Third generation HD DVD players on October 1st?
There's no doubt that the HD Format war is in full swing, and just when the Blu-ray camp thinks they're going to catch up with HD DVD's full featured players, HD DVD raises the bar. We'll probably have to wait 'till CEDIA to get the official word from Toshiba, but for now Amazon has a few details about the new lineup, which will be available on October 1st and include three models: the HD-A3 ($299), HD-A30($399), and the HD-A35($499). One thing is for sure, this is going to be a completely different war by the time the holiday buying season rolls around.Read -- HD-A3
Read -- HD-A30
Read -- HD-A35
[Via FormatWarCentral]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Luke @ Aug 2nd 2007 12:28PM
Technical details: Each box contains one HD DVD player.
Serengeti @ Aug 2nd 2007 2:42PM
An obvious act of desperation from the HDDVD camp!
DeadPlasmaCell @ Aug 2nd 2007 12:44PM
That just proves it.. 100% desperation, nail in coffin, format war over long ago.
/think I covered them all
Andrew @ Aug 2nd 2007 1:00PM
If these are SoC based (as opposed to the current PC-like 2nd gen players) then Toshiba would likely be in a better position to drive prices down even further. I wonder if they're going to give the 2nd gen players another price cut or rebate promotion to clear out remaining inventory.
Paul Fernandez @ Aug 2nd 2007 1:06PM
@DPC
Almost! You forgot "Toshiba's the ONLY manufacturer keeping the format alive with these new low-cost players..."
Like the prophetic Jet Li/Jason Statham banner, there will be many bumps and bruises in the aftermath of this "war." No matter who wins, I'll still have an awesome upconverter and simply pass on the PS3, whose major game titles will eventually be developed for the 360 (looking at you, Solid Snake). I still can't get enough of "The Incredibles" and the LOTR trilogy on my A20. Just freakin' amazing to watch every time...
Nfinity @ Aug 2nd 2007 1:56PM
Well we all knw what this means folks..old series will be going for $150 or so.. hooray..I'll be getting those A2 bad boys for my other rooms in the house if it comes done in price to $150.
reddplague @ Aug 2nd 2007 2:03PM
This war will be over JAN 1, 2008!!!!!
On Jan 1, 2008 there will be a clear winner HD-DVD or Blu-ray. It will not take years like some have said.
Prices are going to low to fast for this to go on longer than X-mas. If Toshiba doesn't take a larger enough lead this X-mas then it over for Toshiba and HD-DVD.
Lets face if by X-mas HD-DVD hasn't won or taken a large lead then its over. With price as low as $150, $99, or lower then what esle can they do.
If cheap prices can't win them this war then its over because they don't have the content that Blu-ray has.
pnorth @ Aug 2nd 2007 2:21PM
@reddplague "If cheap prices can't win them this war then its over because they don't have the content that Blu-ray has."
HD DVD 265 vs Blu-ray 272.
So you think 7 movies are going to make the difference? Oh, an that doesn't include p0rn - with that it's actually:
HD DVD 270 vs Blu-ray 272 (or 273 can't actually find the bd copy for sale).
SimbaDogg @ Aug 2nd 2007 4:20PM
@redplague
i agree w/ your theory, i guess you can call it that. But i would have to say jan 1st would be a bad date for "damage control". Since that really isn't the end of the holiday season. Look to Feb 1st, thats when it officially starts winding down for most retailers, and people start cashing in any gift cards that they have. If there's no a huge bump in hd dvd sales, and media by then...things might be bad for the format
SimbaDogg @ Aug 2nd 2007 4:21PM
@redplague
i agree w/ your theory, i guess you can call it that. But i would have to say jan 1st would be a bad date for "damage control". Since that really isn't the end of the holiday season. Look to Feb 1st, thats when it officially starts winding down for most retailers, and people start cashing in any gift cards that they have. If there's no a huge bump in hd dvd sales, and media by then...things might be bad for the format
WiFiSpy @ Aug 2nd 2007 2:07PM
Looks like amazon has taken the Preorders down.....heh
Segarsj @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:37PM
Exactly.
Not only are you correct to say this, but this doesn't even include the wealth of available import HD DVD's that include some current Blu-ray exclusives (The Prestige, T2, The Brother's Grimm, Ghost Rider, The Bridge to Terabithia, and many others).
For me its all about the region free titles, and once you weigh in on Studio Canals international titles, HD DVD clearly has more than Blu-ray(at least for the time being).
I'm just sick of hearing that Blu-ray has more titles, and that you're missing out if you opt for HD DVD when really the opposite is true. Ultimately, years down the line, if all studios maintain their current status Blu-ray will have more, but that's assuming that nothing changes between now and then, and frankly that seems highly unlikely. With all of the money that Paramount and Warner are making through their support of both formats, I can't see why a handful of Blu-ray exclusives will ultimately find their way to format neutrality (with the exception of releases from Sony and Disney). I doubt we'll ever see Universal, Disney, or Sony go neutral as that will surely be the end of the format war, which I don't see ending any time soon, but smaller studios should follow the money, and right now the money is in format neutrality.
reddplague @ Aug 2nd 2007 2:40PM
I should have made my statement clear.
From 2006 to present how many blockbuster will be on HD-DVD ONLY!!!. In a previous post I posted just 15 blockbuster movies from 2006 of those only 4 where both formats NONE!!! where HD-DVD only.
That is what I mean by content. Since I rent all my movies I don't buy it is important to me that I see the most Blockbuster films in HD NOT SD-DVD what would be the point to watch in SD-DVD if I can watch in on Blu-ray.
Some ppl might not care but this is what I'm going to consider when I buy either player. I going to get a Blu-ray player unless something changes with HD-DVD by X-mas.
It going to take a miracle for HD-DVD to win this war.
tranzparentl @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:16PM
As long as disc sales keep increasing for both formats as they have been doing, why would either of them fail? Both side are getting more and more customers every day.
Kevin Murphy @ Aug 2nd 2007 7:12PM
Let's see if I can be as ridiculous as "redplague" about Blue-ray.
Assertion 1: Unless Sony can get the price of its players down below $200 before Christmas, they're doomed! After all Joe Six-pack buys ALL the movies and Joe Six-Pack likes cheap, cheap, cheap.
Assertion 2: Unless Fox and MGM start producing bluray disks again by October 1, Blu-ray is doomed. After all, the BDA's whole marketing strategy is about how much support they've got in their cartel, and with those two players staying out of the market, their strategy sucks.
Assertion 3: Unless the BDA cartel has a plan to deal with the EC locking them out of the Euro market until they offer both formats, their going to be doomed early in 2008 when the EC rules to protect consumers from having to pay inflated prices for BD players.
See, I can be just as silly. Or maybe not as each of these assertions has more going for it that redplagues's silly theory.
HB96st @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:19PM
LOL... You Blu-Ray SDF dudes are so funny... Well Just to piss you off me and my friends just copped HD DVD players for our 360's... HD DVD aint going nowhere!
AG23 @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:43PM
It doesn't piss me or other Blu-Ray fans off that you bought an HD-DVD player(except maybe the overly insane fanboy). I just don't feel that it is a good decision especially when the prices of the HD-DVD players keep going down but the overall sales of the formats is still 2 or 3:1 in Blu-Ray's favor with little changed.
HD-DVD sales may have picked up but so did the sales of the PS3 with their price drop as well.
HB96st @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:20PM
Matter of fact, to help the cause, I'm on my way to get more HD DVD movies. LOL
Koji @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:28PM
HD-DVD drives, used, at Gamestop stores are incredibly inexpensive. I don't need an X-Box to use them and my PC and monitor are both HD capable...
BUT BUT BUT, cheap as it is, I know if I buy it and some movies to go with, I know that despite the price I'm going to be stuck with it after the format war is over and Blu-Ray wins. Consumers are smarter now than they were back in the 80s.
HB96st @ Aug 2nd 2007 4:17PM
Oh boy... here we go with the BR selling over HD 2:1/3:1 LOL.. funny. Didn't sony expect to be like 4:1 right now?? Lets face facts... IT's NECK TO NECK. Sony isnt even 2:1 over HD.. Stop the propaganda.
HB96st @ Aug 2nd 2007 4:19PM
"(except maybe the overly insane fanboy)"
-Bingo!
HB96st @ Aug 2nd 2007 4:21PM
Serious question though.... How long was the format war between VHS and Beta??
T-bone @ Aug 2nd 2007 6:42PM
Who says its over, I can still buy blank Betamax tapes...not to be confused with Beta which is a format that survived for many years in the professional industry and was a standard at one time not too many years ago.
Mike @ Aug 2nd 2007 5:27PM
I buy HD DVD's and Blu-Ray DVD's from DVD Empire which keeps weekly/monthly/yearly %'s for both formats. For this week it is approx Blu-Ray 53% vs HD DVD at 47%. For the year it is about 60-40 in Blu Ray's favor. And I still don't think it's gonna end any time soon, so everybody relax, take adavantage of the continuing price drops, pick a format (or both, as I did) and enjoy the ride!
Slvrgun @ Aug 2nd 2007 6:54PM
Man whoever comes out with a sub 200 and 150 player is going to win. It doesn't matter if Blu-ray has "more studio support" despite Sony releasing the majority of the Blu-Ray titles because once Studios see how easy it will be for consumers to buy an HD player they'll have no choice but to release titles to the most accessible and easily available player. Whoever said price doesn't matter needs to look no further than the PS3. Sony practically priced themselves out of the console wars.
JeffDM @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:45PM
Kevin Murphy; I think the people that really are cheap are sticking with DVD. Even at $100, it probably still would be too expensive for the true "J6P" audience. I'm interested in seeing how this turns out. I'm really surprised that a $20 price drop is a significant factor in purchases though.
Xyzzy @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:59PM
"I'm really surprised that a $20 price drop is a significant factor in purchases though"
I think it was the combination of the $20 price drop AND the 5 free movies that convinced people to buy now. That's, in essence, a $120 price drop, and the main reason for the buying frenzy I believe.
JeffDM @ Aug 4th 2007 12:01AM
I thought the 5 movie bonus was available for the entire length of the HD-DVD 5 movie promo deal.
nigel @ Aug 4th 2007 10:06PM
IS THE HD WAR OVER?????
According to this updated Amazon article it might be!!
http://www.amazon.com/Walmart-HD-DVD/forum/Fx1YSSJPN2UWN9Q/Tx3LH3DJHB5P7SE/1/ref=cm_cd_dp_tft_tp/103-0825864-3756631?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdAnchor=B000IJV4BC&asin=B000IJV4BC&store=electronics
Tim @ Aug 6th 2007 8:16AM
Long way from over. The sales on either side are still peanuts compared to DVD. This is still a niche market and both will easily hold on until (or if) it ever reaches mass market proportions.
Sales are so small that a single 'hot' title can swing it the other way (bring out Star Wars or LOTR on HD-DVD only, or cheaper to own on HD-DVD and it would kill Blu-Ray in an instant). In fact sales are so small that fan-boy purchases in bulk can influence the figures significantly (driven by forums/petitions like has been attempted with music sales to influence charts).
Oh, and what's being ignored are the sales stats from the rest of the world, especially Europe where HD is still just emerging (many people are buying HD TVs now just because they are flat, but very few are even considering or aware of HD formats like HD-DVD or Blu-Ray).
More likely the result will be the war will never be over. It will just continue as minor niche formats like SACD/DVD-A, but DVD will reign supreme for many years yet. Eventually DVD might get replaced but probably not by either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Likely something better.
djgrind45 @ Aug 17th 2007 10:45PM
picture quality is the same and both of them are doing good altho the blue ray has a cooler name and uses a thiner laser to read disks the hd dvd players are just as good and to me they will both be neck to neck but i think at the end blue ray can acomplish alot more with the thinner laser and could possibly beat the hd dvd players.
most dvds coming out are talkin about just blueray ther are acouple with both but more blue ray.
i think this war is never gunna end because of price when blueray becomes alot cheaper it will be in the lead but for know its price and popularity
Brodie @ Aug 20th 2007 3:16PM
Well guys, I know that Sony fanboys would love to say that Blu-Ray is kicking HD's butt. I'm sad to announce to all of you that your precious Transformers movie will NOT be coming out on Blu-Ray. Yes, in fact, it is going to be an HD exclusive as will all Paramount, Dreamworks and MTV films from this date forward. For Paramount and it's minions are no longer going to make Blu-Ray discs. So to those of you on the fence, go HD. All major Blu-Ray exclusives are available over seas on HD and can be purchased here for the same price over the web. And now HD has more, yes, more studio support than Blu-Ray. Since HD also has exclusive independent companies like First Look which distributes the Weinstein films and HBO.
Brodie @ Aug 21st 2007 10:58PM
My above comment may have been wrong. It seams HBO is multi platform. Making the amount of studio support dead even.
bbillyo @ Sep 13th 2007 12:34PM
I think it was a mistake, but I pre-ordered a HD-A30 last week, and I just got it in the mail yesterday. I called Toshiba with a question and they couldn't believe I already had it, because it wasn't scheduled for release yet. The unit is very sleek looking, and better yet, performs very well. Start-up (boot) times seem significantly reduced when powered on, and once this is done HDDVD's can be loaded/ejected and reloaded quickly and start normally seemingly like a regular DVD player. It came with the two free HDDVD's prepackaged so you can play right out of the box. The remote seems a little light and without substance, but I'd rather have a sound working head unit. Ejecting/Loading discs, moving around menu screens rapidly, are all done glich free. Just got it yesterday, but seems VERY nice.