Blockbuster to favor Blu-ray HD discs over DVD format

[Mr Peabody]

Guess who rented 2 Blu-ray discs from Blockbuster this weekend? Anyone guess me? What can you do when it's the only game in town with what you want. They also have a deal where you can pay $9.95 per year and get your rentals for $2.99, opposed to $4.99, no credit card necessary. Also, if you rent.... 4 or 5? movies a month you get a rental free.

[pixelthis]

Guess who rented 2 Blu-ray discs from Blockbuster this weekend? Anyone guess me? What can you do when it's the only game in town with what you want. They also have a deal where you can pay $9.95 per year and get your rentals for $2.99, opposed to $4.99, no credit card necessary. Also, if you rent.... 4 or 5? movies a month you get a rental free.

I used to belong to their rewards club, save a ton.
And it looks like you picked right Mr P, Target has joined the blu-ray "club",
and this trickle of bad news will be a flood soon, its a cascade effect for a doomed format,
wont be long before its adios for HDDVD

[drseid]

Not to comment on the choice being good or bad, but Target has not really joined the Blu-ray club, per se. I guess you could say they have joined the Blu-ray *player* club though... They have announced they will offer a Blu-ray player (and have no announcements pending for any HD DVD player to the best of my knowledge). They offer the software for both formats, however, and they have said they do not rule out offering HD DVD players in the future (but have no plans to do so currently).

---Dave

[pixelthis]

Not to comment on the choice being good or bad, but Target has not really joined the Blu-ray club, per se. I guess you could say they have joined the Blu-ray *player* club though... They have announced they will offer a Blu-ray player (and have no announcements pending for any HD DVD player to the best of my knowledge). They offer the software for both formats, however, and they have said they do not rule out offering HD DVD players in the future (but have no plans to do so currently).

---Dave

they are hedging their bets.
Software is a lot easier to get rid of from an orphan market. A savy bunch of
marketers (target has been called wallmart with class) is betting that Blu-ray wins.
This is signifigant, and more bad news for HDDVD

[PeruvianSkies]

Not to comment on the choice being good or bad, but Target has not really joined the Blu-ray club, per se. I guess you could say they have joined the Blu-ray *player* club though... They have announced they will offer a Blu-ray player (and have no announcements pending for any HD DVD player to the best of my knowledge). They offer the software for both formats, however, and they have said they do not rule out offering HD DVD players in the future (but have no plans to do so currently).

---Dave

Can you buy an Xbox360 from Target? w/ HD-DVD upgrade?

[Groundbeef]

Can you buy an Xbox360 from Target? w/ HD-DVD upgrade?

Yes. Both are available from Target.

[PeruvianSkies]

Yes. Both are available from Target.

So if Target carries this at least you can still shop there (if you are a 1-stop shopper) and get either HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs and player(s). Although, this format seems more like a niche format, but let's face it...it's certainly getting more promotion than many of us expected...the fact that Walmart has a whole shelf area dedicated to High Definition discs blew me away when I first saw it. This type of exposure is certainly generating some sales, unlike things like SACD*, which went under the radar. This brings up a particular question that I am always asking myself...

What do people prefer...high end audio or high end video?

It would seem that the market certainly wants to attract people with video rather than audio and that is a sad thing. For example...

I have seen people with a huge 100" projector system in their house that cost thousands of dollars with a crappy all-in-one audio setup and peoples mouths drop and comment on how awesome so and so's home theater is....meanwhile, they wouldn't say the same thing if they saw my 30" HDTV flanked with nearly 10K worth of audio stuff.

*which by the way I was working at a music store when SACD's were first being introduced and I remember Sony sending us 1 copy of every single title they were releasing for SACD. They sent them to us to 'test' how it would do without any other type of promotion...not even a product endcap to display the merchandise. Needless to say, a few months went by and only a small handful of them sold. Got a memo from Sony shortly thereafter ordering us to destroy all of the SACD's....here is a somewhat paraphrased version of what ensued on the telephone....

ME: I can't destroy these!
Corporate: You must destroy them!
ME: Can I say that I destroyed them, but really just took them home?
Corporate: If you do, than you can just stay home permanently and not return here.
ME: Can't we at least TRY and sell them?
Corporate: We have a mandate from Sony telling us to destroy them, now just do it!
ME: What if I am crushing the SACD's and I happen to be in the parking lot and a few of them find their way into my car?
Corporate: Just destroy them.

There were many instances at that store where we were ordered to destroy product regardless of its condition. I never understood this. We were never allowed to take it home, but I'll never tell if I did or not!

[Groundbeef]

What do people prefer...high end audio or high end video?

It would seem that the market certainly wants to attract people with video rather than audio and that is a sad thing. For example...

!

Its not really a question of what do they prefer, but rather what are they willing to spend big bucks on.

I for one spend the money on the Video (50" Pioneer Plasma) and spent moderate on the audio (Pioneer Receiver, and JBL speakers).

Frankly, I felt that I got a better deal with the higher end video, and am less concerned with the audio.

Part of the problem I think for consumers in audio shopping is the lack of distinction between Watts (Power) and the actual sound quality. How many times have you seen 1500 WATTS on the side of a "Box Surrond System". People are attracted to the large watts, and not so much on actual quality because for most of them more power equals better sound.

Plus, unless you are in a boutique (sp0 audio shop, it is VERY difficult to hear, let alone compare various components. In the big box shops, loud is king.

It is easier to compare say two 50" plasma TV's. Oh look, that one has a sharper picture...etc.

Shocking as it may seem, most regular consumers don't get all wrapped up around high end sound. Its just not as important to them as it is to the passionated audiophiles lurking around in here.

[SlumpBuster]

..meanwhile, they wouldn't say the same thing if they saw my 30" HDTV flanked with nearly 10K worth of audio stuff.

I only noted it because I read this thread for the first time today.