Wal-Mart now selling Toshiba's A2 HD DVD player for $198?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Oct 25th 2007 7:36AM
posted Oct 25th 2007 7:36AM
[Thanks, Andrew]
posted Oct 25th 2007 7:36AM
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I checked about three walmarts in my area the other week and couldn't find HD-DVD discs in any of them. I was really disappointed, not in the lack of HD-DVD's, moreso the fact that I went to a walmart in the first place. I really dislike those stores...
On the subject though, I'm not so sure $199 will make this thing sell like some advocates believe. I'm sure walmart sells a ton of vizio tv's, maybe discount this heavily if they purchase one of those tv's to get them out there. Then again, I doubt there is much markup in a vizio at walmart to even afford to give these away.
The web site shows $279.54
Why the questionmark on the title? This is official and we are going to see some nice promotions next month...stay tuned ;-)
Ryan,
Wal-Mart more cheap HDTV's than just the Vizio so I don't think they'll need to lower the price on this any further to move these. A $799-999 HDTV plus a $198 HD DVD player gets you HD movies for $1200 or less. You're not likely to be able to get that at a big box retailer.
I hope the BDA has a plan for a similar offering soon. Otherwise, this format war is about to take an extreme shift this holiday.
This is clearing out the A2 to make room for the 3rd gen players.
It is not a model still being made.
The format war is not about to make a shift - content is King and with all the major blockbusters coming out exclusively on Blu-ray this Christmas, the market in North America will remain in favour of Blu-ray 2:1 and 4:1 in Europe and Australia and 95:5 in Japan.
J6P ain't buying no $198 player. J6P is not relevant in this format war until 2009.
Hate to tell ya but you are right Content is King but despite the excellent PR campaign with with false and misleading information the truth and facts is that there are more titles released and available for purchase on HD DVD then Blu-ray.
With exclusive releases like Batman, King Kong, Bourne, Transformers, Shrek, Heroe's plus just about all Blu-ray titles can be purchased for an additional $5 as an HD DVD import.
I already own my copy of Mr & Mrs Smith on HD DVD that was promised by Fox 8 months ago and still not released for Blu-ray.
joe 6pk isn't but middle class mike is...I am looking at the 37" vizo there for $760 somthing and waiting for it to drop under $700 or see if a 42" becomes avail under $900. When that happens I will buy the lowest HD player available. If blue ray has a $200 player by then I will buy them...if it is still $200 HD DVD and $400 blue ray...I buy HD DVD. Guess how many other middle class fathers do the same thing.
middle class fathers have more important things to spend money on...like gymnastics class, preschool...lets just say other family exspence. So when the MCF's start buying HD media players..we will care a lot about price...the studios will follow where they can make a profit and HD DVD content will go up.
Plus if you really have to have fantastic four or rambo there is always imports or upconvertiing a regular dvd. The A2's upconvert dvd.
Nice.. One of the guys here called it pretty much.. I forget the guys name, but I think he works there.
Bourne and Shrek were not blockbusters?
There are several places online you can get one for $199 shipped.
http://thetechhunter.blogspot.com/2007/10/toshiba-hd-a2-hd-dvd-player-drops-below.html
Just waiting for the unstoppable hype machine known as "Joe 6-Pack"...er, I mean "h4Idol"!
On a side note, wouldn't be weird that the HD disc format wars was settled not by the Adult Film industry, but WALMART?!
Roland, I know a whole bunch of "J6P's" who've already got HDTVs and HD DVD players. Maybe you need to get out of your mother's basement and out into the world. I think it's image nerds and tech blog readers/contributers who might not be relevant in this format war.
I love that blurry picture. I think I can see Sasquatch there in the back picking up the 1080i cheapo Toshiba so that he can enjoy deinterlacing artifacts and improperly displayed 1080p/24 on his favorite flicks while listening to the awesome Dolby Digital 5.1 audio on his latest HD DUDs. I can only hope that the blu-ray marketing machine has gotten at least a little bit of HD understanding through to Joe 6-pack, so that he doesn't make a huge mistake and use his entire $200 Christmas bonus on a 1080i HD DUD player... wait for the $399 PS3 Joe... you'll be glad you did!
Ahhh, I'm loving my HD-A2 and the 42 HD DVDs I have so far! I'm looking foward to lucky number 100!
@h4ldol
I'm sick of you idiots slamming toshiba on the 1080p thing. Most of the HDTV's out there are not 1080P. So, a 1080i or 720p signal is all the tv can reproduce anyway. Secondly, if you happen to have a 1080p, it will de-interlace the 1080i signal anyway. Aritfacts, yeah right, you have more artifacts with 1080p24 pulldown in the TV then you do 1080i deinterlacing. Also, most people have a 5.1 audio system or something like a bose 3-2-1.
Toshiba makes several HD-DVD players and all but the one low end unit (A2/A3) is 1080p. A least toshiba is willing to produce an affordable unit, which outputs all that 85% of the home theter setups out there can reproduce anyway. If you have a 1080p24 set and a 7.1 reciever buy an HD-a30, otherwise save yourself $100 with the A2/A3 and get 4 more movies all for less then the cheapest Blu-Ray player.
YOU FAIL h4ldol. Not even gonna bother to refute your comments I just know that you fail, and you fail at life.
FAIL.
Thank you, jackass. You've just made up my mind for me.
You've just convinced me not only to go out and purchase one of these in anticipation of my 47" 1080p LCD TV tomorrow, but I'm also going to abandon my anti-Wal-Mart stance just this once SPECIFICALLY so that I can contribute to pissing you off.
I hope you're happy in knowing that YOU and your incessant, puerile, arrogance have just pushed me AWAY from BluRay. I was going to delay my purchase until next year to let things settle down, but instead I'm buying one of these units tomorrow. That will also prep me for the upcoming "Star Trek" HD DVD release.
What an asshat you are. You're an embarrassment to BluRay supporters everywhere.
@ h4Idol YOURE A MORON Its bad enough watching all of these people complain about walmart and how this doesnt matter and that. The ps3 is a great blu ray player.....thats it. I didnt buy my car to make toast, I bought it to drive it. I didnt buy my ps3 or 360 to watch movies, I bought it to play games. $400 is still too much for a ps3 and its numbers prove it.
I wouldve replied to your ignorant comments earlier but Ive been busy all day....unlike you. Maybe if the ps3 had a good game to play you could play it instead of trolling.
@ carmaj I dont believe that any blu ray spec was finished over 12 months ago. If this is true, prove it. Until then, it makes ZERO sense why there are STILL no 1.1 or 2.0 players. In fact why is there a 1.1 AND a 2.0?
This thread is hilarious because there is sooo much misinformation and fanboys floating around here that most of it isnt even worth commenting on. Dual format players are the way to go, because neither format is going anywhere! The quicker we realize that, the better it'll be. And if the prices dont start going down soon, guess who will win???? DVD. Gotta beat the champ to be the champ
Lucky Number Slevin was a great movie, if you haven't seen it yet. Not sure about Lucky Number 100. ;)
He exists here only to troll and promote Blu-ray. Everyone who doesn't like his useless and innacurate comments - just report the post. Maybe we can get him banned.
Heck yes it was. I was about to pick it up at Best Buy, just the other day, but I opted out for Twilight Zone: The Movie.
hd dud? wow did "dave" change his name to h4lidol?
Seriously , you get what u pay for. Buy ur $200.00 CRAP players and play them on ur $700.00 crap HDTVS. You wont notice a difference. Those crappy players produce crappy HD playback. I know cause i had an XA2 , and that is better than an A2. Im for bluray because i have a PS3 which is an exceptional Bluray player. NOW SEE THE POWER OF HD.
Believe that if you want - the HD-A2 provides exceptional quality HD playback for non-1080p sets. Of course the HD-XA2 is better. It was initially an $1000 player.
"Those crappy players produce crappy HD playback"
Interesting, considering every review of every movie that's on both formats says that they look exactly the same.
Or could it be that you're simply a moron?
Hmm. Will someone please offer J6P something to occupy his time before he buys a PoS3 with three years' worth of bonus?
Oh wait.
J6P, how would you like a machine that plays games you actually want, AND plays high definition movies at a fraction of the cost? And you get to stick it to the corporation that has always hated your guts and doesn't believe it can trust you to tie your own shoes?
J6P says he's sold. Microsoft, Toshiba, and Xbox 360 FTW.
Sony sucks.
What, Microsoft has never hated our guts? You're just making a case between evil and less evil, not between good and evil.
Technological superiority doesn't win the majority of format wars. Each side has its pros and cons. My problem with BluRay is it is an unfinished spec. Alot of people are gonna be ticked when these shiny new discs come out that will mysteriously not play in their 600-1000$ BR player.
You can't discount the effect of Walmart here. More Americans shop there than anywhere else. Given the choice of a 200$ HD DVD player or a 400$ PS3, I think it's a no brainer that the lower price will be victorious. Joe 6 Pack as you call it, shops with his wallet first and then with his eyes. The average American is not a technophile.
I have both machines (A-2 and PS3) The differences are so minor to an average consumer that I can totally see these models getting eaten up before XMAS. Look, you guys who say Blu Ray is so much better make it sound like its Laser Disc VS VHS. Its not. I love both formats and hate certain things about both formats, but I still have both because each has its own streignths. Studios that release on Blu Ray only are just as lame as the ones that release on HD-DVD only. Also, some are saying Content is king, blah blah blah, well, DUH! If the studios released on all formats (DVD,HD-DVD,Blu Ray Disc) then the battle field would be evened out and we totally be able to tell what consumers really want.
Not only did i see the unloading the units at the Fremont CA (Durham Road), I noticed that they now had a "no frills" HD endcap with HDDVD and BluRay. First time I saw HDDVD in store!
Chris Riley; as far as I'm concerned, you are being just like h4idol, but on the other side of the isle from him. Cut it out.
I'm pretty sure Chris was just doing a tongue-in-cheek impression of h4ldol.
That's partly true, but I put "DUD" as a much lower derogatory level than "GAY", which almost puts it into hate speech category when used that way.
To say the tide isn't changing in favor of HD-DVD, is just being naive.
Affordable HD-DVD players along with a great selection of movies = the majority of "average joe's" adopting the format. The HD-DVD attache rate BLOWS Blu-Ray's out of the water. (Kind of pathetic to note that BD players outnumber HD-DVD players almost 15:1, but can barely maintain a lead in software sales).
With more High-Def DVD players in people's hands, the software will follow.
I hate to say it, but I might gobble one of these things up. I have absolutely refused until one of them won, or some realistic option for both developed. But at $199, there's enough out there to enjoy and get my money's worth before HD-DVD would ever go away (if it loses that is).
I'll take a chance at $199 and below. Oh, and my three TVs are "only" 720p. I think I'll manage :-)
"here's enough out there to enjoy and get my money's worth before HD-DVD would ever go away (if it loses that is)."
Let's not get hasty. In the grand scheme, all things will end. HD DVD will eventually go away. So will Blu-Ray. As will DVD. The only question is, how soon? So far, it doesn't look like either format is going to go away in the next year unless there is a huge upset, so I think it's a good deal, particularly if you get a Netflix account. I almost don't buy movies anymore, I just rent the HD movies.
I want to buy this, but that means spending a little more on other equipment so I can use it properly.
I use Blockbuster online, only because there is one between my house and work. The extra in-store benefits are nice over Netflix, although I'm jealous of their "watch now" feature.
That's exactly what I would do if I bought the player - rent everything is, then start over!
1080p24 output capability is one of the most overrated features in the current crop of HD players. Most TVs on the market have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. For 60 Hz sets which properly deinterlace 1080i film content, the A2 is a solid choice. The picture quality on such sets will be just as good as it would with a 1080p signal.
I agree. Most HDTV sets in peoples homes do not have the very latest feaures like 1080P input and 24frames a second. If you want a inexpensive High Def player getting this for $198 is a way to try it out. If the format fails and you mostly rent your High Def DVD's you really aren't out much. Very little risk involved.
I never shop at Wal Mart but I know many people do. I'm sure they will sell these out quickly.
All I have to say is this--the AVERAGE consumer knows nothing about BR and assumes that HD movies = HD-DVD
I have talked to 5 friends including my own wife about it just yesterday. The wife of a technophile who knows I want a PS3 for my birthday, and she asks me "What the heck is BluRay?" I told her that it was an HD movie format like HD-DVD but incompatible with each other. She made a funny noise with her mouth and said "Whatever. So it's basically Beta?" See, she grew up in Japan, and her family used BetaMax.
Sad but true, but to most people buying an HDTV, they just want to watch HD movies and push the play button for as little cash as possible. "How do I watch dvd movies in HD?" Why, HD-DVD obviously. And guess what, it's less than $200. "What's that?" they might think, looking at a BluRay player...but they they'll see the $499 price tag and think "who cares."
I don't yet own either format, but I'm buying either an HD-DVD or a PS3 in November. If we see a nice HD-DVD superdeal for like $100...I'll buy both.
Nice work Wally, but when ya gonna have a dual format one that records for under two bills?
As many will claim this is a win, it isn't. It will help sell more players, but it will not win the war. $200 was the price where DVDs started getting adopted, but DVDs cost less then and there was no format war. The price point IMHO is probably closer to $100, due to the FUD the war is causing. It is an opinion, so I'm not going to argue with anyone who disagrees, as is most of what I will write.
Other things:
1080i: Does not hurt and is helping sell hardware. 99% of the AV users out there can't program their VCR, let alone tell the difference, and even if they could, no regular Joe place I've seen has displayed them as they should, so they don't know what they're missing. Many 1080p TVs only take I and deinterlace anyway, so your expensive equip was a waste if you fall in that category. Enough has been said about built in deinterlacing TVs. This is basically like comparing 2 mustangs and saying one is better because it has pin stripes; maybe for your needs.
Side ______ has Better Blockbusters: Both sides have roughly the same new releases and no block buster is loved by all, and the better of the 2 is an opinion. I have chosen a side, but I'd flip a coin on who has better content. Here comes the Oh Star Wars/Lord of the Rings/etc will end the war. As big a Star Wars/whatever fan base is out there, there are just as many Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, Name some stupid Genre that will have minimal effect.
We have 3/4/a billion layered disk in the works that only needs a firmware update: Snore. Let me know when the production yield is high enough and manufacturing costs are low enough that they actually start using it. If I had a nickel for every time I saw a technology like this that never was used, I wouldn't care about this war because the TV in my home at the Bahamas would be fine thanks to the margarita buzz I'd have.
We have more Space: Which tastes better; 2 medium pizzas or 1 large.
We have a mandated network connection: How many people have an internet connection next to their main TV? How many people are smart enough to rig a wireless connection to get it on the network? For that matter, how many people would think to move it to where it had connectivity to update and move it back, or in BR's case, download and burn the latest firmware to cd/dvd and install it?
This side paid this company for support. Money talks and BS walks, and if that's what it takes to end the war, so be it. If it drags it out, it will be only another miniscule reason it lasts longer then it should in the grand scheme of things. I'd also like to mention that most claims on both sides have been unsubstantiated. If you believe a major news source that can't site where they got their information, or claims an unamed insider, I've got a few bridges for sale. Am I the only one who feels like most of this news should be printed in the Enquirer?
Ignoring lack of compromise, both sides are idiots and have made catastrophic mistakes, and deserve to file chapter 11. IMHO, one format is without a doubt better then the other, but I'd be happiest if one side just up and died so I could buy movies, even if it wasn't the side I chose.
Lets just stop all the mindless chatter. I want a player that plays HD-DVD and Bluray both. I don't care about brand I just want HD movies...
Buy a TV at Best Buy and you can combo in the HD-A3 at $199 as part of the package. Get 2 movies in the box and mail in for 5 more.
Ok, ditch on the HDA2 since its only 1080i ONLY because Toshiba tries to say that its cheaper than a Blu-ray, and tries to compare it to things like the sony bdps300. Toshiba opened that door, not crazy format war junkies.
Now, when you compare the actually comperable units, the HDA20 vs the BDPS300. No contest, one is much better than the other, hands down.
But as a system designer, I would not sell the HDA2. I sold a grand total of 2 of these before I had returns. There are some SERIOUS issues with the HDA2, here's a short list:
-Does not update its own software, even when attached to a network line. I had to get the software on a dvd from toshiba to do the update manually.
-Does not play all sd movies. Older sd and lower budget (cheap presses) do not play at all. There were even a few (children of man is the only one that comes to mind now) HD DVDs that didnt play in it!
-Poor construction. Physically. Now, my companies floor model still works, but the front door fell off weeks ago, and I have had the same issue with a customer.
I took the hit and traded all my HDA2 customers into BDPS300's at no cost to them. No calls, no problems. Maybe I should have sold the HDA20 to begin with. But as for the HDA2, buyer beware, its a VERY cheap unit for a reason!
(side note, Wally world has it for 198, In my high end design center, we are liquidating at 223, so they are not that cheap!)
"We have a mandated network connection: How many people have an internet connection next to their main TV? How many people are smart enough to rig a wireless connection to get it on the network? For that matter, how many people would think to move it to where it had connectivity to update and move it back, or in BR's case, download and burn the latest firmware to cd/dvd and install it?"
Personally, I was thinking about buying a HD-DVD player but saw that it had an ethernet port on the back of it. This would have been an easy connection where my cable modem used to be (parked next to the main television) -- however my FiOS router/modem is in my home office now.
Funny, I wouldn't know what you were talking about burning firmware except for the fact that I had to hack my Oppo DVD player to upconvert over component about 6 months ago. I had been using an old (Philips/Magnavox) DVD player without progressive scan (S-Video only -- as is my Sony Wega 27" SDTV which I bought at Circuit City after getting the DVD player as a gift) since 2000, which my girlfriend probably paid about $220 for.
I've had my A2 for about 6 months, and I'm extremely happy with the picture quality that it produces on my 42" 1080P LCD.
I highly suggest the Toshiba HD-A2 to anyone who has yet to experience the superb quality that is HD-DVD
My main objection to the 1080i issue is that I'm almost totally certain that the hardware can output 1080p if they allowed it to. I doubt the video output chip is different than the A20. So saying that Toshiba is saving money by puting in that limitation doesn't ring true for me.
A lot of TVs might be able to do proper deinterlacing, but I expect that a lot of TVs just do "bob" deinterlacing, particularly if they don't tell you what chip or method they use. Even if they do use pull-down correction, some artifacts can be introduced, see the Faroudja 23xx series fiascos. But what does XYZ model 51 TV do? I don't know. I don't see anything about it on my projector's spec sheet.
But I suppose most people won't know the difference anyway.
It's not at the Wal-Mart on County Line Rd. in Indy either. They don't have any HD players except the PS3 and a limited HD video selection.