Riddle me this...

[ONUOsFan]

If HD-DVD is supposedly so much cheaper to produce, and Wal-Mart is where people buy movies, and Wal-Mart "favors" HD-DVD, and Wal-Mart is going to turn the tide of the battle (all arguments I've heard on this forum), why is it that I went to Wal-Mart this morning to pick up Shrek 3 on HD-DVD for my one of my kids' stocking and found it to be $29.96? They don't even have it on sale the week it comes out?

So, I looked a little further and found the following selection at "Pro-HD-DVD" Wal-Mart:

Blu-Ray: Ratatouille, Cars, both Pirates, 300 and many others: $24.96
HD-DVD: Shrek, Transformers, Chuck & Larry, 300 and many others: $29.96

Yes, there were plenty of cheaper titles on th HD side, and some on the BD side, but every single new movie on the BD side was $25 while all of the new releases for HD-DVD were $30.

I'm trying not to make this sound like a Bluboy post - I own both formats - I just want them both to be competitively priced, and it seems like HD-DVD is more expensive everywhere - not just Wal-Mart.

I've mentioned previously that I didn't think HD-DVD's attach rate would stay the way it is with all of these new players because people jumping on a $98 player at Wal-Mart would not necessarily want to shell out for the movies, and I'm becoming more convinced of this by the day.

I know some of you like to complain about the BDA subsidizing, BOGO, etc, but the bottom line is I DON'T CARE how they get the prices down, I just want them down, and HD-DVD needs to follow suit.

I went in to get Shrek and didn't get it - I'm now trying to decide if it's worth $30 for the HD version of a movie for my kids or if I should just go to any store on the planet and get the DVD for $15..... and I doubt I'll be the only one that feels that way.

 

[vurbano]

If HD-DVD is supposedly so much cheaper to produce, and Wal-Mart is where people buy movies, and Wal-Mart "favors" HD-DVD, and Wal-Mart is going to turn the tide of the battle (all arguments I've heard on this forum), why is it that I went to Wal-Mart this morning to pick up Shrek 3 on HD-DVD for my one of my kids' stocking and found it to be $29.96? They don't even have it on sale the week it comes out?

So, I looked a little further and found the following selection at "Pro-HD-DVD" Wal-Mart:

Blu-Ray: Ratatouille, Cars, both Pirates, 300 and many others: $24.96
HD-DVD: Shrek, Transformers, Chuck & Larry, 300 and many others: $29.96

Yes, there were plenty of cheaper titles on th HD side, and some on the BD side, but every single new movie on the BD side was $25 while all of the new releases for HD-DVD were $30.

I'm trying not to make this sound like a Bluboy post - I own both formats - I just want them both to be competitively priced, and it seems like HD-DVD is more expensive everywhere - not just Wal-Mart.

I've mentioned previously that I didn't think HD-DVD's attach rate would stay the way it is with all of these new players because people jumping on a $98 player at Wal-Mart would not necessarily want to shell out for the movies, and I'm becoming more convinced of this by the day.

I know some of you like to complain about the BDA subsidizing, BOGO, etc, but the bottom line is I DON'T CARE how they get the prices down, I just want them down, and HD-DVD needs to follow suit.

I went in to get Shrek and didn't get it - I'm now trying to decide if it's worth $30 for the HD version of a movie for my kids or if I should just go to any store on the planet and get the DVD for $15..... and I doubt I'll be the only one that feels that way.

I have no problem with BOGO's. Its the record keeping thats screwed up.

 

[SatinKzo]

Your walmat is goofy(or my 3 are). I saw the HD-DVD of shrek 3 for $23.86, but that was Tuesday only like they usually do

on top of that my local walmarts HD-DVD's are rarely over $25 while BD are usually $24 - $29

 

[ONUOsFan]

Your walmat is goofy(or my 3 are). I saw the HD-DVD of shrek 3 for $23.86, but that was Tuesday only like they usually do

on top of that my local walmarts HD-DVD's are rarely over $25 while BD are usually $24 - $29

That's funny - Wal-Mart doesn't strike me as the type of store to let local management decide pricing...

I guess I missed out on the "Tuesday only" sale price, which is equally stupid - most stores have new titles on sale the entire first week, at least.

I'm going to check out Fry's later today - they can usually be counted on to deliver a good, low price. If they have it for around $25 I'll get it on HD - otherwise I may have to go the DVD route.

Of course, I might also have to pick up two BD's for the price of one while I'm there....

 

[SatinKzo]

I don't know, but it does seem weird. I wonder if local competition has an effect, cause Target and such at it at $24 something

 

[VinceT3]

I usually buy on amazon.. I get a 10% discount to boot.. some of the hd-dvd are close if not slightly higher in price when they have both hd-dvd and dvd on them.. which is nice when we want to play them in the laptop or on another tv that doesn't have an hd-dvd box attached..

 

[ONUOsFan]

Checked Amazon, too - the movies I mentioned above are generally $23.95 on BD and $26.95 on HD-DVD.

So far the best price I've found for Shrek is $22 on Deepdiscount.com (using USATODAY promo code for 20% off). Free shipping, too, so I may go that route...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Many times HDDVD's have a general average cost over BD's. I dont think either can really claim much of an advantage in movies costs.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

my wal-marts in Las Vegas have good prices on the HD DVD side...don't know about BR and don't really care as I don't own or even want one.

Sleepy Hollow , Lucky # Slevin, Failure To Launch are $14.96
Top Gun, Face Off, Troy: Director's Cut are $19.95
Shrek 3 is $23.97
300, chuck and larry, Licence To Wed, transformers $29.95

 

[bradb007]

That's funny - Wal-Mart doesn't strike me as the type of store to let local management decide pricing...

Actually Wal*Mart has one of the most sophisticated pricing engines in the world. As a vendor I can login to their system and drill down on my products to see not just what the pricing is at any store in a market (DFW ex) or a city (Plano) but to the store level. I can then drill down into "carts" to see what other items are selling through with my product. Wal*Mart uses this information to modify not just local pricing, but local placement of products (ever noticed that even though most stores are built on the same basic "box" that the layout is different? You don't think this is just random do you?

The fact is that none of us walking into a store have a clue about what the other 3999 US locations are doing. Only the individuals with access to the pricing engine at Wal*Mart are capable of judging this and believe me they are masters of this.

I personally bought the $99 HD-A3 despite my inclination to think BD will win. At that price it is a great upgrade for DVD as I did not have an upconverter and will allow me to enjoy HD quality dvds for the next 3-4 years until this battle has been decided or all HD is streamed over the internet anyway. I don't plan on investing heavily in owning disks, but will instead use my blockbuster online to watch HD-DVDs. I wish people would stop stressing about this so much....

 

[ONUOsFan]

I'm not stressing about it at all anymore, now that I own both...

I just think it's an interesting discussion, although some of the blustering does get old after a while.

 

[toto]

Actually Wal*Mart has one of the most sophisticated pricing engines in the world. As a vendor I can login to their system and drill down on my products to see not just what the pricing is at any store in a market (DFW ex) or a city (Plano) but to the store level. I can then drill down into "carts" to see what other items are selling through with my product. Wal*Mart uses this information to modify not just local pricing, but local placement of products (ever noticed that even though most stores are built on the same basic "box" that the layout is different? You don't think this is just random do you?

The fact is that none of us walking into a store have a clue about what the other 3999 US locations are doing. Only the individuals with access to the pricing engine at Wal*Mart are capable of judging this and believe me they are masters of this.

I personally bought the $99 HD-A3 despite my inclination to think BD will win. At that price it is a great upgrade for DVD as I did not have an upconverter and will allow me to enjoy HD quality dvds for the next 3-4 years until this battle has been decided or all HD is streamed over the internet anyway. I don't plan on investing heavily in owning disks, but will instead use my blockbuster online to watch HD-DVDs. I wish people would stop stressing about this so much....

What amazes me about Wally world is their disconnect with todays consumer. They are preditory (as are most big box stores). They do not price match, which I find highly unnusual. They won't even price match other Walmarts in the same town. If Target is promoting a DVD, they will normally only put any promotional price, on the first day. They totally dominate the market place to the point that most of us do at least some buying there. What was the figure 100 million folks a week?

 

[ONUOsFan]

I'm going to check out Fry's later today - they can usually be counted on to deliver a good, low price. If they have it for around $25 I'll get it on HD - otherwise I may have to go the DVD route.

Of course, I might also have to pick up two BD's for the price of one while I'm there....

Ended up getting it at Fry's for $26.... and got POTC:Curse of the Black Pearl on BD for $13.49 - they're cutting all their prices in half instead of doing BOGO.

 

[SatinKzo]

They are preditory (as are most big box stores). They do not price match, which I find highly unnusual. They won't even price match other Walmarts in the same town. If Target is promoting a DVD, they will normally only put any promotional price, on the first day. They totally dominate the market place to the point that most of us do at least some buying there. What was the figure 100 million folks a week?

Again, my wal-marts must be odd then cause I have no problem getting them to price match target or best buy or local chain Meijers etc as long as it's the EXACT same item (down to the color), which works great for movies and such. Electronics are another story. Heck I even have them price match milk sometimes due to the crazy fluctuations in the milk prices around here.

I do find them odd that they will not match their website, but will match other websites.

 

[CochiseGuy]

I'm not stressing about it at all anymore, now that I own both...

I just think it's an interesting discussion, although some of the blustering does get old after a while.

Yeah, it does get real old real quick.

I buy most of my HD DVDs & BDs from Amazon, I have the 10% discount too - If you bought 3 High-def discs from them in 2006, you got a 10% discount on HD discs through the end of this year. I'm hoping they extend it, or it will be a sad New Year's Eve for me.

The only Wal-Mart I've found in Tucson that carries high def keeps them in a locked, glass display case that always takes a 5 minute+ search for the clerk with the key to open it. The have maybe 30 titles total for both formats. Paramount usually has a higher MSRP for day & date releases - $39.99 - and my Wal-mart usually has them for $29.95, so I've never bought one from them. Warner & Universal combos are also usually $29.95. They were already sold out of Shrek3 when I got there early afternoon Tuesday, but had the $29.95 price on the empty slot. I was just checking, I already have Shrek on the way from Amazon for $24.25. SM3 was $29.95, the Trilogy $69.95, as was Prison Break Season1. I bought Ratatouille & Cars for $24.95; would have been much cheaper to go with Amazon, but I wanted them to go with the Panasonic BD-30 player I'd just picked up a Circuit City. CC, by the way, always has the worst prices, usually full MSRP.

I don't get Wal-Mart's high-def pricing; the "Low Prices, Always" doesn't seem to apply.

 

[allargon]

I don't get Wal-Mart's high-def pricing; the "Low Prices, Always" doesn't seem to apply.

Have you seen Best Buy or Target's pricing? The worst pricing by far would be Borders and Barnes and Noble. They are straight MSRP. Your CC is MSRP? Most are on par with Best Buy AFAIK.

Target is the one that really needs to be spanked. They are supposed to be a discounter.

Your Wal-Mart has weird pricing. Mine is usually on par with or cheaper than Amazon or Fry's by a buck.