Whaaa? Pricing Parity For BD and HD DVD
December 18, 2007

Pricing competition is making it harder and harder to tell these guys apart. You used to be able to depend on an HD DVD standalone to be hundreds less than the comparable Blu-ray model. But that stereotype is getting flipped on its head, due to recent retailer circulars. Take Circuit City's Dec. 16-Dec. 22 ad blast, with a $299-priced Toshiba HD DVD A-30 and $299-Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player sitting side by side. Both output to the full 1080p high-def experience, and each represent drops of $100 from previous widespread retail pricing. In one point of differentiation, shoppers score 7 free HD DVD when picking up the Toshiba model, and 5 free titles with the Sony player. Another distinction is that the Toshiba player includes the Ethernet port that comes standard in all HD DVD players, and Sony player lacks that same Web connectivty.
This news follows Samsung's recent $100 rebate offer that helped push the pricing of its standalones to well below $300. Others offering Sony's BDP-S300 for $299 include Best Buy.  Amazon.com has it for $288.
And if you're really ambitious, you can get the Sony player essentially for free at Best Buy, as you'll instantly save $299 by purchasing the BD player, plus either Sony's 52-inch LCD HD TV or 46-inch LCD HDTV. 

Posted by Susanne Ault on December 18, 2007 | Comments (1)