View Full Version : Walmart orders 2 million $299 HD DVD players, in stores soon!
http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/20/the-wal-mart-299-hd-dvd-player-on-the-way/
$299 Walmart HD DVD player, 2 million ordered for sale in WalMart stores. By XMAS, I wouldn't be suprised to see $199 players!
superklye
04-20-07, 11:48 AM
Awesome. :D
1337_Like_ThaT
04-20-07, 01:07 PM
WTF, Walmart?? bahahahaah I thought they still sold VHS decks only :p
Dudes.. there is a correction. It seems they translated it wrong. It's not HD-DVD it's Blu-ray HD DVD. :headexplode:
superklye
04-20-07, 01:23 PM
Dudes.. there is a correction. It seems they translated it wrong. It's not HD-DVD it's Blu-ray HD DVD. :headexplode:
I just saw that...sad panda. :(
evilchris
04-20-07, 01:33 PM
$299 standalone BD decks seem unlikely but we'll see.
Dudes.. there is a correction. It seems they translated it wrong. It's not HD-DVD it's Blu-ray HD DVD. :headexplode:
The translation was actually blue laser HD DVD. This was specified because in China they have red laser high definition disc as a format, too. Nothing to do with "Blu-Ray" which would simply read as "Blu-Ray."
In addition the press release also talks about being able to press the discs on the same equipment as regular DVD, which is not possible with Blu-Ray.
superklye
04-20-07, 03:38 PM
back to w00ting
The translation was actually blue laser HD DVD. This was specified because in China they have red laser high definition disc as a format, too. Nothing to do with "Blu-Ray" which would simply read as "Blu-Ray."
In addition the press release also talks about being able to press the discs on the same equipment as regular DVD, which is not possible with Blu-Ray.
SWEET!!!! (nana2) To bad the site that was linked initially hasn't cleared things up yet. :(
Zelda_fan
04-20-07, 06:15 PM
haha we got walmart on our side, the BD camp is screwed
AthlonXP1800
04-20-07, 09:43 PM
It easier to identify which side it is, I searched HD-DVD members list here (http://www.hddvdprg.com/eng/about/member.html), TDK is not a member of HD-DVD group and then I searched Blu-ray members list here (http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html), TDK is listed as a member of Board of Directors for Blu-ray Disc Assocation.
It mean 2 million $299 cheap Blu-ray players for Wal-Mart. :D
|MaguS|
04-20-07, 09:55 PM
It easier to identify which side it is, I searched HD-DVD members list here (http://www.hddvdprg.com/eng/about/member.html), TDK is not a member of HD-DVD group and then I searched Blu-ray members list here (http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html), TDK is listed as a member of Board of Directors for Blu-ray Disc Assocation.
It mean 2 million $299 cheap Blu-ray players for Wal-Mart. :D
Thats solid proof that its Blu-Ray and not HD-DVD... it for some reason it ends up being HD-DVD then TDK jumped ship...
evilchris
04-20-07, 10:13 PM
Those group memberships don't mean jack ****. Do you see Samsung on HD DVD's list? No. Are they making a player which will play them? Yes. Is LG on HD DVD's list? No.
Warner Bros. and LG are on BD's "Board of Directors" list, yet make products for HD DVD. Newbs.
|MaguS|
04-20-07, 10:27 PM
Warner is also backing HD-DVD (Warner Home Video is a supported Company under the HD-DVD Listing), Samsung just recently began supporting HD-DVD. LG, Just like Samsung, originally was only supportive of Blu-Ray but in the recent months announced support for HD-DVD, question is...where is it? The only form I have seen them announce HD-DVD support is in their Dual Format players, guess they don't have much confidence to fully support them with single format players eh?
So yeah, Untill they come out and say were not supporting HD-DVD (like Samsung and LG has) they are still Blu-Ray only.
AthlonXP1800
04-20-07, 10:30 PM
Those group memberships don't mean jack ****. Do you see Samsung on HD DVD's list? No. Are they making a player which will play them? Yes. Is LG on HD DVD's list? No.
Warner Bros. and LG are on BD's "Board of Directors" list, yet make products for HD DVD. Newbs.
Both Samsung and LG are interested to developed a hybrid player that played both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, Samsung and LG been submitted the application forms to HD-DVD Group to became members of HD-DVD group but unfortunately HD-DVD group rejected both because Samsung and LG hybrid players did not offered full HD-DVD playback, it lacked HDi capabilities.
Both Samsung and LG are interested to developed a hybrid player that played both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, Samsung and LG been submitted the application forms to HD-DVD Group to became members of HD-DVD group but unfortunately HD-DVD group rejected both because Samsung and LG hybrid players did not offered full HD-DVD playback, it lacked HDi capabilities.
Looks like there is quite a bit of confusion here. While the first LG hybrid player did not earn the HD DVD logo due to HDi noncompliance, the upcoming Samsung BD-UP5000 does have the HD DVD logo and is fully HDi compliant:
(source) http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20070413_0000338109
LG is also releasing a new model of their combo player that will be fully HDi compliant like the Samsung.
As for TDK, if you want to count this as jumping ship, then yes they jumped ship as more and more manufacturers will. The new Broadcom BCM7440 chip virtually all new hidef players will use has full HDi/BD-J and full support for both HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
(source) http://www.broadcom.com/products/Consumer-Electronics/Blu-ray-and-HD-DVD-System-Solutions/BCM7440
(source) http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=950071
With this chip, its just a matter of whether you want to manufacture the least expensive to make HD DVD player, the more expensive Blu-Ray player, or the most expensive combo player. No matter which you pick, you will see essentially the same "brain" driving different spec'd internal hardware. For instance, Samsung uses the BCM7440 chip in both their combo BD-UP5000 and their new Blu-Ray BD-P1200. They could also use the exact same chip in a future HD DVD standalone as they imply in the above Samsung press release.
This latest development is most definitely an HD DVD player, not a Blu-Ray player. Blu-Ray is still called Blu-Ray in China, not blue laser or blue light - and it would be referred that way as a "proper noun" of sorts in the news if it really was Blu-Ray. The reason blue laser was mentioned is simply because China also has red laser high definition disc formats. To further prove that it is HD DVD and not Blu-Ray, it is mentioned the discs that are made to playback in this machine can be replicated on the same equipment that standard DVDs are replicated on - this is most definitely a characteristic of HD DVD, not Blu-Ray.
Though I can see the wishful thinking in play here by those in the Blu-Ray camp, the fact is that Walmart just ordered 2 million HD DVD cores. With those cores, they will flood the market with low priced HD DVD standalones. Now that HD DVD has a solid release schedule again starting in Q2 HD DVD is able to keep pace with Blu-Ray in software sales - imagine the amount of HD DVD standalone players available now times 20 and the software sales that will generate. This is part of the plan that was introduced in January CES 2007 by the HD DVD camp - while it was overshadowed by boasting of release lists by the Blu-Ray camp (ironically, most of Fox's never actually were released), we are now seeing the effects of HD DVD's ability to deliver a low priced reference design for Chinese manufacturers. This announcement by the HD DVD camp in January CES was huge, and we are just starting to see the impact of it.
Walmart's selection of HD DVD for their product may also spur companies like Disney to produce in HD DVD format as Walmart is one of the largest Disney retailers in the US. Walmart has the power to apply pressure to other large companies to make products that help Walmart's bottom line, and in this case support Walmart's HD DVD players.
As I've stated from the beginning, Blu-Ray needed the quick win to win this war. Since that didn't happen, IMO now we will see HD DVD players flood the market with low priced standalones that Blu-Ray simply can't compete with due to the increased costs necessary to manufacture BD capable players. Walmart is just the first step. While I believe Blu-Ray will stick around much like you can still buy UMD discs, I think the majority of consumers will end up going with HD DVD due to its better value. Let's face it, you don't get much more Joe-6-Pack or mass market than Walmart - and Walmart as of now has chosen HD DVD as the primary hidef format they will manfacture and sell.
Wal-Mart Names HD DVD the Winner
http://news.digitaltrends.com/talkback184.html
Snippet:
There is one retailer that has the power to call the winner of the protracted Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD fight and that vendor is Wal-Mart. Over the weekend they apparently leaked plans to bring in a massive number of low cost (possibly sub $200) HD DVD players for Christmas.
...
For Wal-Mart the only real metric is cost. Wal-mart doesn’t really make money off of the movies and do not sell high-end home theater equipment. They are known for aggressive prices and, as mentioned above, they subsidize their DVD sales. They needed something that could sell for under $200 soon and they needed the lowest cost of the new formats. This is where HD DVD shines, not only had Toshiba agreed to license to low cost manufacturers early on, but HD DVDs are pressed on the same lines that regular DVDs are, they require no major equipment change out and the blanks, when compared to Blu-Ray are less expensive as well.
This made the decision simple, Blu-Ray was just too expensive to make this work and any technical advantages were insignificant against Wal-Mart’s need for the lowest cost offering. For them it is about price and that is where HD DVD clearly has the sustainable advantage.
...
It means that any studio wanting Wal-Mart’s support after year end had better be selling HD DVD movies. Wal-Mart won’t be promoting Blu-Ray and, after year end, will increasingly focus their marketing on getting people to buy into HD DVD players and the related HD DVD movie from them.
In short, the Blu-Ray aligned studios will now have to either support both formats or risk losing much of Wal-Mart's business and given how material this business is to them, you have to think that an anti-Wall-Mart decision would have a material impact on their bonuses and career longevity. It certainly puts Columbia Pictures, which is owned by Sony, in a particularly uncomfortable position.
:)
evilchris
04-24-07, 05:51 PM
Can't wait to see Magus try and spin this one out...
|MaguS|
04-24-07, 05:56 PM
Wal-Mart sucks!
(Honestly, I don't care (just like pushing you AV Fans buttons)... Hell Im in the market for a HD-DVD Player so I can get Serenity.)
superklye
04-24-07, 06:39 PM
Serenity ftw!
And man...it feels so good to be on the winning side. I'm going to buy a ton of these around Christmas. Two for my parents (one for each of their TVs), maybe one for me, if they're really good, and a few more for various friends.
*queues up Queen in Winamp*
|MaguS|
04-24-07, 06:40 PM
I hope FOX releases FireFly on Blu-Ray! :p
superklye
04-24-07, 06:48 PM
That's fine. In a year, when that format is dead, rotting and long-forgotten, they'll re-release it on HD DVD.
:D
|MaguS|
04-24-07, 07:01 PM
BTW Is the Toshiba A20 good? I need to get an HD-DVD player, the market is so split that if I ever want an HD version of a movie its either on one format or another.
Was thinking about the X360 addon but people keep talking it down.
CaptNKILL
04-24-07, 07:09 PM
Heh, yesterday at wal-mart (I work in electronics) we got a box of "Night at the Museum" on Blu-Ray. It is currently the only movie we have in non-DVD format. We have no HD-DVDs, no UMDs, no VHS... and definitely nowhere to put a single movie in a format no one is buying (at least in this area).
Maybe if we get any of these HD DVD players we'll finally get some HD DVDs.
superklye
04-24-07, 07:10 PM
360 addon isn't bad, but if you're going to be hooking your player up to a home theater, look for a stand-alone deck. There are sound issues with the 360 player and no fix anywhere in sight. :o
I don't know about the A20...I haven't read any reviews, but it's supposedly just the A2 with 1080p playback. The A2 can now be had for like $350 on Amazon and the XA2 is around $555. I think the A20 is in the $450 range and seriously, if you're going to spend $450...just spend another hundred and get the XA2.
1080p, analog audio-out (in case your receiver doesn't have HDMI), the Reon VX HQV upconvert chip (which the A2 and A20 do NOT have)...it's worth it.
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