YAY! Price war, get sub 100 and I'll grab one!

I wonder what the detail & small print of this is.

If this is a rebate or coupon type thing then I wonder if it would apply to the Amazon USA sales?

Actually scrub that I've just seen on another site that it does apply to players bought on Amazon USA.

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Although a complete list of participating retailers was not provided, Toshiba noted that Best Buy, Circuit City, HHGregg, and Amazon.com will be participating.

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The Toshiba HD A2 is $310 on Amazon USA right now & the HD A20 is $360 so now they're really $210 & $260 = incredible bargains.

.....and 5 freebie discs is very nice too

(and being 100% freebies they won't impact on the Neilson sales numbers......perhaps HD DVD should be copying the BD tactic & offering money off vouchers, they do impact the sales numbers - PS3s in the US came with 7 x $10 off movie disc vouchers).

The competition is hotting up.......and I just wonder where this leaves the pricing of the 3 inexpensive Chinese brand HD DVD players due in Q3 of this year
(which are coming and have nothing to do with any possible Walmart deal)?

The only thing wrong with this deal is that
(a) we in the UK get nothing like those US prices and
(b) we dont get 5 free discs either.

ok i think it´s my time to jump in

that's one cheap player and sets the benchmark for all others as it has HDMI 1.3 with hd master audio/dts ect, but hd media is still far too expensive imo a hd disc is £25+ in the uk for new film but the same dvd is only £8 and with the up scaling dvd players does it really justify 3x the amount when you need a 60"+ screen to really see the difference & who wants an intrusive invasion in their living room unless it can be invisible until you switch it on, as no matter what the screen is its still an ugly piece of plastic sitting there! content over quality imo and dvd is good enough, who wants to see the sweat and foundation on the actors.

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pigfister, HD DVD movies can be had for a lot less than £25.

Amazon UK stock them at around £14 although some are £12 and some £17.

You'll also find that HD DVD movies are easily imported (which is nice when you remember HD DVD is not region coded).
Have a look on the avforums for UK members doing just that and saving money & getting the films they want very easily.

$210 = £105 for the Toshiba HD A2 & $260 = £130 for the full-house Toshiba HD A20 is amazing value
(especially as they come with 5 free movies).

I just wish we got a deal like that here in the UK, I'd be in like a flash for the Toshiba HD A20 today at that price.....

....bl**dy hell that's what I paid in Dec 2006 for my lovely little XBox 360 HD DVD add-on!

(I also think that whilst upscaling is something - if the source material is very good quality - that is a benefit it is only a slight benefit, it's no substitute for genuine high def)

@ hughjars

hd-dvd is my choice of the worse of the two DRM as HD-DVD has a lot less restrictive technology on-board and is the lesser of the two high def evils, but i'm waiting for the next generation screen like laser tv or SED & for the DRM industry to standardise so i dont get a downgraded picture because of the 2010 implementation of the ICT (image constraint token) flag before i upgrade to HD tv other than on my pc screen anyways. Who wants to purchase a hobbled donkey?

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Originally posted by pigfister:

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that's one cheap player and sets the benchmark for all others as it has HDMI 1.3 with hd master audio/dts ect,

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Just a clarification on the specs: The HD-A2 referred to in the article DOES NOT have HDMI 1.3 nor does it have DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

Only the top of the line HD-XA2 (which I have) has the 1.3 version HDMI. The mid-range HD-A20 has HDMI 1.2 and not 1.3:

http://www.ecoustics.com/sv/2289

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Video jacks on the HD-A20's back panel include HDMI (version 1.2 as opposed to the 1.3 connection found on the more expensive HD-XA2),

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None of the HD-DVD players have DTS-HD Master Audio decoding not even the XA2. It has the DTS-HD "Core Only" decoding which tops out at 1.5 Mbps. See our discussion here:

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/494479

Originally posted by error5 :

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Just a clarification on the specs: The HD-A2 referred to in the article DOES NOT have HDMI 1.3 nor does it have DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

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ah well another reason not to buy into the hd pr offensive today then!

I'm waiting until sony and other cronies to turn on the ict (see above post) before i purchase a screen so i know i'm not getting ripped off anyhows, so hopefully they will all be at least 1.3 by then.

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I'm waiting until sony and other cronies to turn on the ict (see above post) before i purchase a screen

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I don't see how the Image Constraint Token will be an issue if you buy a display now. Implementation of the ICT will only affect component (analog) connections and will have no bearing on digital connections such as HDMI. Practically all displays being sold at this time have some form of digital video connection with HDCP so the ICT is a non-factor if you buy an HDTV today.

Originally posted by error5:

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I don't see how the Image Constraint Token will be an issue if you buy a display now. Implementation of the ICT will only affect component (analog) connections and will have no bearing on digital connections such as HDMI. Practically all displays being sold at this time have some form of digital video connection with HDCP so the ICT is a non-factor if you buy an HDTV today.

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not alll HDMI connections are hdcp compatible and even ones that say they are may also not work correctly so i will wait till the DRM is in use and working correctly.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Originally posted by EFF above link:

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Restricted Digital Outputs, including HDCP and DTCP

What they are: HDCP restricts connections to video displays through DVI (including HDMI) digital outputs and DTCP restricts sending over FireWire or USB connections. The broadcast flag, cable, satellite, and DVD restrictions only permit digital outputs with these sorts of restrictions.

Why they're bad: Restricted outputs will force you to throw our your home theater system and buy a hobbled one. You're likely to encounter arbitrary and unpredictable incompatibilities; many existing devices, including even some that say HDCP-compliant, won't work with these standards. You'll only be able use devices that Hollywood's approved and obey DRM that blocks your legitimate uses.

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HDCP, Screwing Fans in More Ways Than Ever

Originally posted by EFF above link:

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"On occasion we hear reports of HDCP snafus, primarily from readers who are upset with HDCP/HDMI implementation on their cable boxes. As it turns out, this stuff doesn't work reliably for even the basic stuff like showing video flawlessly, let alone securing outputs. I even have a HDCP/HDMI issue with my TiVo, which decides that my TV is no longer secure about once a month, requiring a reboot.

"Stranger reports have arisen from PlayStation 3 owners who are experiencing blinking displays when connected to some HDTV sets. When playing games, occasionally the sound cuts out and the entire display would blink on and off. As it turns out, the HDCP technology in the PS3 would freak out and sputter if a connected TV could not consistently and quickly indicate it was copy-protection ready. No one knew that this was the case until the guys at Popular Mechanics pinned the tail on the donkey."

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Still, the Image Constraint Token you were talking about DOES NOT apply to HDMI and HDCP.

Originally posted by error5:

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Still, the Image Constraint Token you were talking about DOES NOT apply to HDMI and HDCP.

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as stated in the above post i will w8 and see, as i don't want to spend a couple of thousand pounds to only find out that my screen isn't just right and i get purposely down ressed because my firmware is wrong and my screen is deemed not hdcp compatible and then treated as an analogue connection!

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If you do your homework and do enough research before making a purchase then you can usually avoid headaches such as HDMI/DVI "handshake" issues. Really, who spends a couple of thousand pounds without doing some product research first?

Originally posted by error5:

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Really, who spends a couple of thousand pounds without doing some product research first?

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mostly every high street shopper that isn't tech savey and falls for the pr marketing campaigns of the conglomerates!

have you ever purchased anything on impulse or that marketing said fits a type of lifestyle because of flashy advertising? if this wasn't the case PR spin wouldn't exist and the world would be a better place.

to quote the great Bill Hicks "By the way, if anyone here is in marketing or advertising...kill yourself."

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Originally posted by pigfister:

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@ hughjars

hd-dvd is my choice of the worse of the two DRM as HD-DVD has a lot less restrictive technology on-board and is the lesser of the two high def evils

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- Yes indeed.
It also helps enormously that the HD DVD DRM has in large part been busted well & truely.

As someone I know once said they're each examples of 'sheer greed & the evil empire at work' but at least HD DVD is the much much lower 'threat'.

It also is true that HD DVD is a purpose designed video media whereas BD is primarily a bulk data storage media, which is why iHD is so superior to that clunky & inferior Java based cr@p BD is saddled with.

Originally posted by error5:

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Just a clarification on the specs: The HD-A2 referred to in the article DOES NOT have HDMI 1.3 nor does it have DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

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- Yeah the Toshiba HD A2 is an entry level machine, but so what?
It's $277 now on Amazon USA
(I can't see if this does or does not include the $100 off......they were $310 last week).
It's still amazing value all things considered.

Anyhoo, almost no-one has the rare and ultra expensive receivers to make use of HDMI 1.3
(and the difference between 1.2/1.2a and 1.3 will be minimal for most no matter what the spec-sheet jockeys or the niche audiophiles might say......1.2/1.2a is up to the high standard of multi-channel DD, DTS, SACD & DVD-Audio levels).

Let's be honest & face it, if you have a purpose installed 5.1 Dolby Digital system - and I'm not talking about the £100/$200 set of speakers the HD TV you just bought might have been packaged with - you are already well beyond where many if not most consumers will ever go with the TV.

For many it remains, at the end of the day, 'just TV'.

Similarly anyone who does not have a TV with a true resolution of 1920x1080
(which lets face it is most at the moment)
is deluding themselves that 1080p means anything to them.

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as stated in the above post i will w8 and see

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Unfortunately, waiting for new technology isn't a 100 percent guarantee that things will work out perfectly. New technology brings new problems and compatibility issues.

Quote:

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mostly every high street shopper that isn't tech savey and falls for the pr marketing campaigns of the conglomerates!

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That's why error5's suggestion is very important. Nothing beats a well-researched consumer.

The links you posted make sweeping generalizations that are not necessarily true for most of the major CE brands and their newer models.

When you pick out a brand and model research the heck out of it - go to user forums, talk to dealers etc. Pick a dealer that will let you "test drive" the display preferably with the same model player that you have or are planning to buy. My local AV dealer lets you bring your own player, your own discs and even your own cables to hook up to the display. They make sure that everything's just right before you take it home. Lastly, I'm sure that UK retailers have reasonable return policies if you're not totally satisfied.

Quote:

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have you ever purchased anything on impulse or that marketing said fits a type of lifestyle because of flashy advertising?

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HDTV's don't really fit into the category of an "impulse buy."

Quote:

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Yeah the Toshiba HD A2 is an entry level machine, so what?

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No need to be touchy hughjars. error5 was just pointing out the correct specs on the machine which is the right thing to do in case other readers get the wrong idea. I'm sure he wasn't belittling the A2 since he started out with the A1 and has now upgraded to XA2 just like me.

Quote:

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No need to be touchy hughjars. error5 was just pointing out the correct specs on the machine which is the right thing to do in case other readers get the wrong idea. I don't think he was belittling the A2.

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- Naaaa, I wasn't, really.

I just think there is a 'real world' view and the view of the enthusiast.

I'm just trying to relate this and as I said, for instance, the focus on 1080p is ludicrous for the majority who have 720p HD TVs; which is absolutely true.

HDMI 1.3/1.3a is another perfect example IMO.

(I've since edited to try and make sure it didn't come across as that.)

I have both so I don't care. I would really love it if they brought down the prices of the movies themselves. I just can't afford to buy movies at a price of 29.99 to 34.99.

For some reason i am turning towards Blu-ray. But all these little gimmicks i say its too soon to say whats better than the other.

Originally posted by eatsushi :

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Unfortunately, waiting for new technology isn't a 100 percent guarantee that things will work out perfectly. New technology brings new problems and compatibility issues.

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i agree but at least you are covered by the guarantee/warentee if it fails to work, but if i purchase one now before the DRM is used fully my cover would have expired.

Originally posted by eatsushi :

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That's why error5's suggestion is very important. Nothing beats a well-researched consumer.

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yes fully agree and i would do that, but most ppl i encounter go to the shops and ask the store "sales men/woman" as that's what their business is, what to purchase which imo is completely dumb.

Originally posted by eatsushi :

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HDTV's don't really fit into the category of an "impulse buy."

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well if that was the case the tv, newspapers, magazines and now computer games wouldn't be full of multi million add campaigns as it would be a waste of money to try to make ppl buy into a lifestyle, you know that 60" plasma will get you more sex don't you, wow you are such a cool man/woman because you own this or that, omg you need a whirligig to reach you because you own this thing that puts you on a such a high pedestal. the advertisers want you to think that things especially sports clothes and electronics give you status lol, but the sad thing is, it works. *edited out the sarcasm*

Originally posted by bill hickcs:

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By the way, if anyone here is in marketing or advertising...kill yourself.

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Originally posted by Bill Hicks:

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By the way, if anyone here is in marketing or advertising...kill yourself.

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- Awwww pigfister if you're going to quote that genius Mr Hicks & his never-more-so-apt statement let's have it in full......

"By the way, if anyone here is in marketing or advertising....kill yourself.
Seriously kill yourself, you have no rationalisation for what you do, you are Satan's little helpers. Kill yourself, kill yourself, kill yourself now - rid the world of your evil f*ckin presence.

......wonder if any of the viral marketing crew will take the slightest bit of notice?

I wonder if it ever dawns on them that so many of us consumers hold them in the derisive contempt they so obviously hold us in?

About time both camps jumped in for an all out price war. Now, if only the Oil Comapnies would get the hint...

Ain't that the truth Unfocused!