Toshiba cuts HD DVD player prices

Toshiba may have taken a huge hit recently, but the HD DVD supporter is striking back.

Barely a week after Warner Bros. announced it would no longer put out movies on the HD DVD format, of which Toshiba is a primary supporter, the company announced it is lowering the prices on all three models of next-generation DVD players.

Toshiba will now sell its entry-level HD DVD player for $149.99.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The entry-level model, the HD-A3, now goes for $149.99, the HD-A30 for $199.99, and the HD-A35 for $299.99. That's about $150 to $200 worth of discounts on all models.

The new pricing from Toshiba is well-timed, according to Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD market research for The NPD Group. Holiday promotional pricing is essentially over for all the major manufacturers of rival disc format Blu-ray, as well as other HD DVD makers.

"For them to drop MSRPs now couldn't come at a better time," he said. "It was a gap Blu-ray was able to close down upon during holiday sales."

In the battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray, HD DVD's primary advantage from the very beginning had been cheaper prices on players. But Blu-ray has responded, lowering its prices and offering popular promotions, like Wal-Mart's giveaway of 10 Blu-ray titles with the purchase of a Sony PlayStation 3 this past holiday. But preferences over one format or the other aside, price is and probably always will be the determining factor in sales.

"The larger challenge for both camps is twofold: getting the hardware into people's homes. Toshiba did very well selling $99 and $199 players (during the holidays), but that didn't necessarily translate into a big jump in movie (sales)," said Erickson. "Unless there are serious promotions going on...people aren't going out and buying in explosive numbers on the Blu-ray side either."

"Even if we promote a single format...people are still not going to pay three to four times as much for a player, they're not going to pay double the price for movies," Erickson said, "just because they're accustomed to much cheaper pricing on standard-def DVD."

[samkass]

"While Supplies Last"

In a couple years, you'll have just bought a very expensive DVD player that won't play the predominant Blu-Ray format. So I guess the prices are dropping as the value drops...

[guildin]

Didn't see this coming

not that it matters since all studios are pretty much making the jump to Blu Ray'<br />Jeremy P lesser studios are on HD now :-( ~~~~

[PBMpharmacist]

It's too late!

This format war was over. I was dual-format but I sold my HD-A35 (top of the line) HD DVD player on Saturday b/c you could just see the writing on the wall after the Warner deal. I'm now Blu-ray only.<br /><br />People, please just buy Blu-ray so war can be officially over and we can all be high def!

[rtanteo]

We've all been scammed...

...maybe.<br /><br />I've owned both a BluRay player and HD DVD player for some time now. I'll admit that my preference is HD DVD because for some odd reason, the experience I get from HD DVD just seems to be a level higher then BluRay. But anyway....like many people out there, i've been following this format war almost on a daily basis ever since HD DVD came out. I'm beginning to think that we consumers have all been suckered into giving Hollywood extra profits. What if.....Hollywood knows that the future of home enterntainment is via internet. Lots of people feel this way. I'm sure Hollywood eventually wants it to go this way, but will never admit to it based on the fact that the format war is still going on. So if this is the case, that the future is about downloadable movies, then would it be a stretch to think that the Movie Studios knew that they would begin to lose a little money as the current preferred choice, standard DVDs slowly transitioned to internet downloads?? Pretty much how record labels were reluctant to move on into the future of music via iTunes and other internet outlets. Record labels did lose money in the beginning of the "music download age", much because of Napster and illegal downloading but also because of the legal downloads as well. It's cheaper to buy most albums from iTunes than to buy a CD. So with that said, maybe Hollywood wanted this format war, which is why they were split on which format to follow, then once the outcry for one format was loud enough, they decided to go with one format, even though they know it may be replaced sooner rather than later by downloadable movies. But by having people buy into one new format or another, even though the mass market is still all about standard DVDs, it would still give them enough profit to stomach the eventual profit losses they would've gotten from a direct "standard DVD to Internet" transition. <br /><br />Anyway, there just seems to be lots of articles suddenly coming up, once the dust settled after Warner bros. chose BluRay, that BluRay may not even make it. And this to me, just sounds fishy....or maybe a well designed plan.

[baivab]

Why buy Blue-ray!!???

YOU bought a blue-ray device, but why state war is over!! HD-DVD has definite and good advantages for blue-ray and would prefer the war to continue.... it's only good for consumers. As for Warner, it's not the only company.... there are others.<br />I, for one, never can trust Sony on ANY standardizations.

[goddardr]

No, it's not too late!

Barely any units have penetrated the market because only the "early adopters" have invested. Frankly, this is needed to bring the price levels of BOTH systems down to "mom and dad" pricing. I just checked Amazon - the Toshiba A3 unit is going for $131.98!<br /><br />Don't forget, the Toshiba base unit (A3) supports upconverting standard DVD, so if you still want that WB movie, it is available on DVD at nearly the same quality as the Blu-ray disk. It is not a case of choosing either-or and doing without if you buy one format. <br /><br />Bottomline - as long as there is competition at the early stages, the consumer is going to reap the benefits.

[webdev511]

have fun waiting...

for profile 2.0 to come out. Oh yeah, don't hold your breath for updates on all of those 1.0 &#38; 1.1 titles you bought. <br /><br />Even the Blu-Ray Disc Association said that HD-DVD's release to the market in 2006 'forced' them to launch prematurely. The ever changing profile is not helping BR one bit.

[krosavcheg]

why would you buy HD-DVD player ?

... while it has lost the format war already ?? Almost every movie will now come exclusively in Bluray. What's the use of buying the HD-DVD player... dont waste your money. Wait for HD-DVD to die and wait for Bluray 2.0 to come out which will be a better standard.

[WJeansonne]

Better Standard?

Since when does less features equate a higher standard? All Blu-ray has over HDDVD is capacity--period. So stop with the Sony spin.

[sevort]

Because...

...it's the best upconverting player, period. Even if the HD-DVD failed, you will still be able to use it. Standard dvds are not going anywhere for at least two more years.

[mattlp]

To upconvert my DVDs

I bought one of the Toshiba $99 HD DVD players last November. I have yet to play a HD DVD. I have used it for my current library of regular DVDs and I'm quite happy with how it upconverts. <br /><br />I don't know if BluRay is better or HD DVD is better. I know that with HD DVD I don't have to replace my current DVDs unless I really feel the need. I guess that's why the movie studios have chosen BluRay. And that's the problem - the studios have chosen. The consumer really hasn't made a decision and it looks like he/she won't.

[umbrae]

Its not a loss or win....

until HD formats take up more than 2% of the market. This is not the first switch; nor the last.

[rkinne01]

WHY BUY EITHER

Why buy either when you can buy an up converter that will give standard DVD's HD like quality?

[krosavcheg]

HD wars were over two years ago

and the winner is... "Piracy, the better choice!"<br /><br />These blue rays and high density (pun intended) were a flop from the start.

[djdj]

Blu-ray capacity

Blu-ray fans always tout its higher potential capacity over HD-DVD, but 49.65% of BR discs are released in the single layer capacity (25GB), whereas 87% of HD-DVDs are of the 30GB variety. Not that it really matters, though... if a movie is encoded using AVC or VC-1, even 15GB is plenty of capacity for extremely high quality HD video.<br /><br />The features of HD-DVD make it a much more consumer friendly format than Blu-ray. Managed copy, region free, combo discs compatible with DVD players, just to name a few.<br /><br />Just another example of a very uninformed public.

[punterjoe]

Worth the price

I paid more for my first DVD player than Toshiba's current HD-DVD models, not to mention that adjusting for the value of that dollar the new players are actually taking a much smaller bite out of my wallet. For this price, I'd buy one. As for obsolecense, everything eventually becomes obsolete. My SACD player is already orphaned, but it still works &#38; sounds as good as ever. This won't prevent me from getting the next new thing - when it hits an optimal price point. But, it will give me something to play with while waiting for the next new thing to become a sensible purchase.

[txmadman]

Maybe the USSR will install HD-DVD in their subs...

Maybe this is anti-Soviet Karma finding its way back to Toshiba. Americans should not buy from Toshiba as a statement against that firm's sale of critical submarine technologies to the Soviet Union:<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED71E39F932A35756C0A961948260" target="_newWindow">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED71E39F932A35756C0A961948260</a>

[terminalblue]

1987?

seriously, how deep did you have to dig to find that bit of propaganda. that article is from 1987.<br /><br />do you work for sony?

[RobertaZ]

Toshiba

Maybe people shouldn't buy Blu-Ray players from Sony because everything that company makes FAILS PREMATURELY!

[webdev511]

Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal?

In case you missed it, we won the cold war. <br /><br />FYI, holding grudges for things that happened 20+ years ago really isn't good for you.

[rkinne01]

Its Over

The cold war has ended, move on.

[couchpotato99]

Toshiba HD-DVD price cut

Take THAT, Warners!

[jrm125]

take this HD DVD

Home Media Magazine reports that Blu-ray last week captured 85 percent of high-def disc sales compared to HD DVD's 15 percent.<br /><br />Blu-ray discs have consistently outsold HD DVD by a 2-1 margin for the last year, but last week's numbers reflect the greatest disparity yet in the format war.<br /><br />Even worse for HD DVD, Home Media Magazine writes that the top 10 high-def disc sellers were all Blu-ray. The best-selling HD DVD, The Kingdom, sold just 10 percent as many discs as the best-selling Blu-ray title, 3:10 to Yuma.<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tvpredictions.com/hddiscsales011708.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.tvpredictions.com/hddiscsales011708.htm</a><br /><br />Wow...those price drops did alot. Not.

[SleeStaK911]

This time BetaMax won

BluRay has the capacity. Almost twice as much. The studios have already written the end to this tale...

[ljbanner]

toshiba cut prices

hd dvd should be re named rocky<br />it keeps getting knocked down but still gets up.<br />when you think what a great upscaling dvd you will get at this price hd dvd is just a bonus<br />even on standard with no upscale it beats my £299 sony dvd player hands down.

[ljbanner]

people are still buying

also all the people who are selling there players! they have to be going somewhere people are still buying and are gonna continue to buy,<br />with all these people jumping ship you will kick your self when you realise the ship is still sailing and your left in the water holding your blu to way you down.

[kasjun]

high time for low prices

i think this is a very smart move on toshibas part if they can afford it. the players they have put on this new pricing are all 3rd generation players that at the very least can be used for their fine upscaling abilities if the format should fail. plus you can get 7 movies so the player is like FREE!!!! i see on amazon the hd-a3 has already jumped up to ten in the electronics catagory. this could get very interesting blu-ray lowers prices to match.

[webdev511]

Upconverts PLUS

plays HD-DVD movies and you get 7 freebies.<br /><br />Regular SD upconverter just upconverts, comes with no free movies and does not play either HD format.<br /><br />So $70-80 for an okay upconverter or around $100 (yes I fully expect the HD-A3 to drop to $100 at retail in the next 3 months.) for an upconverter that also plays HD-DVD with at worst $105 (7 movies times $15 each) worth of free HD-DVDs.<br /><br />Oh and the combo discs work in the mini-van too.

[hunter_jc]

Lower the Disk prices

If they want to do something to push people to pick up the HD-<br />DVD, they should look at lowering the prices of the disks to around <br />15 dollars a disk. They should do that while Warner is still around. <br />Or they are really doomed.

[bvdon]

re: lower disc prices

I agree. I will not buy an HD player because the media is way too <br />expensive. I would have no problem paying for a good HD disc <br />player otherwise. My Sony XBR 46 upconverts SD DVD's just fine for <br />now.<br /><br />These media companies play us for fools, but they are shooting <br />themselves in the foot on this one.

[cross platform]

Business As Usual

At my local Best Buy I saw no difference this weekend. I had heard reports that they were going to cut shelf space and not restock. But do you know what I found? No difference! They had restocked from christmas and there was still an equal display of titles next to BluRay. Also people were buying them just like before. HD DVD may be in this for the long haul.

[jrm125]

based on 10 mins at Best Buy

You seriously think you standing and watching at Best Buy for 10 minutes is proof? Cmon man...<br /><br />If they aren't going to restock and all the media buzz is around Blu Ray, that's what people buy, regardless of quality of the media, better format, etc. People buy what the media tells them, and the media is telling them Blu-ray.

[Mergatroid Mania]

HD-A3 and HD-A30 not all that great anyway

I have an HD TV which I bought for the widescreen.<br />Since my regular DVDs upconverted look SOOOO GOOD on this TV, I'm in no hurry to buy a HD player.<br /><br />I didn't buy an HD DVD or Blueray player because: I wanted to wait for prices to come down, I wasn't sure if the format I chose would disappear in a few years, there was no 1080p player available at the time, and the movies were WAY too expensive.<br /><br />There are four good reasons (five counting how good the regular movies look upconverted). Now, cudos to Toshiba for trying to get the price down. I would prefer if Toshiba won the format war anyway because I grew tired of Sony's proprietary tricks years ago.<br /><br />I'm sorry to say the two machines at the most attractive prices are (IMAO) not worth buying for me and perhaps anyone with a newer 1080p capable TV.<br /><br />If your TV maxes at 1080i (which most do), then that HD-A3 for $150 is a great deal. Go buy one.<br /><br />If you have a 1080p TV, read on.<br /><br />The HD-A30 only uses 1080p 24 which is only 24 frames per second, as opposed to 60 FPS from better (more expensive) units.<br /><br />Why would anyone buy a 24 fps unit? You know the flicker you get from interlace? That's a 30Hz flicker, and it's noticeable. Especially if you watch sports and see text superimposed over the screen.<br /><br />Why would you go out and buy a HD DVD player who's framerate is even lower than interlace? What's the point of buying 1080p if it's not 60Hz?<br /><br />For those people with 1080i TVs, this would be a good time to go buy a HD-A3.<br /><br />For people who have a 1080p TV, wait a little longer for Toshiba to bring a 60Hz 1080p HD-DVD player to around $150-$200.<br /><br />Even then, I'm not paying $30 or more for a new movie. When I see new HD movies for the SAME price as regular DVDs, and a 60Hz 2080p HD-DVD player for around $150, THEN I will buy.<br /><br />Maybe if Toshiba didn't have so many different models, they could offer one or two good ones at that $150-$200 price point.

[ewsachse]

What?

You must have some serious issues with your eyes.<br /><br />You say that upconverted DVD's "look SOOOO GOOD", but then you bellyache that the early HD DVD players only supported 1080i.<br /><br />If you cannot see the difference between a 480p signal "upconverted" to 1080i/1080p and a true 1080i signal, then you need glasses.<br /><br />Do you even know the difference between 1080i and 1080p. The "i" is for interlace and the "p" is for progressive scan. The interlacing is so fast that the human eye cannot see the difference.<br /><br />Since you cannot tell the difference between an "upconverted" picture and a true 1080i picture, then there is no way you can see the difference between an interlaced and non-interlaced picture.

[close5828]

HD DVD will only die if...and only if...

...the prices on the HD-DVDs are the same price as BluRay discs. They need to be $5 or more lower!

[umbrae]

How HDDVD can win...

Their studio stop making DVD discs and make HDDVD/DVD combos. Then lower HDDVD discs to DVD prices $16-25.<br /><br />As the 98% of media sales as DVD, and all the paramounts and universal DVDs are HDDVD's too. It could sway studios back.

[mchiu1971]

What about the porn industry?

I remember that the porn industry was backing HD-DVD mainly because Blu-Ray didn't want them. Will this play a major role in determining who wins?<br /><br />Personally, my feeling is that similar to DVD-R and DVD+R, eventually, the chipset manufacturers will develop single dual-mode chips that play Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, which will drive down the prices of dual-mode players, to a level that is affordable, and everyone ends up winning except for the early adopters.

[JonP07]

Buy a good upconverter

Just buy a good up-converter until your ready to shell out money for a BluRay or HD-DVD player. The OPPO DV-980 or DV-981HD are the two best up-converters made. It makes SD-DVD look very close to HD-DVD that you probably wouldn't know the difference. The Toshiba HD-A35 also is another very good SD-DVD up-converter HD-DVD player if you want both in one unit.

[enovikoff]

Upconverter smupconverter

A well-produced HD title is vastly superior to an upconverted well-produced SD DVD. You can always sample the difference on cable or satellite services. The real issue isn't about going and buying another piece of tide-me-over hardware, it's whether the new itunes and Netflix HD services will do the job better than the whole drama of buying and owning a DVD player and HD titles.

[smcguire36]

Don't forget the cost of the TV

What everyone here seems to be forgetting is that to play an HD movie (whether it be HD-DVD or Blue-Ray) you need a TV that supports 1080p resolution to get the best quality image! For those of us that have a $2000+ HD TV from 2003 that is not an option. My Sony XBR HD TV from 2003 only supports up to 1080i and does not have an HDMI port on it so it wouldn't matter what HD format DVD player I buy, I still would get the same quality I have now. The players may be coming down in price but you'll still spend $1000+ on a good widescreen 1080p HDTV. I guess that is what I get for being on the leading edge in 2003.

[wpavlik2]

Bleeding edge

We bought an HDTV (monitor, really) in 2003. <br />With an HD cable box, it's a great set. I also have a component level DVD player to watch movies on it. <br />No HDMI and since it's still a really nice set, I'm not going to ditch it in favor of the flavor of the week in A/V.<br />I'll wait for the Blu-Ray /HD-DVD wars to settle and players to get affordable. <br />I doubt they are going to quit producing DVDs any time soon.

[aristotle_dude]

Speaking of uninformed public

Do you really believe what you are spouting?<br /><br />The lack of regions was the region why several New Line releases were delayed for HD DVD prior to the Warner announcement.<br /><br />Managed copy is vapourware and would most likely be based on WMP DRM and require a windows PC.<br /><br />Combo discs were notoriously glitchy and some people had to boil their discs to get them to playback on their HD DVD players. Not to mention that they were often priced 10-15 dollars higher than most Blu-ray titles.<br /><br />It was recently revealed that some German released HD DVD titles were authored with the Image Constraint Token turned on which means that those titles will revert to 480p if played back on a non-HDMI display.<br /><br />So much for "consumer friendly".

[jrm125]

HD DVDs dirty little secrets

Yea, all true. But they'll never acknowledge it as long as they can point at Sony's past transgressions. Mind you Blu-ray hasn't done anything shady...they're zealoted about HD DVD and will probably stay that way.