HD DVD NEWS TAGGED "HIGH-DEF RETAILING"Receive HD DVD News via RSS

Disaster in Japan May Strongly Affect Consumer Electronics Industry

Wed Mar 16, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Supply goes down, price goes up, and products may be delayed.

The recent natural and nuclear disasters in Japan may end up having a devastating effect on the Japanese consumer electronics industry, but at this point it's really too soon to tell just what the outcome will be.

Updates are still coming in from the major suppliers and manufacturers, but many have already reported conditions from light building damage and lack of electricity and water up to Toshiba's Kitakami City plant which will be out of operation indefinitely.

Most companies, thankfully, have been reporting small amounts of damage and minor injuries.

The folks at TWICE are updating regularly as they find out more.

Source: TWICE

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


"High-Def Digest-Digest" - January 18, 2011

Tue Jan 18, 2011 at 03:03 PM ET
Tags: High-Def Digest-Digest, Dick Ward, Josh Zyber, Drew Taylor, Mike Attebery, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

The first few weeks of January have been huuuuuge, thanks in part to CES 2011.  New gear was announced, 3D technology was pushed further forward, and we got what might be the biggest Blu-ray announcement of all time!!! Not sure what we're talking about?  That's what the High-Def Digest-Digest is for.

Blu-ray News

'Star Wars' Announced for Blu-ray!
If you didn't hear about this one then you're really out of the loop.  The trilogy everyone's been waiting for and the trilogy everyone wants to forget about are hitting Blu-ray on September 18th.

'The Lion King' & 'Beauty and the Beast' Announced for Blu-ray 3D
Disney's going 3D with some of their classics, including 'The Lion King' and 'Beauty and the Beast.'  Even more titles are rumored, including 'Nightmare Before Christmas.'

'The Incredibles' Blu-ray Dated
It's always exciting when a Pixar movie goes HD, and we couldn't be more excited for the Blu-ray release of 'The Incredibles' on April 12.

'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' Criterion Announced For Blu-ray
If you're a 'Fear and Loathing' fan, you'll be happy to know that the Criterion Collection Blu-ray will be hitting shelves on April 26. We're still trying to get Drew Taylor to stop giggling and clapping his hands together maniacally.

'The Ten Commandments' Blu-rays Detailed
The Cecil B. Demille classic will be hitting Blu-ray on March 29th along with documentaries, commentary and more.

Blu-ray Director’s Panel – CES 2011
Oliver Stone, Baz Luhrmann, and Michael Mann sat down to talk about Blu-ray and what it means to them. 

The State of Blu-ray At CES 2011
There weren't very many big Blu-ray player announcements at CES 2011 - Dick Ward says that's a good sign.

Other News

Samsung Roundtable – CES 2011
Samsung holds a roundtable to discuss the present and future of the company with some of its top execs and a few members of the press. High-Def Digest is there.

Philips Announces World's First Wireless HDMI Blu-ray Player
Aside from the power cord, you can go wireless with the new Philips player, giving you freedom to put the player anywhere you want - within 100 feet of course.

Japan Gets First 3D Series, And It's a Drama!
Adventure? Excitement? A Japanese 3D audience craves not these things.  Even if they do want it, they're getting a drama about air traffic controllers instead.

Netflix Buttons Are Coming to Remotes Everywhere
Netflix fans with connected TVs and Blu-ray players will have an even easier time getting to their favorite streaming content thanks to the addition of Netflix specific buttons.

Goodbye Component - From Now On Only HDMI Will Do HD
Analog video users are out of luck thanks to the new standard.  Starting in 2013, Blu-ray players won't even offer component outputs.

The Bonus View

The Year in Review: The Best Films of 2010
Drew Taylor takes a look at the year's best and inspires controversy with 'Piranha 3D.'

How Soon is Too Soon for a Remake?
The impending remake of 'Total Recall' makes Josh Zyber ask - is twenty years too soon?

My Latest Addiction: 'Game Dev Story'
Dick Ward is hooked on an iPhone game - and he doesn't even have an iPhone.  'Game Dev Story' is the game worth borrowing your rommate's phone to play.

Worst Weekend Ever
Josh Zyber hates on Vampire Weekend, or at least one song in particular in his rant about the music used in TV commercials.


High-Def Digest Attends Blu-Con 2010

Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:05 PM ET
Tags: Blu-ray, Industry Trends, High-Def Streaming, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer, Blu-Con 2010 (all tags)

by Michael S. Palmer


Blu-Con, in its third incarnation, is a day-long convention where creative content distribution and hardware companies evaluate, learn, and above all -- promote -- Blu-ray as a technology. Sponsored by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), the day involved a mix of panelists from the movie studio's home entertainment divisions, blockbuster filmmakers James Cameron and Jon Landau, and even a special appearance from High-Def Digest's own Josh Zyber. Look in the coming days for HDD's continued coverage of the many, many panels. 3D was the major headline, as evidenced by all the television demos and even the site of seeing Panasonics new consumer-level 3D camera, but it was also great to hear the studios promoting quality catalogue and classic releases.


For this first article, I think it's best to take a look at where Blu-ray is today as a format. Most of us reading and writing for High-Def Digest are enthusiasts. A range of "innovators" or "early adopters" on the Rogers model for adoption and diffusion of innovations. We are those who paid, in many cases through the roof, to beta test Blu-ray and/or HD-DVD because we love resolution, increased picture quality, and roaring surround sound. We bitch loudly, but sometimes secretly take pride in the technically know-how needed to update firmware or patch our WiFi networks. We're the guys and gals whose family and friends turn to when it's time for them to finally buy their newest toy.

The trouble, however, for any media innovation is that it needs to be monetized to survive. Laserdisc and BetaMax are only two formats which never went Mainstream, and every time we -- the excitable Must-Have-It's whose eyes glow when reading countless blogs and Black Friday guides -- jump headfirst into the Latest and Greatest, we risk diving into a draining pool.

But here's the great news from the other folks investing time and millions of dollars. Blu-ray is here to stay, and despite an imploded economy, it's one of the few growth areas in home entertainment distribution.

Let's talk math.


Home Entertainment Presidents from Universal, Fox, Sony, and Warners seemed genuinely confident with 2010. Like men who finally understand that media consumption and production aren't about linear transitions from one single format to the next single format. They're in the content business, and their jobs in this new century are to provide said content in any and all formats -- physical media, streaming, downloading, smart phones, social networking. And the good news? Consumer spending is at an all time high. Counting all media, there have been 3.6 billion "transactions" this year, up nearly 60 million from the recession-cramped 2009.

2010 is already the best year in Blu-ray's short history. 'Avatar' is the first true crossover disc, selling 8 million Blu-ray units in its first release -- many bought Blu-ray players just to see this movie. Though DVD is down 14 percent, Blu-ray is up 86 percent, which translates to a cool $1Billion in disc sales in the first 9 months (to be fair, this doesn't offset the loss in DVD sales yet). A promising figure by itself, lest we forget retailers do a majority of their business in the fourth quarter / holiday shopping season. Further, catalogue or library titles sales grew 60 percent -- this is particularly good for Blu-ray fans because it means the studios are seeing dollar signs and we reap the benefits by finally getting our favorites in the format. Sales of stand alone Blu-ray disc players are outpacing Sony's PlayStation 3 (stand alone player sales are important because those owners typically buy more movies than game console owners). What's staggering in this economy is that homes with one Blu-ray player have doubled since 2008 to 21 million.

This means Blu-ray officially has a 20 percent adoption rate in the US, and when that number hits 25 percent (perhaps this Christmas or early next year), Blu-ray will officially be Mainstream in the eyes of the number crunchers who decide such things.

[sorry I don't have the exact figures, International Readers, but know this: Europe Blu-ray disc sales are kicking ass, and Blu-ray Player sales in Japan are easily outpacing DVD players]

What all these statistics mean is that our family and friends are finally getting it. They see the value in the extra picture quality and they're still interested in "collecting" which puts a smile on the face of any home entertainment executive. The studios themselves seem better connected, and as a result, are doing a better job. Blu-ray releases brim with bonus materials and the flexibility of including a DVD and/or digital release. Yes, there are problems -- firmware, user experiences, networking and compatibility issues, the speed of evolution preventing 'future proofing' -- and these all need addressing. But the players themselves are faster now, easier to use for the average consumer, and are becoming gateway media machines. They're almost becoming DVD-easy and DVD-simple, which has long been a barrier.

The smartest thing the folks behind are doing are not trying to make Blu-ray only a "disc machine." Yes, physical media is the best quality available because even Blu-ray's data rate is ten times faster than a 4.6Mbps broadband internet connection (the average rate in most households). But, in five…ten…fifteen years, discs will likely go the way of the dodo, and for Blu-ray to become the last great physical media format, it has to be relevant in the era of streaming, and offer digital flexibility.

Rental Windows, Streaming, and Piracy


After lauding Blu-ray's achievements, the studio presidents opened up the conversation to discuss the 28-day rental windows, streaming and piracy. Apparently, the 28 days number came out of the legal agreement they made back in the days when RedBox was sueing everyone. These windows (and rental only versions of Blu-rays) will remain in place because they promote sales. The studios said they're seeing anywhere from a 7 percent to 15 percent sales increase (based on comparative titles who did not sell with a window). It seems we consumers have a choice: ownership / premium rental (such as VOD, see blow) with convenience and privilege, or subscription / $1-a-night Red Boxing for savings on a longer timeline. (Please take our poll regarding your own Blu-ray purchasing habits.)

The studios are also heavily invested in Video On Demand (VOD). They make good money, and will have more day-and-date releases. As for streaming, Netflix will remain a place for generally older titles (Starz being an exception because it's actually related to a Pay TV distribution window), but the studios are open to changing this relationship if favorable deal structures can be found.

In the future, we can expect more catalogue titles in the Blu-ray format thanks to companies like Sony seeing triple digit gains in their library release. And the DEG is hoping to perfect Digital Cloud, or Digital Locker, which means one purchase for content with the ability to stream or play the media on any device without the fear of losing it forever because it was only locally stored on a hard drive that decided to commit harikari.

Piracy is still a big deal for the studios and in countries where they aren't blocked by government interference (cough, China, cough), they have special teams that aim to combat pirates by releasing movies quick and for a competitive price. The studios also wish they could rebrand the act of stealing copyrighted content away from "piracy" which doesn't seem criminal. But here's the struggle: how do you change something culturally rooted when people in countries like Korea, Russia, and Spain doesn't see it as wrong (of course no one is implying that everyone in every piracy-heavy territory is a jerk…except you, Gary!) The studios would love to see laws here in the United States like those recently passed in France.

[author tangent:As someone who works and lives in Los Angeles, I can personally attest to piracy, or stealing, having real world effects on regular folks. Yeah, the nameless, conglomerate-owned studios are making record profits, but when the bottom line needs to be met for shareholders, who do you think suffers? It's the creative community: the stuntmen, the secretaries, the editors, the sound designers, the grips and electrics, the set dressers. No millionaires here. This also directly translates to more sequels, remakes, and less original, well-made content. So if any of our readers are avid bit-torrent users, though you probably don't care, you've literally put middle-class human beings out of work. Well done. By the way, pirate rogues, what do you do for a living? Perhaps you could let us know so we could undercut your business practices. Lovingly yours, Soap Box Palmer]

Okay, I'm back. Sorry. Where were we? Oh yes, Blu-ray in 2010. Okay, it's doing really well, expanding in hard times, and is about to be Mainstream. Of course, there are problems, namely user experience and number of available titles. I'll look to address some of those in a future panel which was lead by Amazon.com's Vice President of Music and Video, Bill Car. Please keep your eyes peeled and ready.


PS. I thought this was funny to see Toshiba go from format war enemy to sponsor. How far we've come in so little time.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


A Cost-Conscious Renters Guide For Building Your High-Def Home Theater

Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 04:30 PM ET
Tags: HD Gear, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)

High-Def Digest walks you through a series of tips and tricks for putting together an impressive high-def home theater setup that won't break the bank or cost you your deposit!

By Michael S. Palmer

“I live in apartments. Two story town homes. Condos. Even houses. I live alone. I have roommates. I am single. I am married. I live in the top floor. I live in the basement. I have neighbors above, below, and next-door.

Hello, my name is Renter. And I am an HD-junkie.”

Hello Renter,

It starts so innocently. I know. You see an HDTV for the first time -- maybe in a store, maybe at a friend’s home -- and you know you want it. No… you can’t possibly live without it. Bright and clear and seemingly perfect.

So you pick up a new HDTV, bring in an HD-DVR from your cable or satellite provider, and bam, you’re up and running. Only not. The truth of the matter is that TV speakers are lifeless, and high-def from your cable company isn't always as top notch as you might like it to be (think 720p). Oh, and now that you have a big screen you notice that DVDs aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be. Yep. It’s time for Blu-ray. And dynamic speakers.

In a utopian paradise, this is where you would draw up blueprints, rip out walls, build a soundproof, acoustically magnificent, room-within-a-room, and come home every night to a dedicated home theatre. A 1080p projector shines on a 150-inch screen. Audio and video cables hide in your walls. And your seats are those D-Box Motion Code recliners where you literally sit ON the subwoofer.

But sadly, Renters, you don’t have free reign. You live in an apartment directly over the building managers (an aging couple who need to shout their conversations because they’re both deaf, yet somehow, you tip-toeing across your floor they can hear). You put down expensive deposits and you hope to get most of it back. And you’re not even ready for the ultimate system, because who has many thousands of extra dollars sitting around, collecting dust?

Hello, real world.

But Renter, this shouldn’t stop you from having an amazing home theatre. When you’re ready to dip your toe in the HD waters, try these steps and cost-saving tips. Done right, and with a wee bit of luck, you’ll do this under budget and without forfeiting your deposit.

STEP 1: PREP

RESEARCH: Scour the internet. There are tons of forums, blogs, and audio/visual recources to help you out. All online. Available for free. Peak around, find the ones you like, then read product reviews, ratings, and recommendations. Learn prices, technical specs, and what you might want (Satellite, bookshelf, or floor-standing speakers? How many HDMI inputs do you need? What about audio? 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?).

SET AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL FOR YOUR BUDGET: As an example, let’s say we want to watch 1080p HD video on Blu-ray, play video games, and experience the sonic firepower of uncompressed digital audio in surround sound. But shopping for HD home theatre gear can be like house hunting -- never fall in love with something you can’t afford. And the great news is there’s a system for just about every budget. So, find a comfortable number, and stick to it. That’s your ceiling. End of discussion.

TV TIP: To truly enjoy 1080p video, you need two things: a capable TV, and a screen large enough for your viewing distance. The home theatre gods over at THX have some great advice. For a cinema feel, avoid smaller than 50 or 60 inches, if possible.

A/V RECEIVER TIP: Research receivers’ THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), which is noise/static caused as volume increases. You want a rating between .01% - .08%.

DEMO BEFORE YOU BUY: Speakers aren’t universally appealing to everyone’s ears. Certain receivers are more for music reproduction, others are more geared towards cinephiles. You need to test everything in person. Decide for yourself what sounds best to you. This is a big purchase. And you need to live with it and hopefully love it for a very long time.

DEMO TIP: Bring your own media, both music and movies that you know and love, which have wide dynamic ranges (low, midrange, and high notes), and active surround sound effects. And don’t be disappointed if you can’t get a multi-channel surround test of every system. If you find a front pair that you love, you’ll probably enjoy the center and surrounds from that same brand/model line.

WHERE TO DEMO: You have THREE options. Harass friends who already have gear in your price range, walk into a Big Box Store (Best Buy etc.), or find a home theatre specialist/custom installer.

BIG BOX STORES vs. HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Renter, can you walk into Best Buy, find a sales associate, give him or her a budget, and walk out with a middle to high end surround sound set up? Definitely. I’ve met many Best Buy/Magnolia employees who are passionate and knowledgeable (also, they do not work for commission), but you still need to walk in knowing your stuff.

For my hard-earned dollar, after one great experience with a smaller, boutique, professional installer, you’ll never go back. Not only can they match and beat prices in the big box stores, but you’re often dealing directly with the owner who can actually make deals. And, in our troubling times, it feels pretty damned good helping out Main Street over a mega-corporation.

Specialists and installers live for home theatre. They have to, or they go out of business. They’ll introduce you to brands you didn’t see in your research, and they often know more about what you actually need, than what you think you need, which saves you money. Big box stores seem driven to push you up into better more expensive models, where a specialist wants to give you exactly what you need for the money and space you have.

HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Fire up one or more of those audio/visual forum you found during research. Reach out to enthusiasts in your community for personal recommendations. Remember to always search for any question you have before posting a new one. And don’t worry if some specialty places are snobby when you’re not spending mega-bucks. You’ll just leave. The smart ones know a young renter purchasing his first system will want to come back to buy the bigger system someday if he’s satisfied.

STEP 2: SAVING GREEN

RECYCLE GEAR: What do you have that can be used in the new system? Maybe you have a receiver that’s a couple years old, or some leftover bookshelf speakers suitable for your rear surround sounds.

KNOW YOUR COSTS: Find the cheapest price online, and use that as your starting line for haggling. If a retailer won’t beat the price, walk away.

BUY THE WHOLE SYSTEM AT ONCE: The more you buy, the more a retailer can toss in free accessories, or overall discounts. When you’re ready to have a complete surround sound system. Take the plunge.

CASH: Credit Cards charge companies for their services. If you pay by cash or check, some retailers are willing to pass the savings onto you.

LAST YEAR’S GEAR: Retailers are always getting in newer models. If you play it right, or just happen to be lucky, a retailer will give you a discount on last year’s gear to clear out their storerooms.

FLOOR MODELS: Wouldn’t recommend this for HDTVs, given the amount of in-store abusage, but definitely check out available demo speakers. They’re probably the exact system you just evaluated and loved. The trick here is to see how the store maintains and cares for its equipment. If everything looks up to par, take them home (they usually come with a full manufacturers warranty).

WHERE NOT TO CHEAP OUT: Put money into your center channel. In movies especially, so much information is delivered from that one speaker.

NECESSARY POWER WATTAGE: Do you really need 130 or 140watts per channel? Speaking from a personal experience, a home theatre specialist recommended a receiver with 100watts/channel for my apartment. So I dropped down to a less powerful unit, and saved hundreds of dollars. And believe me, I haven’t even begun to turn my system up to full strength, yet it’s deafeningly loud and showing no signs of strain or distortion.

SUBWOOFER OPTIONAL?: This one goes out to my cousin, Apartment Building Renter. If you live above someone, they probably won’t enjoy thundering bass exploding over their heads and shaking their walls. Save a few hundred bucks by finding floor-standing front speakers that have BUILT-IN subwoofers (Definitive Technology is one company that does this). They won’t be quite as powerful as a stand-alone sub, but they come pretty close.

5.1 IS STILL AWESOME: 7.1 is all the rage in Blu-ray capabilities, but let’s be clear here. Stay at a very immersive 5.1 set up, and you just saved on the cost of two speakers, and the hassle of running two more speaker lines. Further, 7.1 is not a consistent feature on Blu-rays, and if you run a 5.1-mixed movie on your 7.1 system, no sound will come out of the two rear speakers (unless you activate you’re a/v receiver’s artificial signal processing to do so. But why would you want to alter a professional, uncompressed mix? An amazing team of artists worked long hours to make the 5.1 perfect.).

ACCESSORY MARK UP: Do not buy Monster Cables, or any brand for that matter in a big box store (even Radio Shack). It’s literally like burning money. Truck on over to Monoprice.com. They have everything from HDTV wall mounts, speaker wire, HDMI cables, and surge protectors, at wholesale prices.

MORE INTERNET SHOPPING: Renters, we need to share our love for Amazon.com. Nine times out of ten, their prices are significantly lower than brick and mortar big box stores (Blu-rays especially). If you can’t find a deal for the gear that you loved, order it online. Many items have free shipping, and (in California at least) it’s TAX FREE. The only trouble is being able to hold back that “I want it now” temptation of going to a store.

PS3: Want Blu-ray (with every HD Audio codec supported including DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, and Linear PCM), DVD playback, media server / internet capabilities, and access to truly life-like games? It’s all in one system. The PS3. Hands down the fastest, most capable Blu-ray player on the market for its price. One drawback, however, is that it doesn’t have streaming capabilities for things like Hulu or Netflix (without 3rd party software), but hopefully this is only temporary.

HD AUDIO TIP: If you do get a PS3, to experience uncompressed audio, you need an a/v receiver that has at the very least 1 HDMI input, and 1 HDMI output. But you’ll probably want more inputs for other/future devices.

STEP 3: FAMILY FRIENDLY & CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE

FAMILY FRIENDLY (AKA, GIRLFRIEND PROOF): Sorry ladies, but let’s be honest, pure terror ran across my mother’s or girlfriend’s faces when they saw 8 remotes on a coffee table. Take a bit of that money you saved, and get a computer programmable universal remote. The Logitech Harmony series is cheap for beginners, and easy to program/use on a daily basis. Problem solved (marriage saved).

PS3 REMOTE TIP: Logitech now has an accessory to run the PS3 with their Harmony remotes. You’ll need this because the PS3 game controllers and remote (sold separately) use Bluetooth.

CALIBRATION: It’s running. It looks and sounds good, but Renter, time to make your system hit peak performance, for which you have two options. Hire a professional (best results, but expensive), or do it yourself (cheap, but might not be perfect). If you can live with ‘good enough’, you can pick up a calibration disc like DVE HD Basics for under $20, or if you happen to have a Blu-ray with the THX logo, one of the menu options will be a calibration process called the “THX Optimizer.” Another good choice is Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark. Simple and easy to achieve great picture and perfect sound.

SPEAKER PLACEMENT TIP: Thanks again, THX.

SPEAKER WIRE TIP: Since you can’t run wires through walls, your best bet is to hide audio wires under a rug, along the floorboard, or behind bookshelves/furniture. Another (more expensive) option is to get wireless system for the surrounds, so there aren’t any rear wires. There are drilling and other installation options as well, but again the costs are high, and you have to fix it all before you leave. You can always have whatever you want. It’s just never free.

SETTING THE CROSSOVER TIP: It’s important when you have a subwoofer to tell the receiver, even if you have floor-standing speakers, that you have small speakers. This ensures that the subwoofer will handle the lower frequencies (usually below 80Hz).

NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY: There are certainly an infinite number of tiny tweaks you can make, but we’re renting, and living in the real world. This is just about getting you started. But, it’s very important as you are testing out and enjoying your cinematic wunderkind (side tangent: in addition to rolling out the red carpet for Blu-rays, try watching sports or playing your favorite video game in surround sound. You’ve been missing half the experience) to turn it up and talk to your neighbors. Is the sound or the bass bleeding through a little or a lot? Learn your limitations and be respectful, because some day you could live next to someone who never sleeps, and spent more money than you on speakers.

Good luck, and enjoy. I never knew how much of the music or movies I was missing until I purchased my first surround system that included floor-standing front speakers. And as for the best review my system ever received? My girlfriend lost 50% of the hearing in her right ear a few years ago, but these speakers are so clear she can actually hear in both ears.

Remember, Renter, you are not alone in your addictions, and this is only the first step in your home theatre journey.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Frys and Blockbuster Offer HD DVD Bargains

Tue Dec 30, 2008 at 01:30 PM ET
Tags: High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Reminiscent of the Ghost of Christmas Past, HD DVD deals continue to materialize almost a year after the end of the format war.

In what looks to be a one day sale, Frys is offering a special on the XBOX 360 HD DVD player, that comes bundled with HD DVD box sets of Heroes: Season One and Battlestar Galactica: Season One.

Meanwhile, Blockbuster is offering its collection of previously viewed HD DVD titles for $7.99 a piece. With over 350 titles to choose from, this offer could prove tempting for many high-def fans (Editor's Note - I for one am tempted! Then again, I still rummage through LaserDiscs at second hand stores and garage sales).

If you're looking for a backup HD DVD add-on for your XBOX, or interested in nabbing some high-def titles that have yet to hit Blu-ray, these offers could be right up your alley.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Frys offering XBOX 360 HD DVD Player and 'Heroes'/'Battlstar Galactica' Bundle [Frys.com]
Blockbuster Selling HD DVDs for $7.99 [Blockbuster.com]

Amazon Offering $50 Gift Certificate to HD DVD Customers

Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Amazon, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In a move reminiscent of last month's Best Buy offer, Amazon has begun contacting customers who qualify for a $50 gift certificate for purchasing HD DVD players.

In a company email that has begun going out to qualifying customers, the company states that players purchased before February 23, 2008, the same date specified in the Best Buy offer, qualify for the gift certificate, which can be used for new purchases on the site.

The email states, "New technologies don't always work out as planned. We at Amazon.com value our customer relationships more than anything and would like to support customers who purchased these players by offering a credit good for $50." The announcement does list some restrictions for the certificate's use.

Unlike the Best Buy offer, the company does not mention trade-in options for HD DVD media, but does state that the "Amazon.com Marketplace is available to sell items you might not want anymore as you upgrade to new ones." Perhaps suggesting that customer's might want to use their certificates to bring down the price of a shiny new Blu-ray player.

The program will run through April 9, 2009, so customers have plenty of time to take advantage of the offer.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Best Buy Offers $50 Gift Cards To HD DVD Buyers

Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Best Buy, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Hoping to help heal the battle scars of the High-Def format war, Best Buy has announced plans to offer $50 gift cards to all customers who purchased HD DVD players before February 23, 2008.

As announced via press release this morning, customers will receive the gift cards for every HD DVD player or HD DVD attachment purchased at Best Buy before the February 23, 2008 cut off date. All told, the company estimates it will distribute more than $10 million dollars in gift cards.

“The DVD format war has divided our customers in a way we haven’t seen since Betamax took on VHS,” said Brian J. Dunn, President and Chief Operating Officer for Best Buy. “Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs.”

Best Buy says it will proactively mail the cards to all customers whom they can determine purchased qualifying equipment. Best Buy Reward Zone members, Performance Service Plans (PSPs) participants, and online customers should expect to receive their gift cards in the mail by May 1. Other customers should have credit card proofs of purchase or Best Buy receipts ready and call (888) BEST BUY.

“The beauty of this offer is that it doesn’t require our customers to give up their HD DVD player,” said Best Buy’s chief marketing officer, Barry Judge. “We know that many people who purchased these players have HD DVD movies that they would like to continue to watch. We’re telling our customers they can keep their players to play these movies as well as their older DVDs and use the $50 to treat themselves to anything else in our stores.”

Customers who want to trade in all of their HD DVD equipment and movie libraries will also have that option. By visiting www.bestbuytradein.com beginning March 21, visitors can get instant estimates regarding the value of their collections, regardless of where they were purchased. If they agree to the estimates, they will then be able to send their items to the Trade-In Center for free by downloading prepaid shipping labels. These customers will also receive payment in the form of an additional gift card.

Further information can be obtained by visiting the Best Buy HD DVD Action Center.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Best Buy Stands Behind Customers By Awarding More Than $10 Million in Gift Cards to HD-DVD Purchasers [Press Release]
Best Buy HD DVD Action Center [Best Buy]

Shhh! Circuit City Trading HD DVD Players for Blu-ray

Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 07:30 PM ET
Tags: Circuit City, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Circuit City is allowing customers to trade in their HD DVD players and apply the original sales price toward the purchase of new Blu-ray players.

As first reported by Gizmodo earlier today (and confirmed at a Washington-area Circuit City this afternoon by High-Def Digest), the unpublicized offer is giving in-the-know customers a second chance at making the jump to high-def.

The offer only applies to players sold in the last 90 days, but that should give those who received HD DVD players for the holidays enough time to trade in their gifts for the winning next generation format. You must return the player in the original box with all of its accessories in order to qualify. Considering the price differences between the two player formats, there will likely be additional costs in making the exchange.

Note that this offer only applies to players and not to HD DVD discs.

(Thanks to Solstice X for the tip!)

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Circuit City Trading In HD DVD for Blu-Ray Players, Says Employee [Gizmodo]

Amazon Names Blu-ray 'Digital Format of Choice'

Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 09:18 AM ET
Tags: Amazon, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Though it will continue to stock movies on both high-def disc formats, Amazon.com said Wednesday that it will more prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software products on its website.

In a just-issued press release, the web giant said it was making the move in an effort to "help demystify high definition entertainment for consumers."

"The high-definition landscape is rapidly changing, and consumers are looking for guidance on how to make the best high-definition buying decisions," said Peter Faricy, vice president of movies and music at Amazon.com. "In order to best serve our customers, Amazon is recommending Blu-ray as the preferred digital format and will continue to carry the 'Earth's Largest Selection' of Blu-ray products."

Faricy went on to say that Amazon customers had "clearly voiced their support for the Blu-ray format," with sales of Blu-ray movie titles increasing from just over half of high-definition sales to over three-quarters of our high-definition sales since early January.

Though Amazon's statement this morning echoes a similar announcement from Best Buy early last week, the future of the HD DVD format by now is a fait accompli, following primary HD DVD backer Toshiba's announcement Tuesday that it would drop all efforts to produce and market the format.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Amazon.com to Support Blu-ray as the Digital Format of Choice for Customers [Press Release]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray over HD DVD (Feb 11, 2008)
Toshiba Officially Drops HD DVD (Feb 19, 2008)

Wal-Mart to Go Blu-ray Exclusive

Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM ET
Tags: Wal-Mart, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

The nation's top retailer will phase out its HD DVD support by early summer.

That's the official word this morning from Wal-Mart, first announced on the company's gadget blog, CheckOut.com.

According to Wal-Mart execs, the company will begin emphasizing Blu-ray in both brick-and-mortar stores and online over the next thirty days, with plans to completely phase out HD DVD movie and hardware sales by June 2008. The company will continue to sell DVDs and standard-definition hardware.

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases, explained Gary Severson, senior vice president, Home Entertainment, Wal-Mart US.

"With the customers best interest in all we do, we wanted to share our decision and timeline with them as soon as possible, knowing it will help simplify their purchase decision, increase selection, and increase adoption long term. We anticipate enhancing our selection with continued great values in hi-definition Blu-ray products, so our customers can further enhance their entertainment experience at home."

As we've previously reported, Wal-Mart was a key promotional partner for the HD DVD camp this past holiday season, with the retailer prominently featuring a Toshiba HD DVD player in one of its television commercials.

Today's announcement from the retailer comes on the heels of news earlier this week that both Netflix and Best Buy had endorsed Blu-ray.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Wal-Mart Chooses a Hi Def Platform [CheckOut.com]
Wal-Mart on Blu-ray bandwagon [CNN Money]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray over HD DVD (Feb 11, 2008)
Netflix Goes Blu-ray Exclusive (Feb 11, 2008)
HD DVD Takes Centerstage at Wal-Mart (Nov 01, 2007)


MORE HD DVD NEWS TAGGED "HIGH-DEF RETAILING":

» High-Def Digest home page