$198 too expensive? HD-DVD player on sale for $99 at Wal-mart

[kn]

makingmusic476 said:

kn said:

makingmusic476 said:
You completely ignored my price argument. >_<

It's as if you expect the war to be won over the next two months when HD DVD is below $200 and Blu-Ray is still $400. What about the people that buy in over the next year or two? Blu-Ray player prices will keep dropping.

I don't think he is ignoring your price comments.... I don't think that looking forward a year from now and stating that a sub $200 BR player will be on the street will win the war... IF Toshiba decided they wanted to win this war NOW, they would release the A-3 for a price close to $100 around the globe (plus VAT where applicable)...

I don't think your average Joe Six Pack is going to look at the two formats and decide on what the price might be a year from now. He's going to decide right here and now. Apparantly, $98 was enough to throw caution to the wind and jump in head first.

If the price differential remains $150-200 for another year, Toshiba may build a rather substantial stand-alone lead and stand-alones tend to buy a lot more software.

I understand what you are saying.... as the war continues, prices do keep coming down and maybe blu-ray will be $149 or less next holiday and that would certainly change the game a bit but as I said, J6P doesn't care. He just wants it cheap and he wants it now...

J6P wants it now? Only 30% of NA homes have HDTVs, and that number is far lower in Europe, and not even close to a majority of those are looking at upgrading to HDM. Many of the current HDTV owners have no HD signals going to their tvs at all!

My point was that the prices of Blu-Ray players will be far lower in 1-2 years, when the majority of people will have HDTVs and will begin upgrading, if they choose to do so at all. The people that are buying HDM right now make up a very small percentage of the market, even including those who bought $99 players yesterday.

 

 No, I don't mean J6P wants HD now.  The average Joe that DOES have an HD set and would like to get into HD movies is the guy that doesn't stand around waiting on prices.  I'm speaking in terms of wanting something now as instant gratification.  J6P isn't going to jump into the HD war unless prices are cheap.  When prices are cheap, instant gratification and impulse buying trump any long-term thinking...  That was more my point.  Yes, 30% is the penetration at this point and yes, a lot of them won't jump in until they can get a 42" for 750 or less I suspect...  But again, they will jump in when there is a phenomenal price and aren't looking forward to what might be...