[DLove23]

Ok, I have both formats. I don't have that many movies.


Why?


$30 a disk - THATS WHY!


Just yesterday I was browsing Best Buy and saw the new Jet Li movie for a whopping $40! Oh, I get dual formats - that makes it worth it. NOT! Why on God's green earth would I want to use the regular DVD side if I have an HD-DVD player?! To me, thats just means I have to actually look at the fine print before putting it in the player. It would be a neat feature if it didn't cost anything extra but instead it jacks the price up another $5-10 per movie.


RETARDED.

Oh yah - Wal Mart does have them cheaper. I saw said movie there for the mere cost of $30. Kingdom of Heaven, a good Blu-Ray reference disk. I'd like to go buy it. Opps, no thanks - not for $34. Absolutely incredible. King Kong is $19 at Wal Mart. Hmmm.... me thinks they aren't taking a loss at that price. So how about putting the rest in that range eh?


If any HD-DVD or Blu Ray management types lurk here I'd like to point out how irritated I am at the inflated prices you charge for these movies. It has also put a crimp in my DVD purchases as well. Why buy it on DVD when high def is available? I'd regret it, but yet I'm stuck in neutral because I also don't want to pay THAT much of a premium for the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray version. So in the end I buy nothing. Way to go boys.


Oh, and Best Buy - come down a little yourselves. I see every Blu-Ray/HD-DVD movie made being more expensive at your store than anywhere else.


Good Lord....just had to vent. I want to enjoy my wonderful new players but I simply CANNOT swallow paying $30 a pop.

 

[Big J]

Have you considered buying from Amazon? At 30% off plus an additional 10% off, its hard to beat.

J

 

[DLove23]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Big J /forum/post/0


Have you considered buying from Amazon? At 30% off plus an additional 10% off, its hard to beat.

J

Sounds good to me, I'll check it out. This ain't helping either side tho, lemme tell ya. Thanx man!

 

[fronn]

I don't understand how anyone can really justify buying at B&M stores unless they have some deal (like the BOGO free deal that BB had for some BR movies). I suppose on a spur-of-the-moment purchase I might, but that'd be very occasional with those prices... not my standard way of purchasing.


You may not get it the day it's released, but the hassle is reduced (going to the store and actually finding the movie -- I hear lots of people having trouble finding stores that carry the new discs) and it's a good deal cheaper!


I also like receiving random packages in the mail that I wasn't expecting because I pre-ordered so much stuff so long ago -- it's like receiving presents from your past self.

 

[cjr1]

I've found that if you print out the web page from Target showing the price and product and take it to BB, they will price match. Target being the same price as Amazon, all you will be loosing is the 10%

 

[mrkrispy]

I share a similar view. So many people on this forum act like spoiled little brats trying to win the format war (really just uptight that their format will "lose"). Instead we should really be focusing our anger that discs are expensive and most are far from perfect.

 

[ottscay]

Actually, it would be really bad for prices on media to drop much right now. Of all people I'd have thought AVS members would have a better understanding of the market. The reason you can now buy every movie ever made on DVD (I realize that's not literally, true, but there is a staggering amount of material available on DVD) because, and only because, of how the market matured. It took long enough for the price of DVD players and software to drop that the cost of production dropped faster, and the entire market was an expanding revenuse stream for CE manufacturers and studios alike. If prices drop too fast on hidef media, there will be limited interest in continuing the market, obselesence will be phased in earlier, and we will never be able to buy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Blu Ray or HD DVD.


This (combined with a reduced rate of market penetration) is why ultimately this format war is destructive, and why I do not like the strategy of HD DVD (even though it's the only viable strategy to them right now).


Low prices are great on our pocket books, sure, but not so good on the long term health of the format.

 

[Rob Zuber]

This shows the real problem the industry is facing. Spoiled consumers who want new technology delivering all perfect movies for no money.


The world don't work that way.

 

[mrkrispy]

I guess you are right.....CDs remaining the same price (high) and of the same quality for 20 years worked out just great for the music industry...

 

[JosephShaw]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mrkrispy /forum/post/0


I guess you are right.....CDs remaining the same price (high) and of the same quality for 20 years worked out just great for the music industry...

Technically, due to inflation, CD's are cheaper now than ever before!

 

[SirDrexl]

I only have three complaints:


1. Fox charging $40 list for catalog titles. If all the other studios can charge $30-35 (again, list prices), so can Fox. It's unfortunate that MGM's titles are affected as well.


2. Leaving extras off some of the discs. This indirectly is related to pricing because extras add value. Discs that have their extras dropped seem more expensive.


3. Combos driving up prices on affected HD DVD titles. Quit the combos or keep them the same price as non-combos.


Other than those three things, I don't see anything wrong with the pricing. DVDs were just as expensive when they were new, and it's not unreasonable at all to expect to pay more for HD.

 

[hdtvhdtv]

The basic price of HD DVD's and Blu Ray's are equlivalent to what Laser disc cost 15 years ago. With the much lower price of standard DVD's and the advent of upsale DVD players costing in many cases less than half the price of the cheapest Hi DEf player. This will only serve to make it much harder for the new formats to really capture 6PJ's attention.

I even find myself starting to buy more regular DVD's here lateley because the prices are a little too much to at times.

Now I know there are those who say that one can buy the HD movies for cheaper online. However, this will not serve the greater adoption of the this format, for most people still go to brick and morder stores.

 

[namechamps]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ottscay /forum/post/0


Actually, it would be really bad for prices on media to drop much right now. Of all people I'd have thought AVS members would have a better understanding of the market. The reason you can now buy every movie ever made on DVD (I realize that's not literally, true, but there is a staggering amount of material available on DVD) because, and only because, of how the market matured. It took long enough for the price of DVD players and software to drop that the cost of production dropped faster, and the entire market was an expanding revenuse stream for CE manufacturers and studios alike. If prices drop too fast on hidef media, there will be limited interest in continuing the market, obselesence will be phased in earlier, and we will never be able to buy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Blu Ray or HD DVD.

You do understand that a HD DVD cost about $0.50 more to produce than a DVD. Replication costs are very low for HD DVD. Not sure about Bluray but there is no reason for these high prices on HD DVD. This is just an attempt to force a higher price point on consumers. Nothing more. I am sticking to renting for a while. DVD rental vs HD DVD rental is the same price.[/quote]

Quote:
Low prices are great on our pocket books, sure, but not so good on the long term health of the format.

What you and I consider low are very different. Considering the replication cost of a piece of media is less than $2 it is a stretch of the truth to make is seem like the industry can not be VERY VERY profitable at $20 per disc. It is just greed.

 

[Mattman]

I have about 500 DVD's in my library. I'm one of those that prefers owning over renting but the format war and the high prices for media have convinced this early adopter to sit on the sideline until something shakes out. And I'm far from being alone.


If one of the two formats makes the content more economically feasible for me to start building a library then that's the side I will likely jump to. Maybe.

 

[Anamorphiac]



Quote:
Originally Posted by namechamps /forum/post/0


You do understand that a HD DVD cost about $0.50 more to produce than a DVD. Replication costs are very low for HD DVD. Not sure about Bluray but there is no reason for these high prices on HD DVD. This is just an attempt to force a higher price point on consumers. Nothing more. I am sticking to renting for a while. DVD rental vs HD DVD rental is the same price.

I don't suppose recouping R&D means anything to anybody around here?

 

[eapleitez]

Amazon is your friend.

 

[xradman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Anamorphiac /forum/post/0


I don't suppose recouping R&D means anything to anybody around here?

I don't claim to be an economist, but R&D and mastering costs are fixed cost. Unit cost to produce additional disc is just a tiny fraction of of total cost of the disc. R&D and mastering cost to the studio would be the same if they made 1 disc or 1 million discs. I would think that studios could make much more profit selling 100,000 combos at $20 per disc than 10,000 HD DVDs at $30 per disc.

 

[homerx]

I'd imagine even though the cost of making a HDDVD may be close to that of the dvd. The over all profit is what they want.


20,000 dvds making $5 a disc vs 5000 HDDVDs. So at first prices must be higher in order to make a profit..


But some HDDVDs are inded to high 40$ for fearless. Crazy. Glad I'm going to buy it online but still...

 

[SEMAJ92]

I think you guys need to hit a MovieStop. The one in my area, Brandon, FL, has Black Rain in HD DVD and Blu Ray for $19.99. Saw 3 and Courage Under Fire were $24.99 each on Blu Ray. I copped Deer Hunter last week for $19.99.


I suggest you take a Saturday and hit every electronic store chain and video store chain you can find in your city. I bet you'll find a few good spots.

 

[Big J]



Quote:
Originally Posted by SEMAJ92 /forum/post/0


I think you guys need to hit a MovieStop. The one in my area, Brandon, FL, has Black Rain in HD DVD and Blu Ray for $19.99. Saw 3 and Courage Under Fire were $24.99 each on Blu Ray. I copped Deer Hunter last week for $19.99.


I suggest you take a Saturday and hit every electronic store chain and video store chain you can find in your city. I bet you'll find a few good spots.

Unfortunately, there is no moviestop in my area. Frankly, I have better things to do with my time than to drive all over town to save a buck. I'm paying $18 for my HD DVDs (non-combos) from Amazon, with no tax and free shipping. B&M stores aren't going to beat that.

J