Wal-Mart puts stake through HD DVD's heart

[diogen]

I think Diogen is Canadian (really).

Yes, I am (i.e. live in Canada).
But although we have almost parity in currencies now, big retailers don't spoil us with good deals like they do with you.
Not counting the free discs that come with player(s), Best Buy latest "deal" I saw was 2 HD/BD discs for $50 ?!?

I don't care about who sells (or doesn't sell) what.
What I wanted to buy I did, the rest ain't coming soon. I'm not a collector...

Diogen.

 

[meStevo]

Now my walmart might have to drop the 5 HDDVDs it has below $30....

 

[Naves]

Now my walmart might have to drop the 5 HDDVDs it has below $30....

Amen. At my wal-mart it is not like there was a chance for HD-DVD. They have Casino, Harry Potter, and a few others for all $30.00 +. While they have alot of BD.

I'll just take my $500 for a BD player and buy a new sub. When Samsung, Panisonic or any other BD player manufacture make a player that is as solid as my A3 and cost under $300 I will buy one. Until then I guess I will just watch whatever I have not seen yet in HD-DVD.

 

[Fitzie]

This past fall I bought a Philips DVD player with upconversion capabilities at Wallmart for about $46.00. I was very happy upconverting my standard definition DVDs for viewing on my high definition television. A discernably better picture at a very moderate price.

Then I bought the Toshiba HD-DVD X-a2 player so I could both upconvert and view HD-DVDs. My analysis of the sequence of events that would follow that event proved incorrect: I thought HD-dvd players would very shortly become commodity priced, with many, many players available at under $150, and that Toshiba would have the good sense to realize that HD-DVD mastered movies should be marketed at the same price as their regular DVDs. But I was wrong. Instead of licensing their HD-DVD technology to other companies to add to manufacturing and distribution weight, Toshiba sat on its hands to maintain the Toshiba manufacturing monopoly, and kept the pricing premium on HD-dvd discs even though consumers knew (if they followed this format battle) that it costs no more to produce an HD-DVD disc that a standard DVD disc. This was an attempted rip-off of the early consumers on Toshiba's part, and a bad mistake.

Regarding Sony's willingness to have the Blu-Ray machines come down in price, I don't think so. Sony is without question the electronics company most aware of the value of branding, and in my view about 50% of the Sony price premium is due to maintaining the value of branding. (About half of the premium is due to the fact Sony has good technology, produces good products, and has wonderful marketing strategies.) I think the Blu-Ray pricing levels will be maintained at current levels as long as possible; this may even be until the next big thing comes along. I've read that Toshiba is developing technology that will make Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) completely outdated.

I hope Universal, Paramount and Warner in the declining days of HD-DVD put all of their HD-DVD titles on sale for a reasonable price, something in the $9.99 range. I'd be willing to pay $10 for an HD-DVD copy of some of my favorite movies.

On the Blu-Ray front, I'll be willing to buy a Blu-ray player when they reach commodity prices, in the the $49.00 range. Until then, they could stick their head in the sand and wiggle their butt and I still wouldn't pay them any attention.

Regards,
Fitzie

 

[gadgtfreek]

On the Blu-Ray front, I'll be willing to buy a Blu-ray player when they reach commodity prices, in the the $49.00 range. Until then, they could stick their head in the sand and wiggle their butt and I still wouldn't pay them any attention.

Regards,
Fitzie

Sounds like they arent the ones looking at sand.

 

[Bountykiller]

I read this at engadget too... good ridance to HD - DVD... mind you as an owner of the samsung combo unit im ready to pick up some bargains on HD DVD movies before having to pay top $ for the blu ray ones ;0

 

[Chucky Cheese]

On the Blu-Ray front, I'll be willing to buy a Blu-ray player when they reach commodity prices, in the the $49.00 range.

You'll be waiting a long time

 

[navychop]

Fitzie:

1. Other companies could produce HD DVD players. They couldn't do so and make a profit. Toshiba undercut them on prices. Toshiba would have loved other brands to produce, they certainly did not try to maintain any manufacturing monopoly. Under DVD rules, they could not have, anyway. Ripping off people by selling them a cheap player that they lost hundreds of dollars on?

2. Toshiba does not control disc prices. They might help lower the prices by subsidizing production, but they don't own the movies and don't set the prices. Ask the studios.

3. It costs far more to author a movie in high definition. Manufacturing costs are only a part of the story.

4. Sony can set Sony Blu-ray player prices. Other brands will set their own prices.

5. "I've read that Toshiba is developing technology that will make Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) completely outdated." Yeah. Right. More of the FUD that was all the HD DVD camp had. You can read that Hitler is alive, the government is run by aliens, and buying the right product will make you irresistible. You can also read that HD downloads are just around the corner.

6. Who cares if you wait forever? I guess we could give you the knife to cut off your nose to spite your face.

 

[navychop]

It's hit CNN.

 

[rad]

Link to Yahoo story, Wal-Mart dumps HD DVDs, backs Blu-ray - Yahoo! News

 

[rad]

What has BD really won? With one format the have a monolopy and can keep prices higher for the percieved value over standard def. I'm glad we have DVD around to keep them honest in pricing.

They may, or with the format war ending more folks will move off the fence and make a purchase, driving up volumn and lowering prices.

 

[allargon]

They keep both running and keep making boat loads of money.

Boatloads of money? In the future, yes. Now? Since inception? Puh-lease... Have you seen BD standalone sales figures?

 

[Zookster]

It's hit CNN.

It's pretty telling that this is even news worthy. I mean, say for example, Walmart decided to phase out Sealy next-gen memory foam matress pads in favor of Simmons next-gen memory foam matress pads, they certainly wouldn't have issued a press release. It really shows how aware the market is that people are waiting on the sidelines until the HDM format war is over to make a purchase.

 

[Fitzie]

elwaylite wrote "Sounds like they arent the ones looking at sand." in response to my comment that I would not soon be buying Blu-Ray.

It's not a question of looking at "sand." There are too many options for me to pay premium, bleeding edge prices for Blu-Ray and blu-ray products: hdtv through cable, satellite and over the air, existing hd-dvd products, and excellent upconversion of reasonably priced DVDs. With HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz, and Voom I can watch in HD most movies I want to see, including those produced by Sony and Disney, and in the future Warner. Not to mention HD-PPV on multiple channels. Its simply a question of options, and I don't know if Sony (and by extension the blu-ray camp) realizes that yet.

But, hey, guys: enjoy your blu-ray collections at $29.95 per movie; I'm a firm believer that people should spend their money on whatever makes them happy. It doesn't make me "un-happy" when you spend your money, and when you increase your collection to 100, 200, 300, 400 blu-ray movies the most consideration I might give would be to say, "wow, that guy has a nice collection."

Now, if you were to say "I have a copy of..." some book I've been wanting to read, I might be a little envious. But not about movies.

Have a happy day.

Fitzie

 

[Fitzie]

In response to my previous post, Navychop wrote two things deserving of a response:

I. "It costs far more to author a movie in high definition. Manufacturing costs are only aWho cares if you wait forever? I guess we could give you the knife to cut off your nose to spite your face. part of the story."

My response: it costs some more, but not a significant cost measured against distributing thousands of copies of a movie that's already produced.

II. "Who cares if you wait forever? I guess we could give you the knife to cut off your nose to spite your face."

My response: who cares if you care? I don't expect to live forever, but a good long time will be very acceptable.

Regards, and goodbye. I have errands to run.

Fitzie

 

[db2]

5. "I've read that Toshiba is developing technology that will make Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) completely outdated." Yeah. Right. More of the FUD that was all the HD DVD camp had. You can read that Hitler is alive, the government is run by aliens, and buying the right product will make you irresistible. You can also read that HD downloads are just around the corner.

:haha

Post Of The Day

 

[ONUOsFan]

Sounds like they arent the ones looking at sand.

You'll be waiting a long time

Yeah, no offense Fitzie, but if you're waiting for $10 movies and $49 players, I don't think you're the BDA's target market at this point.

 

[JoeSp]

Prices of BD players will fall to "reasonable" levels once all the consumers, willing to pay plus$500 for a movie player, but were waiting for the format war to end, have purchased their BD player. That should take a couple of years. I predict sub-$500 1080p BD players will be common-place for Christmas 2009.

Carl B.

Where have you been man -- prices for the average BD player hover aroung $400 and have been there since Thanksgiving 07! By XMAS 09 you will see sub $200 BD players and maybe sooner!

 

[JoeSp]

Yeah, no offense Fitzie, but if you're waiting for $10 movies and $49 players, I don't think you're the BDA's target market at this point.

:up:up

 

[JoeSp]

This past fall I bought a Philips DVD player with upconversion capabilities at Wallmart for about $46.00. I was very happy upconverting my standard definition DVDs for viewing on my high definition television. A discernably better picture at a very moderate price.

Then I bought the Toshiba HD-DVD X-a2 player so I could both upconvert and view HD-DVDs. My analysis of the sequence of events that would follow that event proved incorrect: I thought HD-dvd players would very shortly become commodity priced, with many, many players available at under $150, and that Toshiba would have the good sense to realize that HD-DVD mastered movies should be marketed at the same price as their regular DVDs. But I was wrong. Instead of licensing their HD-DVD technology to other companies to add to manufacturing and distribution weight, Toshiba sat on its hands to maintain the Toshiba manufacturing monopoly, and kept the pricing premium on HD-dvd discs even though consumers knew (if they followed this format battle) that it costs no more to produce an HD-DVD disc that a standard DVD disc. This was an attempted rip-off of the early consumers on Toshiba's part, and a bad mistake.

Regarding Sony's willingness to have the Blu-Ray machines come down in price, I don't think so. Sony is without question the electronics company most aware of the value of branding, and in my view about 50% of the Sony price premium is due to maintaining the value of branding. (About half of the premium is due to the fact Sony has good technology, produces good products, and has wonderful marketing strategies.) I think the Blu-Ray pricing levels will be maintained at current levels as long as possible; this may even be until the next big thing comes along. I've read that Toshiba is developing technology that will make Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) completely outdated.

I hope Universal, Paramount and Warner in the declining days of HD-DVD put all of their HD-DVD titles on sale for a reasonable price, something in the $9.99 range. I'd be willing to pay $10 for an HD-DVD copy of some of my favorite movies.

On the Blu-Ray front, I'll be willing to buy a Blu-ray player when they reach commodity prices, in the the $49.00 range. Until then, they could stick their head in the sand and wiggle their butt and I still wouldn't pay them any attention.

Regards,
Fitzie

First, Sony does not control the prices of BD standalones. There are over 10 CE manufacturers who make BD standalones and they have the freedom to price them as high or as low as they want. With the coming reduction and size and cost of a BD laser you should see prices on BD standalones come down significantly.

As for the cost of putting a movie on HD or SD I can assure you that the price of putting that movie in HD is considerably more than the price of putting that movie out on SD. The costs increases is in production of the product not the actually pressing of the discs.

I think that once the air has cleared and HD-DVD is off the horizon that the CE BD manufacturers will start competing with each other for the new consumers and you will see prices drop as they compete with each other for those new customers.