$198 Toshiba HD DVD Player Coming To Walmart?

[Ian]

Walmart is apparently getting a $199 Toshiba HD DVD player later this year.

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005711.html

Just a year-and-a-half since they launched, high-definition players are breaching the $200 barrier. If reports on the Web are correct, HD DVD is poised to break the $200 mark before the holidays. Toshiba has told me there's no official pricing moves with regard to their MSRP; however, reports on the Web indicate Wal-Mart may be prepping to sell a $198 HD DVD player.

Here's more info from the High Def Forum:

I can confirm this. Went back to work today and a new Toshiba UPC popped up in my system:

Toshiba HDA2-W $198.00

Wal Mart item number: 564786/570634

I'm guessing this is a special version of the HD-A2 that is severely stripped down.

[Grain]

FutureShop had the regular HD-A2 on sale for $199.99 CAD a week or two ago, only 3 free HD-DVD's though, not the 5 the US has.

[dolphinius_rex]

Gee, no wonder Walmart said they wouldn't stock the Venturer HD DVD player

I suspect most people saw this coming though.

[Wesociety]

Yep, I definitely expected Walmart to have SOME HD DVD player in time for the holiday season...

It will be interesting to see how this affects the format war. Sony's new $399 PS3 should certainly help counterbalance any surges in HD DVD standalone sales though...

[CowboySlim]

I'm guessing this is a special version of the HD-A2 that is severely stripped down.

Stripped of what? 120VAC cord and plug? HDMI and component output jacks?

[Ian]

Stripped of what? 120VAC cord and plug? HDMI and component output jacks?

Well, the "-W" at the end suggests that its been manufactured especially for Walmart. Maybe its of lesser quality?

[CowboySlim]

Maybe so, but then, would Toshiba want there name on a Wal*Mart POS?

Maybe not, does Wal*Mart have their private label brands?
Like Sears has J C Higgins sporting goods and J C Penney's (different JC) has Arizona Jeans Co. jeans?

[Ian]

Companies will quite often manufacture something special for a retailer. For example, Lite-On was manufacturing special versions of their settop DVD recorders for places like Best Buy and I think Walmart. Each one had a slightly different model.

Walmart brands:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Value#Great_Value

[CowboySlim]

Got it Ian, thanks.

I see that Wal*Mart has plenty of house brands.
Don't go there so didn't know that.
Makes sense though, everbody else has them.

I was aware that appliance makers made different models of washing machines, etc., for the different chains, but I didn't realize that some of the electronics makers did that also.

[dolphinius_rex]

Yep, I definitely expected Walmart to have SOME HD DVD player in time for the holiday season...

It will be interesting to see how this affects the format war. Sony's new $399 PS3 should certainly help counterbalance any surges in HD DVD standalone sales though...

I don't see this new price point and player really making an effect on the format war, to be quite honest. HD DVD has always had the price advantage, and it wasn't enough to put them on top before, and it's not going to change things now.

[vinnie97]

Yea well, let's not burn that bridge before we cross it. My local Wal-Mart finally got the HD-A3 in...when/if the $200 units arrive, we'll see just what kind of affect it has, especially if they do some proper Vizio TV or the like promotion with one of them playing back Transformers or the like.

[Ian]

Looks like it was true. From eProductWars:

http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/viewComments.cfm?db=dvd

I have a picture of a 198.00 Toshiba a2 on a endcap in walmart. I dont know how to send it. The store I was at had to take the endcap down because its not set to sell until 11/03. It will be in the circular for that week. Each store was allocated 18 units. It is set as a nonreplenishable item. Meaning the will get in whole buys when they ask for them. Meaning walmart.

[vinnie97]

better quality image (these aren't supposed to be up for sale until Nov. 3rd):



A Wal-Mart spokeswoman confirmed yesterday there would be a virtually limitless number of these available (all demand will be fulfilled basically). This clinches the $149 Black Friday possibility as well (perhaps the Venturer?), which will no doubt sell out in the first few hours that morning, lol.

All that said, my local supa'store, while they have increased the # of high def titles available, *still* have about 32 Blu-Rays versus 19 HD DVDs available (albeit in a more visible end-of-aisle location!).

[Ian]

I'm guessing that Toshiba had a bunch of A2's left over and sold them all to Walmart at a ridiculously low price. Still, if they drop down to $150, I'll be all over it.

[dolphinius_rex]

Toshiba proving once again that even the cheap Chinese manufacturers can't compete when a big brand name is desperate enough to push a near proprietary format against the rest of the CE industry.

[Grain]

I'm guessing that Toshiba had a bunch of A2's left over and sold them all to Walmart at a ridiculously low price. Still, if they drop down to $150, I'll be all over it.

They are a damn good SD DVD player also. Can't go wrong at that price, or $200 for that matter.

[dolphinius_rex]

I'm guessing that Toshiba had a bunch of A2's left over and sold them all to Walmart at a ridiculously low price. Still, if they drop down to $150, I'll be all over it.

They are a damn good SD DVD player also. Can't go wrong at that price, or $200 for that matter.

If Warner pulls Blu-Ray support and goes HD DVD exclusive, I'll buy one (although I'd rather buy ANY OTHER major brand name then Toshiba, because I have very little faith in their optical drive hardware).

On the other hand if Warner pulls HD DVD support and goes Blu-Ray exclusive, there's no likely way I'll ever buy an HD DVD player.

Finally, if Warner stays put being neutral, then I'll evaluate things again after CES 2008, and make my decision then.

[vinnie97]

No matter what happens, I'm heavily leaning this way: http://www.abtelectronics.com/product/29919.html

Not very frugal but HD has become like an addiction. I'd be forced to forgo full profile 2.0 compatibility for a fairly high price, though, and that is a painful thought...when the HD DVD standalones are spec complete (and I haven't heard of any significant failure rate rumblings about Toshiba's HD DVD units. If you're going to be wary about Toshiba, you should be equally wary about Sony, IMO, as their PS2 drives were notorious for premature failure ).

[Grain]

No matter what happens, I'm heavily leaning this way: http://www.abtelectronics.com/product/29919.html

Looks good. All manufactors seem to be very cryptic though over DolbyTrue HD decoding, ie does the player decode the full codec to analog out, or just the core That's what I'm looking for in a player!

[dolphinius_rex]

No matter what happens, I'm heavily leaning this way: http://www.abtelectronics.com/product/29919.html

Not very frugal but HD has become like an addiction. I'd be forced to forgo full profile 2.0 compatibility for a fairly high price, though, and that is a painful thought...when the HD DVD standalones are spec complete (and I haven't heard of any significant failure rate rumblings about Toshiba's HD DVD units. If you're going to be wary about Toshiba, you should be equally wary about Sony, IMO, as their PS2 drives were notorious for premature failure ).

Toshiba optical hardware has always left a bad taste in my mouth. Their laptop burners are the worst POS's I've had the misfortune to deal with. I've had so many problems with Toshiba and DVD media, that I just really don't feel comfortable buying any of their optical media hardware anymore.

As for the Sony PS2, mine is still going VERY strong

And the PS3 is one of the hardiest game systems to ever launch. The Wii is doing really well also... it's only the XBox360 that is known for a high failure rate in this current console war (aptly named for doing a full 360 when customers send the unit in for repairs, and MS send the unit back to the customer when they've fixed the problem).

[vinnie97]

Ah well, Sony products haven't failed you yet (the PS2 did have such a rep, however). Give it time. I think every manufacturer releases duds. I agree that Toshiba never had much clout in the way of DVD burners...I have no idea as to why, though.

And Best Buy has now responded to Wal-Mart and CC with $180 players: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 8323325814

By the time BF arrives, the thing might be down to $100.

[Wesociety]

I agree that 'Toshiba' (non-Samsung) burners have always been pretty sucky. But that is besides the point, since we are talking HD DVD players here! I have not heard of any significant failure rates for ANY Toshiba HD DVD players, including first generation ones, so their HD DVD player track record is pretty good so far...

My only major complaint with my HD-A2 is the slow boot up time.

Other minor complaint is the lack of support for other codecs such as Divx, MPEG on a CD, etc.

[Ian]

I had a Toshiba DVD player back in the day. It was rock solid and I'm actually thinking about digging it out again as the Lite-On DVD recorder I'm currently using doesnt' support DTS.

[Wesociety]

I had a Toshiba DVD player back in the day. It was rock solid and I'm actually thinking about digging it out again as the Lite-On DVD recorder I'm currently using doesnt' support DTS.

Yeah, my very first DVD player was a Toshiba. It still works! My only complaint with that player was that it doesn't support DVD+R Book Type discs, but hey, it was a really early player!

Back to the HD DVD discussion, it's too bad Bestbuy.com is already sold out of the HD-A2's at $180!

[Ian]

Back to the HD DVD discussion, it's too bad Bestbuy.com is already sold out of the HD-A2's at $180!

Get it at Circuit City for $160.