HD DVD Should Re-think PR After Beatings From Netflix and Best Buy

[admin]

When you work for the HD DVD Promotions Group you look forward to Friday. So far this week - Netflix announced it’s dropping HD DVD and Best Buy, the country’s largest consumer electronics retailer, announced its endorsement for Blu-ray. What does Best Buy think it is – Ted Kennedy?


Discuss "HD DVD Should Re-think PR After Beatings From Netflix and Best Buy" here. Read the article.

[Biggiesized]

Excellent editorial. I've read a lot about this news over the past few days and no one has taken this stance yet. Instead everyone has piled on HD DVD even further. It's refreshing to read this point of view.

[Wayde Robson]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out how hollow BB's endorsement is when they're still stocking HD DVD, it means practically nothing.

If only I had a hidden camera for every time I've gone into a BB to ask (admittedly unserious) questions and got some oddball answers.

Hmm... hidden BB cam, gives me a great idea for an ongoing video blog piece.

Not to be insultive toward BB employees, I know they're just regular folks but they're undertrained to be giving advice on CE. That what places like Audioholics are for. But I've asked obvious stupid stuff and gotten the 'wrong' answer. For instance:

Me at BB: Since I am vegan, I'll need to know if the plasma in your HDTVs comes from a non-animal source.

BB: I'll have to check on that.

[stratman]

I never saw it as a "war" of technology. It was more like like a schoolyard tussle "who's got the best PR." Blu-ray marketing/PR did a better job that's all, they convinced the majority that BD is the best choice. Wait and see what happens as they try and convince Joe and Mary to switch from SD DVD to BD. If the HD DVD group would have done a better ad/pr campaign the results would've been different.

It's perception, BB "dropping" HD DVD alludes that it's dead or dying. It plays on the consumer's psyche. As for stocking, I'm sure they'll want to dump as much inventory as they can.

[Johnd]

Originally Posted by Wayde Robson

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out how hollow BB's endorsement is when they're still stocking HD DVD, it means practically nothing.

Hey. Wait a minute. How about some credit where credit is due (post #11):
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...t=41031&page=2
How come no one listens to me around here?

Another nice article Wayde.

[gliz]

Blu-ray players are still to expensive cheapst I have seen one is $399

[dobyblue]

They're still stocking SACD's in a small section in several stores as well.

It's not a hollow endorsement if their policy becomes to recommend and spotlight Blu-ray Discs. Perhaps they will move the HD DVD section to a less prominent area, like they do with DVD-A and SACD right now.

Anyway I disagree with the article, the next thing the HD DVD PG should do is give up the ghost. It's so friggin' over it's not even funny.

Toshiba is no doubt looking to enter the Blu-ray hardware market soon enough.

[Clint DeBoer]

To me it read a little like Rush Limbaugh touting Conservatism... Best Buy has ALWAYS pushed Blu-ray. For them to make this statement is clarifying what was obvious to the rest of us from the start.

[gliz]

if I was a retailer, I would push the discs that played on the more expensive players. every one in this forum must be dripping with cash because the price if the BD players does not seem to bother anyone but me.

[Wayde Robson]

My recommendations on what HD DVD should do next are only half serious. Obviously they have two choices. Give up or fight.

If they're going to stay in and fight they need to sound like they mean it!

I am personally able to playback both formats in my HT system.

This 'war' could drag out for a long time just because it's really quite small. I don't think there is a lot of impetus for the studios or consumers to resolve it.

High-def discs are such small potatoes to studios that you still may never see a Warner title like Batman Begins released in Blu-ray.