I was talking to a friend, who has a lot more cash than me...and he was thinking of buying a BD or HD player in the next month...but I just told him to wait...either that, or buy the cheapest thing out there so he can at least rent some HD content to watch on his 80" Plasma. The way I see it, he could get a combo player, but then he would have to choose which format media to buy. He would have some BD and some HD disks. Eventually one of those formats would be dead and he'd have a bunch of useless media and expensive content.
If he can afford a $40,000 80" Plasma, then I'm betting he's not worried about dropping $1000 on a combo player so that he can watch any movie he wants, in the highest possible quality.
Sadly, shabby is right. Combo players seem to be operating under the impression that you take the least expensive of each, then add their prices together, then double that.
If you recall, the very first DVD +/- RW drives were the same way. It was cheaper to buy a DVD-R drive AND a DVD+RW drive. It took some time before +/- became the standard.
(Heck, even 'Combo' CD-RW drives that could read DVDs were more expensive than buying a CD-RW and a DVD-ROM drive separately, even after DVD-R came out.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">LG BRD/HD-DVD combo drive $299
Can be had for even cheaper if you know where to look. Keep in mind, BRD drives were around $600 this time last year with HD-DVD costing $400 or $200 for the MS XBox360 drive.
There's also a Samsung Combo BRD/HD-DVD set top player just announced at CES for $599. Once these drop to $300-400 they'll effectively end the format war. My guess is that studios will continue to migrate towards BRD, effectively phasing out HD-DVD.
$100 might be a bit aggressive, but $150-200 for sure. Also keep in mind, once one of the format dies, there's nothing stopping those studios from going back and re-releasing any previously exclusive titles on the winning format. If you don't want to fork out for a combo player now but want HD, smart money is on BRD (set-tops can be had for $250-300 at Amazon, CC, BB) and just wait for the current HD-DVD exclusives to be released later on BRD once the dust settles.
I have a HD DVD player now that I got on Black Friday for $100. I didn't plan on buying a HD or BD player until the holidays of this year but I couldn't pass up a deal. If I can get a BD player for $100 too then I'll be set.
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Cr0nJ0b - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
I was talking to a friend, who has a lot more cash than me...and he was thinking of buying a BD or HD player in the next month...but I just told him to wait...either that, or buy the cheapest thing out there so he can at least rent some HD content to watch on his 80" Plasma. The way I see it, he could get a combo player, but then he would have to choose which format media to buy. He would have some BD and some HD disks. Eventually one of those formats would be dead and he'd have a bunch of useless media and expensive content.Rugar - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
If he can afford a $40,000 80" Plasma, then I'm betting he's not worried about dropping $1000 on a combo player so that he can watch any movie he wants, in the highest possible quality.Spuke - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
If he's got a combo player then why would his discs become useless?Christopher1 - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
They need to drop the price a whole lot before people like me are going to bite and buy one of these players.blwest - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
Especially when there are movies on both formats that people like.Samus - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
So now that BD players are $350, and HD-DVD players are <$200, they should be able to make a decent combo player for $500, right?fesodes - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
<$200 hd dvd players? Last I checked the Toshiba HD-A3 cost 299 at bestbuy and 249.54 at Walmart. Just where do you get one for <$200?Anonymous Freak - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
Oh, if only it worked that way...Sadly, shabby is right. Combo players seem to be operating under the impression that you take the least expensive of each, then add their prices together, then double that.
If you recall, the very first DVD +/- RW drives were the same way. It was cheaper to buy a DVD-R drive AND a DVD+RW drive. It took some time before +/- became the standard.
(Heck, even 'Combo' CD-RW drives that could read DVDs were more expensive than buying a CD-RW and a DVD-ROM drive separately, even after DVD-R came out.)
chizow - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">LG BRD/HD-DVD combo drive $299Can be had for even cheaper if you know where to look. Keep in mind, BRD drives were around $600 this time last year with HD-DVD costing $400 or $200 for the MS XBox360 drive.
There's also a Samsung Combo BRD/HD-DVD set top player just announced at CES for $599. Once these drop to $300-400 they'll effectively end the format war. My guess is that studios will continue to migrate towards BRD, effectively phasing out HD-DVD.
Spuke - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
$350 is getting there. My guess is I'll have a $100 Black Friday Bluray player later this year.chizow - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
$100 might be a bit aggressive, but $150-200 for sure. Also keep in mind, once one of the format dies, there's nothing stopping those studios from going back and re-releasing any previously exclusive titles on the winning format. If you don't want to fork out for a combo player now but want HD, smart money is on BRD (set-tops can be had for $250-300 at Amazon, CC, BB) and just wait for the current HD-DVD exclusives to be released later on BRD once the dust settles.Spuke - Monday, January 7, 2008 - link
I have a HD DVD player now that I got on Black Friday for $100. I didn't plan on buying a HD or BD player until the holidays of this year but I couldn't pass up a deal. If I can get a BD player for $100 too then I'll be set.shabby - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link
Your math is off, $350 bd player + $200 hddvd player + $450 r&d fee = $1000 combo player.