Price Drop For Xbox HD DVD Player

[jpc_theoneandonly]

Not only a price drop, but free HD DVDs! (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/news/2007/0726-hddvdplayer.htm)

July 26, 2007


In addition to the price drop, Microsoft is extending Toshiba's highly successful "Perfect Offer" of five free HD DVD discs to Xbox 360 consumers. Previously exclusive to Toshiba HD DVD Players, with the purchase of an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player at the new low price of $179, choose five HD DVD titles free from a selection of 15 popular titles through a mail-in offer. With a retail value of over $140 (U.S.), this promotion makes the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player one of the most compelling offerings for consumers looking to make the leap into HD this holiday season.


Thanks to Xbox.com (http://www.xbox.com) for the story.


I didn't plan on buying one of these but who can resist free movies? I think this is a pretty good deal.

[Ninjafoot]

The movies they let you choose from in this deal are not the greatest. Still, it is a good deal.

[asimplehero]

here's a list of free movies in inconvenient .pdf format

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/data/pdf/Toshiba_Online_Rebate_R08.pdf

[51|RandoM]

It is a good deal, a good deal on a piece of hardware that is soon to be obsolete. Might not want to throw your money at a dying format. If microsoft would commit to putting stuff on HD-DVD other than movies, the picture might be a bit different.

[Sparky]

Goodbye HD-DVD.

[TrackZero]

It is a good deal, a good deal on a piece of hardware that is soon to be obsolete. Might not want to throw your money at a dying format. If microsoft would commit to putting stuff on HD-DVD other than movies, the picture might be a bit different.

-1 points for lame.

[Johan]

Might not want to throw your money at a dying format.

I would agree with that.

If microsoft would commit to putting stuff on HD-DVD other than movies, the picture might be a bit different.

If MS had the same situation as Sony, and had a movie studio and a huge catalog of films, along with built-in HD-DVD in the 360, then there would have been a very different situation and a more competitive battle between BD and HD.

HD-DVD is on its way out...that seems pretty clear at this point.

Will BD rule as THE high-def. format? Not a given. It took DVD years to grow in the marketplace and outpace VHS. Digital delivery is growing...

[TrackZero]

HD-DVD is on its way out...that seems pretty clear at this point.


Depends on which country you are in I suppose. England still seems to love it. And here in Canada it's still 50:50 shelf space for the movies in the stores, while you can only buy HD-DVD players at most places.

[Johan]

Depends on which country you are in I suppose.

That's a good point. Perhaps we'll have a balkanized high-def. format future?

[TrackZero]

That's a good point. Perhaps we'll have a balkanized high-def. format future?

Heh, stranger things have happened.

[dirtbag]

I'm still refusing to commit to high-def format war -- I'll stick to upconverted DVDs, thank you very much. Call me when you have a winner.

[Schnoogs]

I still laugh when I read threads about HDDVD dying and then I look at my collection and I literally have 3x as many HDDVDs as BluRay.

It may be dying but its gonna be a slow death and there are a lot of great movies in the format.

Heres to combo players in 2-3 years. No harm in buying the movies now...they wont magically stop playing if the format dies.

[Your Good Twin]

UGH. I hate this crap. Fucking companies and their split technologies... I would have moved into HD media playback by now if it weren't for this shit. I wish HD would just roll over already and make it easier on all of us consumers to commit.

That and if the damn 360 HD drive would include an HDMI PORT ALREADY I might be inclined to buy the junk.

[Schnoogs]

UGH. I hate this crap. Fucking companies and their split technologies... I would have moved into HD media playback by now if it weren't for this shit. I wish HD would just roll over already and make it easier on all of us consumers to commit.

That and if the damn 360 HD drive would include an HDMI PORT ALREADY I might be inclined to buy the junk.

In order for the player to have a port it would have to have a digital processor which would inflate the price bigtime. The 360s processors are doing the decoding and they cant just send that decoded signal back to the HD player unless it had its "video card"

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

As the total number of HD players increases, content companies have more incentive to support both formats. That is the best win for everyone (early adopters as well as latecomers).

[KingGorilla]

Is the 300 one of these movies?

[sticky]

Oh well, so I only got one free movie with my player when I bought it.

Chances are better of something higher res than 1080p coming quickly than hd-dvd or bluray dying quickly. I am not going to buy too many hd-dvd's as hd-hd-dvd's are probably around the corner. And who knows if I will get an hd-hd-dvd player as bluer-ray will be out.

[Schnoogs]

Oh well, so I only got one free movie with my player when I bought it.

Chances are better of something higher res than 1080p coming quickly than hd-dvd or bluray dying quickly. I am not going to buy too many hd-dvd's as hd-hd-dvd's are probably around the corner. And who knows if I will get an hd-hd-dvd player as bluer-ray will be out.

Seeing as HDTVs are only 1080p what would you play these movies on?

Nothing til 2020.

[sticky]

Seeing as HDTVs are only 1080p what would you play these movies on?

Nothing til 2020.

I realize current HDTV's are 1080p, that was my point, there are already prototypes of tv's that do 4000+ resolution. There will be displays that outpace 1080p in the next few years don't know why you say 2020. Sharp already has 4096 x 2048 (8.3 megapixels) displays. Technically blu-ray and hd-dvd are already obsolete.

[Schnoogs]

I realize current HDTV's are 1080p, that was my point, there are already prototypes of tv's that do 4000+ resolution. There will be displays that outpace 1080p in the next few years don't know why you say 2020. Sharp already has 4096 x 2048 (8.3 megapixels) displays. Technically blu-ray and hd-dvd are already obsolete.

Just because people manufacture high res displays doesnt mean they are intended for our living rooms. Westinghouse recently unveiled a super high res LCD that is meant for medical use.

So simply siting examples is meaningless because the industry as a whole is pretty much pusing 1080p as the HD resolution for the next decade or so. Most cable providers are still only providing 1080i so its doubtful that we'll be seeing anything more than 1080p for a long time from them.

How are they obsolete?

[easi]

DisplayPort. 2560p bitches. It's coming.

Or already here if you count dual dvi, which would probably baffle mainstream consumers.

[atariv8]

Is anyone else pissed off that the likes of Target and Blockbuster are taking sides? I still haven't bought a player but I want to know why the decision is being made for me. A price cut on the add-on AND Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead being released on HD-DVD almost had me breaking out the bank card. I don't want to own another laser disc player.

[Schnoogs]

DisplayPort. 2560p bitches. It's coming.

Or already here if you count dual dvi, which would probably baffle mainstream consumers.


First off its technially 1600p. 2560 is the width. Its 2560x1600.

Second off thats for PC's. There are no plans by the industry to distribute moves at that resolution or produce large TVs at that resolution. The fact that my Dell 30" does 1600p doesnt mean the industry is going to subsequently release a new HD format on the heels of HDDVD and BluRay. They sure as hell arent going to broadcast or stream that resolution seeing as cable is still 1080i and most PCs can barely decode 1080p.

Maybe in 10 years they will but wasnt that the lifespan of DVD? Most people cant even tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on most sets...they sure as hell cant tell the difference between 1080p and 1600p. Unless you operate a theater theres a certain point where the pixels are too small from a given viewing distance.

[easi]

"no plans" - yeah right. They'll do it.

[sticky]

Just because people manufacture high res displays doesnt mean they are intended for our living rooms. Westinghouse recently unveiled a super high res LCD that is meant for medical use.

So simply siting examples is meaningless because the industry as a whole is pretty much pusing 1080p as the HD resolution for the next decade or so. Most cable providers are still only providing 1080i so its doubtful that we'll be seeing anything more than 1080p for a long time from them.

How are they obsolete?

The point is newer technology is always around the corner. They are obsolete in the sense that the technology of today can already do better, not that they are actually going to release a new standard so soon. In the time it takes for a standard to be adopted by a majority a superior technology is coming around the corner for the early adopters who moved to the previous technology first.

I have been watching 1080i programming for quite a while thanks to Dish Network. By the time 1080i becomes mainstream these super hi res displays will be making a foothold just like 1080p is now. 2020? I will be buying a laser television to replace my current 1080p sets in less than 3, watch. Hell, my plasma will burn out before 2020. There still are people who watch their vhs tapes over standard RCA, techonlogy continues to push forward. Japan already has some ridiculously high res standard, it will come. You will be on 1080i, and that is fine, the majority is on standard definition today does not mean 1080i programming does not exist.

[Schnoogs]

"no plans" - yeah right. They'll do it.

HDTV was first created decades before ever being released for mass use. So stating they have plans is both meaningless and meaningfull. It will be at least 10 years before we see any media higher than 1080p in mass use. You can wait that long...but those of us who adopted DVDs after VHS have no problems doing so again.

[Schnoogs]

The point is newer technology is always around the corner. They are obsolete in the sense that the technology of today can already do better, not that they are actually going to release a new standard so soon. In the time it takes for a standard to be adopted by a majority a superior technology is coming around the corner for the early adopters who moved to the previous technology first.

I have been watching 1080i programming for quite a while thanks to Dish Network. By the time 1080i becomes mainstream these super hi res displays will be making a foothold just like 1080p is now. 2020? I will be buying a laser television to replace my current 1080p sets in less than 3, watch. Hell, my plasma will burn out before 2020. There still are people who watch their vhs tapes over standard RCA, techonlogy continues to push forward. Japan already has some ridiculously high res standard, it will come. You will be on 1080i, and that is fine, the majority is on standard definition today does not mean 1080i programming does not exist.

Your post makes no sense...using your logic noone should have bought NTSC TVs or VHS in the 80s because tech companies already had higher resolution displays and formats.

Like my post above what you're saying is both meaningfull and meaningless. No shit they will make better stuff...such is the world. Why buy an Xbox 360 when you know the next one will be even better? :confused:

[sticky]

Your post makes no sense...using your logic noone should have bought NTSC TVs or VHS in the 80s because tech companies already had higher resolution displays and formats.

Like my post above what you're saying is both meaningfull and meaningless. No shit they will make better stuff...such is the world. Why buy an Xbox 360 when you know the next one will be even better? :confused:

Apparently you missed the sarcastic post about hd-hd-dvd and bluer-ray. People were discussing that HD-DVD is dead or dying, and my post was to highlite that this technology is going to come to an end sooner or later and something newer and better is always around the corner so no point in crying over spilt milk. Perhaps I should dumb the posts down for those of us who have not moved on to concepts such as sarcasm?

Using my logic there are always people moving to a newer standard. I still have laserdiscs buried somewhere in my closet. I'm not sure where you picked up the impression that no one should have moved past VHS. I thought I was pretty clear in saying that the gotta have the best technology geeks such as myself will always be early adopting. I thought I was pretty specific as well in addressing the point of when you said higher res displays wouldn't come as most people would be on 1080i. Most people are on standard now and there is higher def programming and higher res displays, it is a constant circle. This seems completely logical to me.