HD DVD at Wal Mart

**mikeb** · **10-25-07, 06:18 PM**

Great news for HD DVD fans.

http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com...for-under-200/

The battle for the future of the high-definition DVD has taken an intriguing turn: For the first time, mega-retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) has begun selling a player for less than $200.

In various online forums, enthusiasts have reported seeing the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player available for $198, significantly less than its common price of $230-$280.

Such low prices could shift momentum in the high-definition format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, which are vying to be the successor to today’s ubiquitous DVD. Like mainstream DVD players, HD DVD and Blu-ray players accept DVDs. But they also play high-definition discs in their own formats, which look sharper on today’s large, flat televisions.

“We reduced our HD DVD Toshiba player, the generation-two, to $198 earlier in the week,” Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien confirmed. “It’s happening now, and that’s really all I can tell you. We don’t give any information on what we’re planning to do for the holidays. We know HD DVD and Blu-ray are going to be popular items this holiday season for some of our customers. … They will be more popular this year than they were in previous years.”

O’Brien said rumors that each Wal-Mart store would stock only 18 units of the Toshiba player were false. “There are no limited quantities for stores or purchases.”

If the cut-rate Toshiba HD DVD players prove especially popular, Wal-Mart’s move could also set up a holiday-season retail showdown with Best Buy (BBY), Circuit City (CC) and others who rely on popular items to lure shoppers into stores. Those other retailers could feel pressure to stock their own low-cost HD-DVD players to drive store traffic.

As I wrote in June:

Blu-ray has an early lead, but that doesn’t count for much. What matters is, who will have the lowest-priced high-definition players at a decent quality level when mainstream consumers finally start buying HD?

If the mainstream starts buying HD players this holiday season, expect to see HD DVD surge ahead of Blu-ray in a big way. Market makers like Wal-Mart will run with whatever player they can price below $200, just to draw people into stores. And most people in the mainstream won’t necessarily buy 10 HD movies; they’ll buy one or two, and wait for the studios to follow the installed base.

And if HD DVD sells big, you’d best believe the Hollywood studios will follow. Aside from Sony, they really don’t care which HD format wins – just as long as they get to sell a lot more movies.

Blu-ray does have its technical advantages. Chief among them: its discs hold more information than those from the HD DVD format, potentially allowing studios to pack more special features and higher-quality audio onto a disc. Blu-ray’s manufacturing costs will also come down over time — but if HD television buyers choose this holiday season as the time to seriously consider getting a high-def player, Blu-ray will be at a disadvantage because of some of the choices Sony made in developing the technology.

“Sony has great technology, but Sony many times makes closed technology,” said Randy Giusto, group vice president of the mobility, computing, and consumer markets at technology research firm IDC.

Meanwhile, there are signs that this could indeed be the season where holiday shoppers open their wallets for HD equipment.

The summer blockbuster Transformers, released on HD DVD on October 16, has had the strongest debut of an HD movie so far, selling 190,000 copies in its first week.

Also, the large-sized LCD market is expected to reach 370 million units by the end of 2007, according to researcher iSuppli. That could create a hunger for high-definition players that connect to them. “iSuppli expects 20 percent unit growth for monitor panels, 35 percent growth for notebook panels and 51 percent growth for the TV panel market in 2007 compared to 2006,” said Sweta Dash, director of LCD and projection research for iSuppli.

The cost of HD players at Wal-Mart are:

Blu-ray at Wal-Mart: Sony ($488), Phillips ($498) and Samsung ($448 and very limited; not in all stores)
HD DVD players at Wal-Mart: Toshiba ($198) and RCA ($298)

**Sonnie** · **10-25-07, 07:29 PM**

That's pretty powerful considering it's Wal-Mart and under $200.

**SteveB** · **10-25-07, 11:51 PM**

Maybe Wal-Mart will increase their supply of HD DVDs now. I was there the other night and they had about 6 HD and probably 4 times that in Blu-Ray.

**MatrixDweller** · **10-26-07, 07:52 PM**

Last time I was in WalMart, while dodging all the hicks, I noticed twice as many Bluray disks as HD-DVD. The Blueray was also at eye level and the HD-DVD was on the bottom two shelves. There is also a few more titles at the local Blockbuster than HD-DVD (I'm in Canada). The selection is pitifull on either side however.

**toecheese** · **10-27-07, 04:50 PM**

I heard the $198 HD-DVD player at Walmart was urban legend? I've seen the *one* photo of the toshiba players under the $198 sign, but didnt' see any reference to it on Slick Deals or other bargain shopping sites.

Indeed, on walmart's website, it is $279.

The post I saw about it said it may have been a single store moving out some inventory.

**rcarlton** · **10-27-07, 05:54 PM**

Last week my local Wal-Mart had the Toshiba on sale for MSRP. Haven't been there this week to check.

**Scuba Diver** · **10-27-07, 06:17 PM**

Considering I am in the market for a new DVD player it is good to see the prices come down so much. Its not a big deal really since green ray is coming at the end of the year. Just kidding.

**bobgpsr** · **10-27-07, 06:44 PM**

Quote:

toecheese wrote:

I heard the $198 HD-DVD player at Walmart was urban legend? I've seen the *one* photo of the toshiba players under the $198 sign, but didnt' see any reference to it on Slick Deals or other bargain shopping sites.

Indeed, on walmart's website, it is $279.

The post I saw about it said it may have been a single store moving out some inventory.

What part of:

Quote:

CNNMoney.com (Fortune) wrote:

"We reduced our HD DVD Toshiba player, the generation-two, to $198 earlier in the week”
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien confirmed.
“It’s happening now"
...
O’Brien said rumors that each Wal-Mart store would stock only 18 units of the Toshiba player were false. “There are no limited quantities for stores or purchases.”

http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com...for-under-200/

do you not understand?

This is not one store. It is nationwide and there have been photos from multiple stores posted. WM's website operates separate from the retail outlets.

**toecheese** · **10-27-07, 07:01 PM**

I guess the part I don't understand is that it isn't on Walmart's website.

I mean, I think it is great, but if SlickDeals doesn't have a thread on it, I find it very suspicious. Futhermore, a blog entry (even hosted from CNN) doesn't carry that much weight with me as would a real article.

Also, no one on here- and we're big enthusiasts- has reported seeing, buying one. When someone credible does, then I'll believe it.

**wbassett** · **10-27-07, 07:41 PM**

There is definitely a change in the winds as far as High Def starting to become main stream.

I was just at our local Walmart over in Bennington. This Walmart is the worse Walmart we have ever seen. It's smaller than any of the other Walmarts and it doesn't have much of anything. They have though started stocking both Bluray and HD DVD movies. For a tiny store in a rural area to have around 30 titles, that's a big sign that the demand is starting to tell stores they need to start stocking the items.

I haven't seen any of the sub $200 HD DVD players in any of my local Walmarts yet, but I expect they will be there soon, and definitely by Black Friday. If they are even cheaper for Black Friday, I may pick one up for the bedroom!

**MatrixDweller** · **10-27-07, 07:56 PM**

It's highly possible that the sub $200 HD-DVD player might not be put on the selves until after Thanksgiving. THat's when the big push for Xmas sales starts right?

**wbassett** · **10-27-07, 08:01 PM**

Quote:

MatrixDweller wrote:

It's highly possible that the sub $200 HD-DVD player might not be put on the selves until after Thanksgiving. THat's when the big push for Xmas sales starts right?

I'm kinda thinking that myself right now.

The new PS3 will be out November 2nd, and the way this has been playing out is Toshiba has their high and rides the wave for a bit, then Sony comes out with something and it's their turn and so on. It makes sense that they might wait and hit the holiday shopping season with this.

Personally though I'm hoping to see something soon and then a whopper of a Black Friday special!

**Praetorian** · **10-27-07, 08:06 PM**

Two points:

1: If it is at WM for under 200$, I will let you know tomorrow one way or the other for sure, at 200$, thats an "experiment" I can afford.

2: WRT Blu ray over HD:

"its discs hold more information than those from the HD DVD format, potentially allowing studios to pack more special features..."

I don't really believe that anyone (read anyone) cares a toss about "special features". People buy movies for (gasp) the MOVIE. Audio quality, naturally, "the making of... etc, I think not. I am pretty sure I have yet to actually watch the "disc 2" of any movie I own anyway.

I was waiting for the LG "duo" player that is supposed to be released (whenever) before I invested in any format, however, for 200$ (relative peanuts in the "HD DVD" world) I think I will buy the platform and see what it has to offer. Will report asap.

**wbassett** · **10-27-07, 08:17 PM**

Quote:

Praetorian wrote:

Two points:

1: If it is at WM for under 200$, I will let you know tomorrow one way or the other for sure, at 200$, thats an "experiment" I can afford.

2: WRT Blu ray over HD:

"its discs hold more information than those from the HD DVD format, potentially allowing studios to pack more special features..."

I don't really believe that anyone (read anyone) cares a toss about "special features". People buy movies for (gasp) the MOVIE. Audio quality, naturally, "the making of... etc, I think not. I am pretty sure I have yet to actually watch the "disc 2" of any movie I own anyway.

I was waiting for the LG "duo" player that is supposed to be released (whenever) before I invested in any format, however, for 200$ (relative peanuts in the "HD DVD" world) I think I will buy the platform and see what it has to offer. Will report asap.

Actually I do like special features.

The bigger item though is yes BD has more disc space, but so far they are not fully taking advantage of that space. A lot (not all) of the BD discs are using mpeg2 which takes up more room on the disc. It's an argument geared towards those that aren't familiar with the formats. Just like the 1080i vs 1080p argument. I have both the A2 and the PS3 and a Sony 1080p SXRD HDTV. I can say that I see no descernable difference in image quality between a High Def 1080i or 1080p feed. In fact, some of the HD DVDs look better than some of the BD discs that I have. Like I said it's an argument Sony uses to make Bluray sound like a better choice.

If the A2 drops to $150 for Balck Friday, you bet I will be waiting in line for the doors to open! If it's at the $200 mark, it might have to wait until after Christmas, kids come first when it comes to toys!

**Praetorian** · **10-27-07, 09:08 PM**

Unless you are sitting two inches from the screen it is hard to notice the diff between 720p and 1080i/p...

**mikeb** · **10-28-07, 04:18 AM**

It is being reported on another site, along with a pictures of a couple of endcaps already set up, that store managers are saying Nov. 3 is the rollout date.

Mike

**Praetorian** · **10-28-07, 12:31 PM**

Not in NB Canada at least, store manager and AV floor manager said they were not only NOT getting HD players in, they had gotten rid of all their HD discs as well, due to lack of sales.

I went shopping around, places like FutureShop and Whackey Wheatleys and either HD DVD was not in stock (best price for the Tosh at 299$) or they were bluray-only (cheapest at 500$).

**bobgpsr** · **10-28-07, 11:37 PM**

Quote:

toecheese wrote:

I mean, I think it is great, but if SlickDeals doesn't have a thread on it, I find it very suspicious.

OK, how about a SlickDeals Sears Black Friday morning only deal for a Toshiba HD-A3 for $169.99

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showpos...79&postcount=1

also available at that time on Sears.com per the ad. Stock number #57608

Seems to be sure that there is a new price range on Black Friday morning (5 am till noon).

**toecheese** · **10-29-07, 09:47 AM**

Quote:

bobgpsr wrote:

OK, how about a SlickDeals Sears Black Friday morning only deal for a Toshiba HD-A3 for $169.99

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showpos...79&postcount=1

also available at that time on Sears.com per the ad. Stock number #57608

Seems to be sure that there is a new price range on Black Friday morning (5 am till noon).

That would be cool- and yes, this holds far more weight than the urban legend to which I referred earlier (walmarts with $198 HDs).

If that price is real, I may end up in the HD camp... (but I'm not waiting in line at 5am).

**bobgpsr** · **10-29-07, 10:28 AM**

Quote:

toecheese wrote:

That would be cool- and yes, this holds far more weight than the urban legend to which I referred earlier (walmarts with $198 HDs).

If that price is real, I may end up in the HD camp... (but I'm not waiting in line at 5am).

You can online order the Sears black friday special A3 during the 7 hour sale.

I have seen photo's of $198 stacked A2 endcaps for three different Walmarts. It is not an urban legend since the official Walmart spokeswoman has verified the price change.

Circuit City and Amazon are also selling at the ~ $198 price. That is three different vendors for the new A2 price.

**toecheese** · **10-29-07, 10:49 AM**

Sorry, Bob, you jumped on my post before with "what part of do you not understand", and there's still no Walmart $198 player. A "Walmart spokesman" quote on a blog isn't the same as seeing it in my local store.

But Circuit City does have it (even with a pick-up in store option), so that works for me.

That's *great* if Sears will let me order online- usually stores dont' do it because they want the bodycount inside the store.

I haven't done any research (I will now), but the A3 sounds like a newer (better?) model for a lower price... I can wait, because I want to coordinate my HD purchase with my neighbor (and family) so we don't end up with different technologies

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