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Wal-Mart To Start Black Friday Pricing Early (HD DVD players less than $100!)
MarketWatch ^ | Oct 31, 2007 | Angela Moore

Posted on 11/01/2007 11:31:00 AM PDT by TrueKnightGalahad

[Wal-Mart] Wednesday said it would start its Black Friday and holiday pricing early on some items, in a move to drive sales during the increasingly competitive holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said it will offer Black-Friday prices three weeks early by unveiling "secret" in-store specials. The company said it will offer discounts on five popular gift items. Wal-Mart plans to reveal discounts on its Web site on Thursday. The items will be available in stores beginning Friday morning, Nov. 2 as it officially opens its special Christmas shops. The day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year and is known as "Black Friday" in the retail industry because retailers earn so much on this single day they are able to swing to profitability.

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: 1080i; bluray; byebyebluray; firesale; hddvd; hdtv; retail; walmart
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To: TrueKnightGalahad

Blu Ray outsells Sony by 2 to 1 right up to the release of Transformers 2 weeks ago.. Seems that Sony is winning, handily.

I did quite a bit of homework on it.. I went the Blu Ray route, but I have to admit, both formats are awesome.

both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray upconvert old DVDs and make them look stunning.. (in answer to someones question) they do a far better job of the up-converting, as I also have a Samsung that I bought for just that purpose. I have since moved it to the bedroom.


141 posted on 11/01/2007 2:16:15 PM PDT by Chuzzlewit
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To: GunRunner

Big BIG screens like projectors I can see the advantage but under 60 inches and its an up to date 1080P TV and you have an up converting regular DVD player that has 1080P the differences are hard to really notice except for the additional features the HD can offer, I’m happy with just this combo above on my 57” Toshiba DLP, I may buy the HD player next year but I’m sure as heck not buying some hyped up sale/factory closeout electronic device from a mega retailer that “Sells for Less”.

Plus I still try to severely limit my Made in China addiction, very hard habit to get off of, will take me years of counseling and therapy I expect.


142 posted on 11/01/2007 2:18:04 PM PDT by Eye of Unk
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To: sean327
not have to deal with the crowds of self-important pretentious a-hole snobs who look down on us common folk oafs.

Amen. I never shopped in WalMart until I moved to a rural state in fly-over country. I don't mind it at all, tho I do prefer Target.

For some reason, my grad students love dissing WalMart. I don't even know how the freakin' topic comes up, but time and time again they mention WalMart in the same tone you'd reserve for Hitler. I am trying to keep my politics out of the classroom, but I swear one day I'm going to go off the deep end and start lecturing about the free market, people's right to work, etc.

It's not that I don't understand the whole 'made in China' issue, it's just that if you don't like it, don't shop there. It's not a religion, it's a store; go spend your money somewhere else.

143 posted on 11/01/2007 2:21:50 PM PDT by radiohead (Dissolution of the IRS as we know it - Fred Thompson. Stop...You had me at "dissolution.")
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To: TrueKnightGalahad
Sorry, but all the figures I've seen show that you are incorrect; HD DVD has more than 300 released titles and counting since September,

The current count is 351 Blu-Ray, 327 HD-DVD. However, this includes 30 or so Paramount releases that are no longer made, which might make HD-DVD the winner if you offer currently manufactured titles. Neither format wins in a runaway; at best its a wash.

HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on October 23rd, 2007

If you're big into foreign films, I can see why you hate region encoding, however most of us don't care, and it will not affect market share.

It's unfortunate that you couldn't find "Hot Fuzz" in your neighborhood. It's in rental stores in my neighborhood,

Maybe that's the way they do things in New York, but we're just out of the stone age down here in the sticks. I'm lucky enough to be able to spell my name. Your testimony aside, HD-DVD is AWOL in all of the rental chains in my area.

Regardless of your dislike for Sony, Blu-Ray as a format has potential even outside the movie market. Its a low cost storage alternative, and Blu-Ray burners are becoming more available in desktops and laptops. Outside of playing studio releases, HD-DVD currently has little use. Blu-Ray is better positioned to be the heir to CDs and DVDs.

144 posted on 11/01/2007 2:24:57 PM PDT by GunRunner (Thompson 2008 - Security, Unity, Prosperity)
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To: GunRunner; TrueKnightGalahad
Regardless of your dislike for Sony, Blu-Ray as a format has potential even outside the movie market. Its a low cost storage alternative, and Blu-Ray burners are becoming more available in desktops and laptops. Outside of playing studio releases, HD-DVD currently has little use. Blu-Ray is better positioned to be the heir to CDs and DVDs.

Spoke too soon. It looks like Toshiba is coming out with a slimline HD-DVD burner. At least they're following Sony's lead on that.

Toshiba launches ultra thin HD-DVD burner

145 posted on 11/01/2007 2:32:08 PM PDT by GunRunner (Thompson 2008 - Security, Unity, Prosperity)
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To: Sue Perkick

yeah, I got my Sharp Aquos 37” last year and love it.


146 posted on 11/01/2007 2:47:07 PM PDT by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: Phantom Lord
I have the S52, the previous version. I love it. Got it FREE! with the purchase of my LCoS tv. The picture is outstanding and audio is top notch via optical since my reciever doesn’t have HDMI.

130 posted on 11/01/2007 2:51:17 PM MDT by Phantom Lord

The sound was a bonus.

Picture quality on my Toshiba 64" DLP is stunning !

The sound is 3D and surround ; it is also stunning.

True Home Theater.

The Matrix Reloaded becomes alive.

But you must use the HDMI for full up-converting and sound enhancement.


147 posted on 11/01/2007 2:55:51 PM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (you shall know that I, YHvH, your Savior, and your Redeemer, am the Elohim of Ya'aqob. Isaiah 60:16)
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To: krb

You can get a DVD recorder for $50. For $99 you can get one that records off digital cable or a local HD channel from an antenna.


148 posted on 11/01/2007 2:58:12 PM PDT by dan1123 (You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. --Jesus)
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To: GunRunner
...but we're just out of the stone age down here in the sticks.

The "sticks" - in the People's Republic of Austin? LOL - that explains it! Blu is the choice of libs (most of the Blubots I see on the forums are rabidly liberal), while HD DVD is the choice of true red-blooded Americans. :-) How's THAT for a marketing paradigm? :-)

One thing I share with many of the effete intellectual libs :-) is a love for foreign films - so yeah, the absence of region coding is important to me. I want to watch what I want, when I want, without Sony or any other manufacturer making it impossible for me to see certain movies. Region-free DVD players have been widely, though unofficially, available for years; that HD DVD decided not to hobble their media is a feather in its cap.

149 posted on 11/01/2007 2:58:43 PM PDT by TrueKnightGalahad (Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Viking Kitties!)
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To: Bogtrotter52
>>I would rather go elsewhere and pay 20 bucks more rather than go to Walmart and push my way through the crowds of oafs there.<<

Best Buy and others are matching. But Best Buy is already out. But you can likely get this deal elsewhere, until they are gone. I think this is the end of this model.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
150 posted on 11/01/2007 2:59:23 PM PDT by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.)
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To: XeniaSt

Glad you like the Panasonic S53 - so I hate to say that as good as you think it is, at its very best day it’s only a so-so performer. Much better regular up-converting players are available, such as the Oppo or other Panasonic, Denon, and Toshiba players...and the S53 is completely outclassed by any of the HD DVD players.


151 posted on 11/01/2007 3:05:21 PM PDT by TrueKnightGalahad (Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Viking Kitties!)
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To: TrueKnightGalahad
Not for $88

152 posted on 11/01/2007 3:10:58 PM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (you shall know that I, YHvH, your Savior, and your Redeemer, am the Elohim of Ya'aqob. Isaiah 60:16)
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To: sean327

From my Marine to you, Semper Fi.


153 posted on 11/01/2007 3:13:18 PM PDT by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA (Guns up Red Raiders!)
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To: XeniaSt

LOL - yeah, you’d have to pay an additional $10.88 for the HD DVD player at Wal-Mart! :-) No, seriously, I wasn’t trying to knock on the S53, but just alert other readers that while the S53 might be passable, there are better players around the same price or even lower, like the HDMI-equipped Toshiba SD-K860 which retails for $79 and can be found even cheaper. A great site for objective evaluations of DVD players is the DVD Shootout at the Secrets of Home Theater web site - lots of information concisely presented, without getting so uber-geeky (like at the AVS forums) that you pull out your hair.


154 posted on 11/01/2007 3:26:32 PM PDT by TrueKnightGalahad (Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Viking Kitties!)
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To: Rob_DSM
For the rest of us with 60Hz televisions, this 1080i issue is moot.

What about the new 120hz and 150hz sets?

155 posted on 11/01/2007 3:56:41 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
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To: TrueKnightGalahad
hey, just mentioning it, as it's the chosen format for many XXX producers

For some reason Blu-Ray has a virtual ban on its use for XXX films. Advantage HD-DVD.

156 posted on 11/01/2007 3:58:19 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
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To: TrueKnightGalahad
The Toshiba SD-K860 has gotten horrible reviews and pretty pretty much slammed where I have read about it. Such as Home Theater HiFi...

Overall, I found the SD-K860 to be a sub-par DVD player. There were some highlights, but the player needs work in its core video performance. This has become an unsettling trend lately in our tests. While I don’t expect top of the line performance at this price point, the issues found here should just not be a problem regardless of the price. Limitations in video processing are expected, not limitations in core performance. While this is an attractive price point for a HDMI based DVD player, I would have to recommend looking elsewhere.

The S52 didn't fair any better though.

157 posted on 11/01/2007 4:10:50 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
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To: TrueKnightGalahad
Secrets of Home Theater web site

The information on the website seems to be 3 - 7 years old

158 posted on 11/01/2007 4:12:14 PM PDT by Uri’el-2012 (you shall know that I, YHvH, your Savior, and your Redeemer, am the Elohim of Ya'aqob. Isaiah 60:16)
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To: XeniaSt

I use HDMI to send it to the TV and then optical to the receiver.


159 posted on 11/01/2007 4:12:30 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
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To: Phantom Lord
Maybe...I haven't seen any HD porn, but the thought of seeing everything in hyper-detail is...disturbing. ;-P

OTOH, virtually every new media product that's succeeded has been adopted by the XXXy people early in the game, so perhaps its an omen about the mass sell-through of HD DVD. The people like me who jump into a tech first have to hang tough while the 'chicken-and-egg' issue works out - many people won't buy until there's enough media, but the media people hold back a lot of releases until there's a sufficiently sizable installed base of players. Remember how long it took for blockbusters like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Star Wars" to come to DVD? Seems ridiculous now that DVD has practically wiped VHS from the map.

BTW, rumor says - so don't shoot this messenger if the rumor is wrong :-) - that Best Buy is going to match the Wal-Mart pricing. Whoo-Hoo!

160 posted on 11/01/2007 4:16:26 PM PDT by TrueKnightGalahad (Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Viking Kitties!)
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