The big winner of the war: Amazon.com
 

Amazon.com has gained numerous customers during the format war that will continue to buy from them long after the "war" is over. Great prices, great service, fast reply to inquiries. The best.

Maybe, but I have to think that most of us just go for the best deals wherever they are. For example, in the fall of 2006, many of my purchases were from Buy.com because of the Google Checkout deal.

If the price is the same or lower, they'll keep buying though.

If it's within a small margin, I'll choose Amazon over DD, DVD Planet, DVD Whoever. Just remember, the $14.99 titles are just a start.

Amazon mostly benefits from the format war because retailers are/were hesitant to dedicate large amounts of floor space to a new format(s)

Amazon has the luxury of being a warehouse and they can fulfill orders much quicker than the time it takes for stores to do replenishment

online sites also were winners in the early days of dvd with coupon/discount offers galore

While it's true I have bought a lot from the this past year or so with my Prime membership and the 10% promotion, I will likely cease my weekly buys there and not re-up my Prime membership. I have pre-orders into April that still carry the discount, which is right around when my Prime expires.

First, I continue to have problems with them using the correct shipping method when I pay $4 extra for One Day. Tons of aggravation just trying to explain it to people half way around the world.

Second, (and this isn't their fault), UPS has gotten really shitty around here lately. It's not just the holidays. I'm getting tons of packages crushed (Partly Amazon's fault for putting one disc in a 14x10x5 box), and 3 times in the past month, I've had packages out for delivery that mysteriously are marked "left in hub" at the end of the night.

Lastly, without the 10% off, the only things I gain by buying at Amazon over Fry's is not paying tax and a better chance of the title being available release day. I'm starting to think paying the sales tax may be worth less aggravation of getting damaged and/or late discs from Amazon.

So far, I've bought half my BD discs (about 8) from them in the past week or so. I'll probably continue to buy with them instead of locally, because I'd rather not pay tax and it's usually cheaper with Amazon. I will agree, their CS is fabulous.

ITA. Towards the end of 2007 I think they just blew others away. In every case I was following they matched the huge sales others were having... while still keeping the +$25 free shipping mark. Their packaging is always much better than the competition in my experience. My only complaint is being charged tax because I live in WA. I'm jealous of all of you that get the same things tax free.

I had a disc in my hand today at BB and suddenly thought...WHY! Sure enough I looked on Amazon and it was $10 cheaper. I tossed in a copy of the HD video essentials and it was still close considering tax. I bought my player there also, great place to shop!

Just picked up three HD DVD discs at $14.99 a piece - so $45 bucks to my door (with Prime) and far better than Best Buy's prices.

Can't beat that.

Same here. I could care less who's doing the selling. I buy wherever the DVD's are the cheapest.

As a Canadian I also do most of my buying from Amazon.com since our canadian site is ridiculously over priced. Even if they charge $4-5 for shipping it's still worth it I just bundle more items together.

Most go now as I will be placing another order for their current $14.99 sale :clap:

Shipping prices increased to Canada a few months back. Shipping to Canada for one HD is now $8, so unless you are getting a few, it pretty much kills the deal.

The 30-day price guarantee, even on past BOGOs(!) makes Amazon the only choice as far as I'm concerned.

If you buy on movie by itself it your right does come out to the same thing but I always wait for the BOGO sales or like what they have now a whole bunch of titles on sale @ $14.99. You just have to be patient and pick your spots :)

I'm an Amazon fan too, and would likely check there first for just about anything.

Amazon consistently has the best prices on HD titles, but I still like to go outside them for great deals that come up, such as the Toys R Us B1G1 on Disney BD combined with the $5 off Disney coupon or the Best Buy RZ coupon for $20 off any 3 BD combined with their $14.99 sale on about 10 BD last week. Getting BD for $8-13 apiece new is sweet.

The UPS guy can tell you how much they have delivered to me from Amazon lately. There's no other store or website that offers prices like they do.

The UPS guy that delivers to my neighborhood is shocked when he doesn't have a delivery for me on a daily basis. That should tell you how much I order from Amazon.

Amazon will be the end of me. I think my postman hates me with all my regular shipments!

Great thread! I agree, Amazon is the big winner in this war. And at least from my personal standpoint, Best Buy is the big loser. No more running there every Tuesday to not find most of the new catalog releases... Amazon Prime all the way!

They've gotten tons of my money from buying ammunition for both sides of this war. Thank you Amazon for the great prices!!!

Amazon is the best period. Fastest shipping times, great prices, and no tax = my favorite store!

While I really appreciate the deals I have been able to get from Amazon in recent weeks, it seems apparent to me that they have been losing money on my orders (BOGOF + 10% off x 2 + $5 off for using Amazon Visa + rebate on each title that drops in price). Some of the titles I have been getting nearly for free with all the stacked discounts.

So, it is hard for me to say that Amazon is the "winner" of the format war when they are losing money on HDM to serious bargain shoppers like me. Market share isn't everything.

Their loss is a win for all of us.

Exactly why you never see anyone in the HDM isles at BB....AMAZON IS KING of HDM!

Amazon has good prices. I'll agree to that but eh shipping times are a little slow. I guess that's my fault because I don't have the prime membership. I usually do the free shipping. I ordered Speed and a few others on their last bogo. I believe it was the 1st? Ya it's going on 2 weeks and I've got nothing. I've also not been able to track my orders. It's said the item has been notified for pickup..Does this mean it's not even in the mail yet? lol

UPS/FedEx is the only legitimate carrier that actually updates their shipping info. USPS sucks.

I must admit that Amazon is getting quite a bit of my money with all the recent sales.

The same could have been said of the early days of DVD. I think I was 3 or 4 years into DVD buying when I finally bought one in a store. As HDM goes mainstream (if it does) the deals will get as good if not better at B&M's.

While true, the title of the thread is "The big winner of the war: Amazon.com". Given how much money Amazon is losing, it is hard for me to see how they come out of this as a "winner".

The theory put forward by the OP was that we will continue to buy HDM from Amazon even after these extreme bargains dry up. I disagree. If the deals go away, so will many, perhaps most, of the HDM buyers.

As a side note, where Amazon makes money is from Amazon Marketplace sellers. I have sold numerous BDs and HD DVDs there and they typically get about 28% of the sale price. That's way more than they make on their own HDM, even at the regular price, and they have no inventory or shipping to fuss with.

True but it's just Amazon with the good sales. Best Buy and Circuit City have both had better sales on HDM than every online site not named Amazon.

Im buying literally everything from Amazon as of late. Free Prime 2 Day shipping + no tax = Better deal them Best Buy etc. I usually just browse Best Buy on Tuesday and await my packages on Wednesday. Just purchased 2 Blu-rays and the Family Guy set for 18 less then what I would have spent at Best Buy. Damn.

You have a pretty good Blu-ray collection there, GizmoDVD. I need catch up with you. :D

Its growing daily with these insane deals. Just pre-ordered Saw VI and Across the Universe from Amazon.

Saw VI ??????.... I guess the future is BLU all the way....thanks for the premonition...

You preordered Saw VI, which won't come out for another 3 years? WOW

Speaking of Amazon Prime, is it okay to ask on this forum if any other members would be interested in sharing/splitting a membership since mine needs to be renewed in February anyway?

I have loved Amazon for a long time. Deepdiscount used to get equal amounts of my money, but their sales have become lackluster and they are usually just a penny or two below Amazon, so I usually go Amazon since even with free 8 day shipping it never seems to take more than a few days to get to me, but with Deepdiscount, I never know if it will even arrive (it always does, but it takes so long it seems lost).

I recently made the mistake of going to Wal-Mart of all places to get a DVD binder. I checked Amazon, and saw some nice Case Logics on there, but when I went to WM they had a pretty nice 272 Disc Binder for $30. I had remembered Amazon's being more expensive for less disc space, and it was right there, so I bit.

Fast forward to today, I need another case, so I head to a different (local) WM. Didn't have the one I wanted, but their crappy mainstays brand (208 for $20 was the best size they had). Check Amazon, BANG, there's a $30, 320 size Case Logic for $30. Sold. And as soon as it arrives, my other case goes back to WM.

Yeah, were have you guys been at? I've been buying books, DVDs, the occasional video game, the occasional electronics purchase, etc from Amazon for years. ;)

Just went to pre-order Across the Universe and it won't let me. Damn you Amazon.