Do you guys like HD-DVD combo discs? I thought part of the selling point of HD-DVD was that the discs are supposed to be cheaper than Blu-Ray. Yet, for most new releases available on both formats, I end up paying $5 or more for HD-DVD than the Blu-Ray version because I'm FORCED to buy a combo disc with the standard DVD version on the other side that I'll never watch!

I really don't see many HD-DVD owners wanting to pay for the inclusion of the DVD version, and I don't really see many people without HD-DVD players buying the HD-DVD version. If I had a player for each format, since picture and sound quality are pretty much identical now, I'd go for the cheaper version everytime.

Also, for new buyers that don't understand the reason for the increased price, it doesn't look good for HD-DVD when the same titles are advertised side by side and much cheaper on Blu-Ray. I think if HD-DVD wants to do better they should drop the combo discs and focus on selling HD content alone, instead of nickel and diming us by forcing us to buy SD version.

It's a frequent complaint when the cost is a little more. I'd expect this to eventually come down. Personally I have no problem with combos and don't mind not having disc art, and normally you can always find the title well below the MSRP. As for those without HD DVD players, I haven't seen anybody buy a combo who doesn't own one either, but then again, how do we know if those buying an HD DVD combo owns a player anyway? I don't ask anybody if they have one. I'm sure that there are probably quite a few buying combos prior to their player purchase that we don't know about.

Keep in mind, too, that though there are no Blu-ray discs that are combos, there are quite a few Blu-ray titles that are HD DVD combo priced anyway. It's not like we're spending oodles more than Blu-dudes.

Do you guys like HD-DVD combo discs? I thought part of the selling point of HD-DVD was that the discs are supposed to be cheaper than Blu-Ray. Yet, for most new releases available on both formats, I end up paying $5 or more for HD-DVD than the Blu-Ray version because I'm FORCED to buy a combo disc with the standard DVD version on the other side that I'll never watch!

I really don't see many HD-DVD owners wanting to pay for the inclusion of the DVD version, and I don't really see many people without HD-DVD players buying the HD-DVD version. If I had a player for each format, since picture and sound quality are pretty much identical now, I'd go for the cheaper version everytime.

Also, for new buyers that don't understand the reason for the increased price, it doesn't look good for HD-DVD when the same titles are advertised side by side and much cheaper on Blu-Ray. I think if HD-DVD wants to do better they should drop the combo discs and focus on selling HD content alone, instead of nickel and diming us by forcing us to buy SD version.


I whole heartedly agree with you. It's monumentally stupid of the studios to force us to purchase combo discs because it jacks up the price... I happen to have many of the movies already in standard DVD so I'm forced to purchase a combo disc so I can get a HD DVD version... pure greed and stupidity on the part of the studios.... I'm not buying the combo discs!!... :mad:

Cost alittle more? Man everyone I see is waaaaaaaay more.. Hell, like purchasing a DVD and HD-DVD...

Combos are not having the desired effect because they're being sold for $34.98 in many places. As the poster above states you could buy a 24.98 disc and likely the DVD is roughly $10 unless it's a brand new title.

Sadly Universal has hurt the sales of some movies by making them Combos. It's likely the biggest gaffe they've made.

I hate combos. Get rid-off it.
Most of the blockbuster titles are released in combo jacking up the price eventually giving BD the sales edge.

I still love combos, but I have friends and family I can trust and don’t give a crap about disk art. In five years, if I have an HD DVD Player in my car and everyone in my social circle has:
a) purchased an HDTV (not likely) and

b) purchased an HD DVD Player (even less likely, my parents just purchased a DVD Player last year some 57 years into their SD experience)

Then I will not have a need for my combos. As it stands right now I don’t mind to pay $4 or $5 more (note that’s more than 50% of the best SD DVD price) to have Date & Day (the only combos being released) Combo disks. That extra $5 will allow me take 300 into work to watch just like it lets my kids watch Happy Feet on the road. Then there is the money my friends and family have saved by borrowing my Combos from me instead of having to rent Children of Men, The Good Shepard and The Departed. I come out smelling like a rose and my friends and family have fond feelings for me and the HD DVD Combo format. Many of those same people don’t even know what Blu-ray is, but they know what HD DVD is and I think name recognition works to the benefit of HD DVD.

The marketing of the combos sucks. The SD side should be a freebe bonus feature, like a commentary or making of extra. But charging big bucks for something 95% do not want/do not need/do never use is LAME!

The combos are great for the format war against DVD. But then the combos should not cost more than $5 more than the DVD version.

OMG can people please use the search function, we don't need a combo thread every 15 minutes. There really isn't anything new about them to talk about.

By the way I love combos and think they are the way to go. Really I don't see why early adopters are so prone to complain about an extra $4-$5.

Really what more can be disected on this topic? Why start a whole new thread?....why not just add your thoughts to one of the many existing threads?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=773187

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=777893

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=772703

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=725062

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=760653

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=724737 (that is just one of at least three polls asking if ppl actually use the SD side of the combo disc)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=730133

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=705917

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=716544

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=703041

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=698978

It's almost guaranteed anything discussed has already been discussed in any of the above threads....at this point a generic combo thread is no different another another Friday the 13th movie...it's all redundant

Here's a generic general search using "combo" as the search word

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/sear...earchid=4159798

Please don't start new threads when there are plenty of existing ones.

Thanks

Doc