Amazon.com takes HD DVD to $129

I bought it and love it!

Does the Toshiba HD-A3 offer any better features or performance compared to HD-A2? I am thinking of picking up the A3 for this price and return the A2 that I got for under $100. I would like to pick the A3 if it offers better "upscaling capability" of SD-DVDs compared to A2.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

I believe they are both the same. The only difference is cosmetics and I doubt there will be any difference in upconverting of regular DVD's. Keep your HD-A2 and buy movies

I bought an A3 two days ago, for the living room TV. I also hooked it up to my theatre. Not a bad picture for $149 bucks. It upconverts them just fine. A little slow in loading to the XA2, but not bad. I tried the component cables at first then realized it won't upconvert DVD's.Then went to buy a HDMI cable and bam, were good to go. I did however play some of my backed up dvd's and as long as there is not copy protection on a disk, it will upconvert through component video.

I checked the free movie offer and they have something that I don't already have in each category, so I just might pick up a second player as well - the seven movies alone would come to $140 if I bought them seperately.

For those who want it today try Costco. I was in last weekend and they had the HD-D3 for $129.99, same 2 free movies on top of the 5 free mail in and a HDMI cable in the box. I am happy to see the prices coming down this far, hopefully for good. It puts these players right there with a good up-scaling DVD player. You spend the extra $30 get 7 free hd-dvds and in the event that HDDVD does lose the format war you still have a great upscaling DVD player that will still play any HDDVDs you have collected.

guys,
I have both an HD-DVD add on for my 360 and a stand alone HD-DVD player A2. I love my HD-DVD, but after the Warner announcement, I feel like i cannot continue to put my money into a product that wont be around in a yr. You gotta cut your losses @ some point. This is coming from someone who has about 40 movies (of which I have Pirates & Island Fever 3 ). I will likely be purchasing a PS3 in the next couple of weeks to get a 2 in 1. Sorry, just smart enough to know when to say when ....WHEN

Hey OolushoO,

I'm wondering why you posted that. What...do you think your players will quit upconverting in a year? ....and as long as they still come out with new HD releases ( Beowolf, Cloverfield, etc...) I will buy them. The price is pretty damn sweet. $125 is a steal! I don't know why it would seem a waste.

(P.S. If you're looking to get rid of Pirates...... )

Just when you thought that HD DVD was dead...

Confused,

Why don't people who own Blu Ray Players understand that they will have to chuck them into the trash later this year (unless you own a PS3 (not a video game machine, but a Blu Ray Player)), but with the HD DVD Player you can enjoy upconverting and downloading of some the coolest features available now.

I hope and pray that Microsoft will step in and kick Sony's Butt and pay (just like Sony) to get some studios back (Warner Bros.). Heck, I would even approach Disney or Lionsgate (Fox again) with a nice fat check. Mr. Gates end this war now. The better player for the consumer is the HD DVD. The features, the cost, and the fact that it can be produced at a much lower cost.

Oh, and just remember HD DVD is the official format in the largest and quickly advancing technology wise country China. China said no to Blu Ray, because they did their homework.

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[Post edited by GrafUlrich88 on Jan 24, 2008]

This will make a GREAT UPCONVERTER. Also cool that amazon doesn't charge shipping & taxes... at least not in my state, anyway.

Quote:
Why don't people who own Blu Ray Players understand that they will have to chuck them into the trash later this year

Why on earth would anyone be forced to "chuck" their Blu-ray player in the trash later this year? Oh.... FUD, sorry. I understand now!

FUD

Confused by all the Blu Ray Blurry-ness,

First off what is "FUD"??

I want to point out that the current Blu Ray stand alone players don't have the capabilities of picture and picture and download new content (Only the PS3 aka Blu Ray Player, aka wanna be video game player) that will be in all the new movies coming out for Blu Ray this year. Only, the new players coming out (who knows when, delay after delay) will have these features.

I want to point out that HD DVD as always had the features and cost 60% to 70% less per stand alone player. Humm!!! Consumers will clearly see this as a huge plus in HD DVD's favor (Cost and Features). HD DVD Discs are cheaper to manufacture and now will be roughly the same size as Blu Ray (51 GB vs 50 GB).

Cheers,

Quote:
First off what is "FUD"??

FUD = Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt <Info link

And after all of your "pointing out" above, maybe you can point out that Blu-ray players and discs OUTSELL HD-DVD... understand?

SALES MATTER. Ask Warner Brothers.

-LH (the Loverboy)

More Blu Ray Kool Aid Please!!!

You seem to forget that Warner and Fox had to be bribed ($600 Million and $120 Million) to not go HD DVD Exclusive. Humm, I guess Sony had to beg them to go Blu.

Facts are Facts and BS is BS!!! Enjoy your Blu Kool Aid!!! Have some ice too and chill out.

Humbly,

(Don't you just love little edgy discussion's??). Remember this banter between us isn't personal, its business. Lets enjoy it.

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[Post edited by GrafUlrich88 on Jan 25, 2008]

That's funny ^above^ since -what- you are posting is indeed HD-DVD Kool-Aid opinion!

-LH (the Loverboy)

Quote:
Consumers will clearly see this as a huge plus in HD DVD's favor (Cost and Features).

Well clearly the consumers you talk of didn't see this as a huge plus in the last 13 months, even with the Paramount going HD DVD exclusive and the Transformers movie release. When do you expect consumers to finally see more "clearly"?

Skyhawk said: "When do you expect consumers to finally see more "clearly"?"


When HD players become reasonably priced to the general public. Which, as we all know, has just very recently happened with Toshiba's HD-DVD players.

fe_toad, even if they give them away free (well they technically are free now with the included 7 movies), it hasn't resulted in higher software sales so far. Are you sure that the consumer demographic who demands "free hardware" or $99 players before getting into HD are the ones who will be most likely to buy $30 to $40 dollar software for it?

I'm afraid things are going to get much worse once the summer starts and Warner begins to release titles on Blu-ray only. It's forecasted that Blu-ray will sell about $800 million to one billion in movie sales for 2008. You don't think Paramount will want part of this pie ever?

Forget Ovaltine, past that nasty Blu Ray Kool Aid,

I love the fact that Blu Ray manufacturing (which their are very few) are having a much higher failure rates, which result in a higher cost for the studios. You just got to love getting the "Blu Cost Shaft" when you are having your movies put on Blu Ray discs. HD DVD, nil or very little manufacturing problems.

Oh, when you count Blu Ray Players sold don't count PS3 (Sony does this). It's interesting that Sony has somehow realized that their PS3 is first a Blu Ray Player, and then it can play some crappy games on the side. Xbox 360 and Wii are kicking its butt. Heck, even the PS2 (which I own and love (because of Working Designs and Atlus) is beating the crap out of it.

Oh, I can't say now but in time you will feel a real slap in the face with something coming down in the not to distant future. Enjoy, that Blu Ray Kool Aid well you can.

(I'm in the entertainment industry, video gaming)!!

Cheers,

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[Post edited by GrafUlrich88 on Jan 25, 2008]

Skyhawk,

I'm sorry, I thought you needed the hardware to be able to play software? Oh, that's right you do. As you said yourself, it hasn't resulted in higher software sales SO FAR. The general public has barely begun to "invest" in the high def. DVD market yet. A little advertising from Toshiba combined with a reasonable entry price for a solid HD-DVD player could easily influence many to make the leap. I'm betting the price of the software itself will drop in the near future. Heck its already dropping. While some say this battle is over, I think its just begining.

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[Post edited by fe_toad on Jan 25, 2008]

Quote:
I'm sorry, I thought you needed the hardware to be able to play software?

Yes, and Blu-ray has been outselling HD DVD in hardware sales too. Conversely, it can be said that you need the software to play the hardware. At least people will be able to continue to use their cheap HD DVD players to upscale their standard DVDs when the HD DVD movie well dries up.