Toshiba to sell 3 million HD DVD players in 2007!

[vurbano]

Toshiba to sell 3 million HD DVD players in fiscal 2007


TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Toshiba Corp aims to sell around 3 mln players compatible with the HD DVD next-generation optical disc format in the current year to March 2008, up sharply from the 250,000 units it sold last fiscal year,

 

[navychop]

Toshiba to sell 3 million HD DVD players in fiscal 2007


TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Toshiba Corp aims to sell around 3 mln players compatible with the HD DVD next-generation optical disc format in the current year to March 2008, up sharply from the 250,000 units it sold last fiscal year,

Great. I hope they do. Of course, I also aim to win the lottery. I hope I do. Then I'll buy the best players of both formats and not care anymore!

Interesting battle- cheap players versus more studios/content/major titles.

Maybe I ought to just "hedge my bets" and buy a combo player this summer, assuming a "real" combo player comes out, playing both formats to their best. But I guess I'll just wait to see if there's a "winner." A $1,000 plus dual format player (or single format player) just isn't in the cards for me, or most people (I dare say).

Nice find.

 

[JoeSp]

Unless Toshiba knows something the rest of us don't (like Disney and Fox are going to start releasing titles in HD-DVD in May 07) then this is just wishing upon a star. Toshiba might be lowballing with M$ dollars on their players but some BD manufacturer might decide to follow suit and then Toshiba's game will be shorthanded. If those low cost players really start driving up the standalone sells look for something to happen in the BD camp real quick -- someone is going to have to break that barrier for the BD camp. Could that be a hugh PS3 price cut I hear?

 

[tonyp56]

Joe,

IMO, no one in the Blu-Ray camp will be able to lower price on standalone players. I mean look at the rest of the electronics that they (Blu-Ray manufacturers) sell--i.e. TV's, DVD players, etc... I mean Sony alone is one of the most expensive brands out there, the others too, aren't what anyone would consider bargain brands. So why would they lower price on Blu-Ray player to come close to match HD-DVD? I don't think they know how to compete with cheap players. Now does this mean the price won't come down? No, I am sure players will come down in price a little, but nothing close to HD-DVD (if rumors are true). To start, Blu-Ray would have to drop by about $300 just to catch up with current HD-DVD prices, not to mention how much more once HD-DVD drops to lower price.

And as far as PS3 coming down, well first of all, it isn't a standalone player, but Sony isn't talking about dropping it by $200 or more dollars. More like $100, and perhaps "eventually" lower. Like that is any different than normal price drops on game consoles.

 

[JoeSp]

Sony is introducing a new BD standalone with a retail price of $599. Anyone here believe that Sony could not be selling that BD standalone for less if it had too? And if Sony can release a product at that price or lower so can the rest of the manufacturers. There seems to be a very nice markup in the BD standalones and no one is subsizing their BD standalones so there is room to drop prices.

 

[diogen]

Sony is introducing a new BD standalone with a retail price of $599. Anyone here believe that Sony could not be selling that BD standalone for less if it had too?

I do.
After the "PS3 as a Trojan Horse" in the BD vs. HD war didn't quite work as was expected, Sony can't afford to introduce another subsidized component. And I leave out the simple fact that it will piss off all its partner Sony spent so much effort and money to win over.

There seems to be a very nice markup in the BD standalones and no one is subsizing their BD standalones so there is room to drop prices.

Until some proof is offered, this statement remains in the "wishful thinking" category.

Diogen.

 

[dnyce]

After the "PS3 as a Trojan Horse" in the BD vs. HD war didn't quite work as was expected

LOL Yeah that didn't work at all. Only about 2 million people bought a PS3/Blu Ray player in the past 5 months.
Imagine after the price drops and PS3 actually has more than 12 games out by the Holiday season. That number will triple. Check and Mate.
How is HD DVD going to catch up? Just being cheaper doesn't cut it.

 

[diogen]

...Only about 2 million people bought a PS3/Blu Ray player in the past 5 months.
Imagine after the price drops...

Being in a half billion dollar hole (sibsidizing the PS3) already, having sold only about half the consoles manufactured - and you are saying Sony is going to order more shovels to dig the hole deeper?

Whatever rocks your boat...

At this moment I believe PS3 has a better chance to sink the boat called BD than help it win the war with HD (what it was designed to do).

Diogen.