Here's a timely one. Just days after one reader in particular voiced his concerns about now being
the right time to choose one format to support, along comes research claiming that the
stalemate is still on. The new data was gathered from over 2,000 online shoppers in mid-January (read: after Warner's
blockbuster decision), and apparently, 63-percent of those polled indicated that "they plan to wait to make a purchasing decision until one format leads the market." Potentially more interesting, however, was the note that some 56-percent of participants stated that "they would purchase a Blu-ray Disc player if they saw significant price drops," though just about 40-percent of folks said they didn't anticipate "purchasing any high definition product in the near future." Food for thought, sure, but don't go taking these results
too seriously, okay?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JDS @ Feb 15th 2008 11:25AM
Wal-Mart puts stake through HD DVD's heart
Things have gone from bad to worse for HD DVD in the space of one week.
Wal-Mart announced Friday morning that it, too, has chosen a side in the battle for high-definition video supremacy: by June it will only stock Blu-ray Disc players.
A buyer in Wal-Mart's video division wrote this morning on her Wal-Mart Checkout blog that the retail giant had made the decision following Netflix and Best Buy's high-profile announcements that they will exclusively stock Blu-ray products.
Wrote Susan Chronister of Wal-Mart: "By June Wal-Mart will only be carrying Blu-ray movies and hardware machines, and of course standard-def movies, DVD players, and up-convert players."
"So," she continues, not mincing words, "if you bought the HD (DVD) player like me, I'd retire it to the bedroom, kid's playroom, or give it to your parents to play their John Wayne standard-def movies, and make space for a BD player..."
That might be the best option at this point, as the dominoes keep falling in Blu-ray's favor. While Netflix and Best Buy were pretty damning evidence that the end was near, now it's glaringly obvious: it's over for HD DVD. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that consumers will automatically start buying Blu-ray players. As mentioned many times before here, prices will have to continue to fall on both Blu-ray players and packaged media for there to be any sort of mainstream adoption of the format.
There are rumors that Toshiba might soon be declaring defeat: The Hollywood Reporter has sources telling it that Toshiba, the main backer of the HD DVD, might drop its allegiance with the format in the next few weeks.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9873029-7.html
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9873029-1.html?tag=blg.orig
andy @ Feb 15th 2008 11:37AM
I'm a Sony engineer.
We're dropping blu ray from the PS3 for HDDVD because it's cheaper.
Remember, you heard it here first.
I guess source checking and confirmation calls are so 1990's now huh?
wysiwyg @ Feb 15th 2008 11:42AM
The source is a blog of "A buyer in Wal-Mart's video division wrote this morning on her Wal-Mart Checkout blog"??????? I'll believe it when I see official statement from Walmart.
JimC @ Feb 15th 2008 11:50AM
Well, if this is true, you'll see something official soon enough once this makes its rounds...Toshiba is in a tight spot....
DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 15th 2008 11:51AM
So we've moved past coffin nails and are now driving stakes into their hearts.
Duly noted.
chav3z @ Feb 15th 2008 11:32AM
needs moar xStreamHD
TrentD @ Feb 15th 2008 11:42AM
OMG, HD DVD biasszz - you haz the HD DVD player on topp of the pyl!!!!1111one!!! Sony rullsz
JDS @ Feb 15th 2008 11:49AM
The first post is official all you had to do is go to www.walmart.com at the very bottom hit "Walmart Blog".
or use
http://checkoutblog.com/
JDS @ Feb 15th 2008 11:49AM
(CNNMoney.com) -- National discount retailer Wal-Mart announced Friday that it had decided to only sell Sony's Blu-ray hi-definition movie discs, and will phase out Toshiba's competing HD-DVD formatted discs over the next several months.
Wal-Mart said that by June, its 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores would sell only Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray hardware players. Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD-DVD format are not compatible.
"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases," said Gary Severson, Wal-Mart's Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment in a statement.
JimC @ Feb 15th 2008 11:52AM
There you go! Toshiba, we need your announcement asap, so that Universal and Paramount can begin their blu-ray releases....
DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 15th 2008 11:53AM
PWNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
YouFaceTheTick @ Feb 15th 2008 12:02PM
Worthless really as DVD was in the same boat in 2000. I bought my first DVD player in early 2000 and I heard from many people that they would keep their VHS because DVD wasn't special or DVD had "them black bars" (that still pisses me off). Eventually, most people will have HDTV (Costco has LCD TVs with HD for 500-600!) and eventually BR costs will drop into that 100-200 soft spot that will attract buyers.
ProfWho @ Feb 15th 2008 12:26PM
Well Walmart has ended this stalemate. The war is now over. The fat lady has sung.
DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 15th 2008 12:54PM
Shortest. Stalemate. Ever.
Franssu @ Feb 15th 2008 3:47PM
Just that they can be safely moved to the secondary rack of a well-equipped home theater now. Not that I agree with that, I still have more HD DVDs than BDs in my collection. But I know it won't be long to be the other war 'round.
XDragon @ Feb 15th 2008 3:54PM
Regardless of the results, this survey is based on 2000 people so its not exactly a reflection of anything conclusive. You can't say that 2000 opionions will translate into a remotley proportional results based on the entire gerneal public.
kcmurphy88 @ Feb 15th 2008 7:03PM
They do presidential polls with half that number. The number isn't as important as how the people are selected and how the questions are asked.