Estimated time drivers save by using real-time GPS traffic updates
Drivers that use GPS systems with real-time traffic info spend 18% less time behind the wheel than those who do not.
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Sweet spot for HD DVD players IS < $200 and HD DVD is already there. Toshiba did a test with that promotion at Value Electonics (their official distributor) and guess what almost a 1000 units (stores WHOLE inventory at that moment) dissapeared in 1 DAY. This is why it's now back to $249. It was just a test to see how people would react and be rest assured, Toshiba's players will be AT WORST $199 for holiday season. Prepare to be shocked with the amount of people that will run to buy HD DVD players this cheap for their families, not to mention XBox 360 add-ons.
The BEST Sony can do is to come down to $399 for their players as they will are already losing HUGE, I mean HUGE amounts of money. Paying all this shelf space costs a pretty penny.
"Prepare to be shocked with the amount of people that will run to buy HD DVD players this cheap for their families"
I will be shocked if that many people go and buy an HD player of either stripe at $200. That's $50 less than the ever popular Wii.
You are banking quite a lot on the fact that everyone and their fifth cousin are ready to adopt HD media.
While HD TVs are at a comfortable margin in the US, many folks are content at this point to watch HD cable. It took time for folks to adopt DVD, and the "sweet spot" wasn't even $200.
This is a niche market right now, and many that want that capability are getting through the PS3. Perhaps only a low percentage of PS3 users watch as many movies on it as I do, but that low percentage is enough to destroy HD-DVD stand-alone sales.
There aren't enough movies, on either format, to interest your average citizen. And by the time there is, one format will be dead. I believe that HD-DVD will be the buried format this time around.
PS The 1000 sales in one day really isn't all that impressive. If Sony announced that their stand-alone player would sell for $399 at one of the SonyStyle stores they would be gone too in a day. Ebayers alone would complete the sale.