually inform the consumers as to what they are buying...a failed format that will most likely not get any new content after the new year and for the time being has a very limited selection of films. We know Toshiba isn't saying that as they are flat out lying to consumers, so it is up to the retailers at the risk of losing a low/zero margin sale but perhaps gaining the trust of a new customer.

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Retail Remains Unchanged Post Format War




So, Toshiba has bought itself some time.

These stores stock heaps of crap that never sells in big numbers, HD-DVD will be no different.

I seriously doubt hardware sales will upturn, possibly level off for a month or so as current owners buy a back-up player, but that's about it.

Hardware is nothing without software,

Consumers actually interested in Hi-Def, as opposed to using it as a DVD upscaler, will look at the software selection before buying.