HD DVD Combo's - What Went Wrong?

apocolypse

That's always been my biggest complaint about combo disks. The couple that I have play fine, so no issue there, but I hate spending an extra five bucks or so for something that I don't really need (the SD-DVD). If the price is comparable, then it pretty much nullifies my issue.

pob14

I'm not Chuck, but I'm in his position. And yes, I would love to watch, say, Disney and Pixar movies in hi-def. (I can't, of course, but never mind that for now.)

We have a HT in the basement with our A2 attached, and SD DVD players in the living room and our bedroom. My wife wants the latest Harry Potter for Xmas, but made it perfectly clear that she had to be able to watch it in the living room or bedroom also. So we'll be getting the combo disk. For me, it's worth the extra price, so long as the premium is less than the cost of buying a SD disk in addition to the HD-DVD.

And, in point of fact, for pre-orders at Amazon right now:

Order of the Phoenix, HD-DVD combo ed.: 24.95.
Order of the Phoenix, Blu-ray: 24.95.

So in this case, there IS no premium.

__________________
POB

Player: Toshiba A2
HDDVDs: 20 (last viewed: Pan's Lab)
SD-DVDs: Too damn many

Chris Gerhard

There are examples where selected retailers have the same price, but that hasn't been that common in my experience. The combo discs are usually priced higher and the average price for combo discs which cost much more to manufacture and bring to market should be priced higher.

Personal feelings aside, it should be clear throughout the history of shiny 5" discs that the dual sided discs are poor sellers. Since I was involved in the previous format war and saw the market response to DualDisc with DVD-A on one side and CD on the other, I have no reason to believe this will be any different, the market has rejected the idea once again.

Hybrid SACD, a single sided disc with CD and SACD did better but has basically been relegated to niche status and only classical music and jazz to a lesser extent is a viable market for the format. I know some here think the exact same companies that tried the exact same thing for better than CD quality audio that is being touted here for better than DVD quality video are absolutely brilliant now but they were idiots when it was attempted and failed a few years ago with the audio formats. I never expected to see the TotalHD disc and I don't expect anything but tiny sales for the twin discs and the combo discs are such a bomb on the market those are already on the way out.

The Blu-ray side has this issue correct as well. Offer Blu-ray to the consumers that want HD and offer DVD to the consumers that want DVD. Don't force either group to buy something they don't want.

Chris

Lee Stewart

Chris you keep bring up the SACD/DVDA issue like it releates to HDM. IT DOESN'T. The amount of people in the USA that had stereo's good enough to take advantage of these formats was tiny.

HDM is here because HDTV is here. They are selling more than 1 million HDTV's per month.

The advanced audio formats were a solution to a probelm that didn't exist. They tried to make a market where none existed.

And for every person that says they dislike combo's - there is another person who says they love them.

mshulman

The more I get a chance to use combo's, the more I love them. I travelled to NY by Train earlier this week and wanted to bring some movies. I only have a few combo's unfortunately, so my selection was limited. I wish all my discs had been Combo's - It would have been nice to be able to pick and choose whatever I wanted.

__________________
Toshiba HD-A2 and HD-A3
PS3
Sanyo PLV-Z3
Canon HF-10
Onkyo 805

"I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry!"

bruceames

Not sure you're aware, Chris, but WB has changed the pricing on their combos so that the MSRP of both the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions are the same. Combos are currently used by WB and Universal (except Paramount on the combo-only ST: TOS boxset) on day and date titles only. Since they are used on day and date title only, lets compare day and date MSRP prices (street prices will vary, usually between $5-$12 off) between the major studios, whether it's a combo or not.

day and date price/catalog price

Universal: $40/$30
WB: $36/$29
Paramount: $40/$30
Fox: $40/$40
Sony: $39/$29
Buena Vista: $35/$35 (a few day and dates $40)
Lionsgate: $40/$30
MGM: $40/$29

So you can see that the most studios charge $40 MSRP anyway, meaning that the combo surcharge is basically mythology these days.

http://www.blu-raystats.com/index.php

http://www.hddvdstats.com/index.php

__________________
Blu-rays: 55
Latest purchases: John Adams, Gone With the Wind, Up, Rocky: The Undisputed Collection

Lee Stewart

Chris's Mantra:

"I am not always right . . . but I am NEVER wrong."

Chris Gerhard

I have seen that mentioned here, yes. I haven't been able to tell at any stores I visit that the retailers are selling combo versions at the same price as straight HD DVD. Do you know if that meant Warner has reduced the wholesale cost to retailers to the same level? Without that additional motivation, I am doubtful very many retailers will sell at the same price, except for the few that sell at MSRP. I paid close attention at Wal-Mart last week and the combo versions I noticed were all higher.

Chris

bruceames

Not sure about Walmart, but given the day and date WB combos out until now are $40 msrp, they should have them for either $30 or $35, depending on the title (same would go for BB) Amazon has them for $28. I think BB sees the word combo and automatically knocks only $5 off msrp, but otherwise they might take of $10. With the Harry Potter movie, at $36 msrp, surely Walmart and BB will charge no more than $30 for it (hopefully less, given it's a high profile release). Amazon is selling both versions of HP for $25.

__________________
Blu-rays: 55
Latest purchases: John Adams, Gone With the Wind, Up, Rocky: The Undisputed Collection

Lee Stewart

I believe HP is the first Combo to be priced the same as the BD version. All others that I know of - the Combo was always priced higher.

Hvnsent309

While in theory I was excited about combo discs when they first came out, I have to say that the biggest issue for me is the fact that both sides have content... and in my house that simply means it is too easy for it to get destroyed. Between my husband and my daughter, dual sided discs go through hell in my house... and it isn't just HD-DVD discs, several of our SD movies are that way also, and they just don't last. So considering that they don't last as long, I am less willing to pay extra money for a combo disc...

Deja Vu

I would say that only the combo disc now stands between HD DVD and oblivion. HD DVD either plays this card big time and uses DVD to piggyback HD DVD into all the places HD DVD has been shut out of or its over. Maybe the twin or triple layer would work better, but who knows if its use is even feasible?

Cheers,

Grant

cbcdesign

I really dont see the piont of ressurecting old threads like this one. The combo is now irrelevant since warner made their switch.

Deja Vu

I disagree - the combo ONLY (no DVD release) is the only way Toshiba has a shot, unless of course they "buy" a studio or two.

Cheers,

Grant

cbcdesign

You are assuming Toshiba have not decided to let the format quietly die though as as time goes on I am more and more certain that is what they are going to do. We have not had one single truly defiant statement from them as yet and a week has passed since the warner defection. I hope I am wrong but I have a feeling we are all going to be dissapointed with Toshibas willingness to fight on.