Walmart Goes Blu-ray!?

[Ian]

Did I miss this somehow or is the person being quoted totally mistaken?

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_i ... tory=14960

Greeson asserts that Blockbuster's decision to side with Blu-Ray "will have little impact on how the format battle is decided," calling Blockbuster "a blip on the DVD sales radar." He believes that Target and Wal-Mart's recent decisions to sell only Blu-ray players in their bricks-and-mortar stores could potentially be much more significant, though.

[Ian]

Here's the entire report:

http://www.tdgresearch.com/TDG_Opinion_ ... t_War.html

[Wesociety]

I haven't heard anything about Walmart picking a side. Currently they sell both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles at some stores.

Edit: The article just grabbed that one out of thin air. They have a correction up now.

** Correction: Previous version incorrectly stated Wal-Mart was exclusively selling Blu-ray players. Instead, the company is currently just promoting the format. **

[Grain]

My local Wal-Mart, a new monster superstore, has a pathetic collection of BluRay & HD-DVD movies. Their prices aren't any good either. IMO these low end stores won't have an impact until cheap players come along, ie $100 or less. They are the last place I'd buy any kind of cutting edge or hi-end equipment from.

[CowboySlim]

My local Wal-Mart, a new monster superstore, has a pathetic collection of BluRay & HD-DVD movies. Their prices aren't any good either. IMO these low end stores won't have an impact until cheap players come along, ie $100 or less. They are the last place I'd buy any kind of cutting edge or hi-end equipment from.

I wouldn't go to a Wal*Mart for any reason.

[Dartman]

I don't like to shop there either but they are, or were, the only store that sells new dvd recorders with a hard drive. The big manufacturers bailed on the US market and Walmart carries a Polaroid and a Philips unit with digital tuners and 160 gig hd. I bought the philips, less then 300, has a few issues but I like it and they support it. When a working combo player thats doesn't cost a grand shows up I'll be all over it no matter who sells it.
Some things I'll spend some money on but a hd player isn't one of them.

[vinnie97]

My local Wal-Mart, a new monster superstore, has a pathetic collection of BluRay & HD-DVD movies. Their prices aren't any good either. IMO these low end stores won't have an impact until cheap players come along, ie $100 or less. They are the last place I'd buy any kind of cutting edge or hi-end equipment from.

I wouldn't go to a Wal*Mart for any reason.

I hope this is for ideological reasons and not those of social status.

[CowboySlim]

My local Wal-Mart, a new monster superstore, has a pathetic collection of BluRay & HD-DVD movies. Their prices aren't any good either. IMO these low end stores won't have an impact until cheap players come along, ie $100 or less. They are the last place I'd buy any kind of cutting edge or hi-end equipment from.

I wouldn't go to a Wal*Mart for any reason.

I hope this is for ideological reasons and not those of social status.

I went there once to see what it was like.
Customers had torn through the clothes and it looked worse than a garage sale.
In spite of that, I took a few selections to the quick checkout line.
Customers ahead of me chose that line to have long discussions about returning items or something.
I relaxed my hands and those items fell to the floor and I walked out never to return.

Ideological or status? Probably status.
I do not seek to augment my self-perceived status through my shopping selections.
OTOH, I don't find those issues in stores that do not cater to the trash class.

[Dartman]

That's one of my complaints about wally world too. They always seemed to have a thrift shop mentality going on. And lots of street type folks rummaging around.
Lately my local store has opened up the isles a bit so it's not quite as bad, and they truly do have a 90 day "I don't like the color" return policy as long as you have a receipt.
I have used it to test their latest Chinese electronics and returned the ones that either worked poorly or were broken without ever a problem, sometimes I have tried 3 units trying to get a good one and they never banned me
They don't pay that well so it's sometimes hard to get help and somebody that knows what is going on but I've had some pretty good CSR's there lately that really have tried to be helpfull, YMMV as I'm sure they don't all act like this.

[vinnie97]

I have used it to test their latest Chinese electronics and returned the ones that either worked poorly or were broken without ever a problem,

Amen to this. I have also used it...with such poor Chinese manufacturing quality, one can't live without this.

I tend to overlook the customers (I'm not much to look at m'self...long story, lol...oh and I'm not on any higher social status rings, I'll be the first to admit). And I would generally avoid the place when shopping for clothes. This is a conveniently located Super Wal-Mart so groceries can be had with ease and the occasional electronics. Their HD DVD (and subsequently Blu-Ray) selection is most abysmal. Wal-Mart was the only store out of Microcenter, Best Buy, et al that carried a 3-in-1 DC adapter for the car (USB, line in and AC adapter). I think I know why...the first one had a shoddy line in, the second one did as well, was loud and blew a fuse in the Toyota Corolla rental car near the end of the vacation last month.

[dolphinius_rex]

I generally have a "no way in heck" policy towards shopping at Walmart, but neccessity forced me through their doors recently, and I purchased a belt. It broke after one use (the buckle fell off). I wasn't wearing it tightly, or abusing it in any way either. It fell off as soon as I attempted to remove the belt. Maybe I didn't see a sticker or something, stating the belt was good for one use only and then it will self destruct?

In any case, I think it's fixable, so I'll be bringing it to a local shoemaker's to see what he can do with it. I need this specific belt for a costume I'm putting together, so I'd rather not have to try and track it down again (and it was the last one of it's kind at Walmart when I bought it).