Wal-Mart considers 2M HD DVD player buy

Retailer says consumers will choose dominant format as prices decrease

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6438105.html?nid=2840

Wal-Mart wouldn’t comment directly on whether it would or wouldn’t bring in the low-cost Chinese players, but the chain released a statement to Video Business that seems to leave the door open.

“Today we sell both Blu-ray and HD DVD in our stores nationwide (approx. 750 stores). As with all new technologies, we are committed to providing the best value on products that customers choose as most relevant to them. With new industry developments, we will make shifts in our selections as customer preferences evolve and they vote with their purchase,” the statement said. “We expect that as prices decrease and new elements are added in the coming months that consumers will choose which format will dominate, and that could happen by the end of this year.”

Wal-Mart considers 2M HD DVD player buy

Retailer says consumers will choose dominant format as prices decrease

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6438105.html?nid=2840

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D

funniest post ever on AVS :)

Worthy of a sig :eek:

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D

*cackle*

:D :D :D

Wal-Mart considers 2M HD DVD player buy

Retailer says consumers will choose dominant format as prices decrease

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6438105.html?nid=2840

Hah! So maybe they meant that as prices of both technologies decrease, any price differential between the players will vanish and BD will become the preferred format?

So maybe your title should read that "Walmart considers 2M Blu-ray player buy"? They left the door open for that too :rolleyes:

Um, the article quotes AVS, the Fu Yuan website, and a statement that was verbatim quote that Walmart provided to other online news sites and already reported in multiple threads. Where is the newsworthy part of this? Or have you tired of putting 2000+ posts on the same denied claim in the HD DVD hardware forum so it's time to spread it to other forums?

Viral marketing whaa?

What a sad little article that is, trying to cheerlead on HD-DVD with no facts to back it up.

Um, the article quotes AVS, the Fu Yuan website, and a statement that was verbatim quote that Walmart provided to other online news sites and already reported in multiple threads. Where is the newsworthy part of this? Or have you tired of putting 2000+ posts on the same denied claim in the HD DVD hardware forum so it's time to spread it to other forums?

Viral marketing whaa?

Gee... I wonder which format you favor? :rolleyes:

To quote Sgt. Hulka: "Lighten up, Francis."

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D

I haven't laughed that hard in a week. Thanks for that!

Um, the article quotes AVS, the Fu Yuan website, and a statement that was verbatim quote that Walmart provided to other online news sites and already reported in multiple threads. Where is the newsworthy part of this? Or have you tired of putting 2000+ posts on the same denied claim in the HD DVD hardware forum so it's time to spread it to other forums?

Viral marketing whaa?

ottscay, the voice of reason :)

some conveniently overlooked stuff, from yesterday's HMM, pg 26:

"Melissa O'Brien, senior manager, (Walmart) corporate communications, merchandise, said the chain would carry Sony's new Blu-ray player when it is released. Wal-Mart also stocks Sony's PlayStation 3 game console that includes a Blu-ray drive.

Meanwhile, reports surfaced that the retailer had ordered 2M Chinese-made HD DVD players for $100M. O'Brien not only denied the existence of any such order, but also addded the report was false."

Italics are mine.

Ken

Gee... I wonder which format you favor? :rolleyes:

To quote Sgt. Hulka: "Lighten up, Francis."

Actually I also poo-pooed similar threads in the BD hardware forum (despite being less inappropriate) for similar reasons. And I did laugh heartily at Snickering's joke..it just doesn't justify this thread.

“We expect that as prices decrease and new elements are added in the coming months that consumers will choose which format will dominate, and that could happen by the end of this year.”

Nope, nothing more to read between the lines. ;)

That Wal Mart is considering low cost HD players is true. That Wal Mart asked companies to bid for 2M plus players is also true....that the orders under consideration by Fuh Yuan was HD DVD is also true....finally, it is also true that Wal Mart hasn't placed an order with this company yet.

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D
Yep - instant classic, worthy of sig placement! :D

We will know the truth on Black Friday.

We will know the truth on Black Friday.

the current models at walmart most likely will be $299 ($50 drop less in 6 months isn't unlikely at all) by then anyways so would it even matter that far off? Even with the price advantage blu-ray has more movies sold and more players sold.

Maybe the whole quote appeared last week, but if it did, I just focused on the last sentence. Taken in its entirety, the quote suggests--just suggests, mind you--that Wal-Mart expects to move to one format, apparently HD DVD: "Today we sell both Blu-ray and HD DVD in our stores nationwide . . . . With new industry developments, we will make shifts in our selections as customer preferences evolve and they vote with their purchase,” the statement said. “We expect that as prices decrease and new elements are added in the coming months that consumers will choose which format will dominate, and that could happen by the end of this year.” I read this to mean, today we sell both formats but we're going to shift to the cheaper one by the end of the year.

I have that sinking feeling that Wal-Mart is going to pull a fat one and order 2 million Dual Format Players!

I can't image them getting behind one format or the other!

Maybe the whole quote appeared last week, but if it did, I just focused on the last sentence. Taken in its entirety, the quote suggests--just suggests, mind you--that Wal-Mart expects to move to one format, apparently HD DVD: "Today we sell both Blu-ray and HD DVD in our stores nationwide . . . . With new industry developments, we will make shifts in our selections as customer preferences evolve and they vote with their purchase,” the statement said. “We expect that as prices decrease and new elements are added in the coming months that consumers will choose which format will dominate, and that could happen by the end of this year.” I read this to mean, today we sell both formats but we're going to shift to the cheaper one by the end of the year.

You need to start a Wiki Page titled: HD-DVD & Reading Between The Lines, and put exactly what you wrote here. Why can't anything be taken at face value anymore? There really, REALLY looks like nothing is actually going on. Can everyone stop speculating? Please? =)

I have that sinking feeling that Wal-Mart is going to pull a fat one and order 2 million Dual Format Players!

I can't image them getting behind one format or the other!
Let's see. Stand alone HD DVD players - $400-500 right now. Stand alone BD players - $500-600 right now. Combi players - $900- 1200 right now (speculated with the Samsung).

I can't imagine Wal-Mart getting behind the cheapest player possible. They would create a Chinese house-brand combi player that costs a couple hundred more than they could create a stand-alone HD DVD player. That way, they could be magnanimous and help all formats. Rather than take a position on the side of the format that has dedicated itself to quickly lowering prices, they will help Sony create another proprietary format, and spend $100's of millions of Wal-Mart's dollars to keep the war fair, and open.

Yup - makes sense to me! :rolleyes: ;)

You all are invited to join the main thread on this subject in the HD DVD hardware forum and join in the mainly adult conversation there.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10434429#post10434429

It occurs to me that we have mostly the same voices here (and a few new ones) making the standard denials of this possible Walmart deal, and ridiculing all those who give it the serious consideration it deserves.

It was the same when we heard both LG and Samsung in the press announcing their Hybrid players, then mysteriously denying the statements 24 hours later.

These same anti-HD voices said they (the Hybrids) would never happen, and that anyone who believed it was wrong in the head - while others (myself included) could see quite clearly that there was fire behind the smoke.

I'm putting my money on Walmart launching these HD DVD players - although they are probably quite peeved that Fuh Yuan got careless with their whispers...

(...standing by for the usual knee jerk invectives from those mentioned above...)

I've imported some of these posts to the HD DVD forum thread on the subject.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10434429#post10434429

"We did not have business relations with that company, Fuh Yuan" :D
But I guess that depends of the definition of "have", right? :D

Do we really need a new thread on this :( , nataraj, why not post the info in the FY mega thread :confused:

Imagine all the Walmart customers watching Universal movies on their SDTVs. Hell, maybe they have a deal with one of those Chinese companies that makes LCD picture frames to create the world's first $299 HDTV...and maybe it will have a combo HD-DVD/VHS player built-in!

Someone should start a new forum on the possibility...at least a thread.

Imagine all the Walmart customers watching Universal movies on their SDTVs. Hell, maybe they have a deal with one of those Chinese companies that makes LCD picture frames to create the world's first $299 HDTV...and maybe it will have a combo HD-DVD/VHS player built-in!

Someone should start a new forum on the possibility...at least a thread.
Wal-Mart is already one of the biggest retailers of HD TVs in the world.

Mods,

Please lock or delete this thread...

That Wal Mart is considering low cost HD players is true. That Wal Mart asked companies to bid for 2M plus players is also true....that the orders under consideration by Fuh Yuan was HD DVD is also true....finally, it is also true that Wal Mart hasn't placed an order with this company yet.

Thankyou. This needs to be repeated enough times because of the lack of comprehension or intentional misrepresentation by blu only drinkers.

time