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I got "Rayed" at Best Buy - Page 11

post #301 of 323
12/21/06 at 12:17pm
They don't care because the average BB customer is more clueless than the morons working there.
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post #302 of 323
12/21/06 at 12:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher View Post

I have yet to come across one BB or Future Shop sales drone try to Blu-Raype me. In fact, the ones I've come across pushed HD DVD over Blu-Ray.



Oh yes I will. HD DVD rocks, consumers know it, they love it, and studios and CE companies are taking notice.


Future Shop and Best Buy in Canada have decided to remain firmly format neutral. The sales associates have been informed of the specifications of both formats and both formats should be on display in all stores. Stock on discs should be ample.

While the ASP of one format may be higher than another I think the sentiment here is that a few dollars of profit now is not a wise gain in comparison to customer goodwill over the next decade. If a customer comes in looking for BD - show them BD. If a customer comes in looking for HD-DVD, show them HD-DVD. Ask questions, demo both formats if requested and inform the customer - then let them make up their own mind.

I wrote an article for the Ask the Expert section which I believe is balanced - I'll PM the link to anyone who would care to read it. Simply put - no one walking into either of these stores should get "Rayed" or... er.. "HD'd" (I got nothin on that one...).
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post #303 of 323
12/21/06 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham_w View Post

Future Shop and Best Buy in Canada have decided to remain firmly format neutral. The sales associates have been informed of the specifications of both formats and both formats should be on display in all stores. Stock on discs should be ample.

While the ASP of one format may be higher than another I think the sentiment here is that a few dollars of profit now is not a wise gain in comparison to customer goodwill over the next decade. If a customer comes in looking for BD - show them BD. If a customer comes in looking for HD-DVD, show them HD-DVD. Ask questions, demo both formats if requested and inform the customer - then let them make up their own mind.

I wrote an article for the Ask the Expert section which I believe is balanced - I'll PM the link to anyone who would care to read it. Simply put - no one walking into either of these stores should get "Rayed" or... er.. "HD'd" (I got nothin on that one...).

How about "Simply put - no one walking into either of these stores should get "Rayed" or "Given good advice"".
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post #304 of 323
12/21/06 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham_w View Post

Future Shop and Best Buy in Canada have decided to remain firmly format neutral. The sales associates have been informed of the specifications of both formats and both formats should be on display in all stores. Stock on discs should be ample.

While the ASP of one format may be higher than another I think the sentiment here is that a few dollars of profit now is not a wise gain in comparison to customer goodwill over the next decade. If a customer comes in looking for BD - show them BD. If a customer comes in looking for HD-DVD, show them HD-DVD. Ask questions, demo both formats if requested and inform the customer - then let them make up their own mind.

I wrote an article for the Ask the Expert section which I believe is balanced - I'll PM the link to anyone who would care to read it. Simply put - no one walking into either of these stores should get "Rayed" or... er.. "HD'd" (I got nothin on that one...).

I'm in Winnipeg (canada) and I can say the same thing. The staff is well informed of both technologies and promotes niether one over the other. This is in BB as well as Future Shop.
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post #305 of 323
12/21/06 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmpage2 View Post

They don't care because the average BB customer is more clueless than the morons working there.


Sadly this is true.
Most people making a high priced purchase end up listening to what they are told by the staff of big box stores and not researching at least some aspects to each product.
I have seen many on this thread say they don't care what information BB clerks spew forth. The bottom line is it is just not right.
I went to my local BB about one week or so ago and they had an HD-DVD player down some obscure isle playing a standard def dvd. Now, I don't rank BB sales clerks up there on the high end of the A/V knowledge chain, but if I had to bet, this was done purposely.

Craig
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post #306 of 323
12/23/06 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwv651 View Post

I agree Toshiba needs to push there format...blu-ray is everywhere and its being pushed down our throats everywhere we go...hopefully some good news will come out of CES. They better not miss this opportunity...or it WILL be good news for Blu-ray.

true (not that I am against blu-ray), but it was sad to see my local CC in NC stop carrying HD while having a prominent blu-ray display. sadder still was a CC in NJ where I could find no sign of any hi-def DVD of either sort!

local walmart in NC also seems to have all but dropped hi-def discs.

BB seems to generally keep a better blu-ray title stock in the NC and NJ stores I've been in.
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post #307 of 323
12/23/06 at 12:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pabster View Post

I think this makes sense. After all, the typical Wally customer isn't a high-end home theater buff. And they certainly don't have the money to invest in cutting-edge high-end hardware.

Sam's Club is more of the same.

probably so, but it was still sad to see at my local walmart.
what was funny though was on teh day they first started carrying HD DVD and Blu-Ray they cleared off the entire main section where they had SD DVD and gave it to the hi-def ones. they had literally 50% of total dvd shelf space given to hi-def ones. it didn't last for long. i was surprised they even started it that way considering it was a walmart and one that tended to lower end stuff than most walmarts I've ever been in too.
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post #308 of 323
12/23/06 at 12:37am
ive bought a couple of hd-dvds at walmarts. i was actually gonna get one but all the titles they had i allready owned. so i went to target and got troy,bourne supremecy or whatever it is lol

both walmart and target carry both formats same amount of space just the hd-dvd section had like 1-3 disc or 0 in the slots. and blu ray was full. but im not saying cause their stocking them better but im gonna go out on a limb and say cause their not selling
most except two blu ray titles where 29.99 and the other two where 19.99.
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post #309 of 323
12/23/06 at 12:40am
I should have picked the screen name of Blu-Beta ;-)
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post #310 of 323
12/23/06 at 6:52am
I went to BB in Ann Arbor yesterday which also has a Magnolia store.
I was completely surprised when I went inside the Magnolia store and found that they were for the most part in favor of HD-DVD. On the other hand, once I left the Magnolia store and walked into the BB, I was immediately Rayed by the boys in blue shirts. I asked three different clerks and unbelievably none of them seemed to know what I was talking about when I asked where their HD-DVD players were. I am sorry, but I find this truly hard to believe. Call me a conspiracy theorist or what ever, but I am beginning to think this is just another tactic used to push BD. I mean, how can you work in an electronics store that sells such an amount of A/V equipment and not know what HD-DVD is.

Craig
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post #311 of 323
1/2/07 at 11:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by XBRSteve View Post

Where do the BB workers get their training? I was looking at a Sony SXRD with a sales guy and he proceeded to tell me about how this technology worked. The first thing out of his mouth was it has a color wheel. Of course I have to correct him in detail and he just said "oh yeah" and literally walked off.

I heard another telling a guy how much better BR was over HD-DVD I corrected him and he seemed embarassed afterwards. Do these people even know what they are selling?

I work at BB. They are handed out 'cheat sheets'..Like pros & cons of plasmas & LCD..Remember, these kids are clueless & believe everything the upper brass tells them.. If you go to the BB in Milpitas,.Avoid a guy named James.. I hear him telling customers BS all day long.. Like 1080p broadcast will be everywhere in 1 1/2 yrs. 720p/1080i is the same? 1080p is actually 1,500i interlaced? Pick LCD cause its the superior technology & nothing is wrong with it??

On a side note.. WE cannot keep enougfh HD DVD players in stock..While, our 4 Samsung BR players have been here for almost 2 month..But Sony BR players are selling well..
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post #312 of 323
1/2/07 at 12:14pm
My BB has THREE returned blu-ray drives sitting in open box special area. I saw two of them still there from 2 days ago and now they have a third. At least they marked them at 50% off, so instead of 1000 for the Sony one it is 500.

I wonder why people returned them?
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post #313 of 323
1/2/07 at 12:29pm
When I went into a local best buy over the weekend, I was at the DVD section. They have a huge display above the blu-ray movies that says, "The Next Generation of DVD's" Very prominent, stands out. You have to hunt around for hd-dvd's, they are on a different shelf, nowhere near the blu-ray, no sign, just sitting on a shelf. Ridiculous.
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post #314 of 323
1/2/07 at 12:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WilliamR View Post

............... hd-dvd's, they are on a different shelf, nowhere near the blu-ray, no sign, just sitting on a shelf. Ridiculous.

Blame Toshiba..A big, fat check to Best Buy would change that in a hurry.
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post #315 of 323
1/2/07 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebland View Post

Blame Toshiba..A big, fat check to Best Buy would change that in a hurry.

Yep, this is one of the reasons why I have been considering shorting Sony. Having to buy shelf space is a good sign that Blu Ray is the BetaMax of the 21st century. On top of losing the HD format out of the gate, Sony's PS3 appears to be losing out to Wii and XBox360. I like my Sony TVs, but will pass on Blu Ray.
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post #316 of 323
1/2/07 at 10:03pm
What's amazing is depsite all the marketing and buyoff dollars by Sony, HD DVD is still winning. lol
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post #317 of 323
1/2/07 at 10:10pm
Might be about time for BluBuy to bail out.
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post #318 of 323
1/2/07 at 11:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebland View Post

Blame Toshiba..A big, fat check to Best Buy would change that in a hurry.

I would not blame Toshiba. If there is a reason why all Sony products tends to be more expensive....the reason is because they ALWAYS spend too much in Marketing ...and not because they are top of the market like they use to be in the 70's.
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post #319 of 323
1/3/07 at 6:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebland View Post

Blame Toshiba..A big, fat check to Best Buy would change that in a hurry.

If they did...War over!
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post #320 of 323
1/3/07 at 11:04am
So since it seems Best Buy right now is falling short in the HD war. Now that Circuit city has the A2 maybe we should start a thread called "I got Rayed at CC" lol I wounder if they are better or worse.
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post #321 of 323
1/3/07 at 11:18am
Well, in the AVS community, HD DVD is enjoying enormous success and an orgy of sorts in the HD DVD forums that would make the ancient Romans blush. But if peer out at the rest of the world, the word on HD DVD is, "What's that? Is that better than Blu Ray"?

It's a good product with zero name recognition and every buyer who wanders into any BB, CC or other B&M (more than a million per day) will be steered toward Blu Ray. Whether they can or cannot afford it is immaterial at this early point. No potential buyer will see any differences in PQ at these stores either, so the myth of improved PQ over BD is of zero impact at BB and other stores though it carries alot of weight here at AVS. However, the name recognition of Blu Ray, the many different manufacturers making players that consumers can can see at these stores and perception of quality will last until they are ready to buy.

Toshiba seems to be O.K. with it.... Are they so heavily subsidizing the players and R&D that they cannot afford a marketing campaign?
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post #322 of 323
1/3/07 at 11:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebland View Post

Well, in the AVS community, HD DVD is enjoying enormous success and an orgy of sorts in the HD DVD forums that would make the ancient Romans blush. But if peer out at the rest of the world, the word on HD DVD is, "What's that? Is that better than Blu Ray"?

It's a good product with zero name recognition and every buyer who wanders into any BB, CC or other B&M (more than a million per day) will be steered toward Blu Ray. Whether they can or cannot afford it is immaterial at this early point. No potential buyer will see any differences in PQ at these stores either, so the myth of improved PQ over BD is of zero impact at BB and other stores though it carries alot of weight here at AVS. However, the name recognition of Blu Ray, the many different manufacturers making players that consumers can can see at these stores and perception of quality will last until they are ready to buy.

Toshiba seems to be O.K. with it.... Are they so heavily subsidizing the players and R&D that they cannot afford a marketing campaign?

Right....

And the 100K HD-DVD players that are in homes and being shown off to friends and acquaintances have no impact on what people are looking for?

I think you seriously overestimate Blu-Ray at this early stage in the game, probably to help you sleep at night considering how much cash you've blown on a doomed format.
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post #323 of 323
1/3/07 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmpage2 View Post


I think you seriously overestimate Blu-Ray at this early stage in the game, probably to help you sleep at night considering how much cash you've blown on a doomed format.

I only got $1500 into BLu Ray...

You should have seen all the dough I spent on my 150 LDs, $3K player LD player as well as my D-THeater deck and many tapes...
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