What's with Amazon's new page on High Def?

[GasCat]

I haven't seen this posted, if it was let me know.

I bookmarked it a long time ago but Amazon have completely changed their HD page. The sales numbers are changing on Amazon and now we know why.

Look at the FAQ's shown to buyers:
2. What's the difference between a DVD player and an HD DVD player?
7. What do all those numbers and letters mean on my HD DVDs and HD TV?

After you read one of the FAQ's you will be shown this:
"Back to the HD DVD homepage"

Gee thanks Amazon!

[GasCat]

One other thing, the page says, "Learn. Shop. Discuss."

They now have a message board for HD. Expect some heated discussions.

[The Shrike]

Wow. The Blu-Ray vs HD DVD faq really sucks.

[oldmike]

me thinks sony shoud talk to them

[GasCat]

I haven't even read them all the way through. I am sure there is a number of other things. WTH wrote that page?

I started this discussion on the page. Feel free to add to it or start your own threads there.

"Blu Ray is the better choice "

If you are looking to buy I would recommend much more investigation than this page. You will find that manufacturers and the majority of studios favor Blu-Ray. Many of the movies for Blu-Ray are cheaper which negate the additional costs of it's players. The format has 50 GB discs in production. This means more content including higher quality video and audio. Bigger is better.

If you have a family, Disney is a Blu-Ray only studio. You will not see their movies on HD-DVD. There are many more reasons but the best reason to buy this format is it will be around. The computer market is now selling 50GB Blu-Ray disc burners. This will lower prices (as it does for all computer parts), it will allow people to view movies on their laptops while away from home.

Search around and decide for yourself. Use logic, do not allow my comments or someone elses to decide which format is best. One HD format has room to expand (Blu Ray) and the other is lagging, struggling to catch up (HD DVD). Learn the facts yourself.

[Iceman_II]

Well, I added my $.02 to the discussion (the "shame on you Amazon" topic)

Shame on you amazon for NOT presenting an unbiased information page on HD Media, and skewing it towards HD-DVD. You do your potential customers a dis-service in not staying neutral (faq 2 and 7), and neglecting to point out that one format has been consistently outselling the other for the last 6 months by a margin of routinely 2:1. If you give the consumers the unvarnished facts, they can decide which format is the one with a future, and which one is going to go away.

[GasCat]

Good deal.

I wonder how we can comment to them directly. No doubt any contact will go through the biased person who drew up the page. So don't expect any changes.

[GasCat]

This is what they have on the top left corner under "Shop":

HDTVs
HD Players
HD DVDs
Blu-ray Players
Blu-ray Discs
Cables
Home Theater Systems
Speakers
Xbox 360 Hardware and Games


LOL, they say "HD players" not "HD DVD players" also note the "XBOX 360 Hardware and Games" link. I have to laugh because this is rediculous.

[GasCat]

If you look at the picture there is a XBOX 360 with an add-on drive. They do mention a Playstation 3 but I don't see it in the picture. Any idea what player they are showing in the mouse-over pic?

Edit: They repeated the slanting towards XBOX360 with a pic of it towards the bottom of the page too.

They show another pic of player by itself and use the following links at the bottom:
HD Players
Blu-ray Players
Upconverting DVD Players

Another link on the left side reinforces HD and Blu-ray are two different opposing things:
"HD vs. Blu-ray"

[glenn22]

I hate how people list HD-DVD players as HD players.... people are going to read that and wonder if Blu-ray players are really high definition. It will cause confusion.... I hope they update it with better worded information.

[mnelsoneorm]

Just posted there too. That's just so wrong.....

[haushausman]

Originally Posted by Iceman_II

Well, I added my $.02 to the discussion (the "shame on you Amazon" topic)

I replied to you post. And what I wrote is true. Amazon has LOST MY BUSINESS!!! WTF are they thinking?! Another payoff because HD-DUD camp realizes the volume of Blu-Rays Amazon sells?! Or an ignorant HTML programmer who only knows websites and not home theaters?

Completely ridiculous IMO after all the support we've shown Amazon. I saw boycott Amazon until they depict an unbiased home theater page!!!

[dobyblue]

You should not just post but send Amazon an e-mail as well.

I just sent them this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...blurayforum-20

I am very disappointed with Amazon's new High Def 101 page. It is VERY misleading to consumers.

Firstly in your FAQ's it mentions only DVD and "HD DVD" as though Blu-ray Disc players are also classified as HD DVD players, which they are not. It should read "HD DVD/Blu-ray" in all instances.

Secondly in your HD vs. Blu-ray section you mention the advantages of TrueHD, yet fail to mention that there are currently over three and a half times as many lossless audio tracks on Blu-ray Disc releases as there are on HD DVD releases.

You fail to mention that Blu-ray Disc's region coding is optional, suggesting instead that only HD DVD is region free.

Your FAQ and HD. vs. Blu-ray sections are poorly written or written by someone with an agenda. Your own site shows that Blu-ray's average rankings of the Top 100 discs are on average twice as high as HD DVD discs and the Nielsen/Videoscan numbers released every week through Home Media Magazine further prove this. Much is lacking from your site.

Please consider fixing this immediately so that people are not confused into purchasing a format without getting both sides of the story as you are very evidently only presenting one side here.

Sincerely,

The place to send them an e-mail is here and make sure you hit the "not related to an order" link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/brows...blurayforum-20

[lch]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

You should not just post but send Amazon an e-mail as well.

I just sent them this:



The place to send them an e-mail is here and make sure you hit the "not related to an order" link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/brows...blurayforum-20

maybe you should also state that due to the lack of region coding, New Line is delaying their release for hd-dvd but stay D&D for BD and dvd.

[Sonny]

I read this early this morning and said to my self ''WTF'' how funking biased is this after all the $$ we send amazon every WEEK! & not to mention the facts are all funked up, this is very deseptive for the noob or general consumer......CHANGE IT SO ITS AT LEAST UNBIASED & TRUTHFULL!!! DAMN

[lch]

i remember seeing some news that ms had buy into amazon ?
maybe that's why they are so biased.

[Papi4baby]

Good job Iceman, maybe there's trying to empty there HDDVD stock since is not selling as good as BD.

[ESUNintel]

...so would it be a good idea if we all e-mail amazon.com?

[jangofett]

Earlier this year, amazon signed a deal with the HD-DVD people about promoting HD-DVD for indie films. It seems that amazon still and HDud still have a tight business relationship.

[GasCat]

I regularly shop there and have never seen an officially written Amazon page meant to "educate" people about a group of products. Never. Even those who are not big on conspiracies have to wonder what is going on there.

I'll email them too, adding to the discussion on that page will help potential customers but the HD-DVDers will show up and start lying to so their bad purchasing decision will ensnare more unsuspecting people. How irresponsible, the biasness is not just one thing it is there again and again and again. This was written with the purpose of selling HD-DVD.