$198 Toshiba HD DVD Drives

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A picture has popped up on the internet showing a Wal-Mart display loaded with $198 Toshiba HD DVD players. A sub-$200 name brand stand alone player? Nice.

"I have a picture of a 198.00 Toshiba a2 on a endcap in walmart. I dont know how to send it. The store I was at had to take the endcap down because its not set to sell until 11/03. It will be in the circular for that week. Each store was allocated 18 units.
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Very nice. Of course, we in the HTPC community had cheap HD DVD playing a long time ago, but the standalone players is where this war will be fought, not the PC drive or game console fronts.
 
This is good news for both camps... gotta love competition.
 
I do not own a HD capable player of ANY kind, not standalone, not console, nada. This will certainly have an impact on the HD-DVD side of things. Many people have saying for the longest time that a sub-$100 HD (I use HD to mean either format!) player of some kind sold at a place like Wal-Mart will really give that particular format a huge shot in the arm. I guess a brand new sub-$200 HD player is a good start in that direction. Having these out before X-Mas is a double-bonus for the format.
 
ir0nw0lf said:
I do not own a HD capable player of ANY kind, not standalone, not console, nada. This will certainly have an impact on the HD-DVD side of things. Many people have saying for the longest time that a sub-$100 HD (I use HD to mean either format!) player of some kind sold at a place like Wal-Mart will really give that particular format a huge shot in the arm. I guess a brand new sub-$200 HD player is a good start in that direction. Having these out before X-Mas is a double-bonus for the format.
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I agree but at a differant price point. I think a sub $150 player is what it will take to make a big diffferance, but a Sub $200 will also. I know at $200 that puts it in my price range. i think anything below $100 wont sell that well because people that have HD-TVs well want something quality made, and anything below $100 will make them think its not a quality player, if it is or isn't.
 
I love HD DVD (players in sig) but if Toshiba wants to win this one they've got to do more than just price and start marketing these things. Even if the player's are $100 dollars, if they've never heard of it though mass media/friends, they won't bite. Here's to hoping though because I've got about 40 HD DVDs and have bought 3 players so to have it come out on the wrong side would be undesirable. With all that said the HD-A2 is an amazing unit and definitely worth $200. Even with 3rd gen players out these are built better and practically just as fast.The HD-A3 has no real advantages other than it being a bit speedier and from reports and photos I've seen of both it's easy to see which one took more money to make.
 
Hi,

Wow! $200 for a HD DVD player? I thought players were in the $400-500 range? Maybe when the price drops it might be worth looking into. For now I will keep use my upconverting Betamax for my movie watching experience. :)

shaggy
 
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p

I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.

and BTW, I just bought the LG GGC-H20L and I'm putting together a HTPC soon, so no I'm not a fanboi of either format.
 
Maybe because most of America can't afford high end equipment and they vastly outnumber the early adopters and hardcore fanatics in the world. The public at large will be the ones who decide the winner in this format with their wallet.

Deviationer said:
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p

I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.

and BTW, I just bought the LG GGC-H20L and I'm putting together a HTPC soon, so no I'm not a fanboi of either format.
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This is what happens when Sony sells it's cell and RSX/PS3 GPU manufacturing lines to Toshiba because the PS3 is sucking balls. We get HD-DVD at $200, perhaps not directly related but who knows, it gives Toshiba an edge since they now own the plants/lines.
 
When BB and Futureshop up here in the People's Republic of Canukistan started selling the A2 for $299 CDN a couple months ago, they went like hotcakes.

Now, imagine $100 bucks less, still has a five free movie offer, available in every small town in America, and with an excellent return policy. Combine that with pretty solid 37"-50" 720p budget LCD and Plasma sales by Walmart and other outlets over the past couple years, and you have a customer base that's ready for HD-DVD.

Walmart shoppers DO know the difference between SD and HD, they've been watching CSI, NFL games and NASCAR races in HD for a few years now, either OTA or via cable and sat HD.

I own an A2 myself, and it's an excellent entry into HD-DVD and a damned fine upconverting player for SD-DVD. Lack of 1080p or more audio outputs doesn't hurt this player at all for the market it's aimed at.
 
Deviationer said:
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p

I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.

and BTW, I just bought the LG GGC-H20L and I'm putting together a HTPC soon, so no I'm not a fanboi of either format.
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I dare you to spot ANY visual quality difference between Toshiba's 1080i output and 1080p on the same 1080p capable display under 50". You can't, trust me, I've tried (I own an A20 as well as an A2). And even on larger displays, the difference is still very, very hard to spot unless you're extremely close to the display. To me, the big advantage the A20 and XA2 has over the A2 is better upconverting, but even there, the difference is subtle.

And since 1080i or 720p displays are the bulk of all HD TV's out there at the moment, the A2 is a great inexpensive solution that doesn't hold you back very much if you do eventually upgrade to 1080p.
 
Deviationer said:
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p

I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.

and BTW, I just bought the LG GGC-H20L and I'm putting together a HTPC soon, so no I'm not a fanboi of either format.
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While I think of myself as a audio/video aficionado, I don't think that these people are idiots. Most people can't tell the difference between 720 or 1080 unless it is on a very large screen, so really for the masses why pay more? The masses are where it is at. The 10% of us that are more demanding of our equipment and picture/audio quality are the minority. I have a feeling that if they could just introduce new tech at cheaper prices without testing it on the [H]ardcore who will pay the premium(ie non standardized blueray/ever dimming first release plasma tvs) they would. This is a huge step especially for the side that already has the most standalone players in the home already. I'll probably pick up one of these and a $500 lcd for the bedroom.
 
inbedwithhomer said:
1080i? What a joke.
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Most people cannot tell the difference between HD and SD material on my 40" TV unless I point it out to them. The really can't tell the difference between 720p/1080i1080p. You have got to have a really big-ass TV (50"+) to see the difference between 480, 720, and 1080. And logic dictates that people with really big TVs will be purchasing a more expensive HD player that has got 1080p. 1080p is unnecessary in the mainstream, indistinguishable to all but the snobbiest of movie viewers, and adds heavily to the cost of the player. I applaud Toshiba for recognizing this and cutting this unnecessary feature to reduce price.
 
HD-DVD is now the winner, people will buy these like a wild fire!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see the 4th 2007 quarter results.
 
iv had hddvd for a few months now and i play it on my 1080p westy LCD (through my PC).
almost everybody in my family has an hdtv but im the only one with a 1080p set so this player will be great for christmas gifts this year
 
The difference in visual quality is minimal on the low end players. Go read reviews of the A20 Toshiba. It gets worked trying to output 1080p. Same with Blu-ray. FS has a $549 one on right now, and guess what? Slammed in 1080p output reviews. Unless you are going to cough up the cash to get a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player with the Reon HQV processor, don't bother with the 1080p capable players.

I bought this very player ( A2 ) for $249 at the time to tide me over until the Samsung BD-UDP5000 or LG-BH200 come out, both of which will have the Reon HQV built in.

I'll point out its easier to put an item like this on super sale when it is now a model that is being replaced. BestBuy has the A3/A30 dates as Nov 11, so you're buying an older generation product, but from what I've read there aren't any differences that should require you to step up the the new model.
 
Deviationer said:
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p
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Because the vast, vast majority of people with HDTVs do not have 1080p displays.

Deviationer said:
I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.
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Or people like, say, me, who bought a $2500 50" 720p plasma TV last year.
 
I find it funny that an $80 price drop will suddenly vault HD DVD into the lead in the war.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5723662

The X-Factor is the PS3, how many can sony sell of those $399 players this year. I know the attach rate is not as high, but Sony sells as many PS3's in one quarter (1.3M in the US this past quarter) as Toshiba, as recently as June, estimates they would sell for the whole year (1M)
 
Croak said:
I dare you to spot ANY visual quality difference between Toshiba's 1080i output and 1080p on the same 1080p capable display under 50". You can't, trust me, I've tried (I own an A20 as well as an A2). And even on larger displays, the difference is still very, very hard to spot unless you're extremely close to the display. To me, the big advantage the A20 and XA2 has over the A2 is better upconverting, but even there, the difference is subtle.

And since 1080i or 720p displays are the bulk of all HD TV's out there at the moment, the A2 is a great inexpensive solution that doesn't hold you back very much if you do eventually upgrade to 1080p.
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Ravenous said:
While I think of myself as a audio/video aficionado, I don't think that these people are idiots. Most people can't tell the difference between 720 or 1080 unless it is on a very large screen, so really for the masses why pay more? The masses are where it is at. The 10% of us that are more demanding of our equipment and picture/audio quality are the minority. I have a feeling that if they could just introduce new tech at cheaper prices without testing it on the [H]ardcore who will pay the premium(ie non standardized blueray/ever dimming first release plasma tvs) they would. This is a huge step especially for the side that already has the most standalone players in the home already. I'll probably pick up one of these and a $500 lcd for the bedroom.
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kumquat said:
Because the vast, vast majority of people with HDTVs do not have 1080p displays.


Or people like, say, me, who bought a $2500 50" 720p plasma TV last year.
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Investment
 
Deviationer said:
I have no idea why people get soo exited over sub-$XXX HD players that will only do 720p/1080i when almost all HD-DVD/Blu-ray are 1080p

I guess it goes with the idiots who think they really have teh shit when they have a $500 720p LCD that is using tech from the 2nd gen and their cheapo 720p HD-DVD player.

and BTW, I just bought the LG GGC-H20L and I'm putting together a HTPC soon, so no I'm not a fanboi of either format.
Click to expand...

I have the Xbox HD DVD drive and it runs at 1080i because I dont have the VGA cords for it to output in 1080p. The picture is freaking amazing that I doubt there is that much of a difference between 1080i and 1080p. Its displaying on a 40in Samsung 1080p LCD HDTV. For a HD DVD standalone player under $200 that is impressive and its just in time for the holiday season. This is defentely going to sell possibly on the verge of sell out.
 
uberbucket said:
Looks like I'm running out of excuses for not buying an HD-DVD player.
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My current excuse is that the discs are expensive to buy and no one around me rents them.

I paid just as much for my Oppo upconverting DVD player a year ago.
 
I would love to have someone tell the difference between 720P and 1080p on the same TV and same HD-DVD side by side. good luck.
 
mullet said:
I would love to have someone tell the difference between 720P and 1080p on the same TV and same HD-DVD side by side. good luck.
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Depends on the TV.

On a 50" plasma from 9 feet? Prolly not.

On a 110" screen from 7 feet? Definitely.
 
I have to agree with most of the comments, most people will not notice the difference of 720 to 1080 since "most" people have 40" TV's or less. Of course as the TV gets bigger it gets more noticable. Just because a lot of us here fall in the elite catagory, doesn't mean that what wally mart is selling is junk.......no matter WHO you are, these player are a STEP UP from what most have!!! Sometimes it nice to check you ego at the door......:rolleyes:
 
Well look how much of a difference the drop in the PS3 price did for it. For alot of folks they don't need a console and a HD player. For the Walmart crowd (and those of us just living in today's economy and living within their means) $80 is alot.

deeznuts said:
I find it funny that an $80 price drop will suddenly vault HD DVD into the lead in the war.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5723662

The X-Factor is the PS3, how many can sony sell of those $399 players this year. I know the attach rate is not as high, but Sony sells as many PS3's in one quarter (1.3M in the US this past quarter) as Toshiba, as recently as June, estimates they would sell for the whole year (1M)
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kumquat said:
My current excuse is that the discs are expensive to buy and no one around me rents them.

I paid just as much for my Oppo upconverting DVD player a year ago.
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Circuit City was just having buy one get one free on HDDVD & Blu-ray movies. A couple other online retailers such as J&R were doing the same thing. I don't know if it is still going on, but the movie prices are pretty fair.

also, upconverted dvd's != hd.
 
w1retap said:
also, upconverted dvd's != hd.
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No kidding. I paid $200 a year ago for the truly excellent Oppo 971, a price which, at the time, was an incredible value for one of the best-performing upconverting DVD players on the market.

Now I can get an HD DVD player with upconverting that is just as good for standard DVDs for the same price. And I can get a 50" 1080p Panasonic plasma for less than I paid for my 720p plasma a year ago!

Technology is nuts.
 
An upconverting DVD player is still good to have though, so it isn't a total loss. At the time it probably made the most sense to purchase. It will make DVD's look more tolerable on an HDTV, but it definitely doesn't do magic. :p
 
There's a BB and HV out here that have them. Finding Transformers probably won't happen tho. :(

So...

LC-60C46U
720p vs 1080p HD-DVD player's really a non issue for me? :confused:
 
Jodiuh said:
There's a BB and HV out here that have them. Finding Transformers probably won't happen tho. :(

So...

LC-60C46U
720p vs 1080p HD-DVD player's really a non issue for me? :confused:
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On the 1080p native televisions, you'll be getting a 1080p picture from the 1080i player. It will recombine the fields at your TV. There is no quality degradation.
 
w1retap said:
On the 1080p native televisions, you'll be getting a 1080p picture from the 1080i player. It will recombine the fields at your TV. There is no quality degradation.
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Ummm, no. IFirst, you assume the tv is deinterlacing properly, not all do. Second, I think that is with 60Mhz tvs. How about when you compare to a tv that will take a 24/72Mhz signal? Does that throw a wrench into things?
 
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