[David Barteaux]

The set manufacturers have sold the public "HDTV Ready" TV sets. They are still ready to recieve HDTV through analog connections. Just because there is no longer any analog HDTV avaliable dosent mean that they are not HDTV ready.

They want to maximize profits so they sell you a "HDTV Ready" TV then they sell you the upgrade kit. Trust me they will have an upgrade $$, it only makes sense. Mitsubishi is really the only manufactrer that is honest about there upgrade plans, but they are still maximuizing there profits!

 

[btmoore]

There is nothing wrong with maximizing profits, that is what capitalism is all about. Adam Smiths's invisible hand will balance out the economics of the situation and the prices will be as high as the market will pay to achieve maximum profits and minimal expenses. The possible misleading play on words due to technicalities and possible obsolesce of the current installed base is the problem. There is nothing wrong with making as much money as you can. This is not the peoples republic of TV.


Regards,


Brian

 

[fdbjr]

Im with BTMoore. Upgrades arre inevtiable in the digital world. (IS DTV FAN posting with his 286, and his MS-DOS 5.0 program, and his 9600 modem?). Anyone who is not expecting to upgrade PERIPHERAL equipment every other year or so is kidding themseles. Sinc 1997, I'm into my third generation DVD player (straight vanilla, Tosh 6200, Panny RP-91.)Monitors are another story, but if the Mits people have an upgrade module in mind, so doa ll the others. Tha world is too large, and the players too big, for them all not to be marching to the same drum.


The paranoids on this board seem to think that tha the MPAA gains by outputting product that no one can watch; that the CE manufacturers gain despite the carnage done to markeign plans, dealer networks, and consumer confience. (Ever hear of flooring ? Co-marketing ? Sub-component assemblies ? You have to plan for inventories at least a year in advance on this stuff to make financial sense. Switching is not like pulling a plug or turning off a switch. In short, nobody makes a dime off obsolesnce.)


If Mitsubishi can put out an upgrade module, so can lal the others. Copyright holders want to output product into as large a market as possible. In a couple of years, I'll probably junk the STB (DTC-100 in my case) for whatever's next. Big deal.


[This message has been edited by fdbjr (edited 07-28-2001).]

 

[DTVFan]

Yeah, and I got a bridge over the Hudson River to sell you dude.

 

[fdbjr]

It's a world full of conspiracies, friend. No one's actually in it for profit. All they want to do is get YOU. VP's of marketing, owners of dealer franchises, corporate counsel - they'll all thake nine figure hits, in this fiscal year, just so your $3,000 unit won't receive everything in 2004. Lock your doors. Pull down the window shades. Trust no one. The X-Files isn't fiction. I's a documentary.


The frustration over the low volume of HDTV programming is directly related to the small size of the installed base. Period. Naturally, the wise thing for all the players to do is reduce it even further. (oh, I fogot - all they want to do is screw YOU. Sorry.)


Get a life.

 

[frachel]

Quote:

Originally posted by fdbjr: Anyone who is not expecting to upgrade PERIPHERAL equipment every other year or so is kidding themseles. Sinc 1997, I'm into my third generation DVD player (straight vanilla, Tosh 6200, Panny RP-91.)

But won't the 1st generation still play all the DVD's that are out there now?

 

[tombarry]

Isn't that proverbial 'bridge for sale' the Brooklyn Bridge, which I believe spans the East River, not the Hudson? But point taken.

 

[David Barteaux]

My point here is that this is a business. Mitsubishi's plan to let everyone know that they have a firewire upgrade module now, is to maximumize sales of the HDTV Ready sets they have now. Its just a different approach. Its about choice. I sell you a great HDTV Ready set now and give you the option to upgrade, great. If you think that only Mitsubishi sets can be upgraded your kidding yourself. I'd bet every HDTV Ready set has been engineered and built with upgradeability in mind. Every engineer at Sony knew about Firewire when they were designing the HDTV Ready TV. But by having the TV marked "HDTV Ready" their not obligated to provide an upgrade...too many lawyers at Sony get paid mucho bucks to think about this kinda stuff.

 

[Curtis]

Didn't Mits charge something like $3,500 for their 1st generation OTA only STB? They can charge whatever they determine the market will stand for the upgrade module. Just because it's an available upgrade does not mean it's what you'll want to buy.


My guess is that this is all the marketing department talking. Let engineering figure out how to do it/if it can be done later - there's market share to capture.

 

[jackmay]

Quote:

Originally posted by frachel: But won't the 1st generation still play all the DVD's that are out there now?

My first generation Sony DVD will not play DTS. Not a significant problem.