HD DVD Players Sold Out Nationwide This Weekend - Blu-ray In Trouble?

[Bobpaule]

Originally Posted by mixter_t

I can't speak for all the people who bought one of the Toshiba A2's or A3's when they were such a good deal, but I can tell you my reasons. I've always been what people call and "early adopter". I was one of the first people around who bought a DVD player. I bought the first Sony DVD player ever produced at about $600, and when there were less DVDs around than there are currently HD or BluRay. I bought an SACD player when the only place you could find to buy the CDs was online. I've wanted a Hi-def DVD player from the day they started talking about them. But having been burned by the Beta vs VHS, and the SACD vs DVD Audio wars, and the obvious repeat of those in the new HD-DVD vs BluRay war, I wasn't in a hurry to spend the money on a player, much less $30.00 discs! But....then the Walmart deal! At $98.00 it was a no brainer! Also, I am a subscriber to Netflix and they carry both HD-DVD and BluRay discs for rent at no extra cost. All you do is tell them that if the title is available in HD-DVD or BluRay, ship that format, otherwise just ship the normal DVD. So for me, I couldn't care less if they don't wise up and drop the prices of the software as long at Netflix continues to offer them I'm set. I've got a great HD-DVD at player, (the A2 at walmart for $98.00), and I can watch any HD-DVD title whenever I want simply by putting it in my queue. If or when the BluRay players come down to a sane price, like $199.00, I'll buy one. But as long as they want $399.99 to $499.00, and up for them they can keep them! DVD was slow on the beginning when the players were expensive and DVDs cost upwards of $30.00. But when the price of the players dropped under $200 and the DVDs dropped to under $20.00 the whole DVD market skyrocketed!

Very well said. I have a PS3 and an HD-A1 (A30 on the way) and i have to say that while HDDVDs worked from day one and movies like Riddick and POTO rocked solid in PQ, the BD launch revealed poor picture quality movies obviously visible on my 110" screen.

In fact i sold both my BDP9000 BD and Sony SACD players after i got the PS3 and saved enough to upgrade the PJ.

By now the quality of BDs has improved a lot (OMG Apocalypto just looked fabulous a few weeks ago) but the players remain expensive. OK $399 PS3 is a deal, especially that it does DSD over HDMI for SACDs.

[JerryDelColliano]

You will like the A35 a lot better than the XA1

[kennyt]

He'll like any HD DVD player better than the XA1!

[DaViD Boulet]

Whether or not BD is in trouble with Toshiba's pricing, it seems to have canibalized HD DVD hardware support by other vendors.

Onkyo drops HD DVD player:

http://www.avmagazine.it/news/sorgen...asma_2654.html

translation:

http://www.google.com/translate?u=ht...&hl=en&ie=UTF8

We were waiting for a unit of the first Onkyo HD DVD player, the DV-HD805, for review on the pages of AV Magazine. After a conversation with Tecnofuturo, the Brescia-based Italian distributor of the Japanese manufacturer, we decided in mutual agreement that it was not worth the trouble. The reasons are quickly explained: the DV-HD805 is no other than a rebranded Toshiba HD-XE1 HD DVD player, which is already compatible with streaming of all lossless multichannel HD codecs via HDMI 1.3, and there are only few units of it available.

In view of the new marketing policy being applied by Toshiba, consisting of sinking the price of its own players, Onkyo has difficulty in positioning its own player (the Europe list price is 899 euros) and has therefore decided to stop production. The scarce units produced have been redistributed in varios markets. It has been known that barely 11 units arrived in Italy, and no others will come. Germany has been more fortunate, with 20 units, and Spain will receive none.

As to why it was decided not to review such a product, apart from its being a clone, it won't be effectively be available on the market (the 11 Italian units are already sold). We thank Tecnofuturo for such a quick communication and we apologize to the enthusiasts. Onkyo is already working actively on a new player and according to tidbits it could be this time a Blu-ray player or a hybrid player. We'll have other news and more confirmation during the upcoming CES at Las Vegas.

Hmmm. If I recall, several of us had already suggested that Toshiba's lowball pricing strategy, while friendly to consumers, was discouraging other manufacturers from getting into the game. Other than Meridian, Onkyo was the other major-brand (soon to be) supporting the format with non-combo hardware. Curious that it actually was only to be a rebadged Toshiba player (though it may indeed have had additional enhancements that the article cannot verify). Has anyone heard other news on Onkyo dropping its HD DVD hardware? Maybe a combo-player or BD player in the future instead?

[TheMoose]

Hmmm. If I recall, several of us had already suggested that Toshiba's lowball pricing strategy, while friendly to consumers, was discouraging other manufacturers from getting into the game.

Could that be the start of a crumbling house of cards??
It'll be very telling if Onkyo comes out with a Blu-Ray only player.

Can HD-DVD survive with only Toshiba making consumer models of HD-DVD players?
The Meridian will obviously be a high end piece if it ever makes it to market.

[xsavoie]

Unless I'm mistaken,HD DVD players can play all regular DVD'S plus HD DVD'S.Since the Toshiba HD DVD players now don't cost much more than a good regular DVD player,and hopefully this Toshiba is a good HD DVD and regular DVD player,it's a win win situation for the consumer as far as I am concerned.The consumer can always buy a Blue Ray DVD player later on when the prices go down.By the way,do some Blue ray DVD players play regular DVD'S.