Million Dollar Question: How is HD-DVD a better format for the end user?

[ONUOsFan]

And it looks like this is the main point in Toshiba's marketting strategy.
They want to "hammer" home the simple notion that $150 should be enough to get into hidef...

Diogen.

Here's my question, though: If people really need a $150 price point to "get into" HD, what are the odds that they've spent the money for a TV good enough/big enough to notice the difference?

 

[haertig]

I disagree. I bet most people paid $150-$200 for their first DVD player, and if they're going to go out and spend probably 4-5 times as much on their new TV as they did on the last one, why would they not spend more on an HDM player? Not saying every person who has a DVD player would spend that much, but I think as people are investing more and more in HDTV's, the players won't be that much of a stretch.

I paid $279 for my first DVD player. I paid $98 for my new HDDVD one. I paid $2999 for my first 60" CRT SD RPTV, I just spend $1699 on my new 65" HDTV. My first computer (an 8086 model I think it was with dual floppy drives and no harddrive) was almost $3000. I built my current computer from scratch, which costs more than a ready-made one, but still that was under $800. I paid $189 for my first calculator. They now give ones with similar functionality away for free.

Why would I pay MORE for an HD player than I paid for my last DVD player?

 

[diogen]

Here's my question, though: If people really need a $150 price point to "get into" HD, what are the odds that they've spent the money for a TV good enough/big enough to notice the difference?

If a person buys a HDTV and gets the "right" - BD - player for free, they are where BDA wants them to be.
If a person already has a HDTV and is thinking about buying a hidef player, this message can make a hell of a difference...

Diogen.

 

[vurbano]

I disagree. I bet most people paid $150-$200 for their first DVD player, and if they're going to go out and spend probably 4-5 times as much on their new TV as they did on the last one, why would they not spend more on an HDM player? Not saying every person who has a DVD player would spend that much, but I think as people are investing more and more in HDTV's, the players won't be that much of a stretch.

Because J6P just paid so much for that TV its gonna take him 18-24 months to pay it off.

 

[JoeSp]

Because J6P just paid so much for that TV its gonna take him 18-24 months to pay it off.

Not neccesarily. Those CE companies that matched their BD players with their HDTVs during XMAS might decide that this is a good way to move BD into their customer's home without dropping the price on the HDTV. Make sense to package the product and create more sales while keeping the costs of their HDTVs up.

 

[allargon]

Bundling helps. However, BD would take off if they lowered their damned prices and kept them under $300 (even I know they won't go under $200 anytime soon). The Sony BDP-S300's were selling for around $300 during the holidays. Sony got Warner, then bumped the prices back up.

Even Videobusiness had to admit that the war helped HDM adoption by lowering player pricing.

 

[JoeSp]

Bundling helps. However, BD would take off if they lowered their damned prices and kept them under $300 (even I know they won't go under $200 anytime soon). The Sony BDP-S300's were selling for around $300 during the holidays. Sony got Warner, then bumped the prices back up.

Even Videobusiness had to admit that the war helped HDM adoption by lowering player pricing.

I totally agree. Especially with Sony's anouncement of reducing the size and cost of the blue laser assy. Prices should definately be under $300 no later then Summer. And Sony needs to get off their a$$ and bring out a 2.0 player under $400 with audio decoders for everthing. Their waiting for the competition to do it first is just rediculous.

 

[ONUOsFan]

My only point was about someone moving from SD to HD understanding that it's going to cost more.... that being said, price is definitely important. I'm not sure I'd spend $500 for a BD standalone, and I know I wouldn't have paid anything close to that (probably not even $300) for an HD-DVD player.

 

[vurbano]

I did not say that the Panny would be under $300 but their is a chance that Samsung, LG another CE manufacturer or maybe the new player from China might come in under $300 and be 2.0 or upgradeable to 2.0.

There is a chance of winning Lotto too. What profile 2.0 standalone can I buy TODAY and how much is it?

 

[JoeSp]

There is a chance of winning Lotto too. What profile 2.0 standalone can I buy TODAY and how much is it?

Why do you want to know? Are you aching to jump on the BD bandwagon already?