Gizmo

(image from AVS)

Each Wal-Mart will be getting 18-30 and be available for purchase at all stores no later then November 3rd. A lot of reports from AVSers is that these are arriving on pallets and being sold TODAY.

Please keep in mind you will also get 5 free HD DVD titles by mail as well.


MOD ADDENDUM: Circuit City now has this for $199 as well. There may be $40 off $200 coupon or 10% off coupons around to make this even cheaper. See page two of this thread for more details.

Mr. Cinema

I would like another HD DVD player. Looks like I'll be headed to my Walmart today.

Th0r S1mpson

Those looks terrible. Not even in focus. I hear Blu-Ray sale pictures are much clearer.

Sweet Baby James

bookcase3

This price could make me jump on the HD-DVD bandwagon. Reading reviews, I'm not sure what the difference between 1080i and 1080p is -- or whether it would even make a difference seeing as my TV is 720p. Can anyone clarify? Thanks!

chanster

If you have a 720p TV, you don't need 1080p.

DVD Josh

That's quite an oversimplification. The picture will be outstanding, but it will be better in native resolution on a 1080p display.

BuckNaked2k

HD DVD on 720p display is a major step up. Otherwise, you are limiting yourself to 480p sources.

islandclaws

Quick q: should I jump on this one for the price or is there anything better about the A3 that should make me buy it instead?

chanster

From what I have read, the jump between the A3 and A2 isn't too significant..you get 2 more free movies with the A3 (300 + Bourne Identity) being packed in with it..

BravesMG

I was really looking for this, but just picked up the A30 from Amazon for $320. For the extra cash, it comes with two movies and has 1080p output. If you're looking for an A3, I'd highly recommend looking at the A30 if you could use 1080p.

tonymontana313

Hmm, the website still shows 279.54. I'm guessing this is YMMV.

chanster

Well if you read the post it says in store, not on the Web.

bookcase3

Question: will this player play SD and HD DVDs from other regions?

Mr. Cinema

I believe cosmetics are the only difference. Although not sure, I believe the A2 and A3 sends DD+ audio differently. I think the A2, like the A1 models, sends the DD+ audio as DTS at 1.5mbps, compared to the A3 sending it as DD 640kbps. I'd take the DTS sound in this case.

clappj

It will play HD-DVDs from other regions (as HD-DVDs aren't region-encoded), but it won't play other region DVDs, as it's not a region-free player.
Hopefully that makes sense!

Damed

SD - no, it's an R1 SD player

HD - yes. HD DVDs are region free.

bookcase3

Thanks clappj and Damed... I didn't realize HD-DVDs are region free. I'm trying to wrap my mind around the entire HD "experience," so this factoid must've completley passed me by.

BornAgainStar

lol found one at wallys on a pallette in Electronics. Took it to pay for it and they said it wasn't able to be sold when they scanned it. After some time, they finally said it wasn't to be sold until a particular date, which they couldn't share with me.

Well, I'm trying to become format neutral.

Gizmo

Odd.

I'll wait until BF to get another A2. I would be shocked if this was not on sale in some form (half of $198 is $99....)

Supermallet

It's out on the floor but they won't sell it? What the hell?

edstein

Did they put out their Black Friday sale too early?

tonymontana313

These is a great price and once my local wallyworld has them, I'm going to pick one up for a 2nd player in the bedroom.

Mr. Cinema

Interesting....

"We reduced our HD DVD Toshiba player, the generation-two, to $198 earlier in the week,” Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien told Fortune. “It’s happening now, and that’s really all I can tell you. We don’t give any information on what we’re planning to do for the holidays. We know HD DVD and Blu-ray are going to be popular items this holiday season for some of our customers. … They will be more popular this year than they were in previous years.”

O'Brien also dismissed rumors that Wal-Mart stores would only carry 18 units of the lower-priced Toshiba player.

“There are no limited quantities for stores or purchases," she told the publication.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/walmart102607.htm

bookcase3

From what I've been reading in various publications, other retailers should be offering the $200 price point this coming holiday season, which will persuade me to steer away from SD and enter the HD DVD camp. Of course with half the movies being released on Blu-ray, I'll still fill my shelves with SD discs.

I don't have a receiver that has HDMI capabilities, but my TV does. How does it work with a player that has one HDMI hookup? Does it go from player to receiver to TV, or player to TV to receiver? I thougth I knew a lot about this stuff, but some of it is mind-boggling.