Hey, Office Depot: the format war is over
By Darren Murph 
posted Mar 19th 2008 9:47AM
posted Mar 19th 2008 9:47AM
[Thanks, Thomas]
posted Mar 19th 2008 9:47AM
The number of televisions estimated that sit unused in closets.
The EPA estimates that nearly 100 million unused televisions are currently taking up precious, beautiful space. (source: EPA, July 2008)
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.
Which store?
I want to run over there at lunch and pick one up before the price skyrockets from antique collectors.
the hd-dvd player in ? we have never had stock to sell we only have them in the store so we can play our store hd-dvd advert on the tv's in the store.. so i dont think that the price on the hd-dvd player will come down any time soon.. because we will still use it play our hd demo's to show off the tv's... now when they send us a blue ray player then i am sure we will let them go real cheep
That's funny. I saw the same thing at a local Best Buy over the weekend. (I should have taken a picture.) They offered what was clearly an Open Box HD-XA2 (or one of the other higer-end models) with a price tag still at $495!!
"WTF?!" doesn't begin to describe it.
"They offered what was clearly an Open Box HD-XA2 (or one of the other higer-end models) with a price tag still at $495!!"
Actually, the XA2 is a VERY good player, even for $495. It's considered one of the best SD-DVD players on the market by most.
If you check eBay, it still sells for between $300-$500. So that's really not out of line.
Now the A2/A3 on the other hand.... :)
I was at Office Depot last night and saw the same thing. The A3 for $249 too. I felt like asking them to sell it to me for $40. Hey, it still plays standard definition DVDs too.
The funny part is that's an A2 in the picture, while the sign says A3.
I wouldn't exactly count Office Depot as the home theater store of choice and wouldn't really expect them to be up on the latest news regarding HT. If you're going to Office Depot looking for HD-DVD players that was your first mistake :)
What I'm wondering is where the heck the HD-DVD media sales are at? Best Buy is doing 30% off, but come on... if the format is dead, just make em $5-10 a piece and call it a day. It's pretty funny when they've promoted blu-ray all along, but still feel they can make some cash off the dead format.
That's why I just recently bought seven from Deep Discount DVD for between $9-$18 each (most on the lower end). To heck w/ any retailers who feel they can still milk this cow. No tax or shipping charges either! Vote w/ your wallet!
Vote with your wallet?? Vote for WHAT? "Voting" for anything HD DVD-related nowadays is like voting for your local Whig Party candidate. :)
Office Depot is waiting for a very special customer. In fact, a unique customer, who's been on an extended backpacking trip in South America since November, just after Paramount and Dreamworks switched to HD DVD exclusivity. While crossing the Andes, he's been dreaming about getting home and finally getting that HD DVD player along with dozens of high def movies that are "The Look and Sound of Perfect."
When he arrives home, his very first stop is to his favorite electronics retailer, Office Depot. There, on the shelf, is the realization of his dream: The Toshiba HD-A3, for only $249.99. SOLD!
you should see the price that Amazon.fr askes for HD-DVD players in France...
Office Depot isn't the only one. Check out this A-2 at Wal-Mart for $247
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8006921
also the item on the shelf with the hd-a3 tag certainly isn't an a3
Wow. Talk about bad corporate governance, these guys can't even get their merchandising staff to price stuff right.
Our Office Depot in Moscow, ID has the same price...I laughed when I saw it..then felt bad for the non blog reading stupe who buys it at full price..
Hastings and Wallmart have finally caught on however, with dirt cheap prices on the A2/3 and the 360 add-on.
What's more stupid? Charging $250 for an HD DVD player or PAYING $250 for an HD DVD player?
If you are going to pick on Office Depot (and you should) then you should also pick on Best Buy for their rather Bad Buy by pricing HD DVD titles for $30. Wife wanted to try Atonement, and I refused. Not paying $30 for a single movie title on a dead format.
well this IS Office Depot we're talking about ... no real surprise there