http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/ Engadget HD Comments for Toshiba drops HD DVD MSRP, effective 4/1/07 http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
I really don't see how this will help all that much. Almost their entire April/May slate of exclusives is box office failures and odd catalog choices, and they're up against both POTC films. If Casino Royale is any indication, those two alone could outsell every HD DVD disc sold for either month, if not both.]]>Mar 20th 2007 11:12AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 11:15AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 11:20AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 1:48PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
If sure their investors and stockholders are pulling their hair out now because of this.
]]>Mar 20th 2007 2:06PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 5:06PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
First, HDDVD players are required to decode Dolby TrueHD lossless audio which is always at 16-bit/5.1 channels. The catch is that due to HDDVD's low bitrate limit, it's very tough to implement lossless audio without taking a picture quality hit. There are very few HDDVDs available that actually have Dolby TrueHD audio streams also. The Blu-Ray exclusive studios almost ALWAYS put completely uncompressed PCM audio tracks on their releases and sometimes they are 24-bit as well.

Although you may be interested in HDDVD's limited audio "features", you won't be able to experience them. The Xbox 360 can only output in Dolby Digital 5.1 (the lossy version) so you will never be able to hear those Dolby TrueHD audio tracks with your current HDDVD player.]]>Mar 21st 2007 9:04AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
These price cuts are a great move. BluRay is finally sellings movies, but yet HD DVD still far outranks them in sales of standalone players. So obviously if the content was out there BluRay would be struggling much more. When BluRay finally has a decent competitive player (features, price) then we will have a contest.

Until the PS3 upconverts and goes down in price, there isn't much of one.

]]>Mar 20th 2007 12:59PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
I have facts and evidence to back up my statements. What about you? Oh, it's all opinion? Well okay then.

"So obviously if the content was out there BluRay would be struggling much more. "

It's already been proven that Blu-ray maintains or improves their sales on equal release dates. Just check the ratio/weekly sales for the weeks of 1/16, 2/28, and 3/11. Or check out the sales of discs that came out on both formats, where BD outsells the HD DVD version by at least 50%.

By all means, Alex, show me any actual facts that support your argument.]]>Mar 20th 2007 1:18PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 1:16PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 1:18PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
I really have stopped caring! I just want one to win already!]]>Mar 20th 2007 1:27PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
I predict the format winner (i.e., most disks sold and most money made) for the next three years to be DVD.]]>Mar 20th 2007 2:07PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 5:00PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 2:44PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
I'll grant you that the software numbers are correct. Umm let me see.

1. HD DVD has little new releases in Q1 2007
2. Blu-ray has over twice the releases and pays for a %50 Amazon sale

April is looking pretty good for releases from both platforms Blu-ray doesn't have anything substantial until May with PotC and Cars in June. The PS3 used to be a great deal but now even it's cheapest player will be $200 than a HD DVD player. That's a lot money and consumer will think long and hard about coughing up $200 more for Blu-ray. ]]>Mar 20th 2007 3:43PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
The hilarity of this statement coming from an ADMITTED TOSHIBA REP is enormous. I'd be more than welcome to have the admins of this site check my background in person were they to ask.

]]>Mar 20th 2007 3:57PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 20th 2007 8:32PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 21st 2007 5:15AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Apr 11th 2007 11:53PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/April 4th, 2007. And you can bet that prices will continue to drop.

The "war" is far from over.]]>Mar 23rd 2007 12:43AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/
MOVIE STUDIO SUPPORT
Folks must bear in mind that most of the studios have provided non-binding support to one format or the other. In lay terms, they can sell movies in any format that they choose. HD DVD players are already far cheaper than stand-alone Blue Ray players and appreciably cheaper than PS3's (which Sony loses several hundred dollars per player on). If Toshiba maintains this player price advantage and their sales figures continue to rise, then the movie studios will start releasing HD DVD films or dual format films.

The running total of released movies isn't all that different at this point...
HD DVD 163 vs Blu-ray 188

PS3 DUAL-USE
A large percentage of the population doesn't give a damn about video games. Why would someone purchase a PS3 for $600 when all they care about is watching movies? It is less intimidating to setup a stand-alone DVD player than it is a gaming console. The gaming community is propping up BR says right now, but wait a while and see which technology is adopted by the non-gaming and perhaps less technology savvy crowd -- the cheaper player!

MEDIA CAPACITY ARGUMENT
Both media already offer adequate capacity for HD video and audio. The extra features that can be crammed onto the Blue Ray media aren't a big selling point; at least not yet.

It is also important to note that the majority (~70%) of BR movie titles are single layer discs (25GB), while the vast majority (~90%) of HD DVD releases are dual layer (30GB).

A dual layer two-sided HD DVD already offers 60GB of capacity. That is ample to offer all sorts of options that would not require a mid-movie disc flip (e.g. different resolutions on each side).

Lastly, at the 2007 CES show, Toshiba announced that they have demonstrated a 51GB per side (102GB for two-sided discs) HD DVD media by implementing 3 layers. If you didn't think 60GB was quite enough, how does 102GB strike you? Not enough? Well, media company Ritek is developing 10 layer HD-DVD media with a single sided capacity of 150GB. Still not enough? Well, you must be drinking the Sony Kool Aid.

SONY'S FORMAT TRACK RECORD
It's very abysmal..
1. Betamax (dead)
2. Minidisc (dead)
3. SACD (dying)
4. UMD (universal media disc -- PSP movie format)

The war of the PS3 effect vs lower priced players isn't over. When mainstream America starts adopting HD en mass, which technology will they grab? Quite possibly the cheaper one. As I said at the beginning, it's far from over people.]]>Mar 25th 2007 8:19PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/HD-DVD is dead... they just don't know it yet. ]]>Mar 24th 2007 11:49PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/http://hd.engadget.com/2007/03/20/toshiba-drops-hd-dvd-msrp-effective-4-1-07/Mar 25th 2007 12:52PM