Onkyo's DV-HD805 HD DVD player: coming this fall for $899
By Darren Murph 
posted Aug 14th 2007 7:22AM
posted Aug 14th 2007 7:22AM
[Thanks, Michael]
posted Aug 14th 2007 7:22AM
The percentage of sales people that recommend Samsung HDTVs.
Salespeople are also becoming less likely to recommend LCD sets over plasma sets, which goes against the industry trend.
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So much for the dead format. But yeah, go ahead and pick up that $2000 Denon Blu-Ray player. Pfft.
@Nfinity
Onkyo is no where near Denon as far as brands are concerned. Onkyo is pretty much a Circuit City brand. Even tho I support BD, I would not touch the Denon version.
Damn thats nice, would buy one myself apart from living in rip-off britain means I won't get the chance to buy it for 2 years at 3 times the price :-(
Theoretically couldn't you just import the player since they are region free?
I have been waiting for more quality players to come out. While this Onkyo is interesting, from what I had read it is based on the Toshiba HD-AX2.
For me, I think it is too early to commit to these "higher end" players. I think I am going to pick up the Toshiba HD-A20 near the end of this month (need a new DVD player anyways and have essentially been talked about of the Oppo Digital) and just ride out this format war for a year or two, hoping for someone to win or for quality dual format players to flood the market.
It is defiantly nice to see more HD-DVD players on the market though.
Good to see other players in the HD-DVD playback realm. For those that comment that this format is "dead," you reveal your true fanboyism. Just with the installed base at this point for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, both formats will continue for many years. Remember DVD R+ and DVD R-.
Good to see other players in the HD-DVD playback realm. For those that comment that this format is "dead," you reveal your true fanboyism. Just with the installed base at this point for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, both formats will continue for many years. Remember DVD R+ and DVD R-.
The key difference with DVD+R and DVD-R is that those two formats are nearly identical. There is no hardware difference in drives that support both formats - many drives could be upgraded to support the other just through firmware. And there wasn't much of a licensing cost bump to support both, as they're both based on DVD - to license the non-DVD Forum '+' was minor.
BD and HD DVD are physically different and require different lenses, or a more expensive dual-format lens. And the licensing for the two formats has minimal overlap, so vendors need to pay twice to support both. Making a dual-format player is always going to cost more than a single-format player because of these issues. And it is more complex, since there are major software differences and you basically have the development costs of developing two code bases - one for BD (BD-J, BD+, etc) and one for HD DVD (HDi, etc).
Toshiba is subsidizing their players to try to buy market share while there is still time (in their mind) to do so. That's why their players have been cheaper than other players, which aren't being subsidized.
Blu-ray being dramatically more expensive than HD DVD is a myth. Most of the basic components are the same - it is only the lens assembly that is really different. And the cost of the BD assembly isn't that different from the HD DVD lens. On the disc side, even a couple of years ago costs were given as $.05 per BD, $.035 per HD DVD, and $.03 per DVD. But BD has lowered their cost-per-disc aggressively, supposedly down around $.04, and is aiming for cost parity with HD DVD in the near term. As more BD presses are coming online, the capacity will create more competition to keep costs down.
HD DVD's main advantage is in infrastructure costs - BD requires investing in new presses, HD DVD can reuse DVD presses with modifications. And that's really the only area HD DVD has a significant price advantage.
Isn't it interesting though that Warner's HD DVD of '300' is priced higher than the BD?
Problem is power supply, think the US is 120V or something similar UK is 240V with different shaped plug
Besides the power supply being different, standard DVDs are still region coded. While HD DVDs are region free, this player would still be region coded for standard dvds, region 1, NTSC.
Good point. I wasn't even thinking about DVD's.
why is it that when someone states a preference for a format, they're a "fanboy". I'm pretty sick of that word.
to launch a player this late into the format war and at that high a price is absurd. hd dvd is dead as far as i know. it can only get better for blu ray from here on out. and by the way hell yeah im a fanboy cuz its the better format. if that shouldnt be the case then i shoud say russia is the best country in the world even tho america rules... and stop my patriotism...get my point? so go blu-ray
"hd dvd is dead as far as i know."
Care to enlighten us on why that is? Last time I checked, HD-DVD is still around and still releasing movies. People need to face it, HD-DVD is here to stay and isn't going anywhere for some time. We just need more dual format players at a cheap price range and then everyone can be happy.
Blu-ray is only the better format on paper, but that is it. Both formats have their pros and cons, both formats do what they are suppose to do, which is deliver HD content. I wouldn't say either format is better or worse than one another.
Owning a HD-A20 and a PS3 connected to my Onkyo 605 makes me format neutral. Even though I'm getting that "fake" 1080p to my HLS-6188, I'm happy with the Toshiba; until I saw this unit. But then I realized that I cannot bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio because HD-DVD's are not authored that way. Toshiba, why the false marketing?
so wait a format having more studio suport dosent make it better. or or having 67% more space is just on paper. put all hd dvd movies on blu-ray disc and you have more space for all your "extras"(fillers)
and blu-ray having atlest 48mbits of bandwith is only better on paper compared to hd dvds 30mbits? and
dominating the pc drive market and alredy realesing drive at 5x speed for 299 is only better on paper?
wow i did not know that guns only kill on paper eather!!!
(the drives here http://videoguys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BDC202B&Category_Code=)
and so your also saying that blu-ray and hd dvd are only meant for movies that may be true with hd dvd but not blu-ray its also meant for games(ps3) and data back up also audio (bd profile 3)
and aron it only still alive becuase poeple like you wont pick the more suported format (blu-ray has way more suport in every indastrie)just do what i had to do and accept that fake that we or i made a stupid mistake and bought into hd dvd becuase for me i saw blu-rays launch titles and got scared but then i relized um wow i think i mite wanan see movies from Lions Gate, MGM, Paramount*, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures and Television, (including Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Hollywood Pictures Home Video, Touchstone Home Entertainment, Miramax Home Entertainment, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Dimension Home Video and Disney DVD), Warner Bros. (including New Line Cinema and HBO Video)
and not just(hd dvd major suport) Paramount Pictures*, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Studios (including New Line Cinema)*
like seriously if we can`t think 3 years into the future then were hopeless your only looking into whats happening know and maybe 6 months into future
what happens when studios wanana put out movies with more pip extras or wanan put 3 hour movies with extras on a disc? just the bandwith alone should change your mind blu-ray has 40mibts that deticated to video and 8 mibts deticated to audio(the audio can go as high as wanted)
while hd dvd has only 30 mibts for audio and video and sure its enouf rite know as we can see but havent u noticed that hd dvd movies can`t put 7.1 24 bit pcm on there discs becuaces there not enouf space? sure they can use compresion but its also true that i can drive to work every day instead of taking public transit i get to work in the end so what its matter rite?lmao if you would like to talk or discusse this furthure with facts and such just e-mail me i would love to hear your side:julian.reiche@gmail.com
HD DVD is cheaper to produce. They're making similar profit even though Blu Ray has all the upper hands. All the dual format studios are laughing all the way to the bank with this "war". I hope for your sake Blu Ray doesn't stumble even once, lest it be relegated to the prestigious position of "superior technology for professional applications" (ie, betamax). HD DVD is sustainable and the pricing model doesn't need exclusives to make profit, which can't be said for Blu Ray. Forget about the fact that by subsidizing it solely, Sony made a huge mistake. Case in point? I don't see Microsoft downsizing their game division or Toshiba posting quarterly losses... How long can Sony subsidize their little vendetta for all their other failed tech? That's the question, but for now HD DVD is sitting pretty.
julian=total fanboy
hey julian, go enjoy your blu-ray format and quit trying to proslatize...oh and you are a shithead for listing your email. Hope you have a good spam filter now because the bots probably will be trying to sell you penis-extenders and cheap software for life.
"Last time I checked, HD-DVD is still around and still releasing movies."
HD-DVD doesn't release movies. It's a format, not a studio.
Anyway, I find that "fanboy" is more often than not an ad-hominem attack, the conversational equivalent of punching someone because you don't have something good to say. It's getting irritating.
The format discussion seems like the only thing that most people want to discuss on engadgetentertainment. There are plenty of interesting stories that get no comments, and that's kind of dissappointing that this sort of asinine discussion goes on like this.
"HD-DVD doesn't release movies. It's a format, not a studio."
Why thank you captain obvious... thanks for getting to the specifics and clearing it up for us!
I'm sorry, I thought it looked really dumb when it's written that way. Because it is.
'300' Blu-ray Outsells HD DVD by 2 to 1
Amazon's top sellers for DVD's
2. 300 Special Edition on DVD
8. 300 Blu-Ray
13. 300 Widescreen Single Disc Edition
17. 300 HD-DVD/DVD Combo D'OH!
Because of typical Sony proprietary (read: expensive) format garbage, #8 and #17 made the same amount of profit for WB.
D'oh indeed.
Isn't it interesting that 300 on HD DVD is selling better than the BD version even at the higher price?
If Sony hadn't paid off the major film studios and purchased an anti consumer monopoly, blow ray would all ready be history.
Why would anyone in their right brain buy blow ray when audio and video quality is the same as HD DVD, (any of you gong beating videophiles who say blow ray video/audio is better are flogging your selves,) the hardware for blow ray is way more expensive, blow ray players have way less features, blow ray is region coded, blow ray gets more and more draconian sony DRM, but hey, we got higher capacity disks.... big F deal.
Why anyone would want to support this anti consumer company and its monopolized products is beyond me.
Blu ray is a scam, if we didn't have HD DVD, blow ray players would be $1000 each for the next 100 years and we would have no choice but to pay or go without. Panasonic and the like must be pissed, they've been suckered into building these overpriced monopolized scam machines and sony sells the ps3 for a shit load less. What chance have they got to make a $.......unless HD DVD folds.
C'mon David, smack this arrogant Goliath sony and its anti consumer ideals so we can all buy a quality product at a reasonable price and end this monopoly once and for all.
@ Eddie: Sony proprietary format? Maybe, but WB put out the 300 HD-DVD on its own even more expensive proprietary hybrid DVD/HD-DVD format - so they actually have only themselves to blame, not Sony.
@Smee: You need to take an economics class. The only reason the PS3 is cheaper is because Sony is selling it at over $200 below cost because game and accessory margins make up for it. Their standalone player that is the same price as the PS3 actually costs less than the sale price, so the actual cost difference is likely well over $200. Meanwhile, Toshiba (this Onkyo and the XBox drives are the only non-Toshiba ones that exist) are subsidizing players as well, or they would cost almost as much as this Onkyo (which is just a Toshiba wrapped in a different box with a premium tagged on because consumers think Onkyo is a "premium" brand). Fact is, the retail prices lie. The two formats cost essnetially the same to the manufacturers. Also why the hate for DRM and region coding? These things keep disc prices low by fighting piracy.
Sorry you're a cheapskate. You create a convuluted rant because you're really afraid Blu-Ray will win and you won't be able to pirate things as easily. I prefer to purchase my movies legally. People making arguments like yours only drive up the cost for honest consumers instead of helping things. Technology isn't free. Movies aren't free to make. I want an HD movie player for $100 tomorrow with unlimited free movies, but its not going to happen, and the format war isn't going to make it happen either.
"WB's" combo format is industry standard for any HD DVD. Any studio releasing in HD has the option to release a combo disc.
Interestingly enough, Blu Ray doesn't have this functionality.
"Sorry you're a cheapskate. You create a convuluted rant because you're really afraid Blu-Ray will win and you won't be able to pirate things as easily. I prefer to purchase my movies legally. People making arguments like yours only drive up the cost for honest consumers instead of helping things. Technology isn't free. Movies aren't free to make. I want an HD movie player for $100 tomorrow with unlimited free movies, but its not going to happen, and the format war isn't going to make it happen either."
Look, you simply cannot be so delusional to Sony's past. The same can be said of Microsoft, so let's talk frankly. Sony has a wretched history of releasing propriety technology, in power moves meant to leverage their brand against the ENTIRE INDUSTRY they were entering at the time. Remember betamax, laserdisc, and their atrocious propriety music codec (on the mp3 walkman)? None of those were good for consumers, but they were potentially very good for Sony.
In the same way, Microsoft has played with monopoly fire for so long they were slapped with (and convicted in) an antitrust lawsuit. They have a history of doing the same, although to arguably more success. Part of that success may be that they have not diversified, and still rely on keeping technology somewhat open for the sake of all the companies that manufacture the products necessary to sell their own.
Regardless, I am glad this format war is happening, because if Sony wins at least they will not have won easily (and by highway consumer robbery), and Microsoft cannot act like they are the only game in town and stifle advances because they threaten its profits. Personally, I went with HD because it was $200 to get in on incredible picture quality vs upwards of $500. And I'm perfectly happy to trade Sp3 and PoC for Bourne. Can we make these kinds of trades more often?
I'll trade you "300" pip blue screen and Matrix Trilogy for "sunshine" and "garden state" on HD-DVD...
@rory
My point exactly Rory, PS3 is selling for a loss, so how is panasonic ever going to make a dollar?... they must be over the moon with blu ray, who is ever going to buy one of theirs?
Thats exactly my point, thanks for the tip in economics.
DRM is for dinosaurs. Universal music (and for the same reason, Universal pictures will never go blu ray) is now selling DRM free music because YOU CANT BEAT THE PIRATES... so if you cant beat them, join them!
They believe ( and so do Microsoft) that if you purchase a copy for private use , you should be able to copy it for your own use. If this was the new model, there is no need for pirates, the pirates all of a sudden don't have a business and the supplier and the artists can go back to making money because Joe 6 pack can now legitimately purchase a copy and make another if he so wishes.
But hey, you keep supporting the more expensive, less featured product because after all it is Sony were talking about, and they have such a great track record with putting the consumers first and not trying to screw them over at every opportunity....... NOT!!!
Do yourself a favor, do a Google search regarding sony and there customer relations history,.... "f##k sony" brings up a myriad of information, or use your own words, there is plenty to read, will keep you busy for hours.
What are you smoking? 300 on BD has outsold the HD DVD version roughly 2:1. You might get short-term variations, but overall the BD version is whipping the HD DVD version in sales.
http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/versus.aspx
Looks like HDpurist is smoking pure BS...LMAO.