AVR #158: Making Dina Uncomfortable
December 10th, 2009
Tom’s feeling particularly adversarial this week, much to Dina’s chagrin. Topics include the new Salk speakers under review (Veracity HT2-TLs), Plasma burn-in vs. image retention (and a particularly apt analogy), and the uselessness of wireless HDMI solutions. DTS CDs and the PS3 – just a Google search away from a solution. Dallas tests out 3D on the BIG screen. Audyssey testing and sub distance. Free holiday music from Amazon. Dina’s holiday schedule. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to vote for us at Podcast Alley.
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I see we have the humidity levels back in check to keep Dina’s “‘fro” from making another uncredited appearance! 🙂
Seriously, you think blu-rays are still too expensive? Where are you buying these things? I have about 50 movies now, and haven’t spent more than $20 on most of them. I just got Quantum of Solace for $9.99, Shaun of the Dead for $15.99, and Leon: The Professional for $13.99. All of those were from Amazon. I paid more than that for the DVD version of Leon when I got that ages ago. And I remember paying $30 for both Trainspotting and Boogie Nights in 1997.
As long as you aren’t buying new releases in the first few weeks they come out, I’ve found all the blu-ray prices to be rather good. Especially when you consider what DVD’s used to cost (and they were in 1997 dollars!).
Shopping for kids movies for X-mas, most everything was $29.99 and up. I honestly think that $19.99 is too much but I still got myself the new Star Trek for X-mas. There are a few movies that are in the price range I like to pay ($9.99-$14.99) but mostly I don’t want the movie. I tend to think that your movie collection says something about you as a person. You know, I should blog about that… stay tuned.
I bought Up for $30, but it gave me three copies… a DVD to give to the grandchildren, a digital copy for their parents, who watch on their laptops, and the BluRay for me. This bundling is stupid, but I got two gifts out of it.
See, now that makes sense. But for me, I’d have three copies, only one of which I’d use.
jfalk,
You mean you did not screw Target over with liberal use of stacking coupons.
I got UP and Monsters Inc for $12 total. Some people were even more forceful and/or found dumb enough checkers to get the two titles for under a buck (price matching and coupons).
Tom,
I do think you need to re-evaluate your BD is too expensive stance. Many of this years biggest Blockbuster titles have been streeting for under $20 at even B&M stores this holiday shopping season.
I still sense an anti Blu stance here. I do remember you and the Audioholics gang bragging about the $99 HD DVD player a couple of years ago and how strongly you guys thought Toshiba was going to win. Sorry but I still sense a lot of sour grapes here.
Today we have cheap players AND cheap media. Remember even when Toshiba was pimping that POS format, that software for it was still just as much as BD software at the time.
If you want the best quality, BD is the current king of quality. BD won, get over it.
Tom,
Have you ever heard of Amazon? Target or Walmart… or the term shop around.
I don’t know where you are shopping, but try looking for sales or again try Amazon.
UP is currently 19.99, Cars 15.49, Monsters Inc 21.49.
You can also get Monsters Inc and UP together at AMZ for about $30.
Ice Age 3 is currently $17.99.
If a title is too much somewhere don’t buy it there and shop around. You don’t have to pay anywhere near $30/title if you look around.
Fair point, CraigW. I’m not much of a coupon shopper. To complete my story, I was in Barnes&Noble for other reasons when I bought Up and I refused to buy Star Trek at $30 and bought it later on Amazon for $20. I was really talking about the oddity of bundling more than the pricing.
Craig – No sour grapes here – I was just as bitter about HD DVD prices as they were identical to Blu-ray. I did end up getting a few for me and the kids from Amazon for Xmas. All were between $15.49 and $19.99 – still more than I wanted to pay.
Fair enough Tom.
But I think many think that just because DVD is cheap now that BD should be just as cheap. Remember it is a premium offering.
Also, I think many have a shortterm memory regarding DVD pricing. I got into that format early in its lifecycle in 1997. My first Sony DVD player, the S3000 was $500 and most software ranged from $20 to $35 depending on the studio releasing the titles.
Really I think if we compare the DVD price curves and the BD price curves over the respective time on the market, I think we would see a smacking similarity.
Heck I would love BDs to be free, but that ain’t happening.
BTW, I just switched from Blockbuster Total Access to Netflix. My new 46Z5100 Bravia has Netflix c[pause]apa[pause]bility. I[pause]t’s lea[pause]ving a littl[pause]e to be desired.
I have Comcast. Even though I have wireless network setup, I am using a hard ethernet connection and I still am getting barely adequate streaming especially on HD Netflix content.
I really don’t think BD has much to worry about competing with streaming services.
I’m running Netflix streaming off my hard-wired Samsung BD-1600, which actually streams more reliably than it plays discs (it still hiccups on load, etc). The instant-access is awesome except that my now basically refuses to watch any nature programming unless it is in high def. Tom, I would say that, even more than sports, HD lends an irresistible gravitas to nature shows (a la Planet Earth, Blue Planet).