Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit - Page 3

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

I bought the Samsung BDP 1400 last month because of the low price ($277 delivered) and I wished to go "purple." I suspect that a lot of Blu-ray sales were to people like myself that over the holidays was the best time to go "purple."

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter U

Digital broadcast in 2009. Not "all HD" in 2009. I suspect we won't be "all HD" for another 5 years minimum, closer to 10.

(Cable and satellite customers can resume not having to pay attention).

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Toshiba enthusiasm does make me feel a little bit more like I have 2 sweet formats instead of one and a crippled one.


I donno, I've actually been enjoying HD-DVD a little more lately.


My gosh Children of Men was a good film.


Clive Owen must reallllly like babies. Shoot Em Up was sooo good too.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter U

Excellent Points

But it counts on what you are looking for. For my parents version 1.1 is what they need. They don't have an internet connection and will not ever add one, but have an HD TV. For my brother in law, I recommend he get the Playstation 3. It will get upgraded to 2.0.

I am glad I purchased the Playstation 3. But would it kill me not to have PIP or internet connection. Not really. I will not go out and buy a replacement for my Panasonic player. If I didn't have the Panasonic player, like you,I would wait for the 2.0 to get the most up to date player.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter U

I have said to everyone (who have asked): Buy PS3 if you want games and Blu-ray (note: Not talking about HD DVD here). Honest and "informed" person recommending the best and future proof BD-player out there at the moment (IMO). So not all these players are "out dated".

Of course, one of my friend just bought Wii etc. (not really interested of HD-films at the moment).

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter U

I don't know about the rest of the country, but in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin market, stores advertised the Sony BDP-S300 and the Toshiba HD-A30, both at $299. Few listed the HD-A3, except during Black Friday when some stores had it for $169.

At least around here, both formats were being marketed has having the same price.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Ditto. The HD-A3 never shows up in Best Buy's ads, and one of the weekly newspaper inserts advertised $100 savings on both Toshiba and Sony players, only the Toshiba was listed as "$399 before savings!"while the Sony was "$399 after savings!"

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Averry,
Poetic, "sweet" language.
You are wise beyond your years.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Last night I saw my first ever commercial for HD-DVD. All I could think of was too little too late.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

I've noticed that since Toshiba cut the MSRP on their HD-DVD players in half that I now see a lot fewer of them on store shelves. Last Tuesday the Costco store here in Rancho Cucamonga had a full pallet of the HD-D3 players priced at $129. I was in there again today (Monday) and the entire pallet was gone and the price tag below the display was marked "LAST ONE."

I then drove down the street to Best Buy and they had the HD-A3 marked $149 and I could only find one in the box anywhere near the display. There was room for quite a few more so I can only assume they have been selling. I did see at least 3 of the HD-A30s and there were plenty of Blu Ray players on the shelves.

Are HD-DVD players selling that fast now or are stores just not restocking them as quickly?

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter U

I would figure they are waiting on more stock. A sales a sale to a store and if one stores selling a pallet of them in less than a week, I would assume they would want more. They may not be making as much on the player, but will on the software that will be bought.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Probably both.

Keep in mind that Toshiba and the major retailers are working together right now to clear HD DVD hardware inventory. I'd be curious if anyone could discvover if Toshiba has haulted prodution of new players or if there are any new models that they continue to manufacture going forward.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

David,

Where is your source for this tid bit of knowledge???

If you are going to speculate, how about highlighting it unless you have some really great sources high up in the retail world. A price drop does not mean they are liquidating inventory (it could mean that but without a source, it is speculation). If so, then is Sony liquidating the PS3? I think it recently had a price drop...

Dave

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

My source is the same source that's been right about everything so far...



But if you're more comfortable consider it to be my reasonably informed opinion.

I think it's pretty obvious to most marketing minds what's going on right now: the end is in sight and selling off hardware inventory is one way to help ease the pains for Toshiba's investors: a graceful exit is better than a crash-and-burn with lots of players sitting on the shelf. Unless the BDA were literally willing to buy-off Toshiba to officially "end" HD DVD (which I don't think they are willing to do at this point given the inevitability of HD DVDs demise), Toshiba is taking the only route they can reasonably take. Specifically, my source has said that Toshiba has been negotiating with Paramount and Universal to not announce Blu-ray support just yet in order to give them time to sell off their HD DVD hardware while there's still that appearance that the format isn't fully dead. And I don't view this as a bad thing: heck, at the prices these players are going for it's worth it merely as a top-grade DVD player with HDMI, upconverting, and of course the ability to play those exclusive HD DVD titles until they show up blu (which could be a long time... Universal has a huge library of HD DVD titles they'd have to re-author for BD which, thankfully, seems to include new film-to-digital transfers for most catalog releases).

Other opinions may differ, of course,



Hence my point about asking if anyone had information regarding if Toshiba was continuing with HD DVD hardware manufacturing. That would be the determining difference between a standard price-cut and an inventory liquidation.

dave

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Okay... so the latest hardware sales data from market research firm NPD Group is in, and it reveals that - as one would expect - HD-DVD player sales have also been impacted by the news of Warner's decision to drop the format later this year. One quick note: The data that follows does NOT include sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 or the HD-DVD add-on drive for Microsoft's Xbox 360. These are stand-alone, set-top players only.

These numbers are after the Warner news but before the latest Toshiba price cuts. Looks pretty grim.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

There are rumors of another PS3 price-cut on the horizon as well. If true, a $299 PS3 would go a long way toward combating any Toshiba price drops. The odd thing about the rumor is that one of the reasons behind it was a request from Time Warner to lower the price. Would that mean some people actually do use their PS3 to watch movies.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Paul,

turns out that Warner actually really values the PS3 as a movie-player because it's profile 1.1 (PIP) compatible and will be updated for 2.0 BD-live (web) as well. Warner's biggest gripe with BD has been the lack of enforced standards in hardware specs, and I agree with them. the PS3 is actually the best player currently available in terms of "full support" of BD features (2.0 profile update is forthcoming) which is probably one reason they would like to see it used (ie, Warner wants a large customer base who can watch PIP and use BD-Live).

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

David, I can't tell if you missed my sarcasm or are just trying to reinforce my point. Anyway, the sheer number of PS3s out there is still its main advantage, amongst many, in my opinion.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you. It's just that we've heard it repeated for so long that "Warner doesn't care about the PS3, only dedicated players" that I thought there might be some value in adding more clarification to how things have evolved around the PS3 as a viable piece of hardware in Warner's eyes.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Of course people use their PS3's machines to watch movies. The issue has always been just how many.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

quote"Of course people use their PS3's machines to watch movies. The issue has always been just how many." end quote

Answer: Proportionately speaking, given the amount of PS3's sold and the amount of movies purchased, not that many. However, apparently more than all the stand alone HD DVD owners combined.

For those with PS3, am I correct that it can only pass lossless audio via HDMI? No analog 5.1's?

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

I guess my point is....I can say with absolute certainty that 100% of the people that bought the, oh....lets just use the HD-A2 as an example, watch movies on their machines. O.K.??? Will you give me that?

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Movies? Yes. HD DVDs? Not necessarily.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

RE: Warner's view of the PS3, I wonder if they don't also like the fact that most (nearly all?) PS3's have built-in WiFi, instead of requiring a hard connect. If they are seriously pushing internet features, I'd think having WiFi built into the player would be a big plus -- that's almost like having Profile 2.1, if you ask me, even though I don't really care about the internet interactivity myself.


Yes, it only passes lossless audio via HDMI -- *and* it apparently only does that *after* conversion to uncompressed PCM instead of passing the digital audio untouched, which may or may not matter to you.

And no 5.1 analog out -- just stereo out if you get the breakout cable.

_Man_

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Based on how what they are saying, I would be very surprised if they are no longer manufacturing them. Toshiba thinks they still have a chance. As to new models the 3 series just came out in October so they should be current until 2008 CEDIA. We will have to wait for then to know about any future models. I don't believe that Toshiba is reducing the price to blow out inventory as part of a strategy to discontinue the format. Toshiba is a big enough company that if they wanted to get out they would just discontinue the format, take a one time write off and move on. They wouldn' start a new expensive marketing campaign to empty the wharehouse before they shutter it.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Jerry : What happened to my stereo ? It's all smashed up .

Kramer : That's right . Now it looks like it was broken during shipping and I

insured it for $400 .

Jerry : But you were supposed to get me a refund .

Kramer : You can't get a refund . Your warranty expired two years ago .

Jerry : So were going to make the Post Office pay for my new stereo ?

Kramer : It's just a write off for them .

Jerry : How is it a write off ?

Kramer : They just write it off .

Jerry : Write it off what ?

Kramer : Jerry all these big companies they write off everything

Jerry : You don't even know what a write off is .

Kramer : Do you ?

Jerry : No . I don't .

Kramer : But they do and they are the ones writing it off .

Jerry : I wish I just had the last twenty seconds of my life back .

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

In a recent article, I wish I could remember what it was but I don't atm, Blu-ray player figures were being discussed and they noted the inclusion of 3 million PS3's (this was from a Sony representative I believe). I thought it odd because I think there had been some 6-8 million PS3s sold so far and I wondered if 3 million was an estimate of how many were used primarily, or heavily, for Blu-ray movies? If so I'd say that sounds about right.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

_Man_

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Actually the 6 - 8 million sales figures for the PS3 are worldwide sales figures while the US figures are approx 3 million plus. Thus the 3 million figure in question is the US sales of the PS3. Anyhow, even if one were to take a very low figure of maybe 20% of PS3s being used for watching HD, it adds upto afigure greater than all standalone HD-DVD players sold so far. No matter how you look at it, it would be stupid of any studio to totally disregard the large number of PS3s already sold. More importantly the PS3 is now selling at a much faster pace than before.

PS: Personally I have a very strong feeling that this drop in prices is no more than a liquidation sale and for Toshiba to buy time to negotiate terms with the BDA to withdraw from the market.

Re: Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit

Can you point me to the rumors about PS3 dropping to $300? I'm curious.

But even w/out an actual price cut, one can still get a PS3/40GB for roughly that price right now if one makes use of the current Sony credit card promotion (though the promo is not exclusive to PS3) -- that's how I bought mine a few weeks ago. If a price cut is coming, I imagine they'll wait til after that promo ends (or people will end up buying the PS3 for just ~$200).

Interestingly, the $15 DVD Guys in downtown Manhattan very recently slashed their PS3 prices, and you can get a PS3/40GB for $300 from them. I remember talking to them about it just before I bought mine. A couple of my coworkers are tempted to buy one at that price.

_Man_