Comments on: Toshiba chops $100 off HD DVD player

Toshiba is going to be officially lowering the price on its HD DVD players on April 1.

[dawgs1564]

People should just wait...

Don't waste your money. If you've already spent thousands of dollars on substandard HDTVs, then you'd really hate yourself if you spend more on a player that will be out of date in a year or so. My advice...wait until Christmas this year to get a full 1080 HDTV and get a HD player next year. By the way, who has enough money to buy HD movies???

[JamiLeeD]

Nice - non-1080 HDTVs are "substandard"

What, they are not real HDTVs?

[loopyjoe99]

A quick correction

I remember my first DVD player was a really nice Sony from before progressive scan. And it will still rival some of the best progressive scan players today. Thay gave me 5 free DVD's with the purchase.

[mjarnold]

Not true!!

Toshiba is not desperate. Back in the day when I bought my Panasonic DVD player, I got a coupon for 5 free DVDs. So I don't think that comment holds any water.

[dentalrep]

Buy Blu-ray!!! HD DUD is doomed...

This is just another example of how desperate HD DUD is getting. Maybe they can give away even more movies to get people to switch. That's right, they haven't been releasing any new movies. Maybe they should have went after getting more content than dropping their pants.

[dfichtner]

We don't care who wins. Just get below $200

Don't care who wins.

Just get below $200.

Until then, the switch just isn't worth it to me, and a lot of people out there. Above $200, and it's an audio/videophile niche product.

[BCF1968]

HD-DVD is doomed

Sony had it right to make the PS3 Blu-ray. Also content is king. By the end of the year both Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Caribean 3 will be on Blu-ray only, no HD-DVD version. Don't tell me that doesn't make a difference.

Once Universal sees the light and starts offering movies on blu-ray format it's will really be over for HD-DVD. And they will. Money talks and when you are going to have 10 times the amount of blu-ray players out there vs HD-DVD players they are going to want some of that market.

[make_or_break]

Content does matter

But only so far as people are willing to adopt the technology. Price is still key in getting people to bite on any format, both for the equipment AND the media itself. Frankly, there are VERY FEW films that are currently available that just make me want to upgrade to a hi-def version (and pay the extra cost) over the standard DVD release.

Considering the total lack of interest in both discounted BluRay and HD-DVD discs at the closing sale of a local CompUSA I saw recently (but still priced higher than the standard DVD version at regular, off-sale prices), I'd say at this point the HD market is still very much up in the air.

As for who wins the format war...BluRay does have its definite advantages in terms of potential for storage, but no one looking strictly as a home theater consumer really cares about that. Moreover, it costs money to create hi-def content; to fill either a BluRay or HD-DVD to its capacity with hi-def content only goes to DECREASE the amount of PROFIT the particular movie studio clears with any given release. And the studios can't have that now, can they? At least not until the [b]'Super Mega Ultimate Son of Director's Cut Courtesy of the Producer's Vision by way of The Financial Backer's Money Grubbing Dream'[/b] version, which should be about the 10th or 12th generation release of any said film, I'd wager a guess upon.

I'd say the first format to have a $100 machine on the market will likely get my support. But even then, if the media still carries a significant premium over standard DVDs, I'd guess that I'm going to be extremely selective on which HD movies I buy no matter how good my flat panel TV is.

[usadingo]

No, not really

HD-DVD already has a lot of content, and it's at a lower price. CNET needs to get out of bed with Sony and realize that slashing prices doesn't mean they're failing - it means they're winning. The key in a format war is getting your prices down faster than the other guy. HD-DVD is doing that. They're also making more sense.
Unlike Blu-Ray, most of their discs are combo discs with HD-DVD on one side, and HD-DVD on the other. That means you can still use the disc in your portable DVD player. You can't with Blu-Ray. Also, as stated before, the players cost at least half as much. HD-DVD also offers 1080p, and HDMI 1.3 - all at a lower cost.
Don't forget that some disc manufacturers are going to be releasing discs in both formats on the same disc. Blu-Ray one side, HD-DVD the other. If a disc has both formats, why buy the more expensive player?
Sony is continuing it's technology trend. Just give it time. Pretty soon Blu-Ray will be added to the list with the Betamax, UMD, Minidisc, Memory Stick, etc.

[bl105]

Price Is Key

Toshiba is definately heading in the right direction with the price drop. I still watch regular DVDs in a $50 player from Target and the quality is phenomenal on an LCD, you would have to be nuts (or rich) to upgrade to HD or Blu-Ray at the current prices. I think the first format to crack the $100 barrier for the players and the $20 for the media will run away with the market.

[sk8flawzz]

Waiting for one format to die....

or some kind of dual-player to go below 300
i wont be watching in hi-def at home for a whiiiile

[jjeffeory]

This would help.

Stop charging outrageous prices. Make all releases $19.99. You'll sell more movies. $25+ per movie is too much. I own 6 HD movies. I'd buy twice that many by now at $19.99. Also, you need to bring out more movies. Even old ones. Bring out more movies. Even old ones.

[yoon shay choo]

The lower price machine will survive

I totally agree with usadingo. The lower price machine will always win. Most people don't care about the marginal superior quality in performance of either machine. Correct me if I am wrong, most people who own HDTVs or SDTV don't play video games either. Which ever machine hit below $200 mark Canadian will get my dough. For the time being I am still for Toshiba. Viva Toshiba! Come to think of it, Viva Blu-ray just doesn't sound right.