Toshiba slashes price of HD-DVD players

"Strategic reduction" sees prices drop to $399

Toshiba has slashed the price of its HD-DVD players in the US, effective immediately, in a move it labelled a "strategic reduction."

The manufacturer is dropping prices of its entire HD-DVD line of players, with the entry level HD-A2 reduced to USD 399 (EUR 299 / GBP 203) and the newly released HD-A20 model coming to market at USD 499 (EUR 374 / GBP 254).

The HD-DVD format features in Microsoft's Xbox 360 console while Sony's rival Blu-ray format is a key element of the PlayStation 3.

Supporters of the HD-DVD format, including Warner, Paramount and Eagle Rock have welcomed the move.

"The spring is ramping up well for HD-DVD, with an incredible list of movies and the best priced hardware on the market," commented Ken Graffeo, executive VP of marketing at Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

[Covenant]

Will the 360 drive drop as well?

[ENNO]

Nah the drive wont,but this is a great move and well needed as i was gettin worried about all this "the last nail in the coffin for hd-dvd"crap,looks like were just gettin started!!!

[sabbath420]

Good news for HD consumers. I have a xbox HD-DVD drive and am very pleased with it. Will be getting a stand alone player now. Sure will like to see sony take a dive on this one. They are so self absorbed. "They will work more hours for a ps3 and become more disciplined" Darn japs.

[specialguest]

If you already own an HD-DVD player which is an addon and very pleased with it, then why are you planning to spend twice as much on a stand alone? hahahah very contradictory of you. Seems like the 360s addon doesn't satisfy you enough.

[Whoooop]

Slow sales are the real reason...

[HokieFan]

Sony said a few weeks ago that they're lowering the price on their Blu-ray player to $600...is that because sales are slow? Or is that strategic?

EDIT: How can you disagree with a simple question? It's a question!!! The fanboyism on this site is amazing!

[ENNO]

actually the sales are more profitable than blu-ray....the margin is 2-1 because of all these free blu-ray vouchers given out by the ps3.

[quiddd]

I'd agree with you if the race was even to this point. But the past few months up to today have shown that Blu-Ray is winning.

Tell me. Which do you see more frequently...................c ommercials ending with the movie coming out in DVD and 1) HD-DVD or 2) Blu-Ray.

[bootsielon]

knows jack shyt. Those aren't reported as sales. Anyway, a low price isn't going to help HD-DVD if they don't get all the studios on board. The most HD-DVD could do now is be an obstacle for Blu-ray dominance, but never a standard. The funny thing is, PS3 won't become a paperweight if Blu-ray loses (which is unlikely anyway), but those 360 add-ons will if HD-DVD losses. What is Microsoft going to do with all the users that bought it? Oh yeah, absolutely the same thing they've done to control quality on their machine: NOTHING.

[HokieFan]

I don't understand...why would the HD DVD add-on become a paperweight but not the PS3? Can you explain why you say that?

[theGreat1]

If more people buy HD DVD players then the more support that could come their way. The biggest obstacle of HD DVD is the lack of studio support and no big box office smash has come out to the HD DVD camp in a while. They need movies like LOTR's, Rush Hour, Blade and 300, when it comes out, to make a big splash.

[xfrgtr]

HDDVD is in despair

[lilwingman]

First, I'm going to disagree with the comment about the 360 add-on becoming a paperweight if the format loses. I will never understand that argument. The drive won't just suddenly explode if HD-DVD loses. All the current releases will still play.

This is a good move by Toshiba, as they probably know they have to start moving hardware. But it may be futile. Right now they just don't have the titles available for the majority of people to buy them.

[Dragonopolis]

If anything positive can be said for a multi-format war this is one of them:

Prices for the consumer dropping quickly.

Another note:

The wonderful thing about technology improving is that the more it improves how picky the consumer can be - especially in the pricing.

I expect that the next major revision in next gen consoles (next xbox, ps4, next Wii) will still be 1080p even if the Televisions will support higher resolutions. It will probably be more about speed, physics and polygon than supporting a new resolution or format.

That said, this won't be the last time we face these issues as gamers. Its good to see Toshiba put up a fight, however, Blu-ray camp has way too much ammo to mess with. Those Studios that support both (such as Paramount and Warner); if you were to remove them from the equation blu-ray has a much strong line-up of movies than HD-DVD. Plus, I doubt that blu-ray players are that much more expensive than HD-DVD since they do share similar technology. It is just a matter of how much the companies are willing to give in to consumers and the competition's pressure.

Remember beta, it hung in there for a while even after everybody knew it was over.

I'm sure whoever wins this fight will too.

Utimately, we as consumers make the choice. If we all went out and bought just HD-DVD then blu-ray would suffer (if you didn't take into account all the PS3 that would be sold)

Here is why we will never see a built in HD-DVD for Xbox 360:

Sony may not have the world financially wrap around it's claws but it does have one advantage that Microsoft doesn't have.

Product.

Sure, Microsoft has the software and technical ability to make a console capable of trouncing Sony but it all stops there. Why? Microsoft has nothing in form of entertainment other than gaming to offer on it and must make deals with other industries it has no relationship/similar interest with. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Sony has more clout in this area than they do know matter how much money they throw out there because Sony has successful Movie studios, Music studios, as well as First party Games to place on such a format and shares the same fears and concerns that others who have product to deliver - thus easier to gain support for. Sony is in the business of selling other major products that attach to game consoles (like HDTVs -thus HDMI 1.3) as well as other electonic devices that can bolster such a risk (like real Blu-ray disc players not console oriented)

This is probably why Nintendo stayed out of the "other than gaming" part of a console. Not because they wanted too its because they just don't have the foot in the door like the others.

Matter of fact that's a good analogy:

Sony: Halfway through the door already. Owns studios in both Movies, Games, and Music as well as Electronics that will help support their decision to install blu-ray.

Microsoft: Has their foot in the door only because of Windows and has to deal with liscensing plus the do have access to industry codecs just not the content that uses them. They do have Games but so does Sony so its not an advantage.

Nintendo: Just has Games. That's it, nothing else, and has to pretty much start from scratch to get to where the other two are today in other forms of entertainment and doesn't have the same financial backing as the other two.

Of course, this only matters to gamers who use the "other than games" stuff. For nintendo only fans (is there such a thing) Shouldn't be a hard decision. For people like me, who has been using his console for movie play back for years (PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360) it a lot tougher.

I have always had two consoles in my house and will probably get PS3 down the line so I will just wait until then for HDTV and stick with my xbox for DVD watching. (I've seen the HD-DVD attachment for Xbox 360 and its junk compared to other stand-alone HD-DVD players and if the price drop is true better to fork out the $399 for a stand-alone. On the other hand, PS3 is riding with best of the Blu-ray in picture quality so quality wise I'm not losing much when just staying apples to apples with the PS3 than the Xbox 360.
Heck by 2009, I might see a price drop on the PS3 and there should be several good exclusives out at least to justify the expensive of a second console (sorry nintendo controller alone isn't selling this Medium-Core gamer) also I will have a better grasp at who is really winning the format war so I will make a better decision about this in a couple of years.

Until then its DVD and Xbox 360 for me.... (unless Sony can really wow me in 2008 above what I can get for the xbox 360)

[omansteveo]

I hate win people post this stuff it seriously is not relevant in any way shape or form to gaming period. It seems like people on this site to even post about games anymore its really pathetic that people associate MOVIE formats with PS3 and Xbox 360. Fanboys eat this stuff up and it boggles my mind every time i read about it.

[Marty8370]

HD DVD is dead, PS3 has seen to that. Blu-ray has more Hollywood Studio support. Blu-ray will win in the end.

[sabbath420]

I want a stand alone player for the hdtv in the bedroom retard. I will save $100 buying the stand alone player for my bedroom.