(Wall Street Journal) Did you plop down big dollars for a HD DVD player using Toshiba's HD-DVD format - which recently lost the battle with Sony's Blu-ray format?
Well, depending where you bought it, you may be eligible for a refund of a gift card to ease the disappointment.
Wal-mart is offering refunds for HD DVD players purchased on or after Nov 1. To qualify, customers must return the players by April 30 and have a receipt in hand. Original packaging isn't required.
Meanwhile, BestBuy is giving $50 gift cards to customers who bought an HD DVD player or an HD DVD unit for a Microsoft XBox 360 video-game system anytime before February 23. Gift-card recepients can keep their HD DVD units.
BestBuy says it will mail the gift cards, which don't expire, by May 1 to customers who bought warranties or who are part of it's "Reward Zone" program. Other BestBuy customers can call 1-888-BestBuy to participate. Be sure to have your receipt or credit card information as proof of purchase.
People looking to get rid of a player altogether - regardless of where it was purchased - can check out Best Buy's online trade-in center.
You're not looking at great prices when trading in, but it's something. For instance, you'd get $148.50 for a Toshiba HD XA2 unit originally priced at $1,000 and $2.70 apiece for HD DVD's.
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Circuit City was one of the first retailers to give store credit to customers who bought HD DVD PLAYERS.
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I would love to know if some of these retailers bought into some sort of insurance, much like futures, options or a hedge for protection "just in case". This rebating/refunding seems like it would have been very expensive otherwise.
I hate VHS. I always did. -
About time they gave store credit for "HD Ready" TVs that lacked HDCP (invented after the sale).
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Originally Posted by edDV
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Originally Posted by PuzZLeR
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Considering how many retailers are doing this I wouldn't be surprised if Toshiba is behind this to some extent. Not saying I know this to be a fact I'm just saying that I bet Toshiba is somehow ... if only partly ... funding this ... after all it is their equipment and if any is to "save face" over this it is Toshiba ... not the retailers.
- John "FulciLives" Coleman"The eyes are the first thing that you have to destroy ... because they have seen too many bad things" - Lucio Fulci
EXPLORE THE FILMS OF LUCIO FULCI - THE MAESTRO OF GORE
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I do know that Toshiba was honoring "out clauses" on contracts for HD-DvD carriers/retailers/studios/etc., but don't know the details myself. It is good business I believe for all parties concerned - and I agree that it prevents resentment towards the Toshiba brand.
Satviewer2000, I see your point - sacrifice a bit of the margin to win another sale later. And this too soothes their customers' disappointment as well.I hate VHS. I always did. -
$100 off a LG Dual player at Futureshop Canada. That unit had also been marked down from $899 to $499, so $399 would be a good price and you can still keep your HD-DVD videos....
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why not just keep them and use them as good upscaling dvd players and then buy all the cheap hd films that is out
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Yesterday, my son received from Best Buy a $50 gift certificate. Reason: he bought an Xbox from them. They are very generous I think. Are they preempting a possible class-action lawsuit? I don't see a reason for a lawsuit. Did people sue during the VHS-Betamax format war? Then again, lawyers always see something to sue.
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Originally Posted by sunderland
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I feel all the issues were disclosed in the BluRay vs. HD-DVD battle. There was going to be a loser, maybe both. Buyer beware.
This wasn't the case with expensive "HD Ready" TV sets sold up to late 2005. There was no warning that analog component wouldn't be supported at full resolution or any warnings about digital encryption requirements for high def DVD or broadcast flag.
I think this is one of the few cases where a massive class action lawsuit is justified.Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
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Originally Posted by edDV
My HDTV is an old 3rd generation
DVI and Component with no HDMI
I feel I was screwed with the new encrypted HD signals. One of the reasons I wanted an upconverting DVR on component before they we're not around any more.....Just one thing, I thought about it too late, and now I can't find one. -
For instance, you'd get $148.50 for a Toshiba HD XA2 unit originally priced at $1,000 and $2.70 apiece for HD DVD's.
There's no way I'm trading in my XA2 and HD DVD's,I will be enjoying them for years to come.In fact I recently bought a few more HD DVD's at a great price.I am in no hurry to buy an overpriced BD player,I might buy one in a year or two though.
The Best Buy $50 GC offer is a great promo and I wish other retailers would offer a similar program. -
@MOVIEGEEK: From an accountant's or financial person's point of view, what you're doing could be arguably financially feasible to enjoy HD entertainment today instead of major investments currently on the market with the only existing format BD now.
Even if down the road you actually had to replace your HD-DvD discs with BD ones, you're still ahead by not jumping in while prices are still very high now.
I am not recommending people buy HD-DvD, or its wares today, but since you already have one as the incumbent player, you're best just sticking to it until the prices go down. I agree.I hate VHS. I always did. -
You guys sound like accountants when you debit and credit the store credit. hahaha. That's a good thing they're offering people some form of compensation because it'd really be unfair to those people who didn't know their future player would plummet. I kind of had a feeling that it'd take over though. Just the name blu-ray sounds so cool that people would wanna indulge in it. That, and of course the PS3 came out and dominated the market.
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Originally Posted by MOVIEGEEK
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Just the name blu-ray sounds so cool that people would wanna indulge in it.
I'm not a fan of the color blue, however the name "blue" and "ray" gives a cool feeling and the name flows out the mouth very smoothly. Good marketing.I hate VHS. I always did. -
I think "HD DVD" is more descriptive than "Blu Ray",Blu Ray could be a weapon from a Sci-Fi film. :P
The reason HD DVD failed was lack of studio and retail support,not to mention the PS3. -
Well I'm not out that much from HDDVD. I've got six or seven movies and my hddvd addon drive for the xbox 360 was bought used for 100 on ebay.
All in all it was a nice ride and I can still use my movies. The addon sits on top of my xbox so it doesn't really take up any space.
I also went on the cheap end for BLuray with my 200.00 liteon BLURAY ROM pc player. I wasn't going to spend big before the war was decided and now I can I am set for awhile.Donatello - The Shredder? Michelangelo - Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw? -
I guess the negative thinking sets in when "HD-DvD is dead", but their supporters are not exactly getting hosed at all today and have it good despite the format's demise.
No, I'm not an HD-DvD fanboy and don't recommend buying the hardware today, but have to re-iterate on my last post. I'm still with blu-ray, however, doing the math - HD-DvDers are getting high quality HD entertainment today at an amazing discount. The savings are incredible and who cares if they have to replace these movies on BD 5 years from now when they are $5.99 at Wal-mart (if they actually care to at all by then).I hate VHS. I always did. -
There will be no need for HD-DVD users to replace their discs in the future. The format is digital. Even if players become obsolete, as long as you have a player on your computer, you will be able to rip it and store it on a hard drive. Then play it in a media center PC. The discs may eventually be obsolete, but the ISO's of the discs will live on.
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Returned my A3 to Walmart for a full refund ($200) and kept my 360 HD-DVD ($50) for all the $10 movies I picked up. I don't feel as though I've lost anything at all. I made out like a bandit for Hi-Def movies. I had a PS3 (for games) to begin with and a few BR movies so my bases were covered. For those who invested several hundred early on, most knew things were uncertain. You can't really complain too much if you got burned.
Nothing can stop me now, 'cause I don't care anymore. -
Originally Posted by Wile_E
However, when I was referring to replacing the movies to BD, I was referring to those purists who want the "actual official disc".:PI hate VHS. I always did.