Walmart Sub $99 HD DVD Toshiba HD A2 Walmart Deal 11/2/07

[drseid]

What happens a year or so down the road when theres no HDDVD to be found,
you finally caved and got a blu ray (because nothing was on HDDVD) and this thing is just taking up shelf space?
BTW what kexodisc was saying about VOD, well, kex, welcome to the future, while these two nimrod format groups are duking it out more and more are participating is the biggest sea change since the advent of digital, the death of rental stores.
Its just so much easier to hit a button and order a movie, why go out and rent one?
This is limited now but wont be for long.
AND finally has no one noticed that the Blu Ray group is absent from this spree of cost cutting? They don't have to sell their player for firesale prices, because they are the future
and they know it.
Why spend 99 bucks on something just to see transformers?

First off, I thought you just said VOD was the future Pixel... did I misunderstand?

As for the cost cutting... last time I checked the new model of the PS3 was going down to $399 (and you know it has to cost more to make than an HD A2, right?). As you said yourself, it is more than hardware sales... Toshiba and Walmart understand this well. They sell thousands of A2s at steep discounts and then rake in the profits the holiday shopping season and next year on software sales. Not a bad model to my way of thinking.

Finally, I am buying 4 of them for friends and family... and I *hate* Transformers. ;-)

---Dave

[GMichael]

What, so you got screwed?

Wifey just called. Our Wally World has stacks and stacks of these available. She picked mine up already.

Screw BB.

[GMichael]

People can be so myopic.
A player is just a small part of an investment in a format.
I have spent over 1500$ in various DVD players over the years and thousands in
dvds.
Makes a "great " dvd player, so does my computer.
What happens a year or so down the road when theres no HDDVD to be found,
you finally caved and got a blu ray (because nothing was on HDDVD) and this thing is just taking up shelf space?
BTW what kexodisc was saying about VOD, well, kex, welcome to the future, while these two nimrod format groups are duking it out more and more are participating is the biggest sea change since the advent of digital, the death of rental stores.
Its just so much easier to hit a button and order a movie, why go out and rent one?
This is limited now but wont be for long.
AND finally has no one noticed that the Blu Ray group is absent from this spree of cost cutting? Do they seem concerned? Doesnt the fact that there is a chasm of silence
coming from their side seem a bit ominous?
They don't care about a 99$ HDDVD player, the market for those is the same guys who bought "discovision" (RCA'S capacitance based videodisc player) during closeout because it was "such a great deal" in the mid eighties.
They don't have to sell their player for firesale prices, because they are the future
and they know it.
Why spend 99 bucks on something just to see transformers?

For $99 it makes a good DVD player with upscalling. Even if (or when) HD-DVD dies, I can use it in one of my other two HT set ups.
Don't worry, I still plan on getting that PS3.

[kexodusc]

Wifey just called. Our Wally World has stacks and stacks of these available. She picked mine up already.

Screw BB.

Nice! (said in a jealous, envious tone)...

[GMichael]

Nice! (said in a jealous, envious tone)...

Thank you sir. (he said with a puffed out chest and big grin)

[Groundbeef]

Thank you sir. (he said with a puffed out chest and big grin)

Settle down Bevis!

With that one purchase at Wally World, you put 2 US workers out of a job. You should have bought at CC where the sales guy only recently got re-hired at a signifcant wage reduction. Or better yet, bought it at a "Boutique" and helped finance the new boat the owner has had his eye on since his last custom install.

[GMichael]

Settle down Bevis!

With that one purchase at Wally World, you put 2 US workers out of a job. You should have bought at CC where the sales guy only recently got re-hired at a signifcant wage reduction. Or better yet, bought it at a "Boutique" and helped finance the new boat the owner has had his eye on since his last custom install.

Nice tongue in cheek.

I don't want to put anyone out of business. I went to BB first. They shot me down. CC was only price matching until BB ran out. My choices were snipped down to one. In fact, I was ready to give up on the player all together. It was wifey's idea to pick it up anyhow. (I think she wants a new cell phone and is trying to soften me up. This will make 4 phones in the last 2 years)

[Groundbeef]

It was wifey's idea to pick it up anyhow. (I think she wants a new cell phone and is trying to soften me up. This will make 4 phones in the last 2 years)

4 phones? What is she doing to them? Wearing them out calling you to add to the "Honey-Do" list?

[bobsticks]

They had sold out right as I got there. I mean right as I got there. I saw a lady wheeling a cart with five of them through the parking lot and I knew I was sunk, nothing but a plastic pallet on the floor. My fault for waiting until 9:30 to go in. Easy come, easy go. Moving on...

[drseid]

I am hoping mine in Northern Virginia has plenty tomorrow morning... We will see.

---Dave

Got to Walmart at 7:20 and already there were a lot of folks there in wait. They had an allocation of 30 (that were not on display... kept in the warehouse) and limited purchases to 1 per person. I was person number 28. :-) The rest sold out in two minutes after I arrived. Left Walmart with one in-hand at 8:15.

---Dave

[GMichael]

4 phones? What is she doing to them? Wearing them out calling you to add to the "Honey-Do" list?

Phone one was great until:
This one is much smaller. That's better for me. (she's 4' 7" ) Enter phone number 2.
This one takes pictures. Enter phone number 3.
This one has a keyboard for texting. Enter phone number 4.
I don't know what this new one does. She called me from the store to tell me how she picked up the HD-DVD player (that we agreed to not buy the night before) and that she loves this new phone she found.

Duh.... She's just lucky that I love the way she does that thing with her... uh,...
nevermind.

[L.J.]

LJ in da house!!!!!

I got the 2nd to last one.

With 3 HDTV's in the house, I can get plenty of use out of this player.

[GMichael]

LJ in da house!!!!!

I got the 2nd to last one.

With 3 HDTV's in the house, I can get plenty of use out of this player.

HA....

Did you get the one with the "quick connects?"

Congrats.

[L.J.]

Quick connects?

[GMichael]

Quick connects?

So that one player can be brought from room to room to room, and service all those HDTV's you've got.

[Groundbeef]

Quick connects?

Yep. HDMI 1.4 w/ Quick Connects.

The old standard HDMI .7 used a combination of buttons, cloth straps, and velcro. Very time consuming, not to mention bulky.

HDMI .87 ushered in a new era of convience with the patened "zipper Lock", but that was discontinued after reports of "Catching the Privates" were filed.

HDMI .9654 was "Back to Basics" with an assortment of latches, and vacum pumps. There were some 'handshake' issues, but engineers were working on it.

[L.J.]

So that one player can be brought from room to room to room, and service all those HDTV's you've got.

Oh.........that went way over my head

I'll keep it on my main system for awhile and see what happens in the future.

[L.J.]

CC has decided to join the party and has dropped the price of their A2 down to $129.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Toshi...oductDetail.do

[GMichael]

That's cool. Now that everyone else is out of stock. Smart move to let BB and Wally battle it out first. Then they can bat clean-up.

[L.J.]

That's cool. Now that everyone else is out of stock. Smart move to let BB and Wally battle it out first. Then they can bat clean-up.

GM, let us know when your all hooked up. I'm hoping I didn't get one of the bad units. I ordered an HDMI cable so I won't get hooked up for a few days.

[GMichael]

GM, let us know when your all hooked up. I'm hoping I didn't get one of the bad units. I ordered an HDMI cable so I won't get hooked up for a few days.

OK, but keep in mind that my AVR is not HDMI. I'll be going with components and optical.

[Groundbeef]

GM, let us know when your all hooked up. I'm hoping I didn't get one of the bad units. I ordered an HDMI cable so I won't get hooked up for a few days.

What? Ordered? Don't you know BB has a real nice 6' for the bargin price of $100. Its MONSTER brand, and when your not watching HD programming it massages your feet. Its made of 100% spun pixie dust, encapsulated in Copper Magic Shielding, all wrapped in a pretty branded casing. The casing by the way ONLY allows the HD signal to pass one way. That way the signal doesn't get "confused" and try and go back to the source.

In the business we call that the "Salmon" defense. Makes picture clarity 125% of original, but even better!

[GMichael]

GM, let us know when your all hooked up. I'm hoping I didn't get one of the bad units. I ordered an HDMI cable so I won't get hooked up for a few days.

It's all good. I had an issue with the first set of component cables I was using but after a switch it looks great.

[Mr Peabody]

" AR members falling off HD disc fence like flies, story at 11:00" Congrads all. I guess we know now what price will sell a HD-DVD player. Can't blame you though, no harm can be done at that price.

Dave, Transformers was a cool movie. The DVD looked great I bet the HD was astounding.

[drseid]

" AR members falling off HD disc fence like flies, story at 11:00" Congrads all. I guess we know now what price will sell a HD-DVD player. Can't blame you though, no harm can be done at that price.

Dave, Transformers was a cool movie. The DVD looked great I bet the HD was astounding.

I should have mentioned that I did not like the cartoon when I was growing up either... I did rent the HD DVD from Netflix and it certanly was an aural and visual bonanza... I just thought it was too much action and special effects with not enough storyline. "A Room With A View" and "Casablanca" are more my speed. That said I do like some action flicks, just not that one unfortunately. I know I am in the minority... just not my cup of tea I guess.

---Dave