Toshiba HD-A2 for $99!!!

[JoeSp]

Devils advocate here -- Toshiba strikes a new low low price:

Home Media Magazine - Bringing Digital Entertainment To You

Could this be Toshiba's last hurrah? Those discs sales are not improving for the HD-DVD camp even though over the last 4 weeks they have outnumbered the BluRay camp 5 to 1 in new releases. Guess that $499 PS3 with 5 free BluRay movies is really holding off the HD-DVD crowd!

 

[meStevo]

Someone pointed out in the thread about this offer in the HDDVD forum that this is not a Toshiba price reduction, but a lower offer by a 3rd party.

Basically the same as Gamestop selling PS3s for $20.00 as long as you buy a game informer membership for $500 first. (Hi! This is not a real offer!)

You have to pay admission to the show starting at $100 or something.

 

[CochiseGuy]

Someone pointed out in the thread about this offer in the HDDVD forum that this is not a Toshiba price reduction, but a lower offer by a 3rd party.

Basically the same as Gamestop selling PS3s for $20.00 as long as you buy a game informer membership for $500 first. (Hi! This is not a real offer!)

You have to pay admission to the show starting at $100 or something.

Yep, the $99 player was an offer from a 3rd party and available only to registered attendees of the show. It was $300 to register - I checked. I thought for a $99 HD DVD player, it may be worth it to drive up to Vegas for a few days.

 

[JoeSp]

Still, for attendees of this show this is a great deal. Maybe we will start seeing deals like this at other conferances and shows. And if they can sell these at $99 and not lose their shirts can another price drop be far behind for Toshiba on this player?

 

[FlyingJ]

Don't worry, in another six months they will be free.

 

[r.jones1116]

Don't worry, in another six months they will be free.

Wishful or dillusional thinking?

 

[VinceT3]

A lot of blu-ray people I know said they would get an HD-DVD player in a heart beat at that price.. so if they are smart that could be the winning number there..

 

[Kevinw]

Why do people look for a reason for one or the other to fail?
This 99 dollar give away was just something to entice visitors to come to the show. I am willing to bet there are other "gifts' to attendees from other vendors where the vendor picked up the whole cost.. Toshiba had nothing to do with this. They were not even at the show if you read the exhibitors list
We could see these deals if someone else picks up the first 200

 

[r.jones1116]

Once two formats coexisting is realized among all concerned, the sooner we will have studio neutrality. Then you as a consumer can pick the format you like best.
It's really not a bad thing.

 

[navychop]

"Why do people look for a reason for one or the other to fail?"

Because it really won't take off until people aren't worried about buying the next betamax. Of course, r.jones is right, maybe both will continue and if people are comfortable with that, we can see some growth. But I doubt we'll see Disney on HD DVD, since they are heavily vested in the greater security they expect from BD+.

 

[teachsac]

"Why do people look for a reason for one or the other to fail?"

But I doubt we'll see Disney on HD DVD, since they are heavily vested in the greater security they expect from BD+.

Just as an FYI to all: Disney is not as opposed to HD-DVD as you all seem to think. Disney is the only BD member that does not abstain from voting on HD-DVD issues in the DVD Forum. Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, etc. all abstain. Many of their titles overseas are released on HD-DVD and HD-DVD is the format chosen for China.

S~

 

[Kevinw]

Once two formats co existing is realized among all concerned, the sooner we will have studio neutrality. Then you as a consumer can pick the format you like best.
It's really not a bad thing.

I agree with you on that. It was the tone of post that Toshiba was in trouble
(which they may or may not be) when the actual information was about a media conference and exhibition and had nothing to with the HD-DVD-Bluray battle for market dominance.

 

[JoeSp]

Actually the Chinese have thier own HD format and are developing others. They have already stated many times that they want their own HD format. You can put in Chinese High Def in any searchbar and you will get several sites--here is one:

Another high-def format to launch - 5/12/2006 - Video Business

As for Disney -- while they still elect to vote on HD-DVD issues as a member of the DVD Forum you will find yourself waiting along time for Disney to support HD-DVD. The last time a Disney rumor was floated about HD-DVD was November of 2006. Since the CES when Buena Vista (the publishing arm of Disney) announced that they would not support HD-DVD there have been no more new rumors. Of course anything can and does happen but this is one rumor pretty much put to bed.

 

[navychop]

Yep, China has a version of HD DVD that is unique to them. No Chinese "HD DVD" player can play other HD DVDs. And no Chinese "HD DVD" can play in our HD DVD players.

The Chinese did it that way so they:
A) Did not have to pay royalties outside the country.
B) Could more easily control what is viewable in their country.

Their codec is probably quite good, just different from everybody else's, by their choice.

 

[diogen]

A new wave of rumors (and maybe even action) can be expected after the BD+ is implemented and disks using it are released.

Diogen.

 

[teachsac]

The CHinese player is part of the HD-DVD format. Yes it uses it's own codec and it will not play HD-DVD's from any other region/country, but is part of HD-DVD. The difference between the physical specifications is the modulation code.

S~

P.S. That article is a totally different technolgy than what China has adopted as its format. This is a red laser technology. The Chinese HD-DVD player, as the BD and HD-DVD players uses blue laser.

 

[navychop]

Actually, I think China did introduce and sell the VMD from a year plus ago. And both Chinese that bought it were rewarded with little bits of ribbon to wear on their chests.

It seems, even in China, the marketplace rules.

Then they moved on to their HD DVD deal. Toshiba, it seems, gets very little if any money out of it, but gains in expected early large production runs of hardware, to undercut BD HW prices. Doesn't seem like the Chinese have actually begun that mass production, though. The same plant can easily make both types of HD DVD player, just swap out ROM.