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Format War
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Written by Michael Lankton
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Tuesday, 06 November 2007 |
 While it was announced last week that Kmart would only be offering HD DVD players in it's stores, the company has issued a statement declaring that the reports last week were false.
Jonathan Magasanik, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of home electronics for Sears Holdings attributed the reports to Toshiba. "Kmart plans to support both the HD DVD and Blu-ray platforms, and
has no plans to support either platform exclusively,” Magasanik said.
Whether or not this is a case of Kmart backpedaling and then trying to focus blame elsewhere, or another example of a bloodthirsty consumer electronics press taking something out of context and then running with it is unknown.
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BluRay
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Written by Michael Lankton
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Monday, 05 November 2007 |
 Sony says that Spider-Man 3 is the fastest selling Blu Ray title to date, yet hasn't released any sales numbers.
Launching on the same day, the Transformers DVD outsold the Spider-Man 3 DVD three to one. The Transformers HD DVD was the fastest selling next gen disc for a single HD format, selling 190k copies it's first week of release. Sony's reticence to trumpet the sales figures of Spider-Man 3 pretty much guarantees it's not in the same ballpark as Transformers or 300. We'll know this Friday, when the new Nielsen numbers are posted.
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Format War
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Written by Michael Lankton
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Monday, 05 November 2007 |
 Warner Bros did some backpedaling today, citing that statements made by Warner VP of High-Definition Media Dan Silverberg last week were taken out of context.
High Def Digest spoke to Jim Noonan, SVP of Strategic Promotion and Communication
for Warner Home Entertainment Group, who said "I can tell you that Warner's position has not
changed, and I know that Dan did not intend to suggest that wasn't the case.
We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor
are there any such announcements coming, or being planned." Asked about any short-term plans for a move to exclusivity, Noonan dismissed rumors regarding such a decision based on fourth quarter sales with "Like any major company, we are always reviewing our strategies in every
aspect of our business, it is what smart companies do. I can't say what may
happen five, ten years down the line. But right now, Warner Bros. has made no
decision to change course. We are still onboard with both formats, and will
continue [with a strong line-up of new releases and catalog titles], just
as we have in the past in supporting HD DVD and Blu-ray."
At this time, Warner seems committed to not having a hand in deciding the outcome of this struggle.
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Format War
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Written by Michael Lankton
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Friday, 02 November 2007 |
 Nationwide retailer Kmart won't be stocking Blu Ray players anytime soon, citing the high cost of Blu Ray hardware.
Kmart will instead focus their high definition area on rival HD DVD. High pricing that drives the demand for Blu Ray players away from the mass market toward home theater enthusiasts is specified as the motivation for embracing HD DVD and shunning Blu Ray in Kmart retail outlets.
Blu Ray advocates state the recent low price announcements regarding HD DVD hardware are a sign of desparation. The low prices may mean the difference between wish list and shopping cart to holiday shoppers this Christmas season, and it will be interesting to see how much market share HD DVD can leverage from the price cuts. |
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HD DVD
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Written by Michael Lankton
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Thursday, 01 November 2007 |
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People looking to buy into high definition optical on the cheap will be in luck this Friday at select Wal-Mart locations across the country.
Wal-Mart is advertising the Toshiba HD-A2 as one of their secret specials. Prices go into effect Friday at 8AM, and are limited to available quantities. A Toshiba HD-A2 for $98.87, down from $200, is quite a bargain, and a major milestone in the high def optical war.
If you're in the market to dive into high def at mass market pricing, check your local Wal-Mart this Friday, but get there early.
*Update 1Nov07
Not to be outdone by Wal-Mart, retailer Best Buy has jumped on the sub-$100 bandwagon, offering the Toshiba HD-A2 for $99.99. Quantities are limited and will only be available in-store, as the Best Buy web front shows the item as sold out. |
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