never been a GTA fan, but "Burnout" is a strong enticement for a PS3
-------------- Original message -------------- From: "B. Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have a HDTV in our family room and I had no plans to replace any of our other electronics this year but things have a strange way of happening. A friend of ours had a set that died on her so we decided to give her our bedroom tv. So now I'm shopping for a flat panel and I plan to get a PS3 after the new GTA is released. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > i keep thinking about it. Prices are coming down on Blu-Ray, though actually a PS3 is actually about the best deal for a Blu-Ray player. Keep struggling with that, too, but i'm such a casual gamer i can't currently justify putting out the dough for a PS3. I'm still happy with my SNES, Genesis and PS2. I tend to think when I get my 50" plasma screen TV I'll get a Blu-Ray player, and Lord knows that won't be anytime soon! > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > unless something dramatic happens, I'm fine with the regular DVD > > player. Blue Ray is extremely expensive. I'm definitely not going to > > be an early adopter on this one > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > do you own or plan to buy either an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player? A lot of people > > are unmoved like you because they aren't rushing to by either. They're quite > > happy with standard DVD (not everyone has a hi-def TV so they can't see the > > quality anyway) or using HD cable broadcasts and pay-per-view. Outside of people > > with PS3s (whcih have Blu-Ray built in) I hear a lot of folks are just waiting > > for their current DVD player to break before buying something else. And even > > then, you can buy a standard def dVD player for a song. Lots of people, too, are > > just going to skip this whole phase and wait for expanded hi-def video-on-demand > > and the advent of true streaming of movies and programs across the Net. > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > From: Martin > > > Doesn't move me in the least. > > > > > > Even *if* HD DVD had remained viable, I wouldn't put Dime First toward it > > until the day when I went looking for a movie I absolutely *had* to have, and it > > was *only* on one of those formats. > > > > > > "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" > > wrote: Toshiba to drop HD DVD, sources say > > > Company says no decision has been made > > > By Thomas K. Arnold and Erik Gruenwedel > > > > > > Feb 15, 2008 > > > The format war has turned into a format death watch. > > > > > > Toshiba is widely expected to pull the plug on its HD DVD format > > > sometime in the coming weeks, reliable industry sources say, after a > > > rash of retail defections that followed Warner Home Video's announcement > > > in early January that it would support only the rival Blu-ray Disc > > > format after May. > > > > > > Officially, no decision has been made, insists Jodi Sally, vp of > > > marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products. "Based on its > > > technological advancements, we continue to believe HD DVD is the best > > > format for consumers, given the value and consistent quality inherent in > > > our player offerings," she said. > > > > > > But she hinted that something's in the air. "Given the market > > > developments in the past month," she said, "Toshiba will continue to > > > study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, > > > particularly in light of our recent price reductions on all HD DVD players." > > > > > > Immediately after the Warner announcement, the HD DVD North American > > > Promotional Group canceled its Consumer Electronics Show presentation. > > > The following week, data collected by the NPD Group revealed Blu-ray > > > took in 93% of all hardware sales for that week. > > > > > > Toshiba subsequently fired back, drastically cutting its HD DVD player > > > prices by as much as half, effective Jan. 15. But a hoped-for consumer > > > sales surge never materialized; retail point-of-sale data collected by > > > the NPD Group for the week ending Jan. 26 still showed Blu-ray Disc > > > players ahead by a wide margin, 65% to 28%. > > > > > > Software sales have declined as well. The latest Nielsen VideoScan First > > > Alert sales data show the top-selling Blu-ray Disc title for the week, > > > Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's "Across the Universe," sold more than > > > three times as many copies the week ending Feb. 10 as the top HD DVD > > > seller, Universal Studios Home Entertainment's "Elizabeth: The Golden > > > Age." Blu-ray Disc titles also accounted for 81% of all high-def disc > > > sales for the week, with HD DVD at just 19%. > > > > > > Toshiba had been pitching its discounted HD DVD players toward the > > > standard DVD crowd as well as high-def enthusiasts, noting in its ad > > > message that the new players would make DVDs look a lot better as well. > > > And as a last-ditch effort, the company ran an ad during the Super Bowl > > > -- a 30-second spot that reportedly cost $2.7 million. > > > > > > But in the end, sources say, the substantial loss Toshiba is incurring > > > with each HD DVD player sold -- a figure sources say could be as high as > > > several hundred dollars -- coupled with a series of high-profile retail > > > defections has driven the company to at last concede defeat. > > > > > > "An announcement is coming soon," said one source close to the HD DVD > > > camp. "It could be a matter of weeks." > > > > > > Microsoft is the other big player in the HD DVD equation. Last fall when > > > Paramount Home Entertainment announced it was dropping its dual-format > > > strategy and would release titles only in HD DVD, giving that side a > > > brief resurgence, a pitch to journalists for interviews came from a > > > Microsoft email address. > > > > > > Several phone calls to Kevin Collins, Microsoft's normally accessible > > > "HD DVD evangelist," were not returned. Nor were calls to Ken Graffeo, > > > the Universal Studios Home Entertainment executive who doubles as > > > co-president of the HD DVD North American Promotional Group. > > > > > > When Warner abandoned HD DVD in January, the format was left with just > > > two of the six major studios backing it, Universal Studios Home > > > Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. Blu-ray support among > > > independents is rising. ADV Films, Tai Seng Entertainment, Topics > > > Entertainment and National Geographic have all confirmed they are going > > > Blu-ray exclusive, while more than one indie that was releasing titles > > > just on HD DVD, including Surround Records and Opus Arte, will now offer > > > Blu-ray as well. > > > > > > This week, two key retailers, Best Buy and Netflix Inc., both got off > > > the fence and threw their support behind Blu-ray exclusively, citing > > > widespread studio support and consumer preference. Both companies said > > > Warner's decision was a turning point in their strategies. > > > > > > "We've listened to our customers, and we are responding," said Best Buy > > > president and COO Brian Dunn. > > > > > > Netflix spokesperson Steve Swasey said it appeared the format war had > > > been won by Blu-ray for the benefit of everyone. > > > > > > "We wanted to put an exclamation point behind that," he said. > > > > > > Industry observers are closely watching Amazon, but there's been no > > > movement, other than a 50% off sale for 150 HD DVD titles, including > > > "Transformers," "Zodiac" and "Stardust." > > > > > > Blockbuster Inc. last summer already decided to offer only Blu-ray Disc > > > titles at its company-owned rental stores. > > > > > > Chris Tribbey, Home Media Magazine senior reporter, contributed to this > > > report. > > > > > http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib77125d96b22e86027d0 > > bfb0c25aa58d > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels will get > > organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, "A Man Without A > > Country" > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
