Post by dkennedy on Jun 29, 2007 9:42:44 GMT -5
Will China Produce Cheap HD DVD Players?
The rumors that inexpensive players will come to the U.S. continue to persist.
June 29, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
For several weeks, rumors have circulated that Chinese companies will manufacture inexpensive HD DVD players that could be sold this holiday season for $199 or less.
Although one Taiwan-based report was eventually discredited, the rumors will likely pick up steam now with a new article from The Hollywood Reporter.
The publication reported yesterday that the steering committee of the DVD Forum has approved a "final draft of a memorandum" with a leading Chinese manufacturer that could lead to the development of a Chinese HD DVD format.
And that, the article continues, could lead to Chinese companies making cheap HD DVD players for the U.S. market.
HD DVD supporters applauded the news, saying it will give the format an edge over its high-def disc rival Blu-ray. The cheapest Blu-ray player on the market now is Sony's $499 set-top while the least inexpensive HD DVD player is Toshiba's $299.
"Hardware drives software," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of Universal Studios, which backs HD DVD exclusively. "Why do you think they give away the razor? It's because they want you to buy the blade."
He added that 70,000 Toshiba HD DVD players were sold in seven weeks after the company began offering a $100 rebate, cutting the price to $299. (Toshiba has since said the $299 price will be permanent, starting Sunday, July 1.)
The Hollywood Reporter cautioned that the Chinese HD DVD format would be different from the global HD DVD format. And Andy Parsons, a spokesman for the Blu-ray Disc Association, told the publication that it's "a bit of stretch" that a memo for a Chinese HD DVD format will lead to cheap HD DVD players in the U.S.
One studio executive who backs Blu-ray (but asked to be anonymous) said the "whole thing smacks of desperation."
Commentary:
I said in a recent video commentary ("How HD DVD Can Survive") that HD DVD supporters need to do something dramatic to level the playing field with Blu-ray. The latter high-def format now has Blockbuster on its side and Blu-ray title sales are outpacing HD DVD by more than 2-1.
One of the suggestions I offered in my commentary was dropping the price of the entry-level HD DVD player to $99.
However, the reports suggesting China will lead the way for a cheap HD DVD player continue to be sketchy, if not just simple wishful thinking on the part of HD DVD supporters. It's hard to take them seriously at this point.
The rumors that inexpensive players will come to the U.S. continue to persist.
June 29, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
For several weeks, rumors have circulated that Chinese companies will manufacture inexpensive HD DVD players that could be sold this holiday season for $199 or less.
Although one Taiwan-based report was eventually discredited, the rumors will likely pick up steam now with a new article from The Hollywood Reporter.
The publication reported yesterday that the steering committee of the DVD Forum has approved a "final draft of a memorandum" with a leading Chinese manufacturer that could lead to the development of a Chinese HD DVD format.
And that, the article continues, could lead to Chinese companies making cheap HD DVD players for the U.S. market.
HD DVD supporters applauded the news, saying it will give the format an edge over its high-def disc rival Blu-ray. The cheapest Blu-ray player on the market now is Sony's $499 set-top while the least inexpensive HD DVD player is Toshiba's $299.
"Hardware drives software," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of Universal Studios, which backs HD DVD exclusively. "Why do you think they give away the razor? It's because they want you to buy the blade."
He added that 70,000 Toshiba HD DVD players were sold in seven weeks after the company began offering a $100 rebate, cutting the price to $299. (Toshiba has since said the $299 price will be permanent, starting Sunday, July 1.)
The Hollywood Reporter cautioned that the Chinese HD DVD format would be different from the global HD DVD format. And Andy Parsons, a spokesman for the Blu-ray Disc Association, told the publication that it's "a bit of stretch" that a memo for a Chinese HD DVD format will lead to cheap HD DVD players in the U.S.
One studio executive who backs Blu-ray (but asked to be anonymous) said the "whole thing smacks of desperation."
Commentary:
I said in a recent video commentary ("How HD DVD Can Survive") that HD DVD supporters need to do something dramatic to level the playing field with Blu-ray. The latter high-def format now has Blockbuster on its side and Blu-ray title sales are outpacing HD DVD by more than 2-1.
One of the suggestions I offered in my commentary was dropping the price of the entry-level HD DVD player to $99.
However, the reports suggesting China will lead the way for a cheap HD DVD player continue to be sketchy, if not just simple wishful thinking on the part of HD DVD supporters. It's hard to take them seriously at this point.