HD-DVD players coming soon.

[Bob W]

I see that one can pre-order the Toshiba HD-DVD player from BestBuy for $500. Anyone here going to be getting a HD-DVD player? The player will be in the stores around March, 27 2006 and some 100 or so movie titles will be out about the same time. Also do we have any idea yet as to how much a HD-DVD movie is going to cost?

[ebenton]

From what I've heard, a movie on a Blu-Ray disk will be around $50, and HD-DVD probably less, but who knows for sure?

In any case, I think $500 plus $50 per movie is a bit steep for most people. It's too much for me to bite off, let alone chew right now, anyway.

[Baldrick]

I would guess around $30.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E5KUJ2/ref=imdbdpov_dvd_0/102-2244933-9708135?%5F...v=glance&n=130
but it is not that good example, only 40 min movie...

and I would wait for a combined hddvd,bluray player.

[ebenton]

I noticed on your Amazon link, Baldrick, that Amazon is also selling a Blu-Ray disk for the same price as the HD DVD. Go figure.

[whitejremiah]

honestly, i think im gonna be partial to hd dvd between the two...ive HEARD that the hd dvd's will likely cost less, and ive also heard they will be using some form of h.264 compression as well right off the bat...quite a good move in my opinion, seeing that blu ray movies will start out with the good ol mpeg 2...meaing that even though hd dvd will have less space per disc, at least at first, they have a chance to have better picture quality at a cheaper price.....though i dont think im gonna jump on board for either of them for a long while.......

[compuser]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/16297241/qid=1139195981/sr=53-1/ref=tr_2...018569-5642520

it seems that all of the titles they list don't have a price yet.

[Bob W]

I would guess around $30.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E5KUJ2/ref=imdbdpov_dvd_0/102-2244933-9708135?%5F...v=glance&n=130
but it is not that good example, only 40 min movie...

and I would wait for a combined hddvd,bluray player.

Hmm I think if they want this new technology to take off they need to throw out their greed and price the movies very near the same as standard DVDs.

[ebenton]

There's a difference between "throwing out greed" and "losing money". I don't know where that price point is, but they probably don't want to have the price so low at the beginning, to attract buyers, that they have to raise it later on.

On the other hand, they may have a pretty good idea what the eventual cost will be, and they could charge it now and lose money for a little while until the manufacturing costs caught up to the retail price.

On the other hand (if I had 3 hands), unless they drop the price of the players down to what the eventual (projected) price will be, what's the point of dropping the disk price? If you can afford a $500 or more player, you probably aren't going to balk at $50 movies, or at least a few of them, for a while.

I believe the targeted demographics for these first players and movies is not the general public. It is "early adopters", who are aware that they are paying more now than they will later, but who want to be on the "bleeding edge" of consumerism.

[offline]

I think the cycle for early adopters is shrinking. Manufacturing today is a low margin, high output deal. Both formats will race to dominate the player market. They may sacrifice their research costs, and then rely on licensing fees for profit. This might not be the case for HD recorders imo. If HD players become the "star", then the "cash cow (sic)" are the HD recorders. Expect to bleed heavily for your HD recording edge.