>I know a lot of PS3 fanboys troll this site and I'll likely perturb them, but I don't think the introduction of a low cost HD-DVD player will sit well with the BR format.<
HDMike, I totally agree. The trolling on BOTH sides (and god-awful spelling and grammar; what exactly are "teh xBOx fanbois"?) must stop. One reason for the 360's success is the offering of HD DVD as an accessory. If the 360 launched at, say, $599 with this drive included, I'm not so sure shortages and the like would have followed well into the following months. HD DVDs didn't even appear on shelves until April 2006, a full four months after the console did, so many consumers might have questioned the high price in the first place. I'm also not sure that 360/PS3 console owners are particularly comfortable with using their high-priced consoles as dedicated movie players; no one can argue that this will, inevitably, produce more wear and tear on a console than usual.
The only reason the add-on hasn't sold anywhere near half a million is 1)they can't produce that many and 2)many people, contrary to popular belief, do not have HDTVs. And, almost half of the ones that do have no idea how to get a proper HD signal on their sets, a necessity if you're purchasing any HD movie player. The economy is not great right now and hasn't been for a long time. The winner of this "format war" could very well be the side with the most affordable next-gen players. At the very least, with each side driving prices down, everyone wins. I'm an HD DVD supporter, but I will certainly buy a Blu-Ray player when the price is right.
For those looking for a device strictly for reading, the new Kobo is a nice little option. It's small enough to slip into a pocket, can do more with a PDF than the competition, and at $129, it's $10 cheaper than both the Nook and Kindle WiFi.
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>I know a lot of PS3 fanboys troll this site and I'll likely perturb them, but I don't think the introduction of a low cost HD-DVD player will sit well with the BR format.<
HDMike, I totally agree. The trolling on BOTH sides (and god-awful spelling and grammar; what exactly are "teh xBOx fanbois"?) must stop. One reason for the 360's success is the offering of HD DVD as an accessory. If the 360 launched at, say, $599 with this drive included, I'm not so sure shortages and the like would have followed well into the following months. HD DVDs didn't even appear on shelves until April 2006, a full four months after the console did, so many consumers might have questioned the high price in the first place. I'm also not sure that 360/PS3 console owners are particularly comfortable with using their high-priced consoles as dedicated movie players; no one can argue that this will, inevitably, produce more wear and tear on a console than usual.
The only reason the add-on hasn't sold anywhere near half a million is 1)they can't produce that many and 2)many people, contrary to popular belief, do not have HDTVs. And, almost half of the ones that do have no idea how to get a proper HD signal on their sets, a necessity if you're purchasing any HD movie player. The economy is not great right now and hasn't been for a long time. The winner of this "format war" could very well be the side with the most affordable next-gen players. At the very least, with each side driving prices down, everyone wins. I'm an HD DVD supporter, but I will certainly buy a Blu-Ray player when the price is right.