I will be on the prowl for either an A30 or A35 for a secondary system so I can watch HD DVD's on my second TV.
Will The New HD DVD Player Prices Cause You To Buy Or Recommend An HD DVD Player?
Now that HD DVD player prices are no more than $149 for the Toshiba HD-A3, $199 for the HD-A30 and $299 for the HD-A35, will you be buying or recommending an HD DVD player, either to enjoy current HD DVD titles or for their upconverting capabilities? Feel free to discuss.
Edit: Press release added ...
Edit: Press release added ...
Quote:
Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit Sales
Mass Market Acceptance Confirms that HD DVD is the Consumer's Choice for
Next Generation High Def Entertainment
WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products,
L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announced that it is stepping up its successful
marketing campaign for HD DVD as it experienced record-breaking unit sales
in the fourth quarter of 2007. Major initiatives, including joint
advertising campaigns with studios and extended pricing strategies will
begin in mid- January and are designed to spotlight the superior benefits
of HD DVD as well as the benefits HD DVD brings to a consumer's current DVD
library by upconverting standard DVDs via the HDMI(TM) output to near high
definition picture quality.
As Toshiba achieved the #1 sales volume in the next generation DVD
category with an approximately 50 percent market share in 2007, HD DVD is
proven to be the format of choice for consumers. Coupled with an 80 percent
plus market share of all next generation DVD equipped notebooks for the 4th
quarter 2007, the HD DVD format has already paved the way to a high
definition digital AV solution by eliminating the boundaries between the
consumer's living room and on the go.
HD DVD not only creates the ultimate high definition entertainment
experience, leveraging all of the promise of the format such as superior
audio/video performance, Web-enabled network capabilities and advanced
interactive features - it also has a high-level of compatibility with DVD.
With DVD upconversion via the HDMI output, HD DVD players instantly make a
movie lover's existing DVD library look better than ever.
"HD DVD is the best way to watch movies in high definition," said Jodi
Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba's Digital A/V Group. "Our HD
DVD players not only play back approximately 800 HD DVD titles available
worldwide and deliver an entirely new level of entertainment but also
enhance the picture quality to near high definition on legacy DVD titles by
all studios. In short, we added high def to DVD which already is the de
facto standard format created and approved by the DVD Forum that consists
of more than two hundred companies."
New Marketing Strategy for Mass Market Adoption
Taking the holiday season sales based on promotional prices into full
consideration, these new manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) are
designed to meet the potential demand for HD DVD players in the U.S.
market. Effective on January 13, 2008 the MSRP of the entry-model HD-A3
will be $149.99, the HD-A30, with 1080p output, $199.99, and the high-end
HD-A35, $299.99.
"While price is one of the consideration elements for the early
adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer," said Yoshi
Uchiyama, Group Vice President Digital A/V Group. "Consumer sales this
holiday season have proven that the consumer awareness of the HD DVD format
has been elevated and pricing is the most critical determinant in
consumers' purchase decision of the next generation HD DVD technology. The value HD DVD provides to the
consumer simply cannot be ignored."
Extended Advertising Campaign
Toshiba plans to execute an extended advertising campaign that will
further enhance consumer awareness of the benefits of HD DVD and drive
sales to retail among potential consumers. Advertising strategies will
include television, print and online media channels. Toshiba will also work
with its dealers and studio partners on joint marketing and promotional
initiatives to promote HD DVD. Current promotions include "The Perfect HD
Offer" - a mail-in offer allowing consumers to select five HD DVD titles
for free from a selection of 15 with the purchase of any Toshiba HD DVD
player.
Consistent Viewing Experience and More
With advanced interactivity and Web-enabled network capabilities built
into every HD DVD player through a dedicated Ethernet port as mandated by
the specifications approved by the DVD Forum, Toshiba delivers on the
promise of a consistent entertainment experience through firmware updates
as studios launch new applications. HD DVD allows studios to flex their
creative muscle in ways never before seen. The latest of these new
experiences is online streaming. Now, when consumers connect their HD DVD
player to the Internet, they can stream new content or trailers, as
available, directly from a movie studio's server.
Universal Home Video, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG
have reported that an average of 30 percent of HD DVD owners have accessed
Web- enabled network features and continue to do so regularly.
Ongoing Customer Commitment
In order to ensure that its customers will receive complete
satisfaction from their new players, Toshiba introduced the "HD DVD
Concierge" earlier this month. Consumers can now call 1-888-MY HDDVD
(1-888-694-3383) for answers to general questions about HD DVD, for
operational assistance or for assistance with various promotions.
About Toshiba HD DVD Players
With the HD DVD format, select HD DVD players allow consumers to
experience true high def 1080p for extraordinary resolution that matches
the latest state of the art 1080p HDTVs. These same players display images
at 24 frames per second, the same frame rate used by directors when using
film to create motion pictures, for a smoother, more film-like, viewing
experience.
Important Notes:
HD DVD with high-definition content required for HD viewing. Up-
conversion of DVD content will result in near HD picture quality. Viewing
high-definition content and up-converting DVD content may require an HDCP
capable DVI or HDMI input on your display device. 1080p capable display
required for viewing content in 1080p. Firmware update may be required for
some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an
always-on broadband internet connection. Some features may require
additional bandwidth. To take advantage of web-enabled network content,
installing the latest firmware (ver.2.4 for HD DVD player models HD-XA1,
HD-A1, and HD-D1; ver.2.7 for HD-XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, HD-D2, HD-A2C, and
HD-A20; and ver.1.3 for HD-A35, HD-A30, and HD-A3) is required. Web-enabled
network features require an always on broadband connection along with
specific movie titles that include this form of content. For 24p output,
content that was created in 1080p/24 frames/sec is required. Viewing 24p
output requires an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal. Use
of REGZA Link, which is a feature based on HDMI-CEC, requires an HDMI-CEC
compatible display device. Depending on the specifications of your TV, some
or all REGZA Link functions may not work even if your TV is HDMI-CEC
compatible. Dolby(R) Digital Plus, Dolby(R) TrueHD and DTS(R) support for
up to 5.1 channels (DTS HD(R) support for DTS(R) core only). MP3/WMA audio
files not supported. HDMI audio output requires connection to a PCM capable
device. Because HD DVD is a new format that makes use of new technologies,
certain disc, digital connection and other compatibility and/or performance
issues are possible. This may, in rare cases, include disc freezing while
accessing certain disc features or functions, or certain parts of the disc
not playing back or operating as fully intended. If you experience such
issues, please refer to the FAQ sections of http://www.toshibahddvd.com or
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com for information on possible work- around solutions or
the availability of firmware updates that may resolve your problem, or
contact Toshiba Customer Solutions. Some features subject to delayed
availability. While every effort has been made at the time of publication
to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product
specifications, configurations, system/component/options availability are
all subject to change without notice.
1 - 20 of 402 Posts
If I can find the A30 even cheaper I'll take it. I want it for the up conversion...and transformers
Just got back from Best Buy and they price matched Circuit's price by 110% So I paid 179.99 For my A30! On top of everything else I got Battlestar season 1 and Heroes season 1 for FREE! Yes it's not a typo for FREE! They have that promotion where you buy any HD player you get two movies free in-store. The limit on the movies is 34.99 and under but I said what the hell (remembering the whole Xbox Add-on issue they were having when they ran the same promo) So I tried it and the lady at customer service was shocked and told me I got a "GREAT DEAL!" This will be my second HD DVD player going in the bedroom!
I think the price's will hit 99 or lower for the A-3 and around 130 to 150 for the A-30. The A-3 is already at 139.98 on amazon and the A-30 is at 179.98.
Remember, The price's you listed are the MSRP without any discounts. Amazon is already starting to add discounts to thiers. By then end of this month we'll see the A-3 under 100 dollars permanently. Who in the hell wouldn't want to buy it at that price! Not only do you get Awesome Upscaling features but you also get access to over 400 HD DVD titles which more then 250 are HD DVD exclusive titles! It's a No Brainer at this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher /forum/post/12795761
Now that HD DVD player prices are no more than $149 for the Toshiba HD-A3, $199 for the HD-A30 and $299 for the HD-A35, will you be buying or recommending an HD DVD player, either to enjoy current HD DVD titles or for their upconverting capabilities? Feel free to discuss.
I think the price's will hit 99 or lower for the A-3 and around 130 to 150 for the A-30. The A-3 is already at 139.98 on amazon and the A-30 is at 179.98.
Remember, The price's you listed are the MSRP without any discounts. Amazon is already starting to add discounts to thiers. By then end of this month we'll see the A-3 under 100 dollars permanently. Who in the hell wouldn't want to buy it at that price! Not only do you get Awesome Upscaling features but you also get access to over 400 HD DVD titles which more then 250 are HD DVD exclusive titles! It's a No Brainer at this point.
Buying and recommending are two completely different things and should not be lumped together. What you do with your money is your own lookout, so buy whatever you want, but you should not be recommending to friends or colleagues who have less knowledge than you that they should buy a player for a dead format walking. That's seriously uncool and your friends and colleagues will be pissed off at you later when they find out their new player will shortly stop getting new high-def releases for it. You might even lose some friends that way.
I don't know how Sony & Warner can say that the consumer doesn't benefit from a dual format concept. It's obvious consumers want low prices & value.
I see what you are saying, of course you would have to disclose the situation. Speaking of the situation, I guess you haven't heard that Uni/Para/Dream are staying exclusive to HD DVD. Each of the HD DVD studio CEO's have come out and said this. So they will in fact still be getting new High Def releases for it. I'd hardly call that a dead format walking, Wounded maybe but not dead. Fact of it is that if you want any HDM from them studios you'll Have to have an HD DVD player.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Faceless Rebel /forum/post/12796547
Buying and recommending are two completely different things and should not be lumped together. What you do with your money is your own lookout, so buy whatever you want, but you should not be recommending to friends or colleagues who have less knowledge than you that they should buy a player for a dead format walking. That's seriously uncool and your friends and colleagues will be pissed off at you later when they find out their new player will shortly stop getting new high-def releases for it. You might even lose some friends that way.
I see what you are saying, of course you would have to disclose the situation. Speaking of the situation, I guess you haven't heard that Uni/Para/Dream are staying exclusive to HD DVD. Each of the HD DVD studio CEO's have come out and said this. So they will in fact still be getting new High Def releases for it. I'd hardly call that a dead format walking, Wounded maybe but not dead. Fact of it is that if you want any HDM from them studios you'll Have to have an HD DVD player.
And let's not even go into the discussion about huge blockbusters this year from both Universal and Paramount.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hockeytown Fan /forum/post/12796599
I see what you are saying, of course you would have to disclose the situation. Speaking of the situation, I guess you haven't heard that Uni/Para/Dream are staying exclusive to HD DVD. Each of the HD DVD studio CEO's have come out and said this. So they will in fact still be getting new High Def releases for it. I'd hardly call that a dead format walking, Wounded maybe but not dead. Fact of it is that if you want any HDM from them studios you'll Have to have an HD DVD player.
And let's not even go into the discussion about huge blockbusters this year from both Universal and Paramount.
You mean like Cloverfield , Iron Man , Sweeney Todd , Indiana Jones 4 , Hellboy II , The Incredible Hulk ....
![]()
at this point and at these prices, for someone interested in an upscaling dvd player, does it make sense to go with the a3 rather than an upscaling oppo or something else? I guess my question is, is this still considered one of the best upscaling dvd players?
i don't have a dog in the hd race, but wouldn't mind a good upscaling player. going to pair this with a panny 50" 9uk 768p panel, so I think the a3 is all I need?
i don't have a dog in the hd race, but wouldn't mind a good upscaling player. going to pair this with a panny 50" 9uk 768p panel, so I think the a3 is all I need?
American Gangster is Universal right?
At this price point esp. when Amazon if dropping it like every hour & you an get a 30 pricematch - it's a no lose proposition.
This player will make TV shine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scotus /forum/post/12796777
at this point and at these prices, for someone interested in an upscaling dvd player, does it make sense to go with the a3 rather than an upscaling oppo or something else? I guess my question is, is this still considered one of the best upscaling dvd players?
i don't have a dog in the hd race, but wouldn't mind a good upscaling player. going to pair this with a panny 50" 9uk 768p panel, so I think the a3 is all I need?
At this price point esp. when Amazon if dropping it like every hour & you an get a 30 pricematch - it's a no lose proposition.
This player will make TV shine.
Yep, great movie too btw.
Quote:
Originally Posted by purple pimpernel /forum/post/12796787
American Gangster is Universal right?
Yep, great movie too btw.
+1
Quote:
Originally Posted by tripleM /forum/post/12796549
I don't know how Sony & Warner can say that the consumer doesn't benefit from a dual format concept. It's obvious consumers want low prices & value.
+1
It is a shame Warner went exclusive to bluray and abandoned it's own format. Universal and Paramount both have a strong list of titles this year in theaters for a change. These players really should have been cheaper than throughout the holiday season. Ken Graffeo stated when the prices come down to $200 then the players will take off. Well then the first few weeks of Nov. they were at this price then went back up to $299 or $249 for most of the xmas season. Bluray player prices shot down to $300 while while the toshiba prices were still at $249. These players should have been at $149 for the moment the $299 bluray players hit. Notice as well the $300 discontinued bluray player prices are back up to $399!!!
The scary part is the lack of any announcement from the hddvd prg. Universal and Paramount have stated hddvd support, but that doesn't mean they won't go bluray neutral in a few months. I don't know if the current effort is to firesale the players or truly back the format and get a large install base so studios release their movies on the format. I will feel alot better when the hddvd prg comes out with an official statement. According to Ken Graffeo this should be happening soon.
The scary part is the lack of any announcement from the hddvd prg. Universal and Paramount have stated hddvd support, but that doesn't mean they won't go bluray neutral in a few months. I don't know if the current effort is to firesale the players or truly back the format and get a large install base so studios release their movies on the format. I will feel alot better when the hddvd prg comes out with an official statement. According to Ken Graffeo this should be happening soon.
& I trust Toshiba a lot more than Sony...& that's not saying much
![]()
For the life of me, I don't understand how HDD don't outsell BR. All charts I see shows a 70-30 or 60-40 BR lead.
Yet every1 tells me that the PS3 are being used as a sales channel.
Are gamers that flushed to be able to buy $30 BR movies AND $50 games?
Cause the price performance ratio for HDD is phenomenal.
Cause if so, then no wonder Sony wants that demographics.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helvetian /forum/post/12796876
I still prefer HD DVD and that will never change. Toshiba has already said they stand firm, they are not backing down. The war continues![]()
& I trust Toshiba a lot more than Sony...& that's not saying much
For the life of me, I don't understand how HDD don't outsell BR. All charts I see shows a 70-30 or 60-40 BR lead.
Yet every1 tells me that the PS3 are being used as a sales channel.
Are gamers that flushed to be able to buy $30 BR movies AND $50 games?
Cause the price performance ratio for HDD is phenomenal.
Cause if so, then no wonder Sony wants that demographics.
The way I look at it is there is no way I'm buying a Blu ray with there players that have yet to be finalized at 2.0 spec. Sure it may not be a big thing for everyone but the fact is you can't up grade them if they are not shipped with a port.
Secondly from reading my of the Blu player boards there seems to be alot of issues of new movies not playing in older model players and having trouble with the new 1.1 code contained in the disk. SO can you honestly say you would recommend buying a Blu ray player to someone.... OR
do like I did after my old SD player was going on the fritz and buy a HD DVD player that can upconvert better than my old one and give me access to HD movies. Let me tell you there is a difference in quality btwn the SD vs HD
Secondly from reading my of the Blu player boards there seems to be alot of issues of new movies not playing in older model players and having trouble with the new 1.1 code contained in the disk. SO can you honestly say you would recommend buying a Blu ray player to someone.... OR
do like I did after my old SD player was going on the fritz and buy a HD DVD player that can upconvert better than my old one and give me access to HD movies. Let me tell you there is a difference in quality btwn the SD vs HD
1 - 20 of 402 Posts
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