First HD-DVD Player Goes On Sale 186
An anonymous reader writes "If you live in Japan, you can get your hands on the first commercially available HD-DVD player as of today. Toshiba has launched the HD-XA1, and hopes for sales in the next year to exceed 600,000 units. The device is set to debut in the states in April. From the article: "The player will sell for 110,000 yen (US$936) in Japan. In that market there will also be a cheaper player, the HD-A1, priced at $500. Toshiba said the price in Japan is based on its expectation that video enthusiasts will be first to adopt the technology, while in the United States, the prices are aimed more at average consumers who are more price conscious." Update: 03/31 18:45 GMT by Z : Quoted article updated, quote updated to match the article.
techie (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:techie (Score:5, Interesting)
Especially since crippling DRM limiting the fair use rights of paying customers for the sake of stopping a phantom piracy threat are included right there in the spec.
Yeah, this should go well.
Re:techie (Score:3, Interesting)
When I'll get any of these next generation formats, it will be once burners have arrived, and for data storage. I'll likely still go for it when the price and availability matures, because the storage amount is quite attractive.
Re:techie (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:techie (Score:2)
Re:techie (Score:2)
Oh I know that. Most DVD players certainly can't decode mpeg4 at HD resolution, that takes some power that wouldn't make sense to put on a DVD player because the only content that would take advantage of it doesn't exist. What I'm talking about is why didn't they just make a new "format" that uses the old format, instead of making us pay for these new exotic lasers. This format would still require a new player, but it would still only need a red wavelength laser.
The whole deal would have been able to ha
no region coding (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess thats a slight incentive to buy this early, but not enough to justify the rest of the horribly crippling DRM features it will have.
Re:no region coding (Score:2)
The discs will work fine for most users. Microsoft has been pushing for mandatory managed copy in HD-DVD. It won't be better and could certainly be worse with Blu-Ray.
Math? (Score:5, Funny)
$936 $800.
Smooth.
Re:Math? (Score:1)
Re:Math? (Score:5, Funny)
My post, with the correct characters:
The player will sell for 110,000 yen (US$936) in Japan, which is less than the $800 price tag it will carry in North America.
$936 < $800.
Smooth.
Re:Math? (Score:1)
$936 $800.
Slashcode is just starving for some angle brackets.
Smooth.
Re:Math? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Actually, Less [greenwoodsoftware.com] is much better than more. It has a website for starters.
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Yeah but can you less | more?
Re:Math? (Score:3, Funny)
Yes, you can.
[~] 1 (jon@powerwire)
$ echo "foo bar" | less | more
foo bar
[~] 1 (jon@powerwire)
$
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Math ? - No, but behold the Power of Marketing!
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Re:Math? (Score:2)
Plus there will be lots more then 600k units moved within the first 3 months. Toshiba's gonna have to step up and make a sleeker, cheaper, unit to compete.
Or you can wait until the PS3 ships (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember, the first rule of marketing - early adopters of electronics pay $1000 to $2000, people who can wait for the bug-free version pay $500-$1000, and people who can wait until more than fifty percent adoption pay $300-$500, at the zero, one, and two year marks.
Re:Or you can wait until the PS3 ships (Score:2)
It will! With...Vista!...uh...Duke Nukem Forever! (Score:2)
Re:Or you can wait until the PS3 ships (Score:2)
I'll bet it'll launch before the Phantom Gaming console
Or you can wait for $34.77 at Walmart (Score:2)
Re:Or you can wait for $34.77 at Walmart (Score:2)
Re:Or you can wait until the PS3 ships (Score:2)
That's one. Another is "Never underestimate the consumer. It's impossible."
600 to 700k worldwide sales? (Score:3, Informative)
They mention in the article that there will be a lower-end version for sale in North America for around $500. I couldn't find any specs or reasons for the lower cost. Anyone else?
Re:600 to 700k worldwide sales? (Score:3, Informative)
some info here [engadget.com]
Sounds like the 300 bucks gets you better soound and usb ports..
not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:5, Insightful)
Man, the first people who buy these babies are either crazy, stupid, or just like to spend their highly expendable capital.
For the consumser's cool $1000 he (or she) gets:
This new unit is not for the faint of heart, but I know the consumers are out there to break ground for the rest of us. God Bless them and their expendable income.
Be a Beta tester for a cool $1000 (Score:2)
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, there is *no doubt at all* to anyone who owns an HDTV of any size that DVD's are significantly inferior to broadcast HD programming. When American Idol has a sharper picture than the newest $20 King Kong DVD, something is wrong.
"Early adopter" gear has never been for the feint of heart. This applies to HDTV's, DVD players, VHS decks, CD players, you name it. You don't buy the first generation of a technology expecting it to work just
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:2)
Oh yeah? Don't be a sucker.
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:2)
And lots of major studios are on record as saying they won't make use of that particular flag.
The industry learned a pretty big lesson when the market rejected the DivX system back in the late 90s.
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:2)
No. Some major studios are on record saying that they won't use it INITIALLY - they aren't making any promises. Furthermore, some major studioes are strongly in favor of it, notably Paramount, Universal and Time-Warner.
So, to re-iterate the point from my first post, contrary to the original poster's claims - yes there is BIG argument over playing HD at HD resolution. All the players support the flag, so any stud
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:3, Funny)
In a couple years we'll be playing HD-DVD and Blu-ray through a $40 player made by Apex with a "Secret Menu".
And yet... (Score:2, Informative)
And yet the people who blew $2500+ on the first run of apple MacBook Pro's werent crazy or stupid, weren't they? Funny how perception changes based on the product and the vendor...
Re:And yet... (Score:2)
More like the based on the added value of the product.
When you bought a MacBook Pro at launch, how many of the features were usable right out of the box during the first year after launch? But when you buy a HD-DVD, given the lack of media, for the first year, people will essentially have a really expensive box that will only
Re:And yet... (Score:2)
Re:not a investment worth making, yet... (Score:2)
FWIW though, I plan on diving in with Blu-ray when it ships in May/June (The Fifth Element should be awesome).
Early adopters jump on! (Score:2)
Re:Early adopters jump on! (Score:2)
DRM is essentially the same in both systems. The only substantial question remaining is that of mandatory managed copy: hard disc backup in high definition, home networking, and related issues.
From the article, 500 less than 936 (Score:1, Informative)
"The player will sell for 110,000 yen (US$936) in Japan. In the North American market there will also be a cheaper player, the HD-A1, priced at $500. Toshiba said the price in Japan is based on its expectation that video enthusiasts will be first to adopt the technology, while in the United States, the prices are aimed more at average consumers who are more price conscious."
Wow, So... yea (Score:2)
I'll pass... (Score:3, Interesting)
So there's absolutely no point in investing a grand in a technology which will be obsoleted within a year. I'll throw a holo drive in a MythTV, get my movies online legit and tell the consumer electronics manufacturers to suck it.
Your nickname implies (Score:2)
My sentiments exactly, FWIW.
Re:Your nickname implies (Score:2)
Exactlyyyyyyyyyyy.... hehehehe
Re:I'll pass... (Score:2)
You could have said that 5 years ago...
Three-cheers for Vaporware!
Nobody is going to wait 20 hours, with their DSL connection maxed-out, to download a single HDTV movie. Online distribution is probably decade off.
Obviously true, but since you
Price conscious consumer? (Score:2)
I, as a real price conscious consumer, would never buy something like this for so much. The cons just greatly outweigh the pros at this point.
early adopters (Score:1)
hd-dvd player: $800-936
They don't call it the "bleading edge" of technology for nothing.
Re:early adopters (Score:2)
Re:early adopters (Score:2)
bleading
bleeding
YMMV
a new spin on an old joke? (Score:4, Funny)
HD-DVD titles: priceless (there aren't any, yet)
Not being able to record: priceless
Owning a player for a soon-to-be dead format: priceless
toshiba hdxa1 is approaching (Score:1)
Re:toshiba hdxa1 is approaching (Score:2)
-Eric
Average Consumer (Score:2, Insightful)
Since when is $500 an afordable price for the 'average' consumer being that the 'average' consumer still doesn't own an HDTV (thus gets no benefit out of a HD-DVD player)?
Honestly I hope people reject HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and stick with Progressive scan DVD players for one reason, I'm sic
Oh boy! (Score:2)
Oh wait... I don't have a DVD-A or SACD player.
Re:Oh boy! (Score:2)
Bleh
I completely forgot where I was going with this...Never mind.
Thats good... (Score:2)
Wake me up when ... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
You need the device before the "software/drivers" will be of any use.
And, until the AACS is cracked, your software/drivers will not let you watch a movie. And, there aren't any movies available yet, anyway.
Re:Wake me up when ... (Score:2)
The EVD format is as old as DVDs. It's China's little failed experiment, trying to follow-up the sucess of SVCD.
Back when it was going to use VP5, it sounded like a good format. Now that they had a contract dispute (read: lawsuit) with On2, they've given-up and just gone for MPEG-2. So, EVD, at best, is no better than DVD, and isn't supported by any players, and is about a decade behind schedule.
HD-AX1 Specifications (Score:2, Informative)
Video
-----
Disc Playback: HD-DVD/HD-DVD-R/DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/CD/CD-R/C D-RW
HD Content via HDMI (Disc Native Resolution)
Video Up-conversion for SD DVD (720P/1080i)
11-but / 216 MHz Video DAC
Enhanced Black Level (DIRE
Letterbox and Pan & Scan Support
Audio
-----
Built-in Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, and TDS decoders
Dolby True HD Compatible (2 channel)
Four 32-bit Floating Point Processors
Multi-Channel 24-bit /
Re:HD-AX1 Specifications (Score:2)
No thanks, then.
$100 a pop (Score:3, Funny)
Re:$100 a pop (Score:2)
Re:$100 a pop (Score:2)
Class action? (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes, I believe they have... (Score:2)
The TV displays content input just fine.
The HD-DVD player just may refuse to output full res sometimes. It probably mentions this in the manual (oh god I hope it doesn't have a EULA!).
It's not a fault of the TV, I don't see the basis of the lawsuit.
Besides, at the time these TVs were sold, there was no such thing as an HD-DVD player. It all was OTA HD and W-VHS. So I'm not sure the user has any expectation that it will work perfectly with all future device
Buy it for its future rarity (Score:3, Insightful)
Buy it now and put it in your garage next to your jar of mint-condition Susan B. Anthony dollars, your Coleco Adam, and your Gemstar REB-1100 eBook.
Bound to be worth a fortune; your grandchildren will be so grateful.
I grew up on NTSC. (Score:2)
That said, it sure ain't worth anything remotely like the price I'll need to pay to update my video equipment. There's the television itself, the *VD player and oh, by the way, how do I get my VHS VCR to work with the new HDTV? (I've got a lot of home movies on VHS which I personally couldn't care less about, but my wife'll kill me if I lose 'em!)
I'm not even going to mention my PC with the ATI All-in-wonder TV card in it. Well, since I just did, yes I will. How 'bou
Re:I grew up on NTSC. (Score:2)
Re:I grew up on NTSC. (Score:2)
You plug it into the composite video/s-video and audio jacks, just like we've been doing with regular TVs for over 2 decades.
Yeesh, are people seriously this ignorant about technology?
What I was trying to get at was . . . (Score:2)
But will it play... (Score:2)
I was an early adopter on DVD, but not this... (Score:2)
I bought a Sony DVD player in 1997 for $1000.
But there is no way I would touch this new HD-DVD/Blu-ray hardware with a ten-foot cattle prod. Let's see.... Can't play HD on my Sony HDTV (no HDCP, oh well!), The Man just wants to further restrict my fair use, and the benefits of the format change are ZERO from a practical standpoint (form factor, no rewinding, etc that made change from VHS to DVD so obvious).
In soviet russia... (Score:2, Funny)
Not worth it (Score:4, Interesting)
Can't we all just get along? (Score:2)
Boycott HD-DVD (Score:2)
Re:Wait... (Score:1)
Re:Wait... (Score:2)
Hell, everyone else was doing it.
Re:Wait... (Score:1)
from the new TFA:
The player will sell for 110,000 yen (US$936) in Japan. In the North American market there will also be a cheaper player, the HD-A1, priced at $500. Toshiba said the price in Japan is based on its expectation that video enthusiasts will be first to adopt the technology, while in the United States, the prices are aimed more at average consumers who are more price conscious.
Re:What about movies? (Score:2)
Re:What about movies? (Score:1)
I think these have been delayed but Million Dollar Baby, The Last Samurai, Phantom of the Opera (2004) are supposed to be out next month or May.
Followed by:
5/23 - Crash, Lord of War, The Punisher, Saw, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
5/23 - The Last Waltz
5/23 - 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, xXx
6/6 - Underworld: Evolution (day and date)
6/13 - Rob
Re:What about movies? (Score:2)
Ah, that takes me back to the late 90s; people complaining about DVD versions not being released day and date with the VHS versions, people buying the Japanese LD of Phantom Menace, and the entire Home Theater market getting together to crush DivX.
Re:What about movies? (Score:2)
Re:Wha? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:XBox360? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:XBox360? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:XBox360? (Score:1)
Re:Eh sorry? (Score:3, Funny)
In ten days (that's less than a week!!)
Re:But what about the cables? (Score:3, Funny)
Duh! Less is MORE! (Score:2)
Re:Think (Score:2)
Even if the PS3 won't be sold at loss, this thing has a big profit margin added. The PS3 won't.