Manufacturer attempts to minimise Warner Bros damage by halving some prices
Toshiba has reacted strongly to last week's news that Warner Bros had defected to Sony's Blu-ray camp by cutting prices on its HD DVD players in the US by up to half.
According to a report on CNN Money the suggested retail price of its three standalone players will fall by as much as $200 - the HD-A3 falls from around $300 to $150, the HD-A30 drops from $400 to $200 while the HD-A35 goes from $500 to just $300.
The company already marketed one of HD DVD's key advantages as being cheaper than Blu-ray, and Toshiba is taking drastic action to keep its format in the next-generation DVD race.
Following Warner's decision Blu-ray now boasts five key players on its side of the divide, while Paramount and Universal support HD DVD.
Toshiba America's group vice president of digital audio and video explained: "While price is one of the consideration elements for the early adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer."
The company also plans a lengthy advertising campaign to promote HD DVD on TV, print and online.
Source: Games Industry
