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Wal-Mart to Go Blu-ray Exclusive
Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM ETTags: 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)
New Wal-Mart "Secret Sale" Details Confirmed
Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:03 PM ETTags: Wal-Mart, High-Def Retailing, PlayStation 3, Toshiba (all tags)
Both high-def disc formats will be featured in Wal-Mart's next "secret sale" on Friday, but those hoping for price cuts akin to last month's $99 HD DVD player will be disappointed.
Instead, the word of the day appears to be "value-add," with the discount retailer offering up different freebies with purchase of hardware on both sides of the high-def format war.
On the Blu side of the aisle, Wal-Mart will be throwing in a free $50 Gift Card with purchase of the Blu-ray-enabled $399 40GB Playstation.
For those who lean red, the retailer will be offering Toshiba's HD-A3 and HD-A2 HD DVD players with five free HD DVD movies off the shelf -- that's in addition to the five free movies by mail (and in the case of the HD-A3, the two movies in the box). Both Toshiba players will be sold at list price -- $298 for the HD-A3, and $198 for the HD-A2.
Wal-Mart officially unveiled the specials today on its holiday site, confirming reports that first surfaced in our own forums earlier this week.
As we've previously reported, Wal-Mart's Nov 2nd "secret sale" resulted in record HD DVD player sales for Toshiba, with the retailer reportedly moving somewhere between 40,000 to 70,000 units at the door-busting price of just $99.
This Friday's sale kicks off at 8am at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The retailer warns that supplies are limited, so if you're hoping to take advantage of these deals, an early arrival may be in order.
To discuss these and other next-gen hardware and software deals, visit the Blu-ray Bargains and HD DVD Bargains areas in our forums area.
- Related links:
- Secret In-Store Specials [Wal-Mart.com]
- Dec 7th Secret sale at Wal-mart [High-Def Digest Forums]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Report: Weekend Toshiba HD DVD Player Sales Top 90,000
New Wal-Mart "Secret Sale" Details Confirmed
Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:03 PM ETTags: Wal-Mart, High-Def Retailing, PlayStation 3, Toshiba (all tags)
Both high-def disc formats will be featured in Wal-Mart's next "secret sale" on Friday, but those hoping for price cuts akin to last month's $99 HD DVD player will be disappointed.
Instead, the word of the day appears to be "value-add," with the discount retailer offering up different freebies with purchase of hardware on both sides of the high-def format war.
On the Blu side of the aisle, Wal-Mart will be throwing in a free $50 Gift Card with purchase of the Blu-ray-enabled $399 40GB Playstation.
For those who lean red, the retailer will be offering Toshiba's HD-A3 and HD-A2 HD DVD players with five free HD DVD movies off the shelf -- that's in addition to the five free movies by mail (and in the case of the HD-A3, the two movies in the box). Both Toshiba players will be sold at list price -- $298 for the HD-A3, and $198 for the HD-A2.
Wal-Mart officially unveiled the specials today on its holiday site, confirming reports that first surfaced in our own forums earlier this week.
As we've previously reported, Wal-Mart's Nov 2nd "secret sale" resulted in record HD DVD player sales for Toshiba, with the retailer reportedly moving somewhere between 40,000 to 70,000 units at the door-busting price of just $99.
This Friday's sale kicks off at 8am at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The retailer warns that supplies are limited, so if you're hoping to take advantage of these deals, an early arrival may be in order.
To discuss these and other next-gen hardware and software deals, visit the Blu-ray Bargains and HD DVD Bargains areas in our forums area.
- Related links:
- Secret In-Store Specials [Wal-Mart.com]
- Dec 7th Secret sale at Wal-mart [High-Def Digest Forums]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Report: Weekend Toshiba HD DVD Player Sales Top 90,000
Venturer HD DVD Player Surfaces at Wal-Mart
Thu Nov 29, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Venturer, Wal-Mart, Hardware (all tags)
The long-anticipated budget HD DVD player from Venturer has finally arrived, and is being sold by Wal-Mart for $199.
Back when it was first announced in late August, Venturer's SHD7000 player had been expected to break low-price records this holiday season, but with Toshiba's entry-level HD DVD players being sold for as little as $99 earlier this month (also at Wal-Mart), Venturer's HD DVD launch has lost a bit of its thunder.
Still, with Wal-Mart carrying the player, there's no telling how many Christmas shoppers may be wooed by its low price. (At press time, the retail giant was offering the player at select stores and online for $199.)
According to early reports, the player is functionally identical to Toshiba's HA-A3 HD DVD player, offering 1080i video output via HDMI and Dolby TrueHD support.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Venturer SHD7000 HD DVD Player [Wal-Mart.com]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Venturer to Release Budget HD DVD Player for the Holidays (Aug 28, 2007)
- Venturer HD DVD Player: $199? (Aug 29, 2007)
- HD DVD Takes Centerstage at Wal-Mart (Oct 31, 2007)
Report: Weekend Toshiba HD DVD Player Sales Top 90,000
Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Toshiba, High-Def Retailing, Wal-Mart, Best Buy (all tags)
Video Business is reporting record-breaking sales numbers for Toshiba's HD-A2 player following last Friday's price drops at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
As we've previously reported, both big box retailers offered the entry-level 1080i HD DVD player at the record-low price of $99 late last week.
Quoting sources close to the retailers, VB estimates that 90,000 units were sold at top outlets, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City. According to the trade paper, that's nearly as many sales as the best-selling stand-alone Blu-ray Disc player (Sony's the $499 BDP-S300) has sold since its launch.
In a separate report, BetaNews estimated that 40,000 to 70,000 of the 90,000 units were sold at Wal-Mart alone.
Toshiba and the HD DVD Promotions Group have thus far declined comment on this past weekend's sales numbers, but if these numbers are accurate, here's betting we'll see some sort of official statement in the coming days.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- HD DVD set-top player $99 sales moves units [Video Business]
- How HD DVD Got its Groove Back [BetaNews]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- HD DVD Takes Centerstage at Wal-Mart (Nov 01, 2007)
- Best Buy Drops Toshiba HD DVD Player to $99; Supplies Very Limited (Nov 01, 2007)
HD DVD Takes Centerstage at Wal-Mart
Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Wal-Mart, Toshiba, Video Clips (all tags)
Only a week after dropping the price of Toshiba's entry-level HD DVD player to $198, Wal-Mart has revealed more plans to help push HD DVD this holiday season.
As first spotted by eagle-eyed early adopters late yesterday, the country's top retailer has rolled out a new holiday advertising campaign that includes at least one ad that prominently features the 1080i Toshiba HD DVD player.
Wal-Mart CMO Stephen Quinn told The New York Times that the overall goal of the campaign is to "find more positive and more emotionally connective ways" to emphasize the chain's discounted prices.
In the HD DVD-specific commercial (scroll to the end of this story to watch), a wife raves about the "incredible" price she paid for a Toshiba HD-DVD player she bought her husband. "All I know is that Christmas is going to be a very, very good day," she says, smiling.
Designed to tie in with the launch of the new campaign, this Friday at 8am, select Wal-Mart stores will be knocking yet another $100 off the cost of Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player, offering the player for just $98 as one of five "Secret In-Store Specials."
Alongside the player, the retailer will also be offering three HD DVD titles ('12 Monkeys,' 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Blood Diamond') for just 14.96 a peice.
So does this mean the influential retailer is choosing sides in the high-def format war? Maybe, maybe not. The company itself hasn't indicated whether it has plans to promote both formats as part of the campaign, but it did list Blu-ray backer Sony alongside Toshiba among the well-known brands that will ultimately be included.
To watch Wal-Mart's new HD DVD commercial, press play in the video window below:
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Wal-Mart Wants to Carry Its Christmas Ads Beyond Price [New York Times]
- Secret In-Store Specials [Wal-Mart.com]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- 12 Monkeys (HD DVD)
- The Big Lebowski (HD DVD)
- Blood Diamond (HD DVD)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Wal-Mart Stocks Sub-$200 HD DVD Player (Oct 26, 2007)
Wal-Mart Stocks Sub-$200 HD DVD Player
Fri Oct 26, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Wal-Mart, Toshiba (all tags)
It's official. After weeks of rumors, Wal-Mart has begun selling Toshiba's second-gen HD-A2 HD DVD player for $198, setting a new low-price record for a stand-alone next-gen player.
Although reports of a rollback for the HD-A2 first surfaced earlier this month, it wasn't until the middle of this week that consumers began spotting endcaps with that magic price cropping up at select Wal-Mart locations nationwide.
In an article first published by Fortune Magazine, Wal-Mart spokesperson Melissa O'Brien confirmed the price cut and denied rumors that each Wal-Mart store would stock only 18 units of the Toshiba player, saying "there are no limited quantities for stores or purchases."
The spokesperson would not comment on the retail giant's holiday plans for HD DVD and Blu-ray, other than to say "we know HD DVD and Blu-ray are going to be popular items this holiday season for some of our customers."
Toshiba's 1080i HD-A2 was originally released this past January at a retail price of $499, but is now available at various retailers at prices ranging from $230-280. The HD-A2's successor -- the third-generation HD-A3 -- is due to hit stores November 1 with a list price of $299.
Wal-Mart says the $198 price for the HD-A2 is being offered for in-store purchases only (their website still lists it at $274).
(Thanks to HDD forum member exrob for the photo!)
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: Wal-Mart offers Toshiba player for under $200 [Fortune.com]
$50 Wal-Mart HD DVD Player: Fact or Fiction? (UPDATED)
Fri Apr 20, 2007 at 07:03 PM ETTags: Hardware, Wal-Mart, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Scroll to the bottom of this article for updated information on this story.
News that Wal-Mart was planning to sell a high-def disc player at the discounted price of anywhere from $50-$299 spread across the web like wildfire Friday, but at the end of the day, the unconfirmed report raises more questions than it answers.
The news first surfaced Thursday morning in a post on AVS Forum which cited a Chinese news agency as reporting that Wal-Mart has signed a deal to produce two million HD DVD players to be sold at a discounted price of $299 a pop.
But as other online news outlets began to pick up the story on Friday (including perhaps most notably, Engadget), questions began to arise over which high-def formats (if any) the original Chinese report was referring to, as translations of the article show that it uses the phrase "Blu-ray HD DVD" or "Blue Light HD DVD" to describe the supported format of the reported disc player.
While the general consensus still seems to be that the rumored Wal-Mart player would play HD DVD discs (and not Blu-ray), without any official word from the retail giant itself, the story remains unconfirmed.
So why all the fuss? If Wal-Mart did choose to support one of the next-gen formats with a low-priced player (and did plan to produce them at these numbers) it could have a profound effect on consumer adoption and on the format wars in general. Wal-Mart is currently responsible for 40% of standard-def DVD sales, and has enormous sway with the studios as a result, so if the company were to exclusively back one of the two next-gen disc formats, it's not out of the realm of possibility that some studios might reconsider their format allegiances.
As of today though, Wal-Mart stocks both formats in limited quantities. And while recent reports have suggested that the retailer has begun favoring Blu-ray with more shelf space than HD DVD, Wal-Mart has made no public statements to suggest that it plans to be anything other than format-agnostic.
UPDATE:(4/30/07) After over a week of lingering rumors, Wal-Mart issued a statement to PC Magazine last week, denying the veracity of the reports discussed in this article, and reiterated its support of both Blu-ray and HD-DVD components in its stores and online, at least until a definitive winner in the format war is declaredSee what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Fuh Yuan will make two million HD-DVD players for Walmart [AVS Forum]
- Wal-Mart $299 HD DVD player on the way [Engadget]
- $50 HD-DVD players, Walmart goes low [Gadgetell]
- WalMart to sell $199 HD-DVD player in Q4 2007? [IGN]
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