Comments on: Cheap HD DVD player coming--format war rages on

Venturer Electronics has announced the SHD7000 HD DVD player, which should be released before the 2007 holiday season and be the cheapest HD DVD player to date.

[make_or_break]

$199 isn't THAT exciting

It's 20% less than what Costco's been selling the HD-A2 for recently, but doesn't seem all that worthy a mention for a device that doesn't have any sort of brand name recognition.

$150 OTOH is a STEEP drop from the HD-A2's current pricing, and bring HD devices that much closer to that magical $100 mark. And it's enough of difference from the Toshiba--assuming that the HD-A2 itself doesn't lower its price again in the meantime--to make an off-brand purchase seem palatable.

[barrington thompson]

Are the cheapest HD DVD & Blu-ray players a con?

Only idiots would place the cheapest price higher than;
Reliability, features, Picture and Sound qualities.

[make_or_break]

I dunno...only time will tell if...

...cheap HD players are worth the money. But most everyone now buys cheap DVD players these days, and they don't seem to be complaining much. And I've certainly bought some REALLY expensive gear over the years only to have them crap out JUST LIKE the el cheapo stuff is supposed to (think 'Nakamichi'...just DON'T buy...).

[McPlot]

Nail in the coffen

If the rumor is true and a $150 HD DVD player is released, it will be a major nail in the coffen for Blu-Ray. A good upscalling DVD player is $100 to $130. If a HD DVD player for $150 comes out, people may pay the $20 to $50 more to get true HD DVD plus upconversion. Sony can scream until they are Blu in the face that they are the best. But most consumers want affordable over the best. They will spend $150-$200 way sooner then $500-$900. I wish Sony learned from their mistakes with BetaMax, LaserDisc, and everyother failed format they have come up with. But they still have not seen the light.

BetaMax is the best example. It was the best format at the time. It has a far better picture then VHS, and it was smaller. But Sony kept the price of the players high, and the price for movie studios to create movies for BetaMax high. In their greed, they killed a good format.

So to you Blu-Ray. While you have your PS3 Blu-Ballers behind you at the moment, you have not sold many actual stand alone players. While Blu-Ray movies are outselling HD DVD for the time being due to the PS3 owners, the attach rate (number of movies sold vs players sold) is horrible, while the attach rate of HD DVD is way better. Face it, the games are not buying movies. They get one or two because they can. Then it is all gaming for them.

It is too soon to say if either Blu-Ray or HD DVD will win. I have heard of two other HD standards coming out. Maybe one of them will take over. Who knows. But at this point, Sony is killing Blu-Ray by price alone.