[HD on] Toshiba HD-DVD player: $98 @ Walmart (Friday)

RyakStorm

The HD format wars are heating up ~ HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray.

Now personally I don't care who wins, I just want to be able to buy or rent movies in HD.

Walmart is having an early black Friday (this Friday 2nd November). They have 2 million Toshiba A2 HD DVD players that they will have on sale for $98.

This is an entry level HD-DVD player, the biggest "missing" feature is that it will only output 720p / 1080i. 1080p is not available on this model. You do get the mail in offer for 5 HD DVD movies with this price too.

Walmart Link

AVS Forum is going nuts over this. There are reports of Best Buy, Sears, and Circuit City price matching Walmart.

If you were ever interested in going HD, this is a deal. If you have a Blu-Ray player or a PS3 this is a cheap way to go format neutral and get those movies that are exclusive to HD-DVD.

I already have a HD-DVD player, and the 360 add-on. I wish there was a sale like this on Blu-Ray so I could go format neutral until this all sorts itself out.

RandomEngy

We have a new technology subforum now.

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=40279

Hardtarget

uh.. are we going to have a seperate Games subfolder now?

in any case 100 dollars? holy crap

RyakStorm

Doh! Didn't see that. My bad.

Bamelin

Geez, 100 bucks?

That's a fucking steal.

chasm

Yup. Along with a bunch of titles at $14.96. It's too good a deal to pass up...going to pick one up for my brother. BTW, each store is allocated at least 18 and some stores have as many as 30. Expect them to be sold out by 8:30am.

Dritz

Pssh my TV doesn't even do 1080p so this is good news.

maximumzero

I have a 19" Samsung TV that I bought a few weeks ago. My first HDTV. Of course today at work I noticed we got in a 19" Olevia that pretty much looks like night and day next to the samsung but oh well.

The only reason I'm interested in Blu-Ray/HD-DVD is two movies:

Ratatouille & Corpse Bride

While CB is on both formats Ratatouille is B-R only.

Thus, half of my reason for getting a new player of the high-def sort is out the window.

Damn you Disney.

Magus`

19"? Why even bother with HD at that size.

randombattle

Wow this could be a real blow to Blu-Ray. I never thought we would of seen a sub $100 player for the new formats so soon.

Dukhat

Toshiba is hurting. Even the biggest movie this year didn't give it the weak in sales against a 2-week period where Blu-Ray had no big releases. Transformers pretty much sold as well as the HD-DVD version of 300 did.

This A2 sell is decent, but expect similar sales for first gen blu-ray players from Samsung and Panasonic come tihs holiday season.

It won't be $99 but it will be able to play Ratatouille, Spiderman 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Die Hard 4, The Simpsons Movie, etc. etc. ...

jlrx

I dont think we ned 50 threads about this subject, you copy cat!

maximumzero

Magus` wrote: »

19"? Why even bother with HD at that size.

Because I put it into a book shelf that couldn't accommodate much larger and I wanted to be able to plug in a Wii via Component in addition to my DC via VGA.

FreddyD

maximumzero wrote: »

Magus` wrote: »

19"? Why even bother with HD at that size.

Because I put it into a book shelf that couldn't accommodate much larger and I wanted to be able to plug in a Wii via Component in addition to my DC via VGA.

Neither console looks all that great on an LCD monitor. SDTVs give you free AA, so I keep one around for my older systems.

maximumzero

FreddyD wrote: »

maximumzero wrote: »

Magus` wrote: »

19"? Why even bother with HD at that size.

Because I put it into a book shelf that couldn't accommodate much larger and I wanted to be able to plug in a Wii via Component in addition to my DC via VGA.

Neither console looks all that great on an LCD monitor. SDTVs give you free AA, so I keep one around for my older systems.

If carried them at CompUSA I likely would have gotten a CRT television, but all we carry is LCD so I just got that.

Dark Shroud

This is tempting but Transformers isn't worth $100. And that is the only HD-DVD movie that even concerns me, but not enough to buy a player. My PS3 upscales very well so that will be good enough for my DVD boot leg. Had it been on Blu-ray I would have bought it without a second thought.

This format war has been swinging Blu-ray for awhile and I don't see this shifting it much. Yes these will probably sell but it won't hurt Blu-ray. All people need to know is that Disney & Fox are Blu-ray only and then they're not so quick to jump on the HD-DVD bandwagon.

chasm

Neither HD format is selling particularly well. Pull your head out of your ass.

syndalis

Just to clarify:

This is the list of films you can buy or buy soon in HD-DVD that we know of thus far.

12 Monkeys (Universal)
16 Blocks (Warner) <- COMBO
2 Fast 2 Furious (Universal)
300 (Warner) <- COMBO
40-Year Old Virgin (Universal)
Accepted (Universal) <- COMBO
Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner)
Aeon Flux (Paramount)
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 (Eagle Rock)
Alpha Dog (Universal) <- COMBO
American Me (Universal)
American Werewolf in London (Universal) <- COMBO
Animal House (Universal) <- COMBO
Ant Bully (Warner) <- COMBO
Apollo 13 (Universal)
The Architect (Magnolia)
Army of Darkness (Universal)
Assault on Precinct 13 (Universal)
ATL (Warner) <- COMBO
Babel (Paramount)
Backdraft (Universal)
Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! (Image)
Batman Begins (Warner)
Battle of the Bulge (Warner)
Beerfest (Warner)
Being John Malkovich (Universal)
Best of Get Out! Vol. 1 (HDNet)
Best of Get Out! Vol. 2 (HDNet)
Best of HDNet World Report Vol. 1 (HDNet)
Best of HDNet World Report Vol. 2 (HDNet)
The Big Lebowski (Universal)
Bikini Destinations: Hawaii (HDNet)
Bikini Destinations: Lake Tahoe (HDNet)
Bikini Destinations: Mexico (HDNet)
Billy Madison (Universal)
Black Christmas (Weinstein Co.)
Black Rain (Paramount)
Black Snake Moan (Paramount)
Blades of Glory (Dreamworks)
Blazing Saddles (Warner)
Blood Diamond (Warner)
Blue Planet - IMAX (Warner)
Bone Collector (Universal)
Born on the Fourth of July (Universal)
The Bourne Identity (Universal)
Bourne Supremacy (Universal)
Breach (Universal) <- COMBO
Breakfast Club (Universal) <- COMBO
The Breakup (Universal) <- COMBO
Brokeback Mountain (Universal) <- COMBO
Bruce Almighty (Universal)
Bubble (Magnolia)
Bulletproof (Universal)
Bullitt (Warner)
Caddyshack (Warner)
Casablanca (Warner)
Casino (Universal)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Warner)
Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek (Image)
Children of Men (Universal) <- COMBO
Christmas Story (Warner)
Christmas Vacation, National Lampoon's (Warner)
Chronicles of Riddick (Universal)
Cinderella Man (Universal)
Clerks 2 (Weinstein Co.)
Coming to America (Paramount)
Complete Matrix Trilogy (Warner)
Constantine (Warner)
The Contract (First Look)
Corpse Bride, Tim Burton's (Warner)
The Cowboys (Warner)
Cream - Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Rhino)
Dante's Peak (Universal)
Darkman (Universal)
Dawn of the Dead (Universal)
Daylight (Universal)
Dazed and Confused (Universal) <- COMBO
Dead Silence (Universal) <- COMBO
Deep Purple: They All Came Down to Montreux (Eagle Rock)
Deer Hunter (Universal)
The Departed (Warner) <- COMBO
Derailed (Weinstein Co.)
Digital Video Essentials (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
Dirty Dozen (Warner)
Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed (Image)
Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed (Image)
Discovery Atlas: China Revealed (Image)
Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed (Image)
District B13 (Magnolia)
Disturbia (Dreamworks)
Dog Day Afternoon (Warner)
Doom (Universal)
Dragonheart (Universal)
Dragon's Lair (Digital Leisure)
Dreamgirls (Dreamworks)
Dreaming Arizona (The Picture Company)
Dune (Universal)
Dukes of Hazzard (Warner)
The Eagles - Live In Melbourne (Rhino)
End of Days (Universal)
Enter the Dragon (Warner)
Erin Brockovich (Universal)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Universal)
Excalibur (Warner)
Failure To Launch (Paramount)
The Fast and the Furious (Universal)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Universal) <-COMBO
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Universal)
Feast (Weinstein Co.)
Field of Dreams (Universal) <- COMBO
Firewall (Warner) <- COMBO
Flags of our Fathers (Dreamworks)
Forbidden Planet (Warner)
Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)
The Fountain (Warner) <- COMBO
Four Brothers (Paramount)
Freedom - Vol. 1 (Bandai) <- TWIN
Freedom Writers (Paramount)
Friday Night Lights (Universal)
The Frighteners (Universal)
The Fugitive (Warner)
Full Metal Jacket (Warner)
The Game (Universal)
The Getaway (Warner)
Goodfellas (Warner)
Good Night, and Good Luck (Warner) <- COMBO
The Good Shepherd (Universal) <- COMBO
Grand Prix (Warner)
Guitarscape Planet (Concert Hot Spot)
Half Baked (Universal) <- COMBO
Happy Feet (Warner) <- COMBO
Happy Gilmore (Universal)
Harlem Globetrotters - A Gift for the Troops (HDNet)
Harsh Times (Weinstein Co.)
HDScape Antarctica Dreaming (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape Exotic Saltwater Aquarium (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape Fireplace: Visions of Tranquility (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape HD Window: The Great Southwest (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape HD Window: Hawaii (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape Sampler (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
HDScape Visions of the Sea (DVD Intl.) <- COMBO
Heart: Alive in Seattle (Image)
Heroes Season 1 (Universal)
The Hitcher (Universal) <- COMBO
Hollywoodland (Universal) <- COMBO
The Host (Magnolia)
Hot Fuzz (Universal) <- COMBO
House of Wax (Warner)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal) <- COMBO
Hulk (Universal)
The Hurricane (Universal)
Hustle & Flow (Paramount)
In Good Company (Universal)
Interpreter (Universal)
Italian Job (Paramount)
James Taylor: A MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute (Rhino)
Jarhead (Universal)
Jazz Standards (Surround Records)
The Jerk (Universal)
King Kong (Universal)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Warner) <- COMBO
Lady in the Water (Warner) <- COMBO
Lakehouse (Warner) <- COMBO
Land of the Dead, George A. Romero's (Universal) <- COMBO
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Paramount)
Last Samurai (Warner)
Lethal Weapon (Warner)
Lethal Weapon 2 (Warner)
Letters From Iwo Jima (Warner) <- COMBO
Liar Liar (Universal)
The Lost City (Magnolia)
Lost In Translation (Universal)
Lucky # Slevin (Weinstein Co.)
Mallrats (Universal)
March of the Penguins (Warner)
Matador (Weinstein Co.)
Miami Vice (Universal) <- COMBO
The Manchurian Canidate (Paramount)
Meet Joe Black (Universal)
Meet the Parents (Universal)
Mercury Rising (Universal)
Midnight Run (Universal)
Million Dollar Baby (Warner)
Mission: Impossible - Ultimate Missions Collection (Paramount)
Mission: Impossible (Paramount)
Mission: Impossible 2 (Paramount)
Mission: Impossible 3 (Paramount)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (Universal)
The Mummy (Universal)
The Mummy Returns (Universal)
Music and Lyrics (Warner) <- COMBO
Mutiny on the Bounty (Warner)
Mystery Men (Universal)
Nacho Libre (Paramount)
Nature's Colors (Concert Hot Spot)
Nature's Journey (R&B Films)
The New Orleans Concert (Concert Hot Spot) <- COMBO
Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You In Time (Interscope)
Nip/Tuck: The Complete Fourth Season (Warner)
Norbit (Dreamworks)
Notting Hill (Universal)
The Nutty Professor (Universal)
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (Universal)
An Officer and a Gentleman (Paramount)
One Six Right (Terwilliger)
Out for Justice (Warner)
Out of Sight (Universal)
The Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up (Eagle Rock)
Payback: Straight Up (Paramount)
Perfect Storm (Warner)
Phantom of the Opera (Warner)
Pitch Black (Universal)
Planet Earth (BBC Video/Warner)
The Polar Express (Warner)
Poseidon (Warner) <- COMBO
Pulse (Weinstein Co.)
Purple Rain (Warner)
Ray (Universal)
Red Dragon (Universal)
Reds (Paramount)
Relentless Enemies (National Geographic/Warner)
Rio Bravo (Warner)
The River (Universal)
Road Warrior (Warner)
Rumor Has It (Warner) <- COMBO
Rundown (Universal)
Sahara (Paramount)
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock)
A Scanner Darkly (Warner)
Scary Movie 4 (Weinstein Co.)
Scent of a Woman (Universal)
School for Scoundrels (Weinstein Co.)
Scooby-Doo (Warner)
Scorpion King (Universal) <- COMBO
Sea of Love (Universal)
Seabiscuit (Universal)
The Searchers (Warner)
Serenity (Universal)
Shaun of the Dead (Universal)
Shooter (Paramount)
The Skeleton Key (Universal)
Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow (Paramount)
Sleepy Hollow (Paramount)
Slither (Universal) <- COMBO
Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season (Warner)
Smokey and the Bandit (Universal)
Smokin' Aces (Universal) <- COMBO
Sneakers (Universal)
Sopranos: Season Six, Part 1 (HBO)
Space Cowboys (Warner)
Spartacus (Universal)
Spy Game (Universal)
Stained Glass Window: With Heavenly Carols (Concert Hot Spot) <- COMBO
The Sting (Universal)
Streets of Fire (Universal)
Superman (Warner)
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (Warner)
Superman Returns (Warner) <- COMBO
Swan Lake (BBC / Opus Arte)
Swordfish (Warner)
Syriana (Warner)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Warner)
The Thing (Universal)
TMNT (Warner) <- COMBO
Tokyo Drift, The Fast and the Furious (Universal) <- COMBO
Toto - 25th Anniversary: Live In Amsterdam (Eagle Rock)
Trading Places (Paramount)
Traffic (Universal)
Training Day (Warner)
Troy (Warner)
U-571 (Universal)
U2: Rattle and Hum (Paramount)
Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner)
Uncommon Bach (Surround Records)
Under Siege (Warner)
Unforgiven (Warner)
Unleashed (Universal)
Unleashed (Universal) <- COMBO
The Untouchables (Paramount)
V for Vendetta (Warner)
Van Helsing (Universal)
View From Space With Heavenly Music (Concert Hot Spot)
Waist Deep (Universal) <- COMBO
The War (Universal)
The Warriors (Paramount)
The Watcher (Universal)
Waterworld (Universal)
The Way to Paradise (Surround Records)
We Were Soldiers (Paramount)
The Wedding Date (Universal)
What Dreams May Come (Universal)
Wicker Man (Warner)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Warner)
Wings of Honneamise (Bandai Visual)
Wolf Creek (Weinstein Co.)
World Extreme Cagefighting: Halloween Fury 1 (HDNet)
World Extreme Cagefighting: Unfinished Business 2 (HDNet)
World Trade Center (Paramount)
The World's Fastest Indian (Magnolia)
Yes: Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock)
You, Me, and Dupree (Universal) <- COMBO

TOTAL: 300


9/18/07
Alexander Revisited - The Final Cut (Warner)
The Best of HD DVD Vol. 1 (Warner)
The Best of HD DVD Vol. 2 (Warner)
The Best of HD DVD Vol. 3 (Warner)
Deliverance (Warner)
Elizabeth (Universal)
For the Love of the Game (Universal)
Jailhouse Rock (Warner)
The Last Starfighter (Universal)
Smallville: The Complete Sixth Season (Warner)
Troy - Director's Cut (Warner)
We are Marshall (Warner) <- COMBO
Viva Las Vegas (Warner)

9/25/07
Evening (Universal) <- COMBO
Freedom - Vol. 2 (Bandai Visual)
The Getaway (1994) (Universal)
Gods and Generals (Warner)
Gothika (Warner)
Knocked Up (Universal) <- COMBO
Next (Paramount)
Patch Adams (Universal)
The Wild Bunch (Warner)
Wyatt Earp (Warner)

10/1/07
Dreaming Nevada (The Picture Company)

10/2/07
The Ant Bully (Warner)
The Fountain (Warner)
The Departed (Warner)
Galapagos (BBC Video/Warner)
Happy Feet (Warner)
Lady in the Water (Warner)
The Lakehouse (Warner)
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner)
A Room with a View (BBC Video/Warner)
Rumor Has It (Warner)
Superman Returns (Warner)
Top Gun (Paramount)

10/9/07
Evan Almighty (Universal) <- COMBO
Twilight Zone - The Movie (Warner)

10/16/07
A Mighty Heart (Paramount)
The Reaping (Warner) <- COMBO
Return to House on Haunted Hill (Warner)
Transformers (Paramount)

10/23/07
2001 - A Space Odyssey (Warner)
Carlito's Way (Universal)
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power (Universal)
A Clockwork Orange (Warner)
Eyes Wide Shut (Warner)
Full Metal Jacket - Deluxe (Warner)
Inside Man (Universal)
The Jack Ryan Collection (Paramount)
Seed of Chucky (Universal)
The Shining (Warner)
Sopranos: Season Six, Part 2 (HBO)

10/27/07
Space or Dream of Life - Music Experience in 3-D Sound Reality (Surround Records)
Spatial Dynamics - Music Experience in 3-D Sound Reality (Surround Records)
Uncommon Mozart - Music Experience in 3-D Sound Reality (Surround Records)

10/30/07
Digital Video Essentials - HD Basics (DVD Intl.)
Face/Off (Paramount)
License to Wed (Warner) <- COMBO
Mozart - Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) (BBC/Opus Arte)
Talk to Me (Universal) <- COMBO

11/6/07
The Aviator (Warner)
The Best of HD DVD - Action (Warner)
The Best of HD DVD - Family (Warner)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (Universal) <- COMBO

11/13/07
Ocean's Trilogy (Warner)
Ocean's Thirteen (Warner) <- COMBO
Pride and Prejudice (Universal) <- COMBO
Shrek 3 (Dreamworks Animation)
Ultimate Force (BCI)

11/20/07
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same (Warner)
Star Trek: Season 1 (CBS/Paramount) <- COMBO
Tremors (Universal)

11/27/07
Anchorman (Dreamworks)
Hot Rod (Paramount)
Mr. Bean's Holiday (Universal) <- COMBO
Old School (Dreamworks)
The Omega Man (Warner)

12/4/07
Arctic Tale (Paramount)
Battlestar Galactica - Season One (Universal)
Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid (Eagle Rock)

12/11/07
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Warner)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Warner)
Harry Potter - Years 1-5 (Warner)
Led Zepplin - The Song Remains the Same (Warner)

12/18/07
Balls of Fury (Universal) <- COMBO
Black & White Night (Image)
Blade Runner - Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)
Blade Runner - Complete Collector's Edition (Warner)
Lovely to See You Tonight (Image)
R. Kelly: Live - The Light It Up Tour (Image)
Stardust (Paramount)
That's Entertainment! - The Complete Collection (Warner)

12/26/07
Pan's Labyrinth (New Line)
Timecop (Universal)

1/8/08
The Alps - IMAX (Image)
Coral Reef Adventure - IMAX (Image)
Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag - IMAX (Image)
Mystery of the Nile - IMAX (Image)
Zodiac (Paramount)

1/29/08
King of California (First Look)

5/6/08
Twister (Warner)

Yes it is a huge list, spoiler'd for your protection. If you think Transformers is the only reason to own HD-DVD, you are categorically insane or have terrible taste in cinema.

chasm

Face/Off has a fantastic transfer, btw. Definitely worth picking up.