Proof of cheap chinese HD DVD players comiong soon?

[thrustbucket]

Someone on AVS posted and translated a supposed press release from a company in China that is pretty interesting:

The following site is in Chinese. It basically says that Fuh Yuan electronic corporation from Taiwan just built a new factory to manufacture blue laser HD-DVD cores. This core is independently developed by Fuh Yuan, and is a joint project with TDK. The production will be handled by Great Wall corporation in China. An interesting thing is that it mentioned that Fuh Yuan got a two million units order from Wal-Mart, worth USD$100 million. Since Wal-Mart does not sell blue laser core, I assume it would be players. Fuh Yuan's stock will be released by July 12th, and will be publicly traded next March. It is a press release.

Fuh Yuan has a similar news on its Chinese website, but not on its English version.

Link: http://www.ettoday.com/2007/04/16/320-2082635.htm

Fuh Yuan website: http://www.fuhyuan.com/

Edit: Possible price: $299, see link here (again, Chinese): http://udn.com/NEWS/STOCK/STO5/3804769.shtml
Edit: The price link no longer work now. I wonder why,

Still needs further confirmation from a second translation or source (Anyone know chinese?) But this is big big news for HD DVD if true.

[1080p]

Google's home page's advance options has a language translater. It can be slow at times but somewhat works.
This is from first link:
http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools

Taiwan's electronic industry deduction related to the world again! Fukuhiko electronics companies opened factories Branch at the same time, Chinese R & D and manufacturing are released to the public by the "Blue HD-DVD" Inner formally came into being. 。Deng Hongmo chairman of the company says that the high-resolution, "Blue HD-DVD" CHIP successfully developed, WALMART 2 million this year, the United States immediately received orders to Taiwan, The output value is expected to reach the end of next year to 10.1 billion Taiwan dollars.


Fukuhiko electronics companies Division plant in the lead after 2001, the completion of the commissioning ceremony held yesterday morning. former Control Yuan President Fredrick Chien and his wife, both party and government officials attended the event. Chairman Deng Hongmo At the opening ceremony of the new plant, also released to the public a new product "Blue HD-DVD" CHIP. This is also the first developed country by the Blue HD-DVD high-resolution.
Deng Hongmo Kyrgyzstan profitable news release pointed out that the Taiwan and Japan to Sell Core blue HD DVD Player, from the Great Wall for production of products in the United States immediately after the birth of two million Taiwan WALMART orders It is expected that by the end of this year could reach 100 million yuan output value of the U.S. dollar, coupled with the estimated value of next year. output value of 0.3 billion dollars were speaking, equivalent to NT 10.1 billion yuan. Fukuhiko shares will result in the issue of July 12 this year, the stock market in March next year.
　
Deng Hongmo Kyrgyzstan also mentioned that Blue HD DVD Player for the core of high capacity, high definition, high-resolution vision. images can be more realistic, more beautiful images. 。Its advantages are easier to maintain compatibility with existing DVD discs, and can continue using existing DVD production equipment. facilitate the expansion of the distance between lens and CD, no CD-creator. DVD transition from the existing to substantially reduce the cost of HD-DVD, Disks made by the manufacturers of DVD to HD DVD at the cost of conversion to an absolute minimum.， In addition, although smaller capacity HD DVD movies recorded, but proof, decontamination capability, without vacuum. Therefore the production process easier and less costly.

The last link gave me a 404 aka dead page.

[coookiie]

Hmmm... so excited about this... maybe this is the new porn of Blueray vs HD DVD???

what do you guys think???

[tranzparentl]

The news about Samsung's Duo player came from overseas first as well and everyone (mostly on AVS) denied it was true because the news articles had to be translated.

Hopefully this turns out to be true as well.

[dobyblue]

That Samsung article was released by Toshiba. They own the TSST website.

[glocks out]

It looks like the BDP-1200 is the same model as the HD-XA2. They look nearly identical and they has identical features including the HQV processor and HDMI 1.3. Toshiba makes the Samsung Blu-ray players. http://www.tsstorage.com/korea/en/company/overview.php

[Philnerd]

If there's any truth to this, if Wal-Mart is really going to push 2 million HD DVD players this year... its gonna make the "PS3 Effect" look like the "PS What?"

It would also explain why Warner has moved on The Matrix Trilogy on HD DVD. While I thought it was cool, I was still a bit surprised when they anounced the HD DVD version without even offering a BD release date. Catering to a meager 200,000-250,000 customers with such a major release and upcoming marketing campaign seemed a bit, well, generous. If they know that 2 million cheap HD DVD players are hitting Wal-Mart this year, that would certainly justify getting some A-list inventory out there.

I suppose we'll hear more soon enough. For all we know the article could be way off and the whole thing might just fizzle into nothing.

[Xyz123]

I ask this question again? Who is going to pay $200-300 for their first HD movie player on an unknown brand of unknown quality?

$30 for a dvd player after years on the market for other players is a different story. Not much risk to the buyer at this price and these companies have years of technology from which to copy.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by Philnerd

If there's any truth to this, if Wal-Mart is really going to push 2 million HD DVD players this year... its gonna make the "PS3 Effect" look like the "PS What?"

It would also explain why Warner has moved on The Matrix Trilogy on HD DVD. While I thought it was cool, I was still a bit surprised when they anounced the HD DVD version without even offering a BD release date. Catering to a meager 200,000-250,000 customers with such a major release and upcoming marketing campaign seemed a bit, well, generous. If they know that 2 million cheap HD DVD players are hitting Wal-Mart this year, that would certainly justify getting some A-list inventory out there.

I suppose we'll hear more soon enough. For all we know the article could be way off and the whole thing might just fizzle into nothing.

If this is even true, I think Walmart is going to have a hard time selling 2 million $299 HD DVD players over the next 7 months or so (nobody has even seen a prototype of specs for one of these yet). At $100-125, yes, I think they could probably sell quite a few of these. Remember to meet the HD DVD specs, these players will need to have an ethernet connection, and be able to decode lossless audio (TrueHD). I think it will be several years before we see $100 and below HD DVD and Blu-Ray players..

And I am still not sure that the Walmart shoppers of the world are going to be buying $299 HD DVD players and $20-30 movies when they can have their DVD player for $29 and their movies for $5-20...

[g.k.]

I agree. With all of the playback problems and firmware updates, I don't think HD DVD is really mature enough for this level (BD isn't either, of course). Plus, with cheap HD DVD players on the market it's going to be REALLY hard to convince other reputable CE brands to jump in.

We'll have to see. But hey, if they're decent enough, I'll grab one and be neutral.

[Balian]

The article mentioned TDK ...isn't TDK part of the BDA? Last I heard, they are developing 200 GB Blu-ray discs. Also in the translation, the phrase "Blue HD DVD" sounds vaguely familiar ...maybe Blu-ray in Chinese? Maybe this is the case of lost in translation.

Already, Pioneer have just announced $299 Blu-ray computer drive. Maybe this story have something connected with Blu-ray instead of HD DVD.

Update: TDK is part of BDA and the article mentioned something about "Blue" ...its probably a case of lost in translation.

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by Balian

The article mentioned TDK ...isn't TDK part of the BDA? Last I heard, they are developing 200 GB Blu-ray discs. Also in the translation, the phrase "Blue HD DVD" sounds vaguely familiar ...maybe Blu-ray in Chinese? Maybe this is the case of lost in translation.

Already, Pioneer have just announced $299 Blu-ray computer drive. Maybe this story have something connected with Blu-ray instead of HD DVD.

Pretty sure it was talking about HD DVD. The rough translation mentioned using existing DVD lines to produce discs. Who knows? If they are going to sell 2 million of these this year, they better be coming out pretty soon...

[TwoNuts]

Originally Posted by Xyz123

I ask this question again? Who is going to pay $200-300 for their first HD movie player on an unknown brand of unknown quality?

Well...

If Wal-Mart is paying $50 each for the player, they could offer the thing for under $200 and make a fair amount of profit, while providing the lowest cost stand alone HD DVD player on the market to date. I can say with a high degree of certainty the people in your "WHO will buy it question" will be the people who forked out all that money for a damn TV that can view HD.

Of course I may be dead wrong... it has happened to me before once or twice.

Anyway... I think it would be great!

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by TwoNuts

Well...

If Wal-Mart is paying $50 each for the player, they could offer the thing for under $200 and make a fair amount of profit, while providing the lowest cost stand alone HD DVD player on the market to date. I can say with a high degree of certainty the people in your "WHO will buy it question" will be the people who forked out all that money for a damn TV that can view HD.

Of course I may be dead wrong... it has happened to me before once or twice.

Anyway... I think it would be great!

I seriously doubt Walmart is paying $50 a player.. The diode + the chips needed to decode the software + the audio decoding software + the ethernet connection + the HDMI port, + the cost of assembling, packaging, and shipping, will cost more than $50.

[Treadstone]

LOL @ people saying a 300 dollars HD player from walmart won't buy, because it is an unknown manufacturer. This is how walmart operates, and people do buy it.