Venturer's SHD7000 HD DVD player now at Wal-Mart for $200
Read - Wal-Mart's $199.98 SHD7000
Read - SHD7001 set for December launch
Read - Wal-Mart's $199.98 SHD7000
Read - SHD7001 set for December launch
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bob @ Nov 29th 2007 3:48PM
I'm sure if this was a $200 Blu Ray player you wouldn't exactly be "underwhelmed"
Sy @ Nov 29th 2007 3:52PM
"I'm sure if this was a $200 Blu Ray player you wouldn't exactly be "underwhelmed""
If there was a $200 Blu-ray player, then it would be a new low and it would be 1080p. Why would he be underwhelmed? It would be great news. Why would anyone buy this two bit Chinese player over Toshiba's $199 player, considering it also comes with 5 free movies?
Mike Botros @ Nov 29th 2007 4:17PM
Why would a $200 bluray player for sure be playing 1080p? i'm sure if they wanted to make a budget player they'd use cheaper hardware that can only supply the 1080i bandwidth... which in the end doesn't matter for 24p source material.
Pekingman @ Nov 29th 2007 3:52PM
While I support HD DVD, I am also underwhelmed for simply the reason that I have been able to get Toshiba A-3 for exactly the same price (and even less on Amazon), which comes with known movies and the 5 movie rebate. The A3 also looks better. Needless to say, I'm underwhelmed......@$150 different story perhaps.
sycks @ Nov 29th 2007 3:55PM
Because it seems people love to report "news" and leave out the interesting bits... The Venturer SHD7000 is a Toshiba A3 for $200 but with Venturer support, and no 5 Free Movies.
JimJ @ Nov 29th 2007 4:16PM
This is the first 'little brand' player to hit a retailer let alone the big W. I am sure it is the first of many steps and that each step gets a little cheaper.
I would bet that in 5+ months the follow on to this player will be $99 and a 1080p flavor will be at the $199 price point.
Bets on Wal-Mart having the first HD-DVD + VHS player?
Sy @ Nov 29th 2007 4:38PM
Because, unlike HD DVD, the minimum requirement for a Blu-ray player IS 1080p. There IS NO BLU-RAY PLAYER IN THE MARKET NOW THAT IS NOT 1080p.
JeffDM @ Nov 29th 2007 5:24PM
"I'm sure if they wanted to make a budget player they'd use cheaper hardware that can only supply the 1080i bandwidth..."
So they can save that whole nickel?
Big Sam @ Nov 29th 2007 4:23PM
First impressions
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=945572
Big Sam @ Nov 29th 2007 4:26PM
Looks like AVS confirms that this is a rebadged A3 and comes with 2 free movies
Rumor Has It (Combo)
The Perfect Storm
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=945572
HD Tom @ Nov 29th 2007 4:35PM
This $200 price is certainly for now. W/out doubt it'll be sub-$150 before too long, if not cheaper. I'm sure - overall - it will always be cheaper than the Toshiba. Yes, you can get the Toshiba for the same price w/ sales, etc. but this one will be all the more cheaper w/ sales, etc.
The more these get out, the better IMO!
Mike Botros @ Nov 29th 2007 4:51PM
That's why there are no budget bluray players. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but i think a budget player is only going to be able to output 1080i... which again, doesn't make a whole lot of difference for movies.
EEL @ Nov 30th 2007 12:08AM
@ Sy
The 1080i vs 1080p has been shot down so many times already that I'm surprised you're using it.
http://blog.hometheatermag.com/geoffreymorrison/0807061080iv1080p/
To be fair, however, the above link is from 2006 and I haven't seen a better explanation since. If you have a weblink that does this one better, please share.
Mike Botros @ Nov 29th 2007 5:54PM
to justify the price difference between the higher end and the lower end by specs alone. if you can get a cheaper one with the same specs as the high end stuff people aren't gonna be as willing to pay hundreds more for gold plated connections, extra shock protection, better grounding, or whatever reason people pay $800 for when there's a $200 player there that can output the same resolution and close enough picture quality, and in a two or three years when it breaks down there the $800 one will be $200 with a completed bd spec. I just don't see any company willing to sell a 1080p player for under $200 when it's the buzz word with the most selling power.
LA26 @ Nov 29th 2007 5:27PM
Alco made both players so still Toshiba has a problem player wise attracting manufacturers.
This was suppose to be the player that cut the momentum of Blu-Ray.
Toshiba screwed Venture over by breaking there price point with a well named brand at a lower price with more incentives.
I'm still waiting for Ben to post the Neilsen ratings so he can ring the alarm lol.
Jody @ Nov 29th 2007 5:30PM
Didn't walmart explictly say they would NOT sell this thing?
If walmart's track record holds true this thing will hit the stores at $129.96 soon. Since it will not come with free discs it should help the software sales numbers for HD-DVD.
Also, I saw a stack of papers in sheet covers hanging on the electroncis counter at my local Walmart that has copies of the shelf barcodes for 14.96 to 24.96 each HD-DVDs. There were 15 per page and they were printed front and back on 3 1/2 pages. From what I could see there were not any dupes. So, my math is that BigW is going to have 105 HD-DVD's for sale soon. Of course this will not help HD-DVD win a weekly software sales number, since BigW doesn't play nice with Nielsen. BDA can always claim we sell more movies, if you leave out the #1 DVD retailer in the world.
If J6P actually buys as many HDTV's as he is suppossed to this holiday shopping season and BigW keeps pushing the cheap HD-DVD players, it doesn't look like this format squabble will end for a very long time. I do not see SONY's respective studios or Disney ever producing HD-DVD's so there will always be Blu-Ray discs for the forseeable future. And, I would think Warner will be dual format until one format sells 1 Million copies of an a Warner HD release, at which point they will go single format exclusive. I'm basing my wild assumptions on how several of the studios acted in the Divx and DVD battle.
On a side note. My thoughts would be DIVX=Blu-Ray and HD DVD=DVD
DIVX and Blu-Ray: A few CE companies (inculding panasonic, thomson, Zentih(now LG), and 20th Century Fox) doing thier own thing away from the DVD Forum to reap higher profits (1998 for DIVX 2006 for Blu Ray), draconian DRM, more expensive hardware, hard for the consumer to understand.
DVD and HD DVD: Format created by the DVD Forum (1997 for DVD, 2005 for HD-DVD), open format with simple DRM, cheap hardware, easy for the customer to understand.
JeffDM @ Nov 29th 2007 6:19PM
I understand that, but your first post sounded like it was to save on component cost.
Truth Teller @ Nov 29th 2007 7:54PM
So, China has got gen 3 HD A3s as the reference design.
As production ramps up and costs drop through the floor we can expect these brands (and there are at least 3 of them making this kind of player) to start exporting.
Expect $100 HD DVD entry level players by Easter/summer as a permanent feature, not a season special.
Blu-ray simply cannot compete.
h4ldol @ Nov 29th 2007 9:11PM
Nice to see HD DVD solidifying its position as the low-budget ghetto HD format of choice. Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron, and that's precisely the reason why HD DVD is doomed to bite the dust in 1,2,3... quarters.
EEL @ Nov 29th 2007 11:15PM
@ h4Idol
Since you up to no good as usual, how come you didn't comment on the potential of the other alternative to Blu, HD VMD? Is it destine to be a "J6P" product only with a short shelf life like you think Red will be?
Dammit man, you aren't consistent in your arguments for Blu. One day you say that you that you own both Red and Blu and you're happy with having both even though you prefer one over the other. The next day it's bashing on "J6P" for HD choice to beer of choice. And the following day, it's the same loseless audio and picture scaling "running joke" that is totally dependent not on the player, but the capabilities of the HDTV and A/V receiver it's attached to.
And you wonder why I call you "Sybil" these days!?
h4ldol @ Nov 29th 2007 9:22PM
Given the inability of many, if not most, displays to properly deinterlace 1080i video, it most definitely makes a difference having 1080p source versus 1080i. Of course, the "1080i is identical to 1080p" excuse is the oldest one in the HD DVD fanboy's repertoire, and we can expect to hear it spouted in every thread mentioning 1080i HD DVD players. Amusing how HD DVD fanboys continually feel compelled to defend and even justify the existence of HD DVD, whether it is the paltry capacity and bandwidth, the predominance of 1080i/60 players, the overwhelming lack of lossless audio, even spinning VC-1 as a superior codec to AVC when in reality VC-1 is compulsory for HD DVD secondary to it's aforementioned insufficient capacity and bandwidth, etc, etc. The truth of the matter may simply be that HD DVD owners largely own 720p/1080i/60hz displays, and so 1080p is not an issue for them. But for the more informerd blu-ray owners, we demand our 1080p/24 players, our 7.1 TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/PCM audio, etc.
foxb @ Nov 30th 2007 8:49AM
According to this review http://hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1107hook2/, only Toshiba HD-XA2, Samsung BD-P2400 and BD-UP5000 and Panasonic DMP-BD10A players can properly deinterlace the video. Rest of the 1080p players (HD DVD and BD) failed deinterlace test as well.
Truth Teller @ Nov 29th 2007 9:26PM
LMAO
China has just ensured HD DVD's permanence.
What has Blu-ray to offer?
1) A spec that offers nothing over and often a lot less than HD DVD offers (and has offered since day 1).
2) An entry level price at around the HD DVD high end.
3) Total dependence on a kids game console.
4) Less movie content and exclusive movie content
(thanks to HD DVD being 100% region free & imports of those supposedly 'exclusive Blu-ray movies')
Soon people will go out to replace their SD DVD players and will be buying HD DVD players for the same kind of money.
Those players will play and upscale all their regular DVDs as they expect and also happen to be excellent HD DVD players.
Blu-ray has nothing to offer the mass-market except a sub-standard and over-priced game format (which the adult a/v market could care less about.
It's the same as that idiotic blu whining about a few gbs per layer - which HD DVD now beats too.)
h4ldol @ Nov 29th 2007 9:50PM
Yawn.
Alex @ Nov 30th 2007 12:33AM
omg whore idol is saying HD DVD has an amazing lack of lossless audio, talk about douchebag calling the kettle black.
locke6854 @ Nov 30th 2007 2:32AM
@ h4ldol
surely a man with YOUR bank account can afford a television that deinterlaces 1080i properly? get your butler to fetch it for you?
D@n @ Nov 30th 2007 5:49AM
I'm more than happy playing Blu-Ray movies on my "kids console", Thanks!
I'm also looking forward to watching my "REGION-FREE" copy of BladeRunner when it arrives in the post! =)
Vince @ Nov 30th 2007 7:04AM
Blu ray or HD DVD I don't know who's going to win. But I was at a Wal-Mart in Ottawa (Barrhaven), Canada and saw four of the new players in the DVD section on Wednesday night. I had to go back Thursday night to pick up some milk and of course detoured through the electronics area, and guess what? All the players were gone.
Not bad for a dead format.
Ryan P @ Nov 30th 2007 11:52AM
Didn't you know that walmart isn't important in the HD game? No one is going to buy players or movies there... :)
jsn @ Nov 30th 2007 9:42AM
c'mon people, this is about choice. While this isn't the value the Toshiba players are, it's just another low cost player on the market, which is good for everyone.
HiDefDVD @ Nov 30th 2007 9:45AM
All the blu talk about their strength of CE manufactures, yet Toshiba, on it's own, smashes all combined blu ray dedicated players hands down.
Whats the bet within a month or 2 Venturer will be beating all the mighty BR combined CE manufacturers as well, yet this article reads "but frankly, we're underwhelmed.".... Thats my feeling about over priced, disgracefully poorly specked BR players being dumped on the unwary market.
Truth Teller @ Nov 30th 2007 9:59AM
The Venturer is a Toshiba, effectively.
Toshiba have licenced the gen 3 HD A3 to the Chinese manufacturers as their 'reference design'
(and there are at least 3 other brands coming with something similar).
I love it how the Blu-boys pretend to look down their noses at (in their view 'cheapo') 1080i whilst ignoring the facts that
(1) most HD TVs out there right now are (by far) 720p/1080i sets and
(2) only someone with a really cheap and nasty 1080p HD TV with a really cheapo & cr@ppy deinterlacer built-in to it will ever see any diiference or problems.
Then thre was a little of the usual & true-to-form lying where there is the regulation false claims and implying that the majority of Blu-ray discs are all with the highest quality audio or visual quality.
LMAO
The majority of Blu-ray movie discs are on 25gb single layer discs.
Not that the Blu-boys care to admit it.
LA26 @ Nov 30th 2007 10:11AM
The question is why is a Venture player on par with a Toshiba on price?
For you to say Toshiba sells more than "dedicated blu-ray players" is a false statement.
Sony is following the model which got there PS2 to the massive success that it was.
Neilsen Numbers (have yet to be posted on here yet.) have a 3:1 split in favor of the BDA over black friday.
You can fire sale all the players you want but if you can't sells HD-DVD disks your format will continue to trail.
Kadillac @ Nov 30th 2007 10:15AM
You guys spend more time arguing about formats than actually watching and enjoying movies. Think about it.
I received my A3 from Amazon yesterday...very impressive and does a great job upconverting. I'll buy a stand alone BR player when the price drops. Supporting a particular format is idiotic at this point, as it appears we're heading towards dual format players anyway.
Truth Teller @ Nov 30th 2007 11:05AM
Anyone making too much of the sales numbers right now when the market is so tiny is either plain wrong, kidding themselves or acting out their own agenda.
Blu-ray's agenda has always been to knock HD DVD out as fast as possible - which is why they love to make mountains out of the mere molehills they have.
Tought luck boys.
HD DVD isn't going away anywhere.
HD DVD as the least expensive (and therefore most profitable) format will jusy keep on growing and growing.
Blu-ray will what?
Sell some more PS3s.
Big deal.
The Venturer (like the other coming Chinese brands) will fit in nicely underneath the Toshiba price-points.
Right now a slight premium is being charged, that's all.
We already saw sub $200 HD DVD players ridiculed & then come.
It'll be same again when the sub $100 HD DVD players come this late spring/summer.
.....and when Warner go HD DVD exclusive that'll be an end to this idiotic bashing the Blu-club love to indulge in.
mntwister @ Nov 30th 2007 7:58PM
Ventura must be so pleased at Toshiba....lol.....a few weeks before their player comes out, Toshiba sells out theirs at $98.00, losing sales for the one company that backed their format. This is hilarious! Was there anything Toshiba could have done that was worse to their only hardware supporter? And did anyone hear of Onkyo's exit already from the hd-dvd market? When news got around that their player was an XA2 inside and at twice the price, they crawled away. Onkyo, go for Blu and be back on top.