Re: Ron's HD DVD Review
Jim,
I understand your position.
I rushed out and bought the Toshiba after swearing I'd sit this
format war out. Why did I do it? Just read the threads from owners
and you can see how happy they are with their purchase. I couldn't
stand reading one more positive review without getting a player for
myself.
Toshiba did things right. The players don't seem to be hack jobs
at all. I don't understand where you are reading this. In fact, many
are praising the fact that Toshiba is offering a $500 player that is
worth at least $200 more in build quality. That's another reason I
jumped into this first player -- even despite the fact I'll be forced
to buy a 2nd generation player that allows 1080p playback.
Additionally, Toshiba is backing up their players with solid customer
support. They are constantly releasing new firmware to take care of
any glitches on the player. I called them last night, gave them my
personal information, and a firmware disc is being sent to me in the
mail.
Don't confuse the problems Blu-Ray and Samsung are having right
now with the success of those who purchased Toshiba and HD-DVD.
As far as titles are concerned....
Yes, I do agree that the titles that are available right now are pretty
lame. With thousands upon thousands of titles available from WB and
Universal I am amazed that they played it really safe with the stuff
they released. There's not a single title that stands out amongst the
pack and I think they could have lured more people into this format
if they released King Kong, The Matrix, Batman Begins, Jurassic Park,
etc. I understand the studios always play it safe when entering these
new formats, but the interesting difference here is that there are TWO
formats and you would THINK each side is going to try to "up" one
another on what they can release.
Could you imagine of Fox released Star Wars to Blu-Ray? You
could have mutilated HD-DVD sales.
It seems to me, if you want to win a format war, you gotta put out
killer applications that will entice consumers to buy. I'm not asking that
any studio put all their cards out on the table right now, but some
"prime" titles to supplement the same ol' standard stuff would really
help HD-DVD along.
Getting back to your title predicament....
It's gonna be a while before players dip below $500 as the Toshiba
is already way underpriced. New titles are starting to come, with a
bulk of better stuff coming this October. Personally, knowing the cost
is not going to dip, I'd recommend a purchase as soon as you can.
Best wishes! Let us know how you make out.
