CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

rabies_70

OOOOPs........

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/10544.cfm

I just always find it a little funny when things aren't exactly like the sheeple are told...

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:24 am Post subject:

Frankly, I couldn't understand why people couldn't see through the Sony bull**** on this one even more-so than some of the other Sony PR disinformation. The FUD was even more transparent in this story than it usually is.

They were making it sound like this was some big deal - a blow to the HD-DVD camp, even - that Target would now be carrying a BD player. Ummm... Didn't Target already carry the PS3... that plays BD movies? Oh well - I'm sure a $500 set-top player will be a hot seller at Target! Rolling Eyes

Sony is just spending more money to get the BD name and logo in front of shoppers... especially since the rack space devoted to HD-DVD and BD movies at Target is basically embarrassing to both formats.

Here's the thread about this story from last week:
http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6059

SC

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

The news was that they would only sell Blu Ray players.

And,.. it's true.

Either way,.. Do either of you guys really think it matters? Seems so clear to me that HD DVD hasn't the slightest chance of surviving into 2008. Do you really see otherwise?

-Brian

MYoung · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 369 Location: Madison, WI

Target sells a HD DVD player right now -- XBox 360 and HD DVD drive. The HD DVD drive will be dropping to $179 with King Kong and a mail-in offer for 5 HD DVD movies. For XBox 360 owners (of which there are probably twice as many as PS3 owners) that's the least expensive way into HD movies. I also saw a poll on AVS where the XBox 360 HD DVD add-on is the 3rd most popular HD DVD player -- just behind the HD-A1 and HD-A2. People are discounting the HD DVD add-on, yet they aren't discounting the PS3 as the most popular BD player.

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject:

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4901 Location: Flower Mound, TX

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:

Just like the 1080i vs 1080p debate... I see so many newsletters put out by BIG online sites that talk about 1080p as being "twice as good" as 1080i and how 1080p is the "thing" to have. Rolling Eyes

Morons. Drives me nuts to see so much mis-information.

Kal

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

SC,

I tried to reply earlier but couldn't for some reason.

Anyway,.. You make some points about how HD DVD sells more stand alone players and if the PS3 didn't exist things would be different and I agree. However, the PS3 isn't just going to go away and it's HD DVD's worst nightmare.

When I look at sales data and also at upcoming releases such as Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters (perhaps it won't take long for other SS films like ET for example), I just don't see much of a chance left for HD DVD. (EDIT - on the other hand, if SS released Jaws on HDDVD I would possibly have to get that.) Technically Blu Ray is superior and it has more studio support.

As far as Sony throwing money away and angry stock holders go... I read the stocks have gone up and that doesn't tend to upset the share holders.

Either way,.. I would rather ignore this stuff and I'm trying to. I don't think I will have to much longer because I believe HD DVD will be history by this time next year. I've read and I believe much of the format war will be resolved by the coming holiday shopping season.

-Brian

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

BD is not technically superior unless you're reading Sony PR. It's bigger. That's all. Everything else is up for debate as to whether it adds anything to the movie-watching experience. Since HD-DVD is large enough to store even the longest epic at stellar quality levels, I'm not worried about the size.

You may be right that the holidays may decide the winner... or not. Nobody knows, but we'll certainly see. The Spielberg flicks could do the number on HD-DVD, or

I'm not married to Toshiba, HD-DVD or this debate. I don't care for Sony, its politics or its "my way or the highway" screw an industry standard, we'll do it our way M.O. But, if HD-DVD eventually fails, I'll end up with a BD player - likely a non-Sony since I have no interest in buying a $600 player of any kind at this point - especially a PS3. All the games I like are on the Xbox 360, but even that is too rich for my blood right now.

SC

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Yesterday, I stopped in the Target nearest to my home ans workplace to pick up the movie 300. They had a placeholder for the BD version and none for the HD DVD version. In fact, not only could I not find a copy on the shelf for the HD DVD version, but they had no placeholder for it at all.

I confirmed this with the store managers for the two stores. I also think BB is becoming anti-HD DVD. I tried to buy an HD DVD player there and they stopped localizing inventory for the HD-A2, and only had one HD-A20. Both on Saturday and yesterday they made no incentive to 'sell' me anything HD DVD, but were more than willing to spend time talking to me about anything Blu-ray.

And here I thought they were somewhat product agnostic.

oliverg · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:56 am Post subject:

I'm not pro either format, I have both types of player. But I only have 3 HD-DVD titles and I have over 30 BR titles - there's simply more stuff coming out on BR.

The moms and dads have spoken - BR is the future, HD-DVD is going to die but it will do so in a very convulted way. BR will definately be dominant over the course of HD-DVD's long downfall. I'm not convinced it will die in 2008 - but decline certainly.

Its all about market share - HD-DVD is going to become the "Apple" of the HD movie world. (Computers, not IPods!) - Apple has survived on between 3-9% of the PC market, perhaps HD-DVD will survive at those levels too?

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:15 am Post subject:

I was in the local BestBuy last week. There were two BD endcap displays, and one HD-DVD endcap display. Both were prominently displayed across from the BD/HD software. I didn't see which BD players were in stock because I don't know the models, but one was $899. They had spots on the shelf for both the A2 and A20, but it looked like the A2 was sold out. Software stock was pretty comparable for both formats.

So it would seem HD-DVD is getting a pretty fair shake in one BB store.

They also had the LG SuperBlu player just sitting on a shelf for $999, but I don't see that being a hot seller, regardless of whether it's hooked up or not. It just WAY too much money.

SC

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:07 am Post subject:

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

I gave up on the so-called discount stores. Since I could get a player for $240 from Amazon (free shipping, too) and focusing only on $20-25 moivies of interest for now, its a lot different.

oliverg · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:40 am Post subject:

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Both are available new for <$500.

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:49 pm Post subject:

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

The S301 was available at Costco for $450 (same as S300 but w/HDMI cable). Had they sold an unbundled PS3, I would have bought it from them. By comparison, $240 for the HD-A2 from Amazon w/free shipping. That is less than my first DVD player I bought back in 1999.

Stonefool · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 253 Location: Sweden

Since everything has to do with money in the end, Sony will probably win this time. Sony spend way too much money for their meagre earnings, which usually means they're going for the long run earnings, where Toshiba seems to go for the get-rich-quick buck today.

Bucketfoot · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 698 Location: Centennial, CO