HD-DVD price cuts hit Australia

[Squozen]

I just received an email from a Melbourne retailer listing the Toshiba price cuts. Sorry if this is a duplicate.

HD-E1 HD DVD Player
- Previously $599......NOW ONLY $299
- Bonus 4 x HD DVD titles

HD-EP10 HD DVD Player
- Previously $799......NOW ONLY $399
- Bonus 6 x HD DVD titles

HD-XE1 HD DVD Player
- Previously $1299......NOW ONLY $599
- Bonus 6 x HD DVD titles

At these prices they're still about $100-150 away from the impulse purchase price range, and as HD-DVD have reportedly sold less than 4000 players in Australia I don't think this will have much effect beyond clearing inventory. I certainly can't see myself getting one, and I'd sorely like to own Children of Men in HD. Maybe if I hadn't just purchased an upscaling DVD player a month ago!

[Maxphoenix]

return the upscaler and buy a hd dvd player, is that 299 in us dollars?

[Squozen]

Originally Posted by Maxphoenix

return the upscaler and buy a hd dvd player, is that 299 in us dollars?

No, Australian. It's $265 in US dollars.

We don't get to return things just for the hell of it in Australia, it has to be broken or unfit for its purpose, and I'm finding it works just fine. It's multi-region, and I doubt the Toshiba is region-free for DVDs, which makes it worthless for me. I'm certainly not buying HD-DVD for one movie (well, two.. I'd like Serenity as well :P ).

[bomba]

Cut it by 2/3s and it might be tempting....

Oh and have more than 2 HD-DVDs in any given store...

[homeroids]

But Aussie is a smurf country so I can't see this doing squate. It's to offload them before they have to pay us to take them.

[lostn]

If only we could buy at US prices... it would be half of this discounted price.

If you thought PS3 was expensive, wait till you see how much we pay for it... converted back into your currency.

[JAC35]

to the OP, A buddy of mine showed me a link to a hacked HD DVD firmware that did make the DVD part region free. I'm not sure I'd trust it though, but it is out there. (apparently)

[Squozen]

JAC35, I saw that too (on thepiratebay.org). I'm not interested in hacking firmware. I was back when I was young and stupid, but I just want things to work now.