HD-A3 HD DVD Player and 10 Movies - $199

[Damed]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_5958862_5?ie=UTF8&docId=1000172611&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1DF2ZNQ68ASF4NWYN6YH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=334889501&pf_rd_i=193642011

AWESOME deal.

[kenbenobi]

Limited list of free titles, but a good deal still...

[rkndkn]

Thanks for the thread, Damed. . .that's MIGHTY tempting. . .

[howwon]

MAN!!!!!!!, how come Canada continues to get shafted on these FREE HD / Blu-Ray / player bargains.

[JimRochester]

I just picked up a second player. For $200 I get 8 titles that would run me $120 - $160 anyway. I don't count 300 or Bourne because I have multiple copies of those now. I already have HD at my apartment on LI, now I need to upgrade all my stuff in Rochester

[darkside]

I just picked up a second player. For $200 I get 8 titles that would run me $120 - $160 anyway. I don't count 300 or Bourne because I have multiple copies of those now. I already have HD at my apartment on LI, now I need to upgrade all my stuff in Rochester
I bought an A3 during the Best Buy deal because the movies almost made the player free. I sold my extra copies of 300 and Bourne Identity which knocked another $30 off the cost.

These deals are just too good to pass up.

[skidmark]

MAN!!!!!!!, how come Canada continues to get shafted on these FREE HD / Blu-Ray / player bargains.

Because you had the unmitigated temerity to allow the "Northern Peso" to pass parity with the 'murican dollar ...





(Insert appropriate smiley here)

[rkndkn]

I did order this last night and got the notice that the A-3 shipped UPS today. (Original shipping date estimate was 11/26.) Very nice! It will beat my Monoprice HDMI cable here. The 3 free titles I chose have yet to ship.

[icarwngs55]

Well kids...

Black Friday @ Best Buy there will be the $199 Toshiba A3 HD Player + 2 in Pack DVDs (Bourne Identity & 300) + 5 Mail in Rebate DVDs + There is this 10% off Coupon (see below) + MAYBE, JUST MAYBE You can still get 3 more additional DVDs of your choice by printing out this page from their website that is still up (See Below)

Coupon for 10% off
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=8b4hamq&s=1

Plus 3 of your choice Page
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=category&id=pcmcat135100050035

[DVD NDN]

Thanks OP, I almost jumped on this at Best Buy a few weeks ago but I really hate that store... Picked up 3 Kubrick titles to boot: Eyes Wide Shut, Shining, and Clockwork Orange

[JediJones]

Since Amazon is offering 3 players as part of this deal, and the cheaper one outputs in 1080i, while the two more expensive ones output in 1080p, I did a little research tonight into the difference. This is significant if you have an HDTV that displays a 1080p picture and accepts 1080p input. If you get a player that only outputs 1080i, your HDTV will have to convert the signal to 1080p.

I found this series of 3 articles from the past 3 years which not only explain this issue in-depth but provide a chart of HDTVs showing how well they performed at converting 1080i to 1080p:

2007: http://www.hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1107hook2/index.html

2006: http://www.hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1106hook/

2005: http://www.hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/0506halfrez/

The bottom line is that around half the HDTVs out there (a third of the 2007 models) fail the primary test used to measure proper conversion of a 1080i signal to 1080p. The writer also uses a secondary test to detect conversion failure specifically during horizontal pans which over 80% of HDTVs fail. When conversion fails, it can cut the image resolution by up to 50%.

If you pay more for a player that outputs 1080p and your TV can accept a 1080p input, then you will be bypassing your TV's conversion process and should get the proper 1080p picture directly from the player.

I think these articles are a really strong argument for paying an extra $100 or so to get a player that outputs 1080p natively. They seem to have proven here that 80% of HDTVs will show a better picture when they receive a direct 1080p signal rather than having to convert from 1080i.

[Travis Bickle]

Thank you for posting! I missed out on the deals at Best Buy and Wal Mart a few weeks ago and was very happy to get a shot at it! Told my wife this could be her gift to me, so she's 100% on-board (happy wife = happy life).
I picked up 3 DVD's I had wanted to buy regardless of the format: Knocked Up, Departed, and Hot Fuzz! Can't wait to get it!

[JimRochester]

The bottom line is that around half the HDTVs out there (a third of the 2007 models) fail the primary test used to measure proper conversion of a 1080i signal to 1080p. The writer also uses a secondary test to detect conversion failure specifically during horizontal pans which over 80% of HDTVs fail. When conversion fails, it can cut the image resolution by up to 50%.

If you pay more for a player that outputs 1080p and your TV can accept a 1080p input, then you will be bypassing your TV's conversion process and should get the proper 1080p picture directly from the player.

I think these articles are a really strong argument for paying an extra $100 or so to get a player that outputs 1080p natively. They seem to have proven here that 80% of HDTVs will show a better picture when they receive a direct 1080p signal rather than having to convert from 1080i.

Sure now you tell me ;)

I have the A3 hooked up to a 47" Philips and the picture is every bit as good as my SONY BluRay outputting 1080p. Hopefully it will be that good for my next TV here in Rochester.

[MGR]

I think these articles are a really strong argument for paying an extra $100 or so to get a player that outputs 1080p natively. They seem to have proven here that 80% of HDTVs will show a better picture when they receive a direct 1080p signal rather than having to convert from 1080i. JediJones, thanks so much for the post and sharing your research.
I always seem to have an internal battle with being a cheapskate, but wanting to get the best overall value.
It seems spending the extra bucks now is the smarter thing to do long term value-wise.

[JimRochester]

For the $100 I may just exchange for the A30 however I'm still waffling due to the stunning picture I get from the A3 already

[kenbenobi]

For the $100 I may just exchange for the A30 however I'm still waffling due to the stunning picture I get from the A3 already
If you plan on getting a 1080p TV in the next 3 years, I'd say it probably makes sense. I am thinking of doing the same thing...

Does the A30 have the same optical audio hindrance the A3 has? I have an A2, so I don't want to move to an A30 if I lose my optical audio...

Of course, for those wanting the best audio experience, please note this:
Even though all the literature says that it passes the new audio formats (True HD, DD+, etc), these players do not pass these formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by the AVR. It makes its own decoding, and the Toshiba customer service rep said it passes "its own version" of the new formats, and only in 5.1
The ONLY player that as of today can pass the new audio formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by a capable AVR is the HD-A35.

I had heard that before, but I copied and pasted the above paragraph from an Amazon.com post.

[lizard]

For the $100 I may just exchange for the A30 however I'm still waffling due to the stunning picture I get from the A3 alreadyIf you get a "stunning picture" from the A3 you should stick with it. Many current 1080p displays ought to de-interlace 1080i content well, although some do not, as the information posted by JediJones suggests. But what wasn't said is that at least one report says that the A30 also doesn't do a good job of 1080p output:
http://review.zdnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/toshiba-hd-a30/4505-6463_16-32563583.html

The A30 converts the 1080p/24 information on the disc to 1080i/60, for reasons having to do with the chip used, and then de-interlaces it to 1080p/60. It apparently doesn't do this correctly. Whether or not this can or has been fixed by a firmware update, I couldn't say. But for a display that does a good job of de-interlacing, one might get a better picture by feeding it a 1080i input than the 1080p from the A30.

Be aware that all 1080p displays must be able to de-interlace 1080i because that is the broadcast standard (for bandwidth reasons). If you have a display that does a good job, the A3 will give an excellent picture. [Unlike de-interlacing 480i SD DVDs, all the information is there when going from 1080i to 1080p.] If you are in the market for a new 1080p display someday, check reviews to be sure that it passes the de-interlacing test.

Sorry to muddy the waters here, but don't assume that because the A30 has 1080p output it will necessarily give a better picture. It may not.

[lizard]

If you plan on getting a 1080p TV in the next 3 years, I'd say it probably makes sense. I am thinking of doing the same thing...

Does the A30 have the same optical audio hindrance the A3 has? I have an A2, so I don't want to move to an A30 if I lose my optical audio...

Of course, for those wanting the best audio experience, please note this:
Even though all the literature says that it passes the new audio formats (True HD, DD+, etc), these players do not pass these formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by the AVR. It makes its own decoding, and the Toshiba customer service rep said it passes "its own version" of the new formats, and only in 5.1
The ONLY player that as of today can pass the new audio formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by a capable AVR is the HD-A35.

I had heard that before, but I copied and pasted the above paragraph from an Amazon.com post.This may be too technical to discuss here but for more information about audio and the high def formats, I highly recommend Josh Z's column on the subject:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Joshua_Zyber/High-Def_FAQ:_Blu-ray_and_HD_DVD_Audio_Explained/1064

[tech talk on]In order to get lossless audio from the A2 or A3 (or A30) you would need a receiver with an HDMI connection. The optical S/PDIF connection doesn't have the bandwidth for lossless audio. When using optical, the A2 reportedly changes DD+ and Dolby TrueHD to DTS 1.5 Mbps (for this you would need a DTS capable receiver). The A3 changes DD+ and Dolby TrueHD to DD 640kbps, which ought to work on any Dolby capable receiver. [Note: DD 640 kbps and DTS 1.5 Mbps should sound about the same, DD is more efficient, so don't get hung up on the numbers thinking DTS is "better".]

None of the three players have analog 5.1 outputs for lossless audio to older receivers (The A35 does have analog out). Nor can they output Dolby TrueHD as a bitstream to one of the newer HDMI 1.3 receivers with on-board decoding, from what I have read. But since the players can decode TrueHD and send it as PCM over HDMI, you CAN get lossless sound with an HDMI equipped receiver. Whether you could actually hear a difference between lossless sound and DD or DTS over optical, in a properly controlled test, depends on how good your surround sound setup is and how good your "ears" are. I know that I can't discern the difference with my setup.[tech talk off]

[CaptainRon]

I just took the plunge please someone tell me I did the right thing...

[Bob330i]

I just took the plunge please someone tell me I did the right thing...

*pat on the head* You'll be fine. Just enjoy.

I'm still on the fence for this deal because the 3 free title list aren't my cup of tea. If you can find 3 out of their list, it should be a no-brainer. Upgrade later and enjoy the basically $100 player (assuming you value the movies at about $10 or so each).

[Lunatikk]

which one of the 3 players is best?

[JimRochester]

Does the A30 have the same optical audio hindrance the A3 has? I have an A2, so I don't want to move to an A30 if I lose my optical audio...

Of course, for those wanting the best audio experience, please note this:
Even though all the literature says that it passes the new audio formats (True HD, DD+, etc), these players do not pass these formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by the AVR. It makes its own decoding, and the Toshiba customer service rep said it passes "its own version" of the new formats, and only in 5.1
The ONLY player that as of today can pass the new audio formats via the HDMI cable to be decoded by a capable AVR is the HD-A35.

I had heard that before, but I copied and pasted the above paragraph from an Amazon.com post.

I'm not sure what you mean by optical hinderance. In my apartment in NY setup, I have an A3 and a SONY Blu Ray with a 47" Philips 1080p display going through a Yamaha(?) HTIB. It does not have HDMI so I use the optical cable on both players so I believe I am getting just DD 5.1. The room is only about 10' x 12' so it's not a big space to fill with sound.

On my home setup in Rochester; I'm still using a 7 year old Mitubishi 55" HDTV rear projection with no HDMI. So I have a SONY DVD hooked up to a Yamaha home theater. That's the one I'd like to upgrade.

[DVD NDN]

Damn, ordered Monday night and I just watched Bourne Identity
Used Super Saver Shipping to boot

[kenbenobi]

I'm not sure what you mean by optical hinderance. In my apartment in NY setup, I have an A3 and a SONY Blu Ray with a 47" Philips 1080p display going through a Yamaha(?) HTIB. It does not have HDMI so I use the optical cable on both players so I believe I am getting just DD 5.1. The room is only about 10' x 12' so it's not a big space to fill with sound.

On my home setup in Rochester; I'm still using a 7 year old Mitubishi 55" HDTV rear projection with no HDMI. So I have a SONY DVD hooked up to a Yamaha home theater. That's the one I'd like to upgrade.
I believe this is exactly what I was talking about:

When using optical, the A2 reportedly changes DD+ and Dolby TrueHD to DTS 1.5 Mbps (for this you would need a DTS capable receiver). The A3 changes DD+ and Dolby TrueHD to DD 640kbps, which ought to work on any Dolby capable receiver. [Note: DD 640 kbps and DTS 1.5 Mbps should sound about the same, DD is more efficient, so don't get hung up on the numbers thinking DTS is "better".]

And yes, I am getting hung up on the perception that DTS is better, and that the higher bitrate is better. Thanks, Lizard, for that explanation. You are probably right about not being able to tell the difference. Maybe I won't be able to tell the difference. But in my mind, I would not upgrade to an A-3 for this reason. Does anyone know how the A-30 handles audio? Or the A-35?

[kefrank]

But in my mind, I would not upgrade to an A-3 for this reason. Does anyone know how the A-30 handles audio? Or the A-35?
i assume you mean audio over optical - all third gen players handle it the same as the HD-A3: downmix to DD@640. that being said, the HD-A3 supports 7.1 channel audio over HDMI, while the HD-A2 does not, so if you have an HDMI receiver (supporting 7.1 channels), the A3 is definitely preferable to the A2. if you're limited to optical, it's really up to how much stock you put in DTS@1.5M being better than DD@640k.

[lizard]

which one of the 3 players is best?If you are talking about the various HD DVD players, the A2 and A3 are essentially identical except for a minor difference in the codec used for audio output over optical (A2>DTS vs. A3>DD) and cosmetics (the A3 has a "shinier" look and is slightly thinner). [Edit: as kefrank mentions above, there is also a difference in HDMI audio support between the A2 and A3.]

The A30 adds the 1080p output (but it may not do it very well, as I said in my post above) and reportedly has a better scaling chip for SD DVDs than the A2/A3. However, the A2/A3 have been widely reported to do a superb job of upscaling SD DVDs.

The A35 adds analog outputs, for compatibility with older, non-HDMI receivers and, I believe, the ability to send DD+ and Dolby TrueHD as a bitstream to a new HDMI 1.3 receiver with on-board decoding. The other higher end player, the XA2, is similar to the A35. If you want to know more about the specific differences between these machines, check out player reviews.

Onkyo is reported to be working on its own high-end HD DVD player. It can be expected to have all the bells and whistles.

[kefrank]

lizard - good summary, just a few clarifications:
If you are talking about the various HD DVD players, the A2 and A3 are essentially identical except for a minor difference in the codec used for audio output over optical (A2>DTS vs. A3>DD) and cosmetics (the A3 has a "shinier" look and is slightly thinner).
see my previous comment about 7.1 channel output being another difference.

The A30 adds the 1080p output (but it may not do it very well, as I said in my post above) and reportedly has a better scaling chip for SD DVDs than the A2/A3. However, the A2/A3 have been widely reported to do a superb job of upscaling SD DVDs.
The 1080p60 output definitely has a bug that slightly degrades the picture quality for some specific kinds of images. The 1080p24 output, on the other hand, is flawless and always preferable if you have a display capable of accepting it. The A30/35 do have a more sophisticated upscaling chip for SD, the ABT1018. As is always the case with subtle image quality differences, whether or not the improvement is noticeable depends on how big your tv is and how close you sit.

The A35 adds analog outputs, for compatibility with older, non-HDMI receivers and, I believe, the ability to send DD+ and Dolby TrueHD as a bitstream to a new HDMI 1.3 receiver with on-board decoding. The other higher end player, the XA2 is similar to the A35. If you want to know more about the differences between these machines, check out player reviews.
in addition to bitstreaming DD+ and TrueHD, the XA2 and A35 can also bitstream DTS-HD MA, which is found on some HD DVD import titles and appears to be the hi-def audio format of choice for New Line, beginning with Pan's Labyrinth next month.

[Nugent]

Sure now you tell me ;)

I have the A3 hooked up to a 47" Philips and the picture is every bit as good as my SONY BluRay outputting 1080p. Hopefully it will be that good for my next TV here in Rochester.


Go post that heresy over on Blu-Ray.com and see how long it takes them to ban you for being a troll! :-)

Seriously some of the funniest stuff I have read lately is on there. They take it all so personal as if any of those major companies gives a rats a$$ about their little battle against the hated HD DVDers

[kenbenobi]

i assume you mean audio over optical - all third gen players handle it the same as the HD-A3: downmix to DD@640. that being said, the HD-A3 supports 7.1 channel audio over HDMI, while the HD-A2 does not, so if you have an HDMI receiver (supporting 7.1 channels), the A3 is definitely preferable to the A2. if you're limited to optical, it's really up to how much stock you put in DTS@1.5M being better than DD@640k.
Thanks for that info. My stupid Sony 7.1 receiver has HDMI, but only as a pass-through. It won't capture the audio (it's basically just a built-in HDMI switch). So it doesn't matter to me right now. But that's good to know. I have no intention of upgrading my receiver anytime soon, so I'll just be content with my A2 for now...

[JediJones]

But what wasn't said is that at least one report says that the A30 also doesn't do a good job of 1080p output:
http://review.zdnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/toshiba-hd-a30/4505-6463_16-32563583.html

The A30 converts the 1080p/24 information on the disc to 1080i/60, for reasons having to do with the chip used, and then de-interlaces it to 1080p/60. It apparently doesn't do this correctly. Whether or not this can or has been fixed by a firmware update, I couldn't say. But for a display that does a good job of de-interlacing, one might get a better picture by feeding it a 1080i input than the 1080p from the A30.

Thanks for adding that bit of info Lizard.

It's worth pointing out the difference between 1080p/24 and 1080p/60. 1080p deals with the quality of resolution on every frame. 24 and 60 deal with the frames displayed per second. TVs normally display 60 frames per second but most film sources are recorded in 24 frames per second, meaning they have to converted to display on most TVs. Movies literally have their frames multiplied to fill out the 60 fps in order to display them on television. This adds imperfection, which I believe is a slight jitteriness to the image, simply because 24 does not divide into 60 evenly and the multiplication of frames is done unevenly. Almost no HDTVs could handle 24 fps before this year. More this year are able to do it and of course more will be on board in the future.

So to watch films in their purest quality, you'll want a player that can output 1080p/24 and a television that can display the same. The HD A30 player will output in 1080p/24 and the review says it does an excellent job of that. As lizard stated, there appears to be a problem with the A30 when it converts from 1080p/24 to 1080p/60 (something I didn't realize it would even have to do), which is what the vast majority of TVs out there now support.

So if you're planning on buying a new HDTV in the next couple years, or you're lucky enough to already have one that displays 24 fps, I would get the A30 player or a higher end model and make sure you buy a TV later that can display 24 fps. In the meantime, you can set the player to output 1080i/60 if your current TV does a better job of converting to 1080p/60 than the player does.

I think you'd want to get the cheaper A3 player only if your current TV can't display 1080p/24 and you don't plan on upgrading your TV within the next few years. On the other hand, if your TV ranks low on those charts for 1080p conversion, then the A30 may still do a better job for you. I guess the only real way to tell is to get an A30 and test how it looks on your TV using both 1080p output or 1080i output (which would let your TV handle the 1080p conversion).

[StrTrkker]

Price on the player is now $184.07. You can call Amazon and get a price adjustment ($11.96) for the difference. I just did it and it took only 2 minutes to get my Mastercard credited...

[caiman]

Will I be able to get HD through component cables with the A3?

[DVD NDN]

Will I be able to get HD through component cables with the A3?
yes, but it won't upconvert SD DVD to 1080i throught component

[lizard]

JediJones, while I agree with everything you say, I didn't want to get into the whole 1080p/24/72/120 thing because it is for videophiles who want and are willing to pay for the very best.

For most people, the plain old A3 will provide a superb picture that is much better than SD DVDs, even when well-upscaled. And for $184, plus a bunch of discs, it is a bargain. This is especially true for the many, many folks who have 768p displays.

Those who think that there will be a new display in their future that accepts a 1080p/24 input might, indeed, want to consider the A30, A35, or even the coming Onkyo player. But feeding a 1080i signal to a 1080p display that does de-interlacing correctly will give an outstanding picture, and I don't want that fact to get lost in the discussion.

[Sweet Baby James]

For people in the New England area, Bernies will have the A3 for $99.99 from 8 AM until Noon tomorrow. Here's a link to their site with the ad-

www.bernies.com

[Damed]

Price is down to $187.04!

[VamPirateXXX]

Make that $169.99...

[Sweet Baby James]

It's showing $187.04 for me as well.

[VamPirateXXX]

Ugh, yeah, I didn't notice I added one that wasn't sold by Amazon.com. I just clicked the big "Add to Shopping Cart" button like I always do, and they added the other one... Sorry for any confusion.

[rkndkn]

Make that $169.99...

That price is from Tiger Direct.

[FantasticVSDoom]

And again, Amazon fucks my cart up so I dont get the right price :mad:

[wewantflair]

Amazon's cart is fucked for everyone on this deal. The free HD's aren't being discounted properly at all. I'm sure a quick e-mail would fix it, though.

[Sweet Baby James]

Now $159.98 and that is sold by Amazon.

[Sweet Baby James]

Amazon's cart is fucked for everyone on this deal. The free HD's aren't being discounted properly at all. I'm sure a quick e-mail would fix it, though.
It's working for me. The discount isn't reflected until the final checkout screen. A3, Hot-Fuzz, Face/Off and The Shining for $159.98 is pretty sweet.

[milkdog]

I can get it in my cart shipping from Amazon for $159.98...but it doesn't ship for 4-5 weeks. :(

[Sweet Baby James]

^

It's likely that it will ship before that. I had a plasma TV in my cart that said that it would be in stock in 2 to 4 months. The very next day, it was back in stock.

[FantasticVSDoom]

The issue must either be with the 10% off or Prime... Because when I do it under my wife's account no issues at all.

[starman9000]

Now $159.98 and that is sold by Amazon.

Thanks SBJ, I've been so close to ordering this deal all week and that pushed me over!

[JediJones]

Those who think that there will be a new display in their future that accepts a 1080p/24 input might, indeed, want to consider the A30, A35, or even the coming Onkyo player. But feeding a 1080i signal to a 1080p display that does de-interlacing correctly will give an outstanding picture, and I don't want that fact to get lost in the discussion.

Hey, lizard, I appreciate you pointing that out. I only starting researching this issue this week because this will be my first HD (or Blu-Ray) player. So if anything I posted is off the mark I definitely want to hear other opinions. I'm not a videophile but I don't mind paying an extra $100 if it will get me better quality for years to come.

The links I originally posted should help people determine if their HDTV passes the deinterlacing test.

BTW, Amazon dropped prices on the higher end models too. $280 for the A30 and $360 for the A35.

[schbee]

Hey, lizard, I appreciate you pointing that out. I only starting researching this issue this week because this will be my first HD (or Blu-Ray) player. So if anything I posted is off the mark I definitely want to hear other opinions. I'm not a videophile but I don't mind paying an extra $100 if it will get me better quality for years to come.

The links I originally posted should help people determine if their HDTV passes the deinterlacing test.

BTW, Amazon dropped prices on the higher end models too. $280 for the A30 and $360 for the A35.

[schbee]

Off Amazons site Step 1. Purchase the Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player from Amazon.com for $199...You dont think that with the price drop Amazon will try and charge for the DVDS?..Only reason I ask is that now I have the HD DVDS shipping and the price is the B2g1f price

[Damed]

Now at $159!!!

[ResIpsa]

Heh, $169 now. This is like watching a sporting event.

[Deadman31]

I got charged for the HD DVDS. Anyone else?

[sotra]

Heh, $169 now. This is like watching a sporting event.

No, that is incorrect. Look closely to the right and you will see Amazon selling it for $159.99. I bought this at best buy for $199.99, but still haven't opened it. However, tomorrow I will bring Bernie's ad (they have it for $99.99 from 8am to noon) and pm it (should be $79.99 then after 110%). If they won't do it I'll just return it to best buy and order from Amazon. Btw, when you use 2-day shipping on this player will it arrive before Christmas?

[sotra]

I got charged for the HD DVDS. Anyone else?


I tried it out without checking out and the 3 Kubrick movies from the list came out free for me. Make sure you use the link on the player page and select 3 from that list.

[Deadman31]

I used the link at the beginning of this thread. I placed the player in my cart and then picked the 3 free dvd's and checked out. Did I do something wrong?

[sotra]

I used the link at the beginning of this thread. I placed the player in my cart and then picked the 3 free dvd's and checked out. Did I do something wrong?


Try this link for the list of movies you can choose from - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_5902742_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000167901&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=030T7WH174MCBVV9YQHN&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=330620501&pf_rd_i=B000U62N1S

[Deadman31]

That is the link I used. did anyone else get charged for these?

[sotra]

That is the link I used. did anyone else get charged for these?

I would just email amazon about it and they should drop your whole credit card charge and then charge you $159.98. They are pretty good about it, but it might take a few days.

[Deadman31]

Yes, I already emailed them. Strangely enough, I tried it again(placing everything in my cart and going to checkout w/o completing order) and the discount went through.

[IamLegend]

Just bought one for $159.98 total out the door...and I already have an A-2 I bought this Summer for the "bargain price of "$299!" But dammit I wanted a deal! Thanks for the post OP and price tickers :)...

[CaptainRon]

I just ordered this shit yesterday for 197.99. Why the fuck do they do this shit? Yeah it might be more expensive to buy a Blu Ray player but at least you know your not gonna get fucked out of a lower price like 5 minutes later. Fuck HD DVD.

[ziondog]

I just get the refund of 39.02$

Thanks to whoever posted the price drop.

[BravesMG]

I just ordered this shit yesterday for 197.99. Why the fuck do they do this shit? Yeah it might be more expensive to buy a Blu Ray player but at least you know your not gonna get fucked out of a lower price like 5 minutes later. Fuck HD DVD.Yes, HD-DVD is a real son of a bitch. I hate that guy.

Anyway, if you did buy this from Amazon you can email their customer service and they'll refund you the difference within 30 days.

[CaptainRon]

Oh Really? Thats great. Thanks man.

[PJsig08]

Wow, this is amazing. $159?!?! I was so close to getting this at $199, but now I am really tempted.

4-5 weeks is a long time though and I am always concerned that I am buying this and BluRay will turn out to be the "winner" in a year. Does this HD-DVD play regular DVDs and DVD-R's?

[BravesMG]

Wow, this is amazing. $159?!?! I was so close to getting this at $199, but now I am really tempted.

4-5 weeks is a long time though and I am always concerned that I am buying this and BluRay will turn out to be the "winner" in a year. Does this HD-DVD play regular DVDs and DVD-R's?I don't know how compatible it is with DVD-R, I'm sure somebody else can fill that in, but it absolutely does play regular DVDs. If you're going to hook it up via an HDMI cable, it will upconvert your standard DVDs and make them look absolutely outstanding.

I'll just jump in here and say that to get into HD-DVD for 160 bucks with 5 free (good) movies up front and 5 by rebate is almost unbelievable. I paid 450 for an A1, and I just picked up an A35 with this deal. If you've got an HDTV, you would almost be doing yourself a disservice at this price. Even if BD wins next month (which it won't, neither will likely "win" for a long while) you've still got one of the best deals on upconverting your standard DVD collection. I've got HD and BD, and they're both amazing, I could not possibly recommend either any higher.

[PJsig08]

I didn't know it upconverts by regular DVDs. That's great to here for my 38" Sharp Aquos LCD. Is the picture difference noticable?

The thing that bothers me the most is that some titles are exclusive to BluRay and HD-DVD. That is ridiculous.

[JediJones]

4-5 weeks is a long time though and I am always concerned that I am buying this and BluRay will turn out to be the "winner" in a year. Does this HD-DVD play regular DVDs and DVD-R's?

Yeah it will play standard DVDs, and it should upconvert them so they look better than they would on a standard player. It sounds like the higher end models do a better job of upconverting, but from what I read even the highest end model does not do a better job upconverting than the Oppo player. If you don't have a good upconverting player already, this might improve your viewing of standard DVDs.

Considering you get 10 free HD-DVDs at this price, it's hard not to jump on the deal. Sell those all off if you want to and the player will probably cost you well under $100. If Blu-Ray players get down to that price too, it'd probably be a good deal to buy both, since each format has movies exclusive to it. If we could all get a combo player for $200-300, we probably would, right? So getting both players for that price would be almost the same thing. And here's the chance to get one of them.

Let's say Blu-Ray did win the format war. I'd have to imagine at that point, combo players would become the norm, so your existing HD-DVDs should remain playable. You'd only be out the cost of this player, which should be worth it if you get even a year's worth of regular use out of it. If HD really is retired, then the value of older HD-DVDs should go down and you could build a collection that you could still watch. The reviews all seem to state that there's no difference in picture quality between HD and Blu-Ray. At this price, it becomes a question of do you want to wait several years just to save $100, and not get to sample high-def discs until then?

One reservation I have is that this is still an early technology, and they really seem to be in the process of working the bugs out. At this price though it seems worth the risk to deal with those headaches. My other reservation is that the cost of older HD movies are a lot more than the $5 you tend to pay for SDs these days. However the cost of new releases seems to be getting closer every day, especially since new SD 2-disc editions start out at $23 now and HDs match that content. You also get a pretty good starter set of movies with this offer. And I could always move to renting instead of buying until prices come down. HD media only debuted in APRIL, 2006, so I have a feeling older HD discs will start dropping to prices a lot closer to SD in another year or so. New SD releases usually take a couple years to get under $10 themselves. Technically you can buy 3 boxed sets of HD discs on Amazon right now that would cost $10 per movie, so prices are already getting better.

[BravesMG]

I didn't know it upconverts by regular DVDs. That's great to here for my 38" Sharp Aquos LCD. Is the picture difference noticable?

The thing that bothers me the most is that some titles are exclusive to BluRay and HD-DVD. That is ridiculous.If you are going to hook it up using HDMI, the difference is absolutely noticeable. There are only a few players that are reviewed to upconvert any better, mainly Oppo, but they can be pretty expensive. I've had two other upconverting DVD players, one a Sony 400 disc changer and one a single disc Samsung, and the HD-DVD players put them to shame.

But be warned, even if you think the upconverting is great, it's not in the same league as HD titles. It's actually hard to go back to SD after you get used to watching HD-DVDs, there is that big a difference.

[PJsig08]

I think this is worth it just to upconvert my SD DVDs and DVD-R's (I got a good amount of those).

I'd probably buy Planet Earth on HD-DVD with the 20% off DD deal (I only have another day huh?) and eBay the free HD-DVDs that come with this deal. Any reason why my 38" Sharp Aquos won't work well with this HD-DVD player? I also assume I can get a $10 HDMI cord through monoprice for this player?

[StrTrkker]

Anyway, if you did buy this from Amazon you can email their customer service and they'll refund you the difference within 30 days.

You can also call them...

Follow this link...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/account-assistance.html?tag=slickdeals&ie=UTF8&nodeId=595034&type=&token=


1-866-216-1072 to use our automated customer service system.

OR

Sign in and then chose the "phone" tab and then click on the call me button...Amazon will call u back.

Talk to Us!
Faster, Easier, Better
We'll call you. Right now. Really.

Painless and takes about a minute or 2 to get your price adjustment...

[TheHive08]

I'm so tempted to get this but two things are holding me back. 1) The possibility of another $99 deal by Wal-Mart in the near future and 2) The fact the player doesn't ship until at least the day after Christmas.

[David Levine]

You can also call them...

Follow this link...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/account-assistance.html?tag=slickdeals&ie=UTF8&nodeId=595034&type=&token=


1-866-216-1072 to use our automated customer service system.

OR

Sign in and then chose the "phone" tab and then click on the call me button...Amazon will call u back.

Talk to Us!
Faster, Easier, Better
We'll call you. Right now. Really.

Painless and takes about a minute or 2 to get your price adjustment...

Yup. Super easy. I ordered it at the 189.00 mark and it already shipped for a Tuesday delivery. Then when it dropped to 159, I called and they credited me the difference, so I'm getting the best of both worlds - 2 day shipping and the low price.

[Gobear]

Amazon is now charging $179.98 for the A3 player and movies at checkout. Where are they selling it for $159?

[Damed]

Amazon is now charging $179.98 for the A3 player and movies at checkout. Where are they selling it for $159?


Price is going up and down like a yoyo. Right now it's $179. Last night it was $159.

Amazon has a 30 day price guarantee, so if you order at $179 and tomorrow it's $159, you can call them and they'll credit you the $20.

[PJsig08]

Yeah that's nuts. I sholda just bought it last night, but $20 ain't gonna kill me.

You think it'll go back up to $199 at this rate? I might pull the trigger real soon.

[Damed]

Yeah that's nuts. I sholda just bought it last night, but $20 ain't gonna kill me.

You think it'll go back up to $199 at this rate? I might pull the trigger real soon.


I'd pull the trigger now. If it goes up, you lose. If it goes down within 30 days, you can get amazon to credit the difference.

It's win-win for you right now.

Also, Amazon could pull the 10 free deal at any time.

[JimRochester]

When they billed me the $199, they charged me $145 for the player and $54 for the "free" DVD's so Customer Service is telling me I already paid less than the $179 current price and won't lower it.

I also asked about exchanging it for the A30 however I can only get the $145 back and it seems like I'll be charged the whole $280 on the upgrade. Whatever they did with my purchase was really screwy

[Damed]

When they billed me the $199, they charged me $145 for the player and $54 for the "free" DVD's so Customer Service is telling me I already paid less than the $179 current price and won't lower it.

I also asked about exchanging it for the A30 however I can only get the $145 back and it seems like I'll be charged the whole $280 on the upgrade. Whatever they did with my purchase was really screwy


Wow. That's strange, as I've read a lot of people getting credits with the price drops. Also, by that logic if the player and 10 DVDs is $179 now, the $54 free dvds means the player is now $125, so you should STILL get the money back.

I'd call back and talk to another CSR.

[PJsig08]

Well I just went for it....too good to pass up and the free HD-DVDs I wanted (Departed, Goodfellas, Casino) were about to be out-of-stock. Looks like they charged me for The Departed when it should've been free with me buying the DVD player. I'll call Amazon and hopefully they can refund that part.

Either way, thanks for the help and I feel pretty good buying this considering how cheap everything will end up being...the player won't ship til after Christmas, but that's not a big deal.

[IamLegend]

With these prices...HD is going to win the war...and in any case we all win as there is no way we would get these prices if there were not 2 formats..especially if Sony was in control of HD prices :).

[Damed]

With these prices...HD is going to win the war...and in any case we all win as there is no way we would get these prices if there were not 2 formats..especially if Sony was in control of HD prices :).


I agree 100%.

[JediJones]

Price is going up and down like a yoyo. Right now it's $179. Last night it was $159.

Amazon has a 30 day price guarantee, so if you order at $179 and tomorrow it's $159, you can call them and they'll credit you the $20.

I think the only reason it went down to $159 is because Sears had a Doorbuster special on the same player for $10 more than that today. I think it was unintentional of Amazon to be running this free HD-DVD promotion at the same time they had the player priced so low, but they had to do it to win the price war with Sears today. I doubt it will be going that low again too soon. Just shows even moreso how good a deal this was for those of us who jumped on just in time or got our price corrected quickly enough.

[bcweaver]

Late this morning, I found the player would show at $179 if you didn't select the player through the link to the special page that explained the deal for the 3 free movies, 2 that come with the player and the 5 that you get free by mail. You had to check the boxes for the player and the 3 movies then click on the "add to cart" button from that page to get it to work for $159. It would deduct for the 3 free selected HD DVDs when you check out. Now the player is definitely back up to $179 and any sold out DVDs don't show up on the deal page to be selected. The DVDs I got on the deal at $159 were Letters from Iwo Jima, Shooter, and Pride & Prejudice.

[milkdog]

After waffling around for 24 hours, I just jumped in. I was thinking they'll be a similar BB sale early next year with a better disc selection, but I'm going to sell several of the discs anyway (and eventually buy other discs with the money), so it's the same difference.

[Sweet Baby James]

When they billed me the $199, they charged me $145 for the player and $54 for the "free" DVD's so Customer Service is telling me I already paid less than the $179 current price and won't lower it.

I also asked about exchanging it for the A30 however I can only get the $145 back and it seems like I'll be charged the whole $280 on the upgrade. Whatever they did with my purchase was really screwyI ordered this last night at $159.98. They already shipped out the 3 free HD-DVDs today and charged my MasterCard $50.05(I have no idea how they came to that total). I don't particularly care that they did this, but they better damn well not charge me one cent over $109.93 when they ship the player.

[Pasolini]

I bought it last night for $159 and everything worked just fine (got clockwork orange, shining, and HOt Fuzz based on the glowing review on dvdtalk)

last night the shipping said it wouldn't go out until after christmas. Today when you click on the product it says:

Availability: In stock on December 6, 2007. Order it now.
To ensure delivery by December 24, choose FREE Super Saver Shipping. Read more about holiday shipping. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

That's sooner than what they said last night. I haven't ordered from Amazon for a long long time. Will they likely ship our orders from last night earlier now too b/c they got more in stock?

P.S. The price now says $177.13

[Bill Geiger]

I'll bite at $139.99 :)

Get one for the folks.

[freudguy]

Well, I had told myself and my wife that I was staying out of hi-def DVD's until the "war" was over. These incredible sales on HD-DVD players this month made it difficult to resist, however and I finally succumbed. I kicked myself for not taking advantage of the Best Buy deal earlier this month but this Amazon deal was the last straw. I went ahead and ordered one Monday and got the price adjustment today. In tracking my package, I will be getting the player on Monday. You know, I'm sure this is really helping Toshiba even the numbers with Sony. Still, I will probably get a blu-ray player soon (probably a PS3). It would be nice to just have one format. I'm looking forward to seeing any sales numbers for these players as well as software. I know that since I have bought the player, I have ordered 6 HD-DVD's on top of my 10. It's darn shame that no one had these on sale along with the players (except for DD).

[Goldberg74]

It's not applying the deal for me. It's staying at $244.xx.

Maybe I'll try again in the morning.

[Bill Geiger]

It's not applying the deal for me. It's staying at $244.xx.

Maybe I'll try again in the morning.

I am getting the discount once you go all the way through, right before your submit your order is where the discount is applied.

[Bill Geiger]

Also, make sure you use the link provided.

[NeonGlow]

I have Amazon Prime and whenever I added the player and 3 movies, it would split it into 2 orders and not give me the full discount. What I ended up doing was on the page with all the movie choices, I just checked everything. During checkout, it asked how I wanted them grouped and I selected as few shipments as possible. At the final checkout page with everything made into 1 giant order, I just removed every movie except the 3 I wanted and it was finally discounting correctly.

[Goldberg74]

I have Amazon Prime and whenever I added the player and 3 movies, it would split it into 2 orders and not give me the full discount. What I ended up doing was on the page with all the movie choices, I just checked everything. During checkout, it asked how I wanted them grouped and I selected as few shipments as possible. At the final checkout page with everything made into 1 giant order, I just removed every movie except the 3 I wanted and it was finally discounting correctly.
I too have Amazon Prime. That was the problem. Thanks for the solve.

[Pasolini]

my order (from Thurs night) still says the estimated delivery for the A-3 is Dec 26th to Jan. 2nd, even though if you place a new order today, it says they are back in stock on Dec 6th.

Can someone who orders from Amazon frequently advise me on this? Will my order tracking update automatically with an earlier ship date once they come back in stock, or do I need to call AMazon and ask them to make sure my order is fulfilled with this new stock coming in on the 6th?

p.s. $177.11 now. Wonder why it dropped 2 cents?! Maybe the price is tied to the pork bellies futures market?

[That'sAllFolks]

off-topic -- but my father wants a region-free player. Does this or can it play other regions DVDs? TIA.

[Big Dave]

off-topic -- but my father wants a region-free player. Does this or can it play other regions DVDs? TIA.
No.

[JordanGLC]

Well I took the plunge and ordered it for $171.11. Hope I did the right thing. I guess I have a rooting interest in the Hi-Def battle now.

[hindolio]

my order (from Thurs night) still says the estimated delivery for the A-3 is Dec 26th to Jan. 2nd, even though if you place a new order today, it says they are back in stock on Dec 6th.

Can someone who orders from Amazon frequently advise me on this? Will my order tracking update automatically with an earlier ship date once they come back in stock, or do I need to call AMazon and ask them to make sure my order is fulfilled with this new stock coming in on the 6th?...
this is one of those questions that dvdtalkers have not yet been able to figure out. heck, i dont think anyone will ever figure out amazon shipping!

[basketb]

...
Can someone who orders from Amazon frequently advise me on this? Will my order tracking update automatically with an earlier ship date once they come back in stock, or do I need to call AMazon and ask them to make sure my order is fulfilled with this new stock coming in on the 6th?
...


In my experiences, they ship much sooner than the rather conservative estimates. Last year when I ordered the then new Oppo DVD player in mid-December, they said it wouldn't ship before the end of January and it was here just after Christmas.

[barndoor67]

The Deal is DEAD!!!

[TallGuyMe]

The Deal is DEAD!!!

Long live the DEAL!

[JimRochester]

Well I took the plunge and ordered it for $171.11. Hope I did the right thing. I guess I have a rooting interest in the Hi-Def battle now.

Did you get the 3 free at that price?

[bcweaver]

An HD DVD player and 10 HD DVDs for 159.98 is a GREAT deal if you got in on this one.

[ziondog]

An HD DVD player and 10 HD DVDs for 159.98 is a GREAT deal if you got in on this one.

Agreed, you could sell those 10 HD DVDs fro $10 each (probably even $15 each) and have the Player for about $60.

[JordanGLC]

Did you get the 3 free at that price?Yep, ordered The Searchers, Hot Fuzz & Letters From Iwo Jima.

[g]

I got the shining, eyes wide shut, and clockwork and had them price match to 159 for a great deal.

[JordanGLC]

...and had them price match to 159 for a great deal.How'd you do that?

[g]

If you ordered before 11/22 email amazon saying you saw it on their site for 159.89 on 11/22. They sent me a refund for the difference

[Sweet Baby James]

They are back in stock. My November 23 order is in the shipping soon phase and I was charged the correct amount($159.98-$50.05 for the 3 titles=$109.93).

[basketb]

They are back in stock. My November 23 order is in the shipping soon phase and I was charged the correct amount($159.98-$50.05 for the 3 titles=$109.93).

Same here. Mine actually already shipped yesterday. Pleasant surprise.

[derekjet]

Awaiting the $99.00 price. Should be soon ...

[mrhan]

my order (from Thurs night) still says the estimated delivery for the A-3 is Dec 26th to Jan. 2nd, even though if you place a new order today, it says they are back in stock on Dec 6th.

Can someone who orders from Amazon frequently advise me on this? Will my order tracking update automatically with an earlier ship date once they come back in stock, or do I need to call AMazon and ask them to make sure my order is fulfilled with this new stock coming in on the 6th?



My order stated the same delivery estimate but I just got an email that said it was sent yesterday and it's suppose to be here on Wednesday the 28th.

[Pasolini]

My order tracking screen for the order I placed Nov. 22nd still showed the A3 being shipped after christmas, even though it was back in stock on Nov. 23rd or 24th. So last night I finally called them. The customer service rep in India or wherever verified it was in stock and said he filled out some report to send to the fulfilment center, and that they would put it out for shipment soon.

I checked today but my order screen still shows it is scheduled for shipment after christmas. I hope they can figure their delivery shit out soon.

[PJsig08]

Got the email that my player shipped also. Originally Amazon said it'd ship after Christmas

[Travis Bickle]

They shipped my DVD's USPS, and the Player UPS...I ordered on Tuesday of last week. Came home yesterday afternoon and found my 3 discs on my doorstep (Hot Fuzz, The Departed, and Knocked Up)....later on, my doorbell rang and there sat the UPS delivery of the player! Plays great, and I'm very happy I go in on this deal! My guess is that if it states that your order has shipped, you'll have it in less than a week, (Thanksgiving slowed down my delivery).

[PJsig08]

For this player, is it an HDMI --> HDMI cable that I need? Monoprice.com has these for ~$10, correct?

[That'sAllFolks]

For this player, is it an HDMI --> HDMI cable that I need? Monoprice.com has these for ~$10, correct?

From Fatwallet:

9.99 for a 2-pack
http://www.meritline.com/193-142-0022.html

2.99 +5.00/order most buy 3 for around 13.97 + tax (if applicable)
http://shopping.yahoo.com/?name=woot#woot

[Pasolini]

My order tracking screen for the order I placed Nov. 22nd still showed the A3 being shipped after christmas, even though it was back in stock on Nov. 23rd or 24th. So last night I finally called them. The customer service rep in India or wherever verified it was in stock and said he filled out some report to send to the fulfilment center, and that they would put it out for shipment soon.

I checked today but my order screen still shows it is scheduled for shipment after christmas. I hope they can figure their delivery shit out soon.

woohoo - finally they updated the order and it shipped today from Sparks. Just 2 days estimated to get here to Phoenix and I should have it by Thursday. THey must've shipped it via a faster method since I only 'paid' for the free super saver shipping.

The way they ring up this sale when you look at this order is interesting.
The player is $112.36 and the dvd's are $47.62. So we basically are getting the equivalent of a $99 player (it'd be around $110 with tax if it was a B&M store) with a buy 2 hd-dvd's get 1 hd-dvd free deal, for a total of $159. (not counting the 7 discs that would come with this player anywhere it was sold). So those of you who didn't bite, you can make your own deal like this once they discount the players to $99 somewhere.

[lizard]

For this player, is it an HDMI --> HDMI cable that I need? Monoprice.com has these for ~$10, correct?Yes, for example this six foot one is $4.79 plus shipping:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024009&p_id=2412&seq=1&format=2

They can be had in many different lengths and colors (if you have several HDMI devices to keep track of). This is a list of 84 monoprice HDMI cables:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?spcDB=10240&spcWord=Video+Cable+%2D+%3Cb%3EHDMI+%3C%2Fb%3E&keyword=hdmi

[barndoor67]

The Deal is DEAD!!!

good news my Shipping date was moved up to 11/29/07 instead of 12/26/07

Item Subtotal: $159.98
Shipping & Handling: $11.48

Super Saver Discount $-11.48
Promotion Applied $-55.00

Total: $104.98

Paid by Visa: $104.98

barndoor67

[Gobear]

I ordered my A3 on 11/23 with free shipping, and the e-mail confirmation originally said that I wouldn't get it until after Christmas. I called Amazon and upgraded to standard shipping and my new A3 player arrived today.

[Travis Bickle]

Have any of you purchased the correct cord for hooking the A3 up to the internet for automatic updates? I'm thinking I could do this through my HD Cable box (Scientific Atlanta from Brighthouse). Just wondering what the proper hook-up might be, and if it's worth the trouble.

Feel free to redirect me to another forum if I'm out of line for bringing it up, but I felt it relates to anyone who purchased one of these over the holiday.

[D_N_G]

Have any of you purchased the correct cord for hooking the A3 up to the internet for automatic updates? I'm thinking I could do this through my HD Cable box (Scientific Atlanta from Brighthouse). Just wondering what the proper hook-up might be, and if it's worth the trouble.

Feel free to redirect me to another forum if I'm out of line for bringing it up, but I felt it relates to anyone who purchased one of these over the holiday.

its a standard ethernet cable, the same as you would use for a computer. you can go into the A3 device settings menu to setup the network connection once you have it plugged in to a router. all of the information you need is in the manual that came in the box

alternatively you can download the firmware updates to a computer from the toshiba site. then you would burn them to cd/dvd and then put that disk in the player to perform the update

[JordanGLC]

Mine just arrived. Can't wait to hook it up.

[PJsig08]

Same here. Got everything at the same time today (mcuh earlier than expected with free shipping)

Thanks to the OP, great deal, looking forward to getting it hooked up.

[Travis Bickle]

its a standard ethernet cable, the same as you would use for a computer. you can go into the A3 device settings menu to setup the network connection once you have it plugged in to a router. all of the information you need is in the manual that came in the box

alternatively you can download the firmware updates to a computer from the toshiba site. then you would burn them to cd/dvd and then put that disk in the player to perform the update

Thanks D N G!!! I am going to just burn the updates for now, but maybe take a look at hooking it up online for the future.

[PJsig08]

Does any have the PDF(s) for this deal that you mail-in for the other free DVDs? I think there were two versions of them

[BravesMG]

Does any have the PDF(s) for this deal that you mail-in for the other free DVDs? I think there were two versions of themI stole this from Amazon and used it twice, it's the newest version that I know of: http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/00/00/00/71/79/28/71792861._V25941811_.pdf

[PJsig08]

How'd you use it twice? Also, IIRC the other PDF had a better DVD selection? Anyway to find the other ones?

Just watched some of my new HD-DVDs like the Departed and it looks great.

[BravesMG]

How'd you use it twice? Also, IIRC the other PDF had a better DVD selection? Anyway to find the other ones?

Just watched some of my new HD-DVDs like the Departed and it looks great.I used one for a Toshiba laptop that had HD-DVD and was eligible and used my name, used another one for the A2 I got from Walmart for $99 and used my wife's name and a different address.

I don't remember seeing a newer one or different titles, I know there was an older one that had much crappier selections but I don't know where that .pdf would be.

[Pasolini]

got mine today. hd-dvd looks great. I found out the hard way that my 5-year-old TV (without an HDMI input) means the player won't display dvds upconverted to 1080i due to copy protection which prevents output via the component cables (dvd's can only be upconverted via HDMI i learned today from HTF)
Serves me right - i should've researched first. HOwever, the main reason I got it was to watch new releases on HD_DVD which i can still enjoy at 1080i via the component cables.

[rkndkn]

How'd you use it twice? Also, IIRC the other PDF had a better DVD selection? Anyway to find the other ones?

Just watched some of my new HD-DVDs like the Departed and it looks great.

This is the link to the other offer, which has "TMNT" and "Syriana" instead of "Troy" and "Swordfish".

http://download.sears.com/misc/5Free_end022808.pdf

It was linked to a Sears promotion, but I don't see why you couldn't use it if you bought it elsewhere as the wording doesn't reference the store.

BTW, for people who purchased from Amazon, what exactly are you sending as the "original receipt"?

[BravesMG]

This is the link to the other offer, which has "TMNT" and "Syriana" instead of "Troy" and "Swordfish".

http://download.sears.com/misc/5Free_end022808.pdf

It was linked to a Sears promotion, but I don't see why you couldn't use it if you bought it elsewhere as the wording doesn't reference the store.

BTW, for people who purchased from Amazon, what exactly are you sending as the "original receipt"?I'm sending out the receipt listed on the order summary and just printing it out.

[Travis Bickle]

This is the link to the other offer, which has "TMNT" and "Syriana" instead of "Troy" and "Swordfish".

http://download.sears.com/misc/5Free_end022808.pdf

It was linked to a Sears promotion, but I don't see why you couldn't use it if you bought it elsewhere as the wording doesn't reference the store.

BTW, for people who purchased from Amazon, what exactly are you sending as the "original receipt"?

I sent a copy of the packing slip....it has my information, the item, and the price on it, as well as proof of payment. I would think that would be the most qualifying "receipt" there is.

[barndoor67]

I went to the Sears online rebate center following there link https://www.web-rebates.com/sears/displayForms.asp and there form does not have the "TMNT" and "Syriana" instead of "Troy" and "Swordfish". and the mailing address are not the same?????


Whats up with this??


Barndoor67

[rkndkn]

barndoor,

Are you able to open the link in my post #135? That one has the "TMNT" and "Syriana". (I get a "we are unable to process your request at this time" from your link right now.)

Yes, the 2 forms have different addresses. Perhaps the Sears attached form is designated for them, but maybe it doesn't matter where you bought it.

[JordanGLC]

The DEAL (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_5958862_5?ie=UTF8&docId=1000172611&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1DF2ZNQ68ASF4NWYN6YH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=334889501&pf_rd_i=193642011) is back. The price is now $225 for the A3, but the selection of DVDs has increased.

[Damed]

Thanks. Updated the OP.

[JimRochester]

I picked up the A35 today with 3 free for $369. I have an A3 that needs to go back if anyone misses the deal and wants it for before I return it.

[PJsig08]

I would've taken Batman Begins for sure...either way I got mine the other week and I love it. Once again thanks to OP.

[bcweaver]

Amazon now has the Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player with 5 free movies to choose free from their selection, the 2 free that comes with the player (300 & Bourne Identity) and the mail-in for 5 free HD movies for a total of 12 HD movies and HD DVD player for $224.98.

Possibly a good deal for someone didn't get in on the previous deal of 10 HD movies and player at $199.

If you keep checking back, maybe the price may drop like the last time it was at $199 and eventually dropped to $159...like when I got in on that deal.

[dizzlle01]

I picked up the A35 today with 3 free for $369. I have an A3 that needs to go back if anyone misses the deal and wants it for before I return it.


whats wrong with the A3?

[Sweet Baby James]

Amazon now has the Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player with 5 free movies to choose free from their selection, the 2 free that comes with the player (300 & Bourne Identity) and the mail-in for 5 free HD movies for a total of 12 HD movies and HD DVD player for $224.98.


It's now down to $199.98. I got in for the 3 free titles and A3 for $159.98. If the price drops down to that ballpark, I'll contact Amazon to see if I can get the additional 2 free movies.:fc:

[kahuna]

I picked up the A35 today with 3 free for $369. I have an A3 that needs to go back if anyone misses the deal and wants it for before I return it.

The Toshiba HD-A35 is now $359.98 with 5 free hd-dvds.

The Toshiba HD-A30 is now $259.98 with 5 free hd-dvds.

[King Felix]

I have the 360 add on but would consider getting an standalone player, should I?

[JimRochester]

whats wrong with the A3?

Nothing, I just decided to get an A35

[larry47591]

I have the 360 add on but would consider getting an standalone player, should I?

I had a 360 add on but I could pass up 10 hd dvds and a a3 for 159.99. My total was actually 145 by the time they refunded me my money for all the free dvd's. And I sold 300 and bourne because I already had them. I ended up making money by selling my add-on as well, and I got three new hd-dvds plus the mail in hd's.

[sotra]

It's now down to $199.98. I got in for the 3 free titles and A3 for $159.98. If the price drops down to that ballpark, I'll contact Amazon to see if I can get the additional 2 free movies.:fc:

I did that and got a very surprising email back from them today where they told me to make an order for the 2 HD-DVDs I would like and they would refund me the money. I, initially bought the A3 on Black Friday for $159.98 with 10 free movies and with 12 movies that now makes a very good deal and even better deal :)

[sotra]

Here's an excerpt from the reply I got by the way -

Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com.

It appears that your order did not meet all of the qualifications
specified for this promotional offer. However, in appreciation of
your valuable business to Amazon.com, we have decided to waive the
restriction and apply the promotion to your order.

Due to the circumstances surrounding your order, I have made a one-
time exception to our standard policy.I request you to place a order
for the two DVD's and write back us so that we will wavie the cost
or refund for the DVD.

Please note that you have to place order for the DVD's which comes
under the promotion.

For your reference here is the link to see the DVD's offered with
item "Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player".

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_6032562_1?
ie=UTF8&docId=1000172611&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-
promo&pf_rd_r=1QZJX933H7H7N0WTCASZ&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=338653801&pf_r
d_i=B000U62N1S.

[TLwizard]

It doesn't seem they're doing the 12 free anymore. I sent an email anyways. I had already thought about doing it but sotra's good fortune got my to fully do it. I got a very generic form letter back but it still told me to purchase the free item and they would refund it.

Despite them using the singular, I purchased two and will see if they follow through. This is a wonderful deal that keeps on getting better and better.

[larry47591]

Here's an excerpt from the reply I got by the way -

Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com.

It appears that your order did not meet all of the qualifications
specified for this promotional offer. However, in appreciation of
your valuable business to Amazon.com, we have decided to waive the
restriction and apply the promotion to your order.

Due to the circumstances surrounding your order, I have made a one-
time exception to our standard policy.I request you to place a order
for the two DVD's and write back us so that we will wavie the cost
or refund for the DVD.

Please note that you have to place order for the DVD's which comes
under the promotion.

For your reference here is the link to see the DVD's offered with
item "Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player".

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_6032562_1?
ie=UTF8&docId=1000172611&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-
promo&pf_rd_r=1QZJX933H7H7N0WTCASZ&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=338653801&pf_r
d_i=B000U62N1S.

I just now emailed them and got the same email back. So I ordered two and we will see if they come through.

[larry47591]

They gave me two for $3.97. The 3.97 is shipping, but I actually got a movie that wasn't even on the list.
Dawn of the dead Hd-dvd
Anchorman Hd-dvd

[Sweet Baby James]

^

Which reason did you guys choose from the drop down box? I chose "General Inquiry" and wrote a very polite(aka kiss-ass) email asking for the 2 additional titles. I just got a reply and was DENIED. I would like to try one more time, but I need to know which email address to use for best chance. Thanks.

[kenbenobi]

The A3 is sold out now, too. The A-30 dropped another $10 to $249 but only 10 free now. :( I almost bought it this morning, too...

[TLwizard]

I sent them an email after placing the order for the new HD-DVDs (per their instructions) and have now received an email back saying that it's not possible.

I've sent another email asking for clarification.

[larry47591]

i included the original email they sent me and told them that I would like my price adjustment now. They sent me this:

Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com with your concern.
I do understand your frustration in this regard. As promised by one of our colleague, I have reduced the total order cost.

[wakwak007]

larry47591-
Please continue to let us know how your transactions with Amazon turn out. I also sent them an e-mail about the difference in free HD-DVD's and like you received an e-mail about placing an order and that they would credit me for 2 dvd's. however I did not learn they were only crediting me two HD-DVD's until after I had chosen three (which is the current offer,) placed my order and cut and pasted their orginal e-mail, per their instructions. I attempted to delete my third choice but could not on account of the order being processed (I just made the order not 5 minutes before.) Anyway I'm very curious on whether they will indeed credit our accounts the full prices of the selected dvd's (I don't mind paying for the shipping) and how they will address my extra DVD. Good Luck

[Pookymeister]

My A30 shipped today, total = $160(after $10 refund and cancellation of 5 free movies trick). Happy times.

[bcweaver]

My A30 shipped today, total = $160(after $10 refund and cancellation of 5 free movies trick). Happy times.
How did you get the HD-A30 for only $160 whereas I thought that the HD-A3 was the one for $160 during the previous price around Black Friday weekend? When did you order ? What was the "$10 refund and cancellation of 5 free movies trick"?

[Pookymeister]

How did you get the HD-A30 for only $160 whereas I thought that the HD-A3 was the one for $160 during the previous price around Black Friday weekend? When did you order ? What was the "$10 refund and cancellation of 5 free movies trick"?

Last nite for $260 - picked 5 free movies, cancelled them and got $90 off player, price dropped today and got refund.

Too late to do it now i think.

[sotra]

Well, I made an order for the 2 free extra movies (cose Hot Fuzz and Children of Men) and emailed them back and got this reply -

Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com.

Please accept my sincere apologies for the issues that you have
encountered with your order.

I've reviewed our previous correspondence and your account.

As my colleague previously mentioned, I've requested a refund of
$55.90 to the payment method you used for your original purchase.

This refund should go through within 2 to 3 business days. You
should see it as a credit on your next statement.

You can also view completed refunds by clicking the "Your Account"
link at the top of our web site, then clicking "Go!" next to "open
and recently shipped orders." Completed refunds are displayed at the
bottom of an individual order's summary page.

I hope this information is helpful.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused in
this regard.

Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business and
hope to see you again soon at Amazon.com.

-----

So, I'm very happy with the A3 and 12 HD-DVDs for $159.98 :)

[TLwizard]

I just got the same email from them as well, which is wonderful news.

I actually wasn't expecting this to go through and so was ready to hang my hat up. Reminds me of 1999 when it was so easy and wonderful and inexpensive to jump into the then burgeoning DVD format.

[JediJones]

I've been trying out my new HD-A3 player this weekend. I knew that HD would look better than standard, but I was also concerned as to whether the HD-A3 could upconvert as well as my current Oppo player. Now I can say pretty definitely that it upconverts standard DVDs better than my Oppo DV-981HD. It's a very close call. But if I get pretty close to the screen, and compare the same paused scene of the same movie while switching back and forth (using King Kong 2005 and Superman 1978 since I have multiple standard DVD copies of those), I've been able to see parts of shots that show a little more detail on the HD-A3 than they do on the Oppo. The same details are either invisible or more faded out on the Oppo. This is good news for me since I should be able to sell my Oppo on eBay for about $150 and have made the switch to an HD-DVD player for almost nothing. Since I got in on the HD-A3 while it was $160, it's like trading in my Oppo for a better upconverter, and getting an HD-DVD player and 10 free HD-DVDs thrown in for a few bucks more.

[freudguy]

This is good news for me since I should be able to sell my Oppo on eBay for about $150 and have made the switch to an HD-DVD player for almost nothing.

I've thought of doing the same thing but I have a lot of Region 2 DVD's that I could not play on the Toshiba (too bad it's only region-free on the HD-DVD's). I also have a lot of DIVX files of old obscure TV shows that I cannot get DVD's for and, of course, the Oppo has to stay for those.

I also compared some discs and noticed that the Oppo seems to do a better job with non-anamorphic dvd's (like Spongebob and such). There seemed to be more artifacting on the Toshiba upconvert and 4:3 expanded screen on my Hitachi HDTV.

[Indio]

I took advantage of this deal yesterday. I was able to get the $160 pricematch for the A3 as well as the "12" free HD-DVDS instead of the "10". I picked my extra 2 from the entire HD-DVD catalogue at Amazon and not just the elligible list. All of this was done with two emails. The first email I politely asked for the price adjustment and the extra 2 HD-DVDS. The second email I sent the order # for the two extra HD-DVDs. Great deal!

[Bob330i]

I took advantage of this deal yesterday. I was able to get the $160 pricematch for the A3 as well as the "12" free HD-DVDS instead of the "10". I picked my extra 2 from the entire HD-DVD catalogue at Amazon and not just the elligible list. All of this was done with two emails. The first email I politely asked for the price adjustment and the extra 2 HD-DVDS. The second email I sent the order # for the two extra HD-DVDs. Great deal!

Did you get in on the initial $160 pricing a couple weeks ago or just asked for it knowing it was $160 at one time? I can't see how you did it if you ordered last night at $199, asked for the $160 price then the 2 extra HDDVDs. If you did, I'd like to know how.

I pulled the trigger last night trying to do the cancelling thing and they shipped the movies first this morning. The A3 still is waiting to be shipped. No big deal, just thought I'd give it a try. Still a good deal. I have an unopened D3 from Costco waiting to see if I could beat the $160 plus tax pricing. ~$27 for the 3 extra movies is good enough but hopefully, there will be another deal that beats it in the next couple weeks. I'll be watching.... -pray-

[JediJones]

I took advantage of this deal yesterday. I was able to get the $160 pricematch for the A3 as well as the "12" free HD-DVDS instead of the "10". I picked my extra 2 from the entire HD-DVD catalogue at Amazon and not just the elligible list.

On what basis did you ask for 2 extra DVDs? -confused-

[That'sAllFolks]

I got King Kong and Breakfast Club as my extra two freebies.

I would like to know too if they were able to price match from a price that was before the date they bought it. I bought mine for 179.99 and they will PM to 177.01 (I know big deal) when it ships. They can't pricematch until it ships, but I might try later to PM to the 159.99 price if someone gets this to work.

[Indio]

In response to a few posts above:


I did not cancel anything from my order. I did it exactly as described in my first post. I placed a brand new order for the A3 for the first time yesterday (BTW it shipped today) with the three free HD-DVDs chosen(also shipped) with the order (and two in the box as you all know).

After placing the order, I sent one email to customer service through the site. I simply stated that A) the price had been lower within 30 days and B) that the offer was "12" for free instead of "10" for free within 30 days. About 6 hours later I received a reply stating they would honor the $160 price and credit my card. In addition I was given a link in the email to the PDF rebate offer and told I could choose two additional titles from that list. I chose two titles NOT on that list and wrote back to customer service stating that I made my selection(I included the original email in my reply cut and pasted).

I received another email stating "As promised, I have waived the complete cost for this order". It was really that simple for me!

I suppose it all depends on what rep you get and how you ask for the discount/extra HD-DVDs. Obviously after reading this thread this situation is a YMMV type of deal. I couldn't be more happy with it.

[bcweaver]

I didn't think about trying to get the additional 2 free DVDs when I initially posted that I noticed the deal for 12 free HD DVDs instead...until I checked back on this forum and saw what others of you did...so thanks to all who post on this forum.

First, I called a representative to ask for the deal to obtain the additional 2 free HD DVDs, but got denied by them and 2 supervisors. I politely appreciated their help regardless. However, the representative suggested emailing my inquiry as well, which I did email them about the matter...of which I cut/pasted the email responses from Amazon.com that some included in this thread...(that mention to place an order for the additional HD DVDs to be waived). Then I got a reply to just do the same! So, that's what worked for me.

I placed an order for The Bourne Ultimatum and We are Marshall and emailed the order number as requested to get the cost waived :-)

[Bob330i]

In response to a few posts above:


I did not cancel anything from my order. I did it exactly as described in my first post. I placed a brand new order for the A3 for the first time yesterday (BTW it shipped today) with the three free HD-DVDs chosen(also shipped) with the order (and two in the box as you all know).

After placing the order, I sent one email to customer service through the site. I simply stated that A) the price had been lower within 30 days and B) that the offer was "12" for free instead of "10" for free within 30 days. About 6 hours later I received a reply stating they would honor the $160 price and credit my card. In addition I was given a link in the email to the PDF rebate offer and told I could choose two additional titles from that list. I chose two titles NOT on that list and wrote back to customer service stating that I made my selection(I included the original email in my reply cut and pasted).


Nice! I'm going to try that method now. *crossing fingers*

Update 515pm PST: no luck on my end, got denied. Not surprising though. Was worth the try.

[bcweaver]

Just received notice that my order for the additional 2 free HD DVDs that I ordered will be refunded in full!

The additional two I ordered:

The Bourne Ultimatum
We Are Marshall

Toshiba HD-A3 DVD Player + 12 HD DVDs = "An absolutely GREAT DEAL at $160"

I wasn't even considering the upgrade to HD DVD, but I couldn't resist.

Again, thanks for all who posted in this thread ;-)

[Bill Geiger]

The price for the A3 now is more than the A30! A30 is $239.xx, the A3 is $245.02