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DVD-A Disappearing? (1 Viewer)

Chris-V

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Does anyone know what's behind the evaporating pool of DVD-A's? Best Buy's decision to stop carrying them seems like only the latest in a steadily-declining DVD-A industry. Does it look like DVD-A will go the way of Betamax, or am I misperceiving the trend? Thoughts or insights?
 

Paul.S

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Search around and you'll find threads in which the usual suspects (I think I'm kinda one of 'em) have speculated/chewed the fat/expounded on this issue . . .

One thing I'll briefly say is that, although they are clearly an important big box retailer doing loss leader DVD-V sales, I wouldn't gauge the subniche that is hi rez audio too strongly by what Best Buy is or is not doing.

Sure it would be a visceral downer if the DVD-A selection of my local BB (which I almost have memorized) disappeared. But I think online (Amazon's long fakakta search functionality notwithstanding) sales/availability might be the better barometer of the state of DVD-A/hi rez.

-p
 

Justin Lane

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I missed the announcement about Best Buy no longer carrying DVD-A. My local store just got in some new Silverline discs last week. I think the major problem right now is that no one is putting out DVD-A at great numbers beacuse of the royalties lawsuit as well as the pending launch of Dual-Disc.

J
 

Chris-V

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The Seattle-district stores have all stopped ordering new discs. Perhaps it's a district or regional thing.
 

Paul.S

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Justin do we know for sure that this royalty issue has progressed to the level of a suit having been filed? Or is your comment based upon Lee's reportage from HE in NY? I thought that the Harry Fox Agency had at this point just sent demand letters or otherwise broached the royalty issue as they see it; I don't think a suit has been filed. I could be wrong, but I'd imagine I would have seen a story about the complaint and causes of action by now in the legal and/or entertainment trade press.

-p
 

Phil A

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I have not noticed the DVD-A section going away completely, but the SACD section is not great (let along SACDs are also mixed with regular CDs) and while it is slowly growing, the DVD-A section in my local store has shrunk a bit over time and they don't seem to give it as much support as SACD. I think what hurts DVD-A with some retailers is that the cases are not the size of a CD or DVD. They (retailers) could probably care less given the small niche that hi-rez already is (when I go there about every couple of weeks I have always been the only one looking at those discs even on crowded sale weekends) and not having something that fits in as neatly probably does not help.
 

Lee Scoggins

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Is this true? Was there an official, formal announcement?

There are lots of Super Audios in my local store. I had heard that DVDA sales were terrible but I did not know they were bowing out completely.
 

Chris-V

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See post above. Seattle-area stores have officially stopped ordering them; I didn't hear an "official" announcement, but the staff confirmed that all stores in the region have stopped ordering new DVD-A's.
 

John Kotches

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Chris,

Unless it was a store manager or higher, I have my doubts about the accuracy of the source.

I visited Fry's which officially opened in the Chicago area recently. I saw one of the best selections of DVD-A and SA-CD titles I've ever seen at a retail store. So, if it isn't selling at their other retail outlets on the left coast, why would they bother to stock up a new store?

Cheers,
 

gene c

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Fry's has always seemed to have a good selection of both DVD-A and SACD. And better prices as well. The two Best Buys that I go to in the Bay Area still carry DVD-A. I think B&M stores are a little confused on how to handle/market these things. I purchase most of my discs at b&m stores but wouldn't be too surprised if they eventually stop carrying both of them. As long as hi-res discs are still being released, even at the current trickle, and are avaible on-line, I'll be somewhat satisfied. I am confused though. I've read ( I think the last issue of HT Magazine) that the RIAA has reported DVD-A as out selling SACD by a wide margin. But reading threads around here (I know this has been beaten to death) you would think SACD is the clear favorite. Either way, I enjoy and am pulling for both of them.
 

Michael St. Clair

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Best Buy here definitely still orders DVD-A and SACD, though they usually don't restock either format (except for certain 'hot' titles like Donald Fagen, Beck, etc).

As far as blue shirts goes, there are a few good ones but I've been told all kinds of nonsense by many of them.

"high definition television is only available over satellite"

"Microsoft is leaving the game console market"

"DVD+R can only be read by a PC"

And so on.
 

gene c

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I thought we were talking about the availability of DVD-A in general and BB in specific. I only mentioned Fry's because John did, but whats the harm....????
 

Darryl

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I haven't noticed any changes at the Best Buy in my neighborhood here in New Mexico. If there have been any policy changes it hasn't trickled down to inventory yet.
 

LanceJ

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I'll bet this has something to do with Best Buy's new experimental "customer centricity" store concept. This could mean BB's people have determined that specific locations are not receptive to dvd-audio, whereas others are.

My local Best Buys still have the same amount of dvd-audios and sacds as they always have.

Read about this here. (watch out for the pop-ups)

Looks like my store might be a "Buzz" or a "Barry". :rolleyes
 

Chris-V

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The blue-shirt I talked to did say something about not knowing anything beyond what the Seattle region stores were doing, but that they had all definitely stopped ordering. That's been borne out by the fact that the stores I've been to in the past few weeks have had a dwindling number of titles, clearly in "firesale" mode.

Odd that the Seattle region would decide they're not worth stocking, yet Seattle is one of only two test markets for Dualdisc.
 

John Kotches

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Chris,

Well, I'm still concerned about the accuracy of your source but we'll let that go for just a moment ;)

If DualDisc launches this fall as has been speculated then this would be the time to stop ordering DVD-A discs in favor of ramping up some DualDisc inventory.

I was in a Chicagoland Best Buy yesterday, and it was clear they were restocking their inventory.

Cheers,
 

AricB

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John, did you also mention you were at the Fry's up here, in Downers Grove, I believe? How was that place?
 

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