Just irritated with this sometimes. help me out.... (1 Viewer)

[JeffdDurborow]

As i continue to browse throughout the endless threads here which i quite enjoy. My irritation for this whole war heightens...
I just got done reading FOX and Disney's continued support for the blu-ray format which is whatever to me at this point..

Studio support seemed initially to be a burden for us HD-DVD owners. Much of the support was going for the blu-ray format. However with the fantastic video and sound quality we continue to smile everytime we watch movies on our players and thats what it's all about..

The reason i bought an HD-DVD player instead of blu-ray was
quality of the picture and the reasonable price.."and Ron Epsteins stellar review"
HD-DVD made me say wow and blu-ray didn't except for the price.

So somebody please explain to me please why is the price of a blu-ray player more. please just make me believe it. It annoys the crap out of me that their is absolutely no explanation as to why this format is to me overpriced..
1080i - $500
1080p - $1000

convince me and don't say studio support..because if you ask me studio support is what doubled the price tag for these players in the first place...

im not being a smart - a** im just trying to understand...

thanks

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

Surely this issue has been done to death already?

It's all to do with HD DVD trying to get a foothold into the HD market before the massed ranks of Blu-Ray players (with more studio support) come along. They're gambling by setting it at a price point for a player two or three years into the product's life-cycle, rather than a cutting edge player (qv. the cost of early DVD players).

 

[Austan]

To the consumer $500 is $500 and $1000 is $1000. To the manufacture it might be a different story... Example: Cell phones can be "FREE with a 1 or 2 year contract". Printers might come free with a PC, but ink carts are $30 and you need at least 2 of them (or $12 but you need 6 of those)...

The format war is not about the players, its about the discs and royalties. It's the consumables that bring in the $. Cell phones are free but at $40/month for 1 year, it's $480 in consumable air time. It's cheaper to buy a new printer that comes with ink than to buy the carts themselves. How many $35 movie discs will be sold if that format wins?

So what is all this rambling about? Although its a hot topic and we really dont know, IMHO there could be some sort of subsidy or "deficit spending marketing" going on here. Companies can only subsidize their own products. Until another manufacture steps up to the plate, we might never know the true cost of a HD DVD player. Sony is selling it's Blu Ray player at $999. When have you seen a Sony product the cheapest in it's class? IMHO, Sony is also engaging in some sort of subsidy. If Sony could set a lower price they would have. But they can't undercut all their "partners/competitors" and they can't subsides them either. (PS3 at $499/$599 is their Tojan which is known to be taking a huge loss for every console sold).

Oh yeah, another example of "deficit spending marketing". I live in Houston and the baseball park is called Minute Maid Park. I think it costed millions to get the naming rights. Why would Coke spend millions on just naming rights? Guess what drink options 40,000 thirsty fans have to choose from at 80 home games. Never mind the free plug on TV every time an Astros home game is aired. Did I mention that when I spend $5 on a baseball ticket I also spend $30 in food/drinks at the game? Damn those consumables!!!

 

[Rob_Walton]

Next Gen Toshiba are effectively normalising prices with their competition. A cut down unit is available for $500 (similar to the PS3) while the full model will be $1000 (similar to the stand-alone BD players). It seems to have only been a 70,000 unit run of the cheaper priced fuller featured HD DVD players. And when they're gone, they're gone.

 

[ppltd]

I have heard the 70,000 number bantered around in many reports. Does anyone know if it is accurate? I understand that Toshiba is no longer producing the first gen units, and if the number is accurate, it would give us a little insight to it's penetration into the market.

Thomas Eisenmann

 

[Austan]

I've seen those numbers slowly rise... First is was 10,000 units sold out, then 55,000 units shipped, now 70,000 units total. I've also seen the price drop from $499 to $439 and now $399. The only numbers I recall from Samsung is 10,000 units and now the price is as low as $799 (down from $999).