Five Free HD DVD

[SingSing]

This is poping up on Yahoo.

This is about the same approach that Sony try to push BD with PS/3.

[bbanderic]

I think last Sunday's Best Buy or Circuit City ad had the same deal. Buy the Toshiba HD-DVD player for $399 and get 5 free HD-DVD's. That's actually not a bad deal considering the Blu-Ray player goes for approx. $799 and $599 for a PS3.

Personally though, I wouldn't buy either one until a clear winner emerges in the so-called format war. This isn't like the DVD+R/DVD-R thing where both can co-exist, the movie studios will not release movies on both, long term. Until then, I'm more than happy with DVD.

[rotten apple]

Mmmmm....smell that DESPERATION!!

[j1d10t]

Personally though, I wouldn't buy either one until a clear winner emerges in the so-called format war.

Go with whichever the "adult entertainment" industry is using..... Look at VHS Vs. Beta. If I remember correctly they (the "adult entertainment" industry) have released (or are going to release, I can't remember for sure) a couple of titles on Blu-Ray, but from what I've read Sony and Disney are making it VERY hard (no pun intended ) for them to find factories that will manufacture the adult titles on Blu-Ray - I guess Sony and Disney have said that they won't use places that manufacture "adult" titles, so very few companies are willing to make them. So the adult enterainment industry is leaning more towards HD DVD. If they deceide to back HD DVD completely, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Blu-Ray goes the way of Beta. Granted, there are a lot more options now for people that want adult titles, such as the internet, VOD, etc. But untill burnable Blu-Ray drops down in price to where the average cunsumer can afford (and use) it, so they can burn their own discs, whatever format the adult titles are released in is (most likely) going to be very popular. Just my 2 cents

[edDV]

Mmmmm....smell that DESPERATION!!

Naw, their direct costs are probably under $10+shipping and that is written off to marketing expense. Much cheaper than a 10% rebate.

[SingSing]

Should we wait for High Def release of "Debbie Do Dallas 13"?

The current low price is "Toshiba HDXA1 HD DVD Player (HDMI) $319.99 w/ Code: 2nd1046 Exp 4/26. $30 Shipping. "

My first DVD player was a $299 pioneer. It was a price point for a lot of us last time!

Note : My first VHS VCR was $999.

[rotten apple]

Naw, their direct costs are probably under $10+shipping and that is written off to marketing expense. Much cheaper than a 10% rebate.

So its unlikely to be a sign of the manufacturers wavering belief in the expected marketability of their product - i wouldn't have had specific enough knowledge to say seriously if such a retail deal even involves them.Even if it does directly effect the makers perhaps in the long run whatever they recoup from intial HD DVD player sales, even if the format dies, would make such marketing expenses seem 'peanuts' - they can't really loose either way, such is the power of big biz?

[edDV]

Naw, their direct costs are probably under $10+shipping and that is written off to marketing expense. Much cheaper than a 10% rebate.

So its unlikely to be a sign of the manufacturers wavering belief in the expected marketability of their product - i wouldn't have had specific enough knowledge to say seriously if such a retail deal even involves them.Even if it does directly effect the makers perhaps in the long run whatever they recoup from intial HD DVD player sales, even if the format dies, would make such marketing expenses seem 'peanuts' - they can't really loose either way, such is the power of big biz?

In the past most stanalone game players and computer display cards included sample games to get you started (or hooked?). The user needs education to get going and packing in some samples will make him more likely to buy more titles. This is basic marketing. Like a pizza, the materials/manufacturing cost is less than 10% of the "list price" for a DVD.

[TJK1911]

...This isn't like the DVD+R/DVD-R thing where both can co-exist, the movie studios will not release movies on both, long term. Until then, I'm more than happy with DVD.

This is exactlylike DVD+R/DVD-r where both can co-exist. There's no reason they can't build universal BD-HD/DVD players (and eventually writers) that will use either format, just as we now have DVD writers that will handle either +R or -R and virtually all DVD players will play either format. After we have universal machines at a reasonable price, who cares what format a movie is released on?

[Abond]

After we have universal machines at a reasonable price, who cares what format a movie is released on?

Once we can make reliable backup - nobody.

[bbanderic]

...This isn't like the DVD+R/DVD-R thing where both can co-exist, the movie studios will not release movies on both, long term. Until then, I'm more than happy with DVD.

This is exactlylike DVD+R/DVD-r where both can co-exist. There's no reason they can't build universal BD-HD/DVD players (and eventually writers) that will use either format, just as we now have DVD writers that will handle either +R or -R and virtually all DVD players will play either format. After we have universal machines at a reasonable price, who cares what format a movie is released on?

Yeah, if you look at it from a hardware point of view.

Last I checked the movie studios don't release their movies on DVD-R/DVD+R, this is where the difference is.

For commercial releases if all about keeping the production costs down and marketing. It's cheaper to manufacture, and it's a lot less confusing for the AVERAGE consumer to have one format. I'll bet the stores selling the commercial releases would prefer one format as well. In the end, there will be one HD format for commercial releases IMO.

[edDV]

For commercial releases if all about keeping the production costs down and marketing. It's cheaper to manufacture, and it's a lot less confusing for the AVERAGE consumer to have one format. I'll bet the stores selling the commercial releases would prefer one format as well. In the end, there will be one HD format for commercial releases IMO.

It all comes down to volume and selling model.

Cost per unit drops with volume. Traditional DVD disc channels are multi-tier and high markup.

If price is important, high volume and direct mail get you the win. If support if important, other channels may work.

[videopoo]

This is exactlylike DVD+R/DVD-r where both can co-exist. There's no reason they can't build universal BD-HD/DVD players (and eventually writers) that will use either format, just as we now have DVD writers that will handle either +R or -R and virtually all DVD players will play either format. After we have universal machines at a reasonable price, who cares what format a movie is released on?

True but not even close to the same thing at far as DVD production goes . DVD+R & DVD-R are interchangeable because they can carry the same info - like a VIDEO_TS folder for example. There are 2 Hi Def DVD specs at this point which are not interchangeable in production - not good for DVD production folks or consumers. It limits producers and this will reflect in the amount of content pushed through production pipes.

[SingSing]

These are the choices for the five free HD movies.

Quite a few of them are old classics that hardly make HD sense.

I think the biggest HD seller wil be the Matrix 1,2,3.

[Nilfennasion]

Actually, if they were shot on 35mm film, they make perfect sense. 35mm film is about four times the resolution of HD anything, aspect ratio difference notwithstanding. And since cinemaphiles, the people that home video formats count on for early adoption, which in turn equals survival, tend to go for old classics, this makes perfect sense.

Far more important than porn producers is the retailers. JB Hi-Fi has gone with Blu-Ray exclusively because, and I quote, they are not in the business of selling thousand-dollar clocks. Blu-Ray has quite the lead in terms of produced titles, and they show every sign that they will be extending it as time goes on. Of the major producers, only one supports HD-DVD exclusively, two support both, and five support Blu-Ray exclusively.

Which ads up to more content Ma and Pa Average want to look at, which as Columbia-Tristar's staff are found of telling the press corps, means more sales.

Really, what they should have done in the beginning was get the studios to sit down and thrash out an agreed-to standard as happened with DVD-Video. That is the only reason DVD-Video did not end up being destroyed by another ridiculous format war.

By the way, looking at that list compared to what is available on Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray wins hands down.

[videopoo]

Far more important than porn producers is the retailers. JB Hi-Fi has gone with Blu-Ray exclusively because, and I quote, they are not in the business of selling thousand-dollar clocks. Blu-Ray has quite the lead in terms of produced titles, and they show every sign that they will be extending it as time goes on. Of the major producers, only one supports HD-DVD exclusively, two support both, and five support Blu-Ray exclusively.

Which ads up to more content Ma and Pa Average want to look at, which as Columbia-Tristar's staff are found of telling the press corps, means more sales.

Most Hi Def material is not own by studios with million dollar budgets. If Sony wants to keep Blu Ray production exclusive to a few developers and keep the price of productions high ($70,000-$100,000 to produce a BD-J title) then I think they may have issues. Plus all the BD-J titles on the market don't even come close to providing the features they use as selling points....

99% of content owners willing to produce a Hi Def disc would have to go with HD DVD at this point based on what it would cost. (example: The Porn Industry)

There's one area where Blu Ray blows HD DVD out of the water...Marketing..unfortunately this can make or break a product...

GO HD DVD!!!!

[edDV]

There is a huge opportunity here for another format to blow both away.

Why does the user want the limitations of an optical disc? I often find difficulty locating a DVD in a multi-user household. The number of media titles under the roof demands database management not unlike a local public library. The future user wants an accessible file on a server from whatever player.

Why accept a standard that requires encrypted paths to the monitor? Even if you buy their player and optical media, unless you also buy their compatible display you can't play the file in high definition.

If you bought the latest model Sony audio receiver system with the 700 watts of AC-3 x.1 channels and internal HDMI switch, forget the HDMI switch later when HDCP is required. Go back to Go and forget your $900-$3000 audio investment.

The winner will bypass all this with a user friendly solution.

[xxiangg]

The passing weekend, amazon.com just had an HD-DVD sale for HD-A2 for
$238 with 5 free HD-DVD disks.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=525813

[SingSing]

The HD_DVD player and movies ($239.00 and $19.00) are priced lower than DVD($299.00 and $29.00) in the introduction period.

[videopoo]

There is a huge opportunity here for another format to blow both away.

Why does the user want the limitations of an optical disc? I often find difficulty locating a DVD in a multi-user household. The number of media titles under the roof demands database management not unlike a local public library. The future user wants an accessible file on a server from whatever player.

Why accept a standard that requires encrypted paths to the monitor? Even if you buy their player and optical media, unless you also buy their compatible display you can't play the file in high definition.

If you bought the latest model Sony audio receiver system with the 700 watts of AC-3 x.1 channels and internal HDMI switch, forget the HDMI switch later when HDCP is required. Go back to Go and forget your $900-$3000 audio investment.

The winner will bypass all this with a user friendly solution

Thats a good point but most people in the world don't have computers or internet but they do have a DVD players. Maybe a little over 50% percent of folks in the US have computers in thier homes - compare that to DVD Players. Data management for audio and video is light years beyond the avg user right now. I think people forget (escpecially on this board) that most people don't own a computer, don't care in getting one or can't afford it - BUT they do like watching movies. Like it or not people will need players for many years to come.

[nwo]

Why does the user want the limitations of an optical disc?

That becoz people would like to own a disc and not rent a file which could be deleted or removed from
your hard-drive in the kind of Itunes does!

[edDV]

There is a huge opportunity here for another format to blow both away.

Why does the user want the limitations of an optical disc? I often find difficulty locating a DVD in a multi-user household. The number of media titles under the roof demands database management not unlike a local public library. The future user wants an accessible file on a server from whatever player.

Why accept a standard that requires encrypted paths to the monitor? Even if you buy their player and optical media, unless you also buy their compatible display you can't play the file in high definition.

If you bought the latest model Sony audio receiver system with the 700 watts of AC-3 x.1 channels and internal HDMI switch, forget the HDMI switch later when HDCP is required. Go back to Go and forget your $900-$3000 audio investment.

The winner will bypass all this with a user friendly solution

Thats a good point but most people in the world don't have computers or internet but they do have a DVD players. Maybe a little over 50% percent of folks in the US have computers in thier homes - compare that to DVD Players. Data management for audio and video is light years beyond the avg user right now. I think people forget (escpecially on this board) that most people don't own a computer, don't care in getting one or can't afford it - BUT they do like watching movies. Like it or not people will need players for many years to come.

But their DVD players are obsolete for high definition. They must buy something else. Why go back to 1990 and do another $400 DVD player? This time it comes with heavy restrictions on what it will connect to.

I'm not talking about computers. I'm talking about ways to input video to a central home video server that stores your collection so that it can be accessed by various devices in the home or on the road.

This hole in the market may be plugged by cable, satellite, DTV secondary channels or telco but I see a new multiuser Tivo/server type device that downloads media directly bypassing all these guys and retail optical discs.

Order what you want, background download and then play from many linked devices.

[edDV]

Thats a good point but most people in the world don't have computers or internet ...

Most have internet access although they aren't necessarily a subscriber at the moment. It is there with increasing bandwidth on their telco line, cable or wireless. Even telcos are looking to sell excess bandwidth with naked DSL services.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_DSL

[videopoo]

Yes I know that they are expensive now but in a year or so I'm sure you'll see HD DVD players in the $50 range. I don't know if folks want filled space on a hard drive? I know I don't...I rather have a physical disc with liner notes , graphics ect - something to put in my pocket Your ideas sound cool but can you actually see someone living in a trailer park making $1000/month having a set up like this anytime soon. These are the people who buy/rent movies.

Yes..I see where your coming from a but do you actually see it happening anytime soon? - like in the next 5-10 years? - a LONG time in this business. The infrastructure just isn't there to transfer files that large in mass quantity.

[edDV]

Yes I know that they are expensive now but in a year or so I'm sure you'll see HD DVD players in the $50 range. I don't know if folks want filled space on a hard drive? I know I don't...I rather have a physical disc with liner notes , graphics ect - something to put in my pocket Your ideas sound cool but can you actually see someone living in a trailer park making $1000/month having a set up like this anytime soon. These are the people who buy/rent movies.

Yes..I see where your coming from a but do you actually see it happening anytime soon? - like in the next 5-10 years? - a LONG time in this business. The infrastructure just isn't there to transfer files that large in mass quantity.

Lots of Tivos/DVR go to low income workers and check out the DirecTV and Dish antennas. I think the kind of thing I envision will first appeal to more upmarket families that are buying HDTVs for multiple rooms and have kids that want the same programming in the car, iPod, bedroom and lower basement. How many times must the parents buy (license) Shrek III? Isn't one license enough?