Buzz is all over the web this morning. It seems that HD DVD is poised to break the barrier that will assure a blow for ubiquity. Toshiba is reported to be releasing an HD player that will come in under $200 in time for holiday shopping. Remember, VHS was made much more popular than the superior Beta format because of pricing.

Toshiba leads innovation, and now might be leading in price - a Christmas bonus for all!

While this cannot be seen as a death knell for Blu-ray, it certainly will not help. It will undoubtedly force the hand of Sony, who will release a lower priced player. Perhaps one has already been in the works.

If this rumor is true, the Japanese would also be one-upping the Chinese, who had promised, through Venturer Electronics, to bring a $199 HD DVD player to the United States.

The rumor continues that WalMart will be the one to have the Toshiba player, as a natural leader in low pricing. This was brought about by the forum posting by a WalMart employee, who reported that a new SKU was available, showing a Toshiba HDA2-W at $198.

older model Toshiba HD DVD player - perhaps the HDA2-W will be this unit in a different chassis

This is not only a big deal for Christmas, but the mental image of HD DVD being under $200 is a big boost for the format. It might bring players with fewer extras, as features are the easiest things to cut when moving toward a lower price point. At least one more manufacturer will be releasing a competitive player and starting the price reduction cycle that makes consumers start to purchase in great numbers. It is like chum in shark infested waters.

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[tags] Toshiba, HD-DVD player, Holiday pricing, WalMart, sub-$200 [/tags]