Toshiba HD-A2 (2nd Gen. HD-DVD) for less than $400 new

[CamDawg]

URL: http://store.pagecomputers.com/store...#t ab_reviews

This is interesting. We've heard that the HD-DVD folks had some interesting announcements coming up at CES. I'm wondering if it's a universal price cut on HD-DVD players. I would have thought something like this may have made more sense prior to Christmas to appeal more to typical buyers. If this is a universal market strategy, hopefully they do a better job of marketing it than they have done marketing HD-DVD so far.

I recently read a report on Engadget about how there are a ton of non-tech geek folks out there who bought HDTVs at Christmas and are upset over the lack of content (they weren't properly educated about source while buying and just thought that they could plug their TV in to their current cable or sat box and have HD). That, coupled with a universal price cut, might be an effective opening for HD-DVD to appeal this tech to joe Six Pack. If that were to happen, the format war would get really interesting.

[laxgod]

It wouldn't of done them any good to cut the price before Christmas since they had so little stock. Toshiba really dropped the ball on this one by phasing out the HD-A1, but not having enough stock of the HD-A2. People can't buy what they can't find.

[Jon Liu]

yeah, I agree. The price drop is nice but a moot point if no one can find it!

[BiffCo]

I think we also need to see more HDDVD movies out there. Blu-ray is winning in that regard. Their library is growing every week, but I've yet to see many new HDDVD movies (Lady in the Water is the latest me thinks).

-Brad

[Jon Liu]

I can't even find Lady in the Water in stores. No stores around me carry it, in Blu-ray or HD-DVD...

[dmiller68]

I have been looking for Miami Vice as well, I may just buy it online.

[CamDawg]

Brad,
Based on what's in stores near you, BD may be winning, but as of two weeks ago, HD-DVD still had several more movies than BD and has been releasing more movies than BD just about every week. Every Monday or Tuesday on EdgadgetHD they list the BD movies being released that week. I can only remember a couple of times over the fall in which there were more BD than HD-DVD.

[Jon Liu]

I think as of right now, HD-DVD still has more to choose from but, the rate things are going for Blu-ray, that's not going to be the case very shortly.

Sad as it is, a lot of the titles that I would probably buy on either format, I am leaning towards Blu-ray because, most of the movies that are available on both, for HD-DVD they end up being Combo disks which are 35 bucks where as the Blu-ray counterparts are 30 bucks or so.

But, if they drop the prices for the HD-DVD combos, I think I would switch my favor back in their direction.

[alter_ego_trip]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

I think as of right now, HD-DVD still has more to choose from but, the rate things are going for Blu-ray, that's not going to be the case very shortly.

Sad as it is, a lot of the titles that I would probably buy on either format, I am leaning towards Blu-ray because, most of the movies that are available on both, for HD-DVD they end up being Combo disks which are 35 bucks where as the Blu-ray counterparts are 30 bucks or so.

But, if they drop the prices for the HD-DVD combos, I think I would switch my favor back in their direction.

I totally agree. The combo disc position that HDDVD has taken has really bittered me on the format. I don't know one person who owns a SDDVD player that looks at a combo disc and says, "Hmmm I think I will pick this up for 40 bucks instead of 16, even though I don't own an HDDVD player because someday down the road I might buy one and will be glad I had the forsight to plan ahead."

Even though HDDVD currently has more releases than Blur Ray, I feel the genre of movies is better than HDDVD. Of all the HDDVD's out right now there are only about 20 that are worth buying to me. That is less than 20% percent of available content that I find worth investing in. On the Blur Ray side however it is more like 50-60%. If you look at this years titles slated for release so far, HDDVD is in a drought for new worthwhile releases.

All it's going to take is a big CES show from Blur Ray and a player that launches at less than 500 bucks and it's going to be lights out for HDDVD.
Keep in mind that I have been a huge HDDVD supporter from the very beginning. They need to get there act together or face the beta trail.

[Jon Liu]

Yeah, I think I'm still more in favor of HD-DVD winning, but I worry some after experiencing such great things with the PS3 and Blu-ray.

We'll see what kind of big guns they both pull out at CES, I guess.

[MadBryan]

I don't look at the combo discs the same way as you alter. Not for the standerd def buyer who might someday go HD, but for playing on the other players in my house or car. This has worked out a couple of times as I only have the HD-A1 in the man cave but the kids want to watch on their gear.

[Jon Liu]

I could see that, MadB. You bright up a good point for other players in the house.

I guess it doesn't apply to me, since I only have one home theater (for the time being )

[CamDawg]

We have a couple or three players in the house as well as a mobile one for long car trips, but I still don't like the combo format: $25 - $35 for a combo DVD is too much.

Now as to BD pricing -- most of those push $30 for the standard BD disk. That is too much also.

[MadBryan]

Ahh, watch it Camdog, I tried to bring up the fact BD runs about $5.00 more and didn't get any support. (we've got each other though right buddy )

[alter_ego_trip]

Originally Posted by MadBryan

I don't look at the combo discs the same way as you alter. Not for the standerd def buyer who might someday go HD, but for playing on the other players in my house or car. This has worked out a couple of times as I only have the HD-A1 in the man cave but the kids want to watch on their gear.

Mad, I can see where you are coming from but here is the way I look at it. Get rid of the combo discs which would keep the pricing in the 20-25 dollar range instead of the 35-40 range. At this price point I could buy an HDDVD and an SDDVD for close to the same price. Then I would have 2 separate discs and wouldn't have to worry about damaging/scratching the HDDVD when the kid has it.

Secondly, look at what discs are coming out in combo format. I don't think Tokyo Drift or Fearless is a flick that my 5 yr old daughter really cares about seeing. If they want to do combo's then fine, limit them to cartoons/kid movies and give us adults the choice. It's all about profits to them.

[Jon Liu]

yeah, it's true that regular BD disks run higher cost than HD-DVDs in general. I hope that's a trend they can slowly remedy as well. For the same reasons mentioned above. If it's cheaper on one format, I am almost certainly going to buy it for that format.

[MadBryan]

I'm not a big fan of the combo's either, and my kids are older.

[CamDawg]

Originally Posted by Jon Liu

If it's cheaper on one format, I am almost certainly going to buy it for that format.

Jon, I've been doing the same. Hopefully with enough of us voting with our pocketbooks, prices come down to make them more competitive.

I know that I turned away from three BRs and two HD-DVDs this week alone because of cost (it's only $5-$10 extra per disk, but it adds up, especially when my wife sees the creidt card bill). I put these movies in my Netflix que instead. One of the reasons that DVD became so successful is that they reached a price point where buying one didn't require a lot of thought. I see a DVD that I want, it's $10 - $15, I throw that down without thinking twice, even if I know that I'll more than likely only watch the movie once. It will take a couple of years before either Hi Def DVD format has enough market penetration to allow low prices like these, but that's where it will need to go for either H-def format to become as ubiquitous as DVD.