It's Official: Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

[rfowkes]

The price of standard DVD players certainly were not $1000! I know...I had one of the first ones ($400.00).

With all due respect (as I share your views as a user of both HD formats that HD-DVD certainly was delivering more on the promise of HD players when they pulled the plug) I can vouch for the fact that the first DVD player was, in fact, around $1000 with very little budging away from MSRP in early 1997. That would be the SONY DVP7000S which I purchased for ~$999 and still works after 11 years! It was the earliest version of that machine (no macrovision enabled and no reagion coding) and I'm using it in a spare bedroom when the grandkids come over. Granted, it was pre-DTS so it lacks some of the features of almost all current DVD players but it definitely was $1000 at the outset. And yes, the price of DVD players quickly dropped as competition arrived. My next DVD player, with more features was around $400 about a year later. I'm sure the price drop occurred before that point.

Speaking of prices, etc., now that HD-DVD has pulled the plug that doesn't stop people from taking advantage of the great pricing of remaining HD-DVD players as long as they still are available. Even if you never place an HD-DVD disc in its tray, these Toshiba units are tremendous upscaling DVD players and far superior to the usual $39-$69 fare at the big box stores. Coincidentally, a friend of mine was in the market for a new DVD player (his old unit completely crapped out and he had just gotten a great new HD display). Although he wasn't ready to start with Blu-ray and balked at the $300+ pricing of current players I pointed out that there were several Toshiba models that could be had at places like Amazon for extremely attractive prices. In fact, if you factor in the 7 free HD-DVDs (two in the box and 5 more by mail - the offer is still good until the end of March) some of the models are actually free to the consumer. I pointed out that this wasn't a HD vs SD issue and most if not all of his SD-DVD collection would look better when played on the Toshiba. He got a unit and was amazed at how good his favorite SD-DVDs looked compared to before. Interestingly, a "know-it-all" neighbor who happened to walk in as we were setting things up saw the Toshiba box and exclaimed, "Don't open the box. HD-DVD is dead. Send it back and buy a Blu-ray player!!" He didn't have a clue as to why I was recommending a Toshiba player as a low cost (actually "no cost") option. The HD-DVD players are great SD players at remarkable pricing for now.

Luckily, my friend realized that I know a lot more about HT than his neighbor but it just goes to show what the HD industry will be up against when trying to convince the "general public" why SD isn't "good enough" because to them it is.

[film11]

Wow! Guess Sony was always a rip-off! My first plaers in 1997 were the Pioneer LD/DVD combo (with LD performance compromised, I jettisoned that one in favor of the glorious HLD-X9) and (ironically) a Toshiba model for $400.00.

Throughout the current HD war, I didn't pick up either format. However, while I was working in electronics retail, it was plain to see that the HD-DVD format was easily superior to the more expensive BR stand-alones in nearly every way. If I hadn't missed the $99,00 sale on the A2 machines, I would have had one then.

However, the demise of HD-DVD did bring about one positive result. Just today, I learned that Circuit City has the A30 players for $122.00 (tax included!) For some of the same reasons that you describe, I picked one up today (Upconversion is reportedly better than the A3). Of course, I couldn't resist grabbing BLADE RUNNER, 2001, and the TROY Director's Cut as well.

I look forward to getting some of the remaining HD-DVD releases to come. When that ends, I'll still be getting HD movies day-and-date via OnDemand. For the rest, I have the second-best upconverting player on the market (the A35 being a bit better.) For the price I paid (less whatever I get from selling my Sony upconverting player), I'm quite satisfied. More so than waiting till Fall/Winter for a finally equal-to-HD-DVD up-to-spec BR player for $400.00!!!

Maybe I'll get a BR player a few years from now, depending on what the HD terrain looks like then. But somehow, I don't think I'll need it with all the HD options I already have.

[fpnovak]

As I said above, the mediocre (higher priced) format -Blu-RAY- has prevailed. I think it is very unfortunate, what motivation do they have to improve on their inferior software in their HD-players-NOW?
If we are going to take the HD-DVD choice away, then let's take all SD-DVDs away, too. Maybe by Feb. 19, 2009.
We should've dragged the "Definition-Challenged" kicking and screaming into the 21st century, several years ago.
Since I have little faith in Blu-RAY, isn't there a third format hiding in the weeds? One that can hold 90-100 Megabytes?on their discs?
What is it's definition limit? Does it handle the 4000 lines per screen of SUPER-HDTV?
That way- I CAN WATCH MY 60 IN. (58in.-actually) Toshiba Regza from 18 inches away from the screen?

In for a penny/ In for a Pound!

-fpnovak

[fpnovak]

Henry,
Have you ever watched a good Toshiba HD-DVD Player? :
If you are still pining away for Beta-max, I'm guessing you haven't.
If you have compared HD-DVD & Blu-RAY, side to side, and still think Blu-RAY is better; then all I can say is ... "Can you pass me what you're smoking?"
-fpn

[Richard]

fpn, this last post has me lost - could you quote what you are responding to please?