Wal-Mart blogger claims retailer will ditch HD DVD
Toshiba increasingly isolated
Wal-Mart has apparently decided to follow Best Buy and Netflix and only offer its customers Blu-ray Disc products in future.
From June, the retail giant will no longer offer HD DVD players.
The news comes from the company's Check Out blog, penned by staffers. One of them, Susan Chronister, today wrote: "OK, so are you ready... Wal-Mart is going Blu.
"By June, Wal-Mart will only be carrying Blu-ray movies and hardware machines, and of course standard-def movies, DVD players, and up-convert players.
"Not sure of the short-term pricing plans, but history tells us that as more people move to a new technology prices typically go down."
If Chronister's claim is an accurate representation of company policy, it could mark the beginning of the end for HD DVD. Toshiba is rumoured to be reconsidering its stance on the format, which is not a good sign, and suggests Wal-Mart's decision might already have been communicated to it.
Even the consumer electronics giant intends to stand steadfastly behind HD DVD, it's hard to imagine the format surviving the loss of Wal-Mart among its retail partners. Don't forget, Wal-Mart was instrumental in making Toshiba's programme of massive HD DVD player price cuts drive sales during the last half of 2007.
COMMENTS
Has anyone thought to....
Hold the other HD-DVD partners to account for their lack of involvment lately? Lets get off the HD-DVD vs BR rant we let Tim suck us into, and examine a major issue in all this.
http://www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com/hddvd/about/partners/
The last six months or more, Toshiba have been the only one helping the format. Why haven't Acer or HP shipped EVERY new PC with HD-DVD drives? We know MS want us to buy downloads off of them so it's a no brainer there so let stay off that one (!).... and the studios go with what shifts the most product ultimately.... Which is BR now that is without a doubt. But the other two big technology partners, shame on you.
I just feel very sorry for Toshiba, clearly shouldering the largest development, marketing and manufacturing costs yet seemingly getting no support from their partners. That is what stinks here.
Not consumers getting burnt (early adopters know the risks, and if it is your first time, welcome to the club!!). Toshiba seemed to throw all their weight behind this only to watch their partners fk off basically!
And ultimately it is only them who will get the corporate humilation when they announce BR support (which is inevitable). Just as Sony get the bashing for "owning" BR. Both are unfair and factually wrong.
To me, these are probably the real issues here. (?)
It's not over.. sony offer better blu-ray pricing for exclusive stores..
Stores don't care how many formats there are, they can sell them all. I reckon Sony are putting price pressure on the chains to offer exclusive blu-ray ranges.
I don't like blu-ray yet, because I don't know how the drm works. Mind you, I don't konw about hd-dvd either.
Topfield should do what they did to FreeView tuners/recorders, and then we'd all buy it. It's unseemly to see these corporations fighting over adoption. The new technology should be adopted strictly on merit.
!!
Re: Price reductions... with Sony?
'Well I suppose it is in so much as they go down a little, but they still remain far higher with the Sony brand.....So we'll have Blu-Ray and everyone cheers. Great. Sony have achieved their plan of wrecking the party and the consumer ultimately loses. It's short sighted. Oh well. Enjoy'
What a load of baloney....
Every manufacturer and his dog including all the sub 50 ukp dodgy supermarket specials will be eventually be on the market....And not a Sony in sight unless you want to go for a top end player and willing to pay extra for the marque
Re: Not Intristed
'Blu-ray nah! no thanks, no one is buying into anymore over hype products. When will they learn. People are very happy with current media. Sorry folks will add these to my BETA tapes :-P'
Sorry don’t believe you one bit….
So when you DVD player breaks down in a couple of year’s time (or maybe it might not even break you’ll just be browsing) and you go into you local electronics store and are presented with a Blu-ray player for under 50 ukp you are going to say naaa no thanks…. I’ll stick with my vanilla DVD format… and it will be even more perverse decision as you will in all probability also have a HD TV..
Sorry I will say it again….Don’t believe you…:-P
Finally
Good grief, finally it's over. Toshiba can wash their hands and make some kick-ass Blu-Ray devices and we can all get back to consuming movies...
Can't help wondering how Tim will take this news though...
