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$299 Blu-ray Players Coming to Walmart!

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Fuh Yuan just went, OOPS!

We are sorry to correct the statement that we have two million HD-DVD players order from Wal-Mart and manufactured by China Great Wall Group. The actuality is that we had not received yet. We are asked to provide the schedule to Wal-Mart and cost to determine the quantity even more than two million, if the cost is good enough and timing is correct. So the capacity is under consideration. Any qualified manufactured base group will be welcome.
Click to expand...

Looks like Wal Mart was just asking for bids, and no deal has been made. I told you this Rob guy is a curse for HD DVD! Konex of hi def indeed!
 
Oni Jazar said:
Hey that was a fun rollercoaster ride huh? Let's do it again!
Click to expand...

No let's not

I was going to go laugh at the AVS forum, but they are not even worth it.
 
i haven't really followed this thread so could someone explain why walmart want to sell hd-dvd players and not sell blu-ray players/movies?
 
bud said:
i haven't really followed this thread so could someone explain why walmart want to sell hd-dvd players and not sell blu-ray players/movies?
Click to expand...

Basically, here is what happened.

An article was posted on a foreign website, and mistranslated as a Blu-Ray player that will be selling in Wall-Mart.
Later, it was determined to be a HD-DVD player.

Apparently, at the end, it was actually just a quote.
So, it's likely Wal-mart is just pricing out options.
 
Suikoguy said:
Basically, here is what happened.

An article was posted on a foreign website, and mistranslated as a Blu-Ray player that will be selling in Wall-Mart.
Later, it was determined to be a HD-DVD player.

Apparently, at the end, it was actually just a quote.
So, it's likely Wal-mart is just pricing out options.
Click to expand...

I thought that first it was thought to be HD-DVD player... then it changed to BR... then back to HD-DVD?
 
DarienA said:
I thought that first it was thought to be HD-DVD player... then it changed to BR... then back to HD-DVD?
Click to expand...

Does it mater? :lol

Regardless, it was a mess.
 
This is my best understanding of the situation. If you don't like it or are looking for concrete absolute confirmation, its not here, as no one I talked or messaged with can publicly confirm anything, and Wal-Mart probably won't say anything until these things are in stores. Some things are in progress and will have adjustments as time goes on.

This is based on information from several trusted sources. The mods have information on some of them. No one will go on the record, but the information is consistent from many sources.

If you think I am full of it, this won't change your mind. If you generally trust me as providing the best information I can to AVS, then realize I'm putting some credibility on the line here. Its possible I am being feed innacurate information, but unlikely as several unrelated people all basically agree. That being said, obviously situations can change in the future.

Ok, disclaimers being done, here's how I understand it from people who know about it.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Fuh Yuan base deal is done. They will be producing HD DVD players for Wal-Mart.

No one says the deal hasn't been done yet or that the initial order will not be completed. The posting on their web site is a bit confusing, and may be an attempt to stop people form contacting them directly.

I don't know about the significance of the recent post on their site, but it does not affect the base deal. That is in progress and sub-contracts have been made and finalized.

They are looking for the best price and availability they can give to Wal-mart for deliveries above the base amount.

Initial confirmed order quantities are over 1 Million units, its probable the 2 Million units initially mentioned in the first Fuh Yuan press release is the base number. Fuh Yuan has been asked to give quotes and estimates on how quickly numbers above the base quantity can be delivered next year.

Early estimates of full scale mass production in August were evaluated and found to be somewhat aggressive and possibly over optimistic. Physical assembly or staffing or the physical facility is not the issue, a short delay is SoC software related. Plant will be producing at that time but full scale production may slip until October, with initial batch quantities of 5-10 thousand units required to be available in the first week or so of October.

Recent meetings between Fuh Yuan and Broadcom engineers revised the schedule and engineering considerations have lead to the late August to early October production schedule slippage.

Fuh Yuan is making the chassis and loader and doing assembly.

Decoder chip and other silicon being supplied by Broadcom, probably the reference design announced at CES, or a derivative.

The optical unit is based on a Toshiba HD DVD unit design and is being manufactured by the TDK hardware unit under contract.

Wal-Mart has certified the China Great Wall manufacturing facility for Wal-Mart (probably for compliance with stuff like personnel management and environmental considerations) .

Probable limited production runs available in mid-late Oct in some selected Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart under control obviously of when they first start to sell the players, but some limited production available to them in October.

I have conflicting information on when the initial 2 million orders is scheduled to be delivered by. One source says all by end of 2007. Several others say, some in October, a lot (around 1 million or so ) by EOY 2007, with the rest in early 2008. The quantity produced by the end of the year may be dependent on the production throughput of the plant which is not known yet.

Its possible that under 50% of the initial 2 M units may be available by the end of the year. Big volume is expected in 2008 and as of now more than 50% of the 2M order is expected after the EOY.

Last Friday Fuh Yuan had a major meeting with Broadcom, perhaps feedback from Broadcom was the reason for the August to October full scale production delay. Broadcom may have to spin the chip or may have a delay in the completion of the embedded software or perhaps Broadcom wanted a bit of room in the overall software schedule.



Several other SoC player deals for HD DVD are now in the works. This isn't the only deal being worked on, though it is one of the largest and obviously significant because it involves Wal-Mart.

All major SoC guys like Broadcom and Sigma are working now on HD DVD solutions. Sigma's Blu-ray SoC solution is available but any units using it will not be in production before this Fuh Yuan device hits the shelves.

My sources for this include several prominent hardware guys in the industry that have been known as being creditable before and are both involved and non-involved in some aspect of the deal. The mods here know some names, but I cannot reveal the sources.
Click to expand...
From Kosty of Avs Forum, who is a very well respected member and someone who has proven numerous times that he has real connections in the industry.

The deal is real. I don't think they were supposed to talk about it yet.
 
This is my best understanding of the situation. If you don't like it or are looking for concrete absolute confirmation, its not here, as no one I talked or messaged with can publicly confirm anything, and Wal-Mart probably won't say anything until these things are in stores. Some things are in progress and will have adjustments as time goes on.

This is based on information from several trusted sources. The mods have information on some of them. No one will go on the record, but the information is consistent from many sources.

If you think I am full of it, this won't change your mind. If you generally trust me as providing the best information I can to AVS, then realize I'm putting some credibility on the line here. Its possible I am being feed innacurate information, but unlikely as several unrelated people all basically agree. That being said, obviously situations can change in the future.

Ok, disclaimers being done, here's how I understand it from people who know about it.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Fuh Yuan base deal is done. They will be producing HD DVD players for Wal-Mart.

No one says the deal hasn't been done yet or that the initial order will not be completed. The posting on their web site is a bit confusing, and may be an attempt to stop people form contacting them directly.

I don't know about the significance of the recent post on their site, but it does not affect the base deal. That is in progress and sub-contracts have been made and finalized.

They are looking for the best price and availability they can give to Wal-mart for deliveries above the base amount.

Initial confirmed order quantities are over 1 Million units, its probable the 2 Million units initially mentioned in the first Fuh Yuan press release is the base number. Fuh Yuan has been asked to give quotes and estimates on how quickly numbers above the base quantity can be delivered next year.

Early estimates of full scale mass production in August were evaluated and found to be somewhat aggressive and possibly over optimistic. Physical assembly or staffing or the physical facility is not the issue, a short delay is SoC software related. Plant will be producing at that time but full scale production may slip until October, with initial batch quantities of 5-10 thousand units required to be available in the first week or so of October.

Recent meetings between Fuh Yuan and Broadcom engineers revised the schedule and engineering considerations have lead to the late August to early October production schedule slippage.

Fuh Yuan is making the chassis and loader and doing assembly.

Decoder chip and other silicon being supplied by Broadcom, probably the reference design announced at CES, or a derivative.

The optical unit is based on a Toshiba HD DVD unit design and is being manufactured by the TDK hardware unit under contract.

Wal-Mart has certified the China Great Wall manufacturing facility for Wal-Mart (probably for compliance with stuff like personnel management and environmental considerations) .

Probable limited production runs available in mid-late Oct in some selected Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart under control obviously of when they first start to sell the players, but some limited production available to them in October.

I have conflicting information on when the initial 2 million orders is scheduled to be delivered by. One source says all by end of 2007. Several others say, some in October, a lot (around 1 million or so ) by EOY 2007, with the rest in early 2008. The quantity produced by the end of the year may be dependent on the production throughput of the plant which is not known yet.

Its possible that under 50% of the initial 2 M units may be available by the end of the year. Big volume is expected in 2008 and as of now more than 50% of the 2M order is expected after the EOY.

Last Friday Fuh Yuan had a major meeting with Broadcom, perhaps feedback from Broadcom was the reason for the August to October full scale production delay. Broadcom may have to spin the chip or may have a delay in the completion of the embedded software or perhaps Broadcom wanted a bit of room in the overall software schedule.



Several other SoC player deals for HD DVD are now in the works. This isn't the only deal being worked on, though it is one of the largest and obviously significant because it involves Wal-Mart.

All major SoC guys like Broadcom and Sigma are working now on HD DVD solutions. Sigma's Blu-ray SoC solution is available but any units using it will not be in production before this Fuh Yuan device hits the shelves.

My sources for this include several prominent hardware guys in the industry that have been known as being creditable before and are both involved and non-involved in some aspect of the deal. The mods here know some names, but I cannot reveal the sources.
Click to expand...
From Kosty of Avs Forum, who is a very well respected member and someone who has proven numerous times that he has real connections in the industry.

The deal is real. I don't think they were supposed to talk about it yet.
 
If Walmart does this expect the format wars to drag on for many years (unless BluRay can come up with a similar cheap solution soon after).
 
HD DVD is dead. HD DVD is NOT dead. HD DVD is dead. HD DVD is NOT dead.

*head spins*

Like I've said before, my 360 add-on is looking like a FANTASTIC bargain if HD DVD hangs around.
 
I thought the ride was over now I think I'm going to be sick.

WALMART DENIES HD DVD PURCHASE

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2122715,00.asp

Wal-Mart denied rumors that it had placed a substantial order with a Taiwan supplier for ultra-cheap HD DVD players that could swing the format wars in that direction.

A spokesperson for the company said Thursday that reported leak concerning Taiwan-based consumer electronics manufacturer, Fuh Yuan, partnering with TDK in China to manufacture the $250-299 players, had no merit. The report first appeared in AVS Forums, and was picked up by other Web sites.

"The article… was full of inaccuracies and we had no participation in it," the spokesman said in an e-mail to PC Magazine. "Most of the facts, including the purchase, were untrue," she added. "Not sure how it originated."

When asked to comment specifically on a statement appearing on Fuh Yuan's site, which implies the retailer is at least interested in ordering the players, the spokesperson said she could not comment on or disclose Wal-Mart's internal business with suppliers and our orders. However, the supplier said that no deal was imminent.

In Thursday, the following statement appeared on Fuh Yuan's site:

"We are sorry to correct the statement that we have two million HD-DVD players order from Wal-Mart and manufactured by China Great Wall Group," Fuh Yuan said. "The actuality is that we had not received yet. We are asked to provide the schedule to Wal-Mart and cost to determine the quantity even more than two million, if the cost is good enough and timing is correct. So the capacity is under consideration. Any qualified manufactured base group will be welcome."

While Wal-Mart denied that any orders had been placed, the company did say that it plans to sell both Blu-ray and HD-DVD components in its stores and online, at least until a definitive winner in the format war is declared.

Currently, the retailer sells both HD-DVD and Blu-ray players, including Philips' $900 Blu-ray BDP900/37 player and Toshiba's $350 HD-D1 HD-DVD player.

"Today, we sell both Blu-ray and HD DVD in our stores nationwide (approx. 750 stores). As with all new technologies, we are committed to providing the best value on products that customers choose as most relevant to them. With new industry developments, we will make shifts in our selections as customer preferences evolve and they vote with their purchase," the company said in a statement.

The spokesperson added: "We expect that as prices decrease and new elements are added in the coming months that consumers will choose which format will dominate, and that could happen by the end of this year."
Click to expand...
 
Kosty's an HD-DVD shill, well respected my ass.

semal4ti8.gif
 
VanMardigan said:
HD DVD is dead. HD DVD is NOT dead. HD DVD is dead. HD DVD is NOT dead.

*head spins*

Like I've said before, my 360 add-on is looking like a FANTASTIC bargain if HD DVD hangs around.
Click to expand...

Except that it's the worst HD-DVD player ever and I regret buying it over a standalone every time I watch a movie.

Optical audio output only for an HD movie = ****ing bullshit. Now If HD-DVD ever wins I'm going to be forced to buy a standalone player in addition to the X360 player if I want 5.1 HD audio.

HD format is just as much about HD audio as it is about HD video and MS just completely ****ed up there. Hell, I would've traded in my X360 premium for an Elite if the Elite had let you send audio through the HDMI...but you can't >_<
 
Bebpo said:
Except that it's the worst HD-DVD player ever and I regret buying it over a standalone every time I watch a movie.

Optical audio output only for an HD movie = ****ing bullshit. Now If HD-DVD ever wins I'm going to be forced to buy a standalone player in addition to the X360 player if I want 5.1 HD audio.

HD format is just as much about HD audio as it is about HD video and MS just completely ****ed up there. Hell, I would've traded in my X360 premium for an Elite if the Elite had let you send audio through the HDMI...but you can't >_<
Click to expand...

uh, the elite lets you send audio through HDMI, its just still limited to DD, DTS and WMA-Pro

also you can get 5.1 audio over optical

There is a bug in the current DD encoder used for HD DVD movies on the 360 that is supposed to be fixed in an upcoming update
 
sangreal said:
uh, the elite lets you send audio through HDMI, its just still limited to DD, DTS and WMA-Pro

also you can get 5.1 audio over optical

There is a bug in the current DD encoder used for HD DVD movies on the 360 that is supposed to be fixed in an upcoming update
Click to expand...

Considering Bepo stated, "HD format is just as much about HD audio as it is about HD video" ... I'm quite sure he is referring to the lack of uncompressed audio.

DD ain't 'HD audio'.
 
Bebpo just sell your 360 add-on and get an A2 (unless you have a 1080p capable tv) off Amazon for ~$300 with 5 free movies.

It seems like you complain about something in every single one of your posts, but maybe I'm exaggerating...
 
I know I'm supposed to care about the audio part of HD discs too................but I don't. DD 5.1 and DTS are more than enough for me. Once MS gets their patch in so that the audio levels are high enough and DTS is fully supported, I'll be fine.

I'm not saying that I won't ever care about TrueHD, PCM, DTS MA, etc., but I was content to pay $160 just for 1080i picture. I'm much more capable of spotting the visual jump than I am to hearing any differences.

So yeah, works for me. :D
 
Onix said:
Considering Bepo stated, "HD format is just as much about HD audio as it is about HD video" ... I'm quite sure he is referring to the lack of uncompressed audio.

DD ain't 'HD audio'.
Click to expand...

Well I was replying to his statement that "I would've traded in my X360 premium for an Elite if the Elite had let you send audio through the HDMI...but you can't >_<"
 
I'm away for a day and more drama unfolds.

I'll say this-- the current likely rumor makes a lot more sense that the Enderle-inspired scenarios that were sprouting. I'll go back to my belief that we'll see sub-$300 HD-DVD players by Christmas along with sun $400 BluRay players, and both formats (if not those exact prices) will be available at Wal*Mart.
 
Anyone see Bill Hunts "WAAAAAAAH BLU-RAY" rant today on the Digital Bits? You can almost hear his sobbing when he bashes the cheap Chinese HD-DVD players. He made good points, but it came off like a fanboy crying at the keyboard.
 
Mana, why the selective filter that points out BluRay idiocy and not HD-DVD idiocy? Seriously... I know you own both. You completely ignore twats like the Enderle guy who is a marketing consultant badly disguised as a analyst, but quick to find fault with a more-fairhanded (but pro BluRay) guy like Bill Hunt. I don't get it. I mean this as a real question.

Yeah, Hunt's article is a bit off, but compared to what we've seen over the last few days, he might as well be Solomom.
 
Ignatz Mouse said:
Mana, why the selective filter that points out BluRay idiocy and not HD-DVD idiocy?
Click to expand...

Do you really need to ask? :lol
 
I enjoy both formats too, but there's something about Bill Hunt I don't like. It's not just that he can be disingenuous, but he comes off as a bit of a prick, too.

Anyway, I think it's likely that the deal's done or close to done (Toshiba said long ago they were working with the Chinese), but it wasn't supposed to leak this early. The natural reaction now is for all parties to say, "What? A deal? Us? Sorry, but nooo, there's no deal here!"

We probably won't know the truth for some time, and I'm sure there will be more news and more surprises from both sides this year, so it'll only get more interesting.

Off topic, I just received "Bikini Destinations: Triple Fantasy" on Blu-ray. Any good?
 
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