AfterDawn: News

Toshiba takes HD DVD message to the big game

In case there was any question of Toshiba's commitment to HD DVD technology, it should be put to rest now with the announcement that the company has bought a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl for nearly $3 million.

Toshiba's recent marketing push, including not only the Super Bowl ad, but also reduced HD DVD player prices and a very public order for HD DVD recordable media from Ritek, don't appear to have convinced the public that HD DVD is still a viable product. After seeing Blu-ray's sales edge since Warner Brothers' announcement earlier this month, whatever analysts were still on the fence have also gotten both feet squarely on the side of Blu-ray.



"Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the Limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format. Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over," wrote analyst Hiroyuki Shimizu in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report.

Of course there's no reason to believe that Toshiba will give up on HD DVD as long as Paramount and Universal are still supporting it. Depending on who you ask that either postpones the ineveitable, to the detriment of both consumers and the home video industry, or gives HD DVD a fighting chance for at least a few more months.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 29 Jan 2008 2:20

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• 29 comments

• sk8flawzz

  I want to see it.

  29.1.2008 03:06 #1

• ZoSoIV

  man i hope HD-DVD wins but it doesn't look good as of late

  29.1.2008 03:39 #2

• gamename

  well i hate to see it, but hey thats the way it goes. if microsoft had stepped up to the plate - it might have been different. they were the only ones with enough cash to compete with sony. apparently it wasnt worth it to them. i do wish hddvd had stayed in long enough for bluray players to come down in price, say around $100.00. maybe walmart can talk some sense into them. this is a real slap in the face for the working man(or woman) with children. theres no sense in them charging that kind of money to see a movie. maybe there is some good news on the horizon for us working folk, walmart does have a lot of pull in world markets. right now i see blueray as something for rich people, not the working class. hopefully sony, pioner,samsung, lg and the rest will do the right thing. and get the price right. i want to see my movies in high def and at a good price, i havent seen bluray trying that at all.

  29.1.2008 03:46 #3

• domie

  There is one way that HD-DVD could survive and that is if Hardware manufacturers begin to release dual format players and recorders.
  However, time is running out and I don't see any major deals on such a thing in the near future.
  Such a dual fomat ability deal happened in the dvd market - remember dvd+ and dvd- wars ? Most of us thought one or the other wouyld win but now with dual format recorders etc few people even bother to check whether they are buying plus or minus until they have a problem with their dvd burner on their PC.
  Of course the different tech specs on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Discs are a little more of a headache for hardware manufacturers but it's the only hope left for HD-DVD.

  29.1.2008 06:24 #4

• SDF_GR

  Originally posted by gamename: well i hate to see it, but hey thats the way it goes. if microsoft had stepped up to the plate - it might have been different. they were the only ones with enough cash to compete with sony. apparently it wasnt worth it to them.In my opinion is not just that, i have posted it before i will post it again.
  MS will only make more money if BD wins.Cause if BD wins MS will be able to release new external BD drives for 360 (thats a lot of money for MS) or even a new 360 Version equipped with BD drive, thats a lot of money too for MS.

  29.1.2008 07:04 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by gamename: well i hate to see it, but hey thats the way it goes. if microsoft had stepped up to the plate - it might have been different. they were the only ones with enough cash to compete with sony. apparently it wasnt worth it to them.In my opinion is not just that, i have posted it before i will post it again.
  MS will only make more money if BD wins.Cause if BD wins MS will be able to release new external BD drives for 360 (thats a lot of money for MS) or even a new 360 Version equipped with BD drive, thats a lot of money too for MS.meh they'd make 20-50$(150-250$ unit price) off the add on players that X 100-300K is brealy 0.5-2.5M thats a drop in the flipping bucket.

  29.1.2008 08:17 #6

• SDF_GR

  i think that will make more money than that,
  I have read some were (maybe it was here) that MS have sold more than 175.000 HD-DVD players.
  Note* I cant remember if it was talking about global sales or just for a region.
  Either way 150Euros, more or less is the price for an 360 HD-DVD Player.
  175.000 x 150euros = 26.250.000Euros.
  I think that a good number even for MS,
  Plus, if they will release a BD 360 will not be cheap at all.

  29.1.2008 08:55 #7

• unicus

  Yawn...seems like Tosh have woken up to this skirmish (it can hardly be called a war, which people keep labelling it - DVD sales are still king, and for quite some time I'd bet)
  
  What I really don't get is why Sony et al. named their format to sound like a male p0rn star? Hold on I get it now, they want to shaft everyone...

  29.1.2008 09:00 #8

• 7thsinger

  Unicus, it's a news article. I don't think starting a flame war is productive at all.
  
  I know things don't look real good for HD-DVD. But, i doubt we're that close to seeing the format war end. Maybe things will perk up for them here in the near future.
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Sir, i would not harm thee for the world, but thou art standing where i'm about to shoot."

  29.1.2008 09:42 #9

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by SDF_GR: i think that will make more money than that,
  I have read some were (maybe it was here) that MS have sold more than 175.000 HD-DVD players.
  Note* I cant remember if it was talking about global sales or just for a region.
  Either way 150Euros, more or less is the price for an 360 HD-DVD Player.
  175.000 x 150euros = 26.250.000Euros.
  I think that a good number even for MS,
  Plus, if they will release a BD 360 will not be cheap at all.the numbers I gave were estimates of the US, even if you tipple it for world wide its still bearly 10M and thats nothing to MS.
  
  the BD drive would be about 200$ because the PC BR USB drive is 200$ so it will be between 150 and 250.

  29.1.2008 09:55 #10

• silk42

  While it seems unlikely, it's still possible for HD DVD to survive. Their current strategy of trying to sell their HD DVD players as upconverting DVD players can help get millions of units into households that are still viewing the much more common DVD. If they're able to get a huge base of HD DVD players into households and then actually drop the price of HD DVD media, then this could cause those millions of people who would normally buy a standard DVD to try this "new" HD DVD movie. After realizing the difference, it may make a big enough difference in sales volume, that the movie studios might be forced to support HD DVD if they want to make money.
  
  While this is probably not likely, I do see it as a slight possibility. I am still a standard DVD viewer myself, so I could see myself going this route if the HD DVD players were cheap enough. I'd have no problem paying $79 for an upconverting DVD player that would also play HD DVD, knowing that I wouldn't buy an HD DVD unless the price for the media came down at a later date.

  29.1.2008 11:18 #11

• red2tango

  i wouldnt buy an hd-dvd on sales for $20 because i can keep that 20 and instead of supporting a dead format,i can support movies studios creating blu-ray.get yourself a ps3 and u get the best of both worlds.

  29.1.2008 11:40 #12

• glasssd

  Why not just buy an up-converting player. They are cheaper. I am not directing this at you Silk, but if people are willing to spend $1,500 and up on a nice HDTV, why would they think that $300-400 is too much for a HD player? The price difference between HD-DVD and BLU-Ray is nothing when compared to the amount that someone pays for a HDTV. If someone gets a cheap small HDTV, there is no reason to get a HD player anyway. And to see people say that when HD-DVD is gone, they will never go BLU, those people never liked HD in the first place and are the true definition of Fanboy. If Blu-Ray would have lost instead of HD-DVD, I would have got a HD-DVD player.

  29.1.2008 11:45 #13

• spydah

  This isnt a surprise at all. If you were the company making a product that is competition with another company making a similar product would you just give up on yours. Toshiba's name is all over this format so they have to support it to the bitter end. Whether they decide to scrap this format and move on or stick it out they will still be around in this game no matter what. As long as there is a market for High Def Toshiba is always in business with this so called war.

  29.1.2008 12:03 #14

• emugamer

  Originally posted by glasssd: Why not just buy an up-converting player. They are cheaper. I am not directing this at you Silk, but if people are willing to spend $1,500 and up on a nice HDTV, why would they think that $300-400 is too much for a HD player? The price difference between HD-DVD and BLU-Ray is nothing when compared to the amount that someone pays for a HDTV. If someone gets a cheap small HDTV, there is no reason to get a HD player anyway.Exactly. I just bought a 26" HDTV for my bedroom. Upconverting looks great. Getting a 46" HDTV in my living room and the entertainment center that I want is going to run me over $2,000. I could care less about either of these formats until I can afford that. Glad I can't afford it this year, because I'm curious about the laser technology next year.

  29.1.2008 12:16 #15

• iamgq

  After I see the 30sec HD Superbowl commercial, im going to run to the store and buy me all the HD DVDs I can afford, boooo...
  I think them 3mill are better off being donated to charity like the Red Cross or something similiar and really see it put in to work.

  29.1.2008 12:40 #16

• atomicxl

  Two comments:
  
  1) I'll ROFL if this commercial is one of those crappy ones with black bars on the left and right. I hate watching a lovely HD broadcast and then seeing a commercial with some old school 50s-era technology being used.
  
  2) This is good news. Current blu-ray players should be selling at the same price as HD-DVD players since none of them actually support the features introduced in the standards. Blu-Ray's victory has these crap players still going at a premium cost.

  29.1.2008 14:05 #17

• banned4Lf

  3 million for a 30 second ad..........??? What garbage. A few years back 30 seconds used to be 1 million. If you have children, then they're screwed because this world is about screwing everyone and it just blows!! Prices are rising so quickly and so exponentially that only a select and lucky few will be able to survive without having to bottom feed. Humanity bites!!!

  29.1.2008 14:10 #18

• JorDogg

  If microsoft had put a HD-DVD player in the xbox it would have been a whole different story, bet they wish they had done it now!

  29.1.2008 16:18 #19

• goodswipe

  Errr, Micro$oft could care less about that, works out for them either way. HD DVD fails, they win. Blu-ray fails, they win. IMO, they were wise for not incorporating an HD DVD player into their console.
  

  HD-DVD...keep the dream alive!

  29.1.2008 16:46 #20

• NexGen76

  This would be a great place to show the world your player are on Clearance sale across the world.I think im going to buy one i need a great upscale HD/DVD player.

  29.1.2008 17:40 #21

• mspurloc

  I was an HD-DVD supporter, but frankly this is throwing good money after bad.
  
  Talk about a disconnect with reality.

  29.1.2008 19:46 #22

• ripxrush

  i see a dual format player in my near future! HEY lets make it a Quad format! VHS, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray up converts all SD content! $2000!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!! Anyways i feel dual format players will come down in price like everything else so it really wont matter if a few players stay on the HD-DVD side while Blu-Ray takes the rest! lets put it this way, I know a few people who have DVD/VCR combos because there is a market there for people who have the old format!

  29.1.2008 23:38 #23

• pomelo

  Just make movies for both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and let the customer choose which one to buy.

  30.1.2008 04:06 #24

• glasssd

  Where was the AD? Nothing?! Did they pull the AD?

  3.2.2008 23:33 #25

• Chavo

  I didn't see the AD. Where is it?

  4.2.2008 00:21 #26

• sk8flawzz

  it was in the beginning of half time
  it wasn't too impressive since it was very similar to the one on toshiba's hd dvd site, but to people who have no idea what HD DVD and BD is the price might've caught their attention.
  I was hoping for a funny commercial but it wasn't

  4.2.2008 00:51 #27

• error5

  Originally posted by Chavo: I didn't see the AD. Where is it?According to other forums it wasn't shown in all markets - only in some selected local stations. It also wasn't shown in HD.

  4.2.2008 09:09 #28

• borhan9

  I have to say toshiba is going to loose big if it does not invest in blu-ray soon because it surely looks that hd dvd is on the outter.

  20.2.2008 00:44 #29