Toshiba HD-A3 with 12 free movies available at Wal-Mart "secret" sale
by Donald Melanson 
posted Dec 6th 2007 at 4:36PM
There's certainly been no shortage of HD-DVD deals lately (or Blu-ray ones, for that matter), but it seem like those looking to get the biggest movie collection right out of the gate won't be able to do much better than Wal-Mart's upcoming "secret" sale, which includes a Toshiba HD-A3 player with twelve free HD-DVDs for $298. That, of course, includes the usual two movies in the box and five more by mail, plus an additional five that you'll get "instantly" when you buy the player (no word on what you'll have to choose from). You'll have to get up early if you want to walk away with that stash, however, as the sale gets underway tomorrow at 8 am sharp, when you'll also be able to snag a 50-inch Vizio plasma TV for $998 or a 40GB PS3 with a free $50 gift card for $399, among other slightly less notable deals.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rg23 @ Dec 6th 2007 4:44PM
Best Buy has the A3 for $250 with 10 movies instead of 12. The 3 free HD DVD on the spot does not have the $30 price restriction Walmart has. You can order it now so you don't have to wake up early.
TrentD @ Dec 7th 2007 8:51AM
Yeah, I really don't think this is a very good deal.
The A3 comes with two movies in the box anyway, I think, and you get 5 by mail with any player. So really this "deal" is a full-price player with five free movies which must be chosen from WM's limited stock.
HD4ME @ Dec 6th 2007 5:01PM
I think Tosh are crazy. This should be $129-$179 with 2 in the box and that's it.
I don't think supplying people with a library of movies at this price point,is a positive move.
IMO it wont move the tens of thousands of players that HD DVD needs too at this point in time, and I would think the people who buys these wont be back in the movie buying market for a very long time, a double negative IMO.
The result HD DVD achieved at the $99 was enormous, that is what they need too re create, urgently.
Forget the massive movie giveaways, reduce the player prices, YESTERDAY!
andy @ Dec 6th 2007 5:31PM
You're dead on. I'm not at all interested in this "deal", but I jumped all over the 100 dollar A2 because I needed a new DVD player.
Also, the main must see title out now for these players is planet earth. That isn't included in any of these give aways.
TrentD @ Dec 7th 2007 8:38AM
Toshiba isn't selling this player in their store - Wal Mart is.
breed007 @ Dec 6th 2007 4:59PM
Does anyone know how long Walmart's "secret sales" last provided they don't sell out of the item? Is it all day? All weekend? ect.
nihillasohen @ Dec 6th 2007 5:20PM
I bought the PS3 secret saturday deal at walmart on black friday weekend, but because they didn't have any in stock i had to wait till sunday to actually purchase the 80 gig ps3. They put my name on a list and called me when the truck came in. To my understanding by what the employees said its all weekend or until they run out.
Aaron @ Dec 6th 2007 5:29PM
FYI: Amazon.com had the A3 with 10 movies for $199 a few days ago. Check SlickDeals dot net. Even now I think it is $224.98 with 10 free movies.
Nfinity @ Dec 6th 2007 5:48PM
I agree with a few posters above. This is not a good deal at all. $298? I mean come on. We are talking about $199-$249 deals all over the place with 10 movies. Why should we pay $50 more. Movies or no movies.. 10 free movies is enough and you get cheap but amazing player.
They need to lower this puppy to $100 again and just do Toshiba Perfect Offer movies.. + 2 in the box.. you can't beat it. I think for A3 $149 would be excellent mid price.
andy @ Dec 6th 2007 5:56PM
nfinity,
Forget mail in all together.
Put 2 decent movies in the box (check), and sell the sucker for 100 bucks.
Or, put planet earth in the box and sell it for 150 bucks. You wanna move some HD content? Show the people planet earth.
h0mi @ Dec 6th 2007 5:51PM
5 free copies of Chuck and Larry? Pass.
hehe.
I need to get a receiver before I bother with a standalone player.
BirdmanSTX @ Dec 6th 2007 5:54PM
And I know my WalMart barely carries any HD movies in stock normally... HDDVD or BluRay. So even if you do get 5 free right away at purchase, I can't imagine the selection at the one by me to be worth a crap at all... If they even have 5 different titles to choose from.
Alex @ Dec 6th 2007 6:15PM
i agree with most of you. Give me a cheap player and keep your crappy movies. Let me get the ones I want when I want.
EEL @ Dec 6th 2007 6:30PM
Bad deal or not, it's worth it just to get "Sybil" to cry.
...Ok, maybe not.
GhostDoggy @ Dec 6th 2007 6:39PM
I bought an A2 a couple of months ago and sent in for my five free movies. I have not received them yet. I did the same thing at the same time with a PS3 and just got the free movies. Only problem is that I only got two of the five movies I picked. The little note basically was a big F-U and that was it.
As such, I am fairly not interested in any free-movie pitch, and I doubt anyone is going to let me have ten (or even five) free movies of my choice in a completely open catalog of titles available on the given format.
andy @ Dec 6th 2007 6:50PM
Checking in on the "sent mine off on 11/7/07" and haven't received them yet list (HDDVD).
If I don't get the ones I checked, I'll switch sides. I'd rather have them late than not get the ones *I* want.
T-bone @ Dec 6th 2007 7:49PM
Fine print says the HD-A2 is $198 + 10 free movies. Seems a better deal to me. Last time I was in my store they had 1 HD-A3 (display) and 2 HD-A2's.
HDpurist @ Dec 6th 2007 9:01PM
Wow, Toshiba hit *the* all-time low. Desparate times for the HD-DVD farm....and still this won't make a dent in the HD market share. Personally, I'm going to wait for the A3 when it's $50 and comes with 20 free HD-DVD movies. Shouldn't be to long.
zargon @ Dec 6th 2007 9:08PM
Look at what the cat dragged in... a Blu-ray troll.
Go back to your cesspool at Blu-ray.com where everyone can self congratulate everyone.
John B @ Dec 6th 2007 11:59PM
No, I don't think that "congratulate" is what they do to each other, but I'm sure that they do *something* to each other.
Why, yes, I *am* sick of these moronic trolls. Why do you ask?
Andy Sullivan @ Dec 6th 2007 10:59PM
Wow, only $300 and they give you 12 movies. Let's see, I bought the A2 from Best Buy, got my choice of two movies from their shelves and five more from Toshiba, all for $99. Yeah, I'd jump all over this deal. NOT!
mntwister @ Dec 7th 2007 12:07AM
Funny, 12 free movies and I still don't want to throw away my money, lol. It was nice though to get the Playstation 3 at Walmart with 10 free blu movies. Love it, the best piece of electronics I have ever purchased. This thing rocks!
C-Locc @ Dec 7th 2007 12:10AM
Great deal.
But if you're open to buying online, u can get the A30 plus 10 movies for cheaper on amazon.. or the A3 which is listed here for $225 plus 10 free movies!
HDTVFanAtic @ Dec 7th 2007 12:30AM
Considering i picked up an A3 with 2 free movies in box and 5 free by mail (7 total) for $149 about 10 days ago, the additional 5 movies aren't worth $150 (or $30 each) to me.
Kevin Murphy @ Dec 7th 2007 1:54AM
Seems to me the only losers in these deals are the people who sit on the sidelines. $298 and 12 movies, $229 and 10 movies, or $99 and 5 by mail -- all these deals have one common thing: you get a great player and you get it NOW.
I remember waiting for Laserdisc players to get cheap, and when I finally bought, DVD was around the corner.
I bought an HD-A2 _last_ December for $499 with only the 5 so-so movies by mail. But I don't mind the price drop because I've been watching movies for a year. If you wait, you don't have.
DrXym @ Dec 7th 2007 8:16AM
These deals are bordering on complete desperation.
ryan @ Dec 7th 2007 8:35AM
Not quite as desperate as Sony's 'buy a PS3 get 15 movies' deal the other week but getting close.
I agree with other posters, it needs to be cheaper with less free movies. Do it at stores that matter with the Neilsens as well.
Anthony K @ Dec 7th 2007 8:38AM
Complete desperation - you can smell the fear that Toshiba has, it is over powering since they know their days are numbered with th HD-DVD format. I mean dang it is just a lost platform, and all those HD dead heads keep kicking the dead horse. Everybody saying oh it will beat the Blu-Ray, sorry to tell you (I mean Happy to tall you) regardless of the format war; Blu-ray is going to be around for a LONG time - hint hint PS3 uses Blu-Ray so Blu-Ray is here to stay and with the install base of the PS3 growing every day and the Blu-Ray player base growing every day and more and more companies making Blu-Ray movies and the cost of producing Blu-Ray disk going down every day, really looks bleak for HD-DVD, just another reason for Toshiba to try and milk a dead horse.
zargon @ Dec 7th 2007 9:25AM
Yay, yet more trolls from the cesspool known at Blu-ray.com...
*yawn*
Yeah yeah, HD-DVD is a dead format, blu-ray has won... oh wait... Get over yourself, HD-DVD is not going any where.
mcr @ Dec 7th 2007 10:10AM
This deal isn't that great. Just last week I got an A3 for $159 shipped with the 2 in the box, plus 1 free movie and then of course the 5 mail ins. I think this is the pricepoint that Toshiba needs to focus on for the A3. The 5 free movie offer isn't that great - there aren't any really good titles offered.
LA26 @ Dec 7th 2007 10:28AM
It's to the point now that a movie is worth a third of the player price.For what it would cost you to buy 3 HD-DVDs you could just go buy a new player and get 5 in the mail.
And give out HD-DVD players for christmas....Seriously it's a better deal than buying them one at a time.
Kevin Murphy @ Dec 7th 2007 10:55AM
"And give out HD-DVD players for christmas....Seriously it's a better deal than buying them one at a time."
Which is why they have these deals. You can't just give an HD DVD disc -- you have to provide the player, too. And the player plus a mail-in offer isn't to great on Christmas morning, either. But the player and 5 discs....
LA26 @ Dec 7th 2007 11:20AM
Oh I was referring to keep the 5 mail-in for yourself lol.
Just give people the players lol.
Spiza @ Dec 7th 2007 4:52PM
Current Amazon deal is better, get 2 in box, plus pick 5 from list, plus 5 by mail. They also have the a30 under $300. I'm thinking about jumping on that since there are some titles in the list i would like to have like bourne, batman begins, and knocked up.
Superdynamite @ Dec 9th 2007 12:17AM
Can anyone say, "DUMPING"!
R.I.P
HD-DVD
2006 - Jan 7TH 2008