News
Psst, Want a Cheap HD DVD Player?
Retailers are dropping prices to lure reluctant buyers.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (September 12, 2006) -- Electronics retailers are cutting the price of new HDTV DVD players as much as 20 percent.

That's according to an article in Video Business magazine.

The publication reports that retailers are slashing prices even though there is a limited supply of the new high-def players.

However, CE retailers have noted that sales of HD-DVD and Blu-ray players have been dismal due to consumer concerns over the war between the two formats. The two DVD formats are not compatible with each other, meaning one disc won't play on the other's machine.

Video Business writes that the Chicago-based Abt Electronics is selling Toshiba's HD-AI player for $437, approximately 12 percent off the $499 list price. Toshiba's higher-end HD-DVD player, the HD-XA1, is selling for $688, compared to the $799 list price.

"We try to stay as competitive as possible, Abt president Jon Abt told the publication.

Amazon.com is selling Samsung's BDP1000 Blu-ray player for $799, compared to the list price of $799. And Circuit City is offering a 10 percent discount on pre-orders of Sony's new player.

“It’s getting more competitive, which I’m surprised because (players) are still hard to get,” Robert Zohn, president of Value Electronics, told Video Business.

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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