Toshiba has retained the discounted prices on its entry-level HD DVD players in the U.S.: the Toshiba HD-A2 player will stay at $299 and the HD-A20 at $399. The HD-XA2 will also reportedly remain at $799. During a recent campaign, end-users could obtain HD-A-series HD DVD players at lowered price and get 5 HD DVD movies for free. Now, Toshiba has decided the $100 instant-rebate was not a temporary one.
Speaking for the HD DVD Promotional Group, Universal Studios Home Entertainment executive vice president of HD strategic marketing Ken Graffeo said they"ve found that price is the biggest motivating factor for consumers when it comes to buying a player. In fact, the same thought was expressed by a Toshiba VP back in May ahead of the rebate promotion. "We know that price is a powerful driver for consumers to adopt new technology, which is why our rebate promotion is a great incentive to bring cinema-quality, high definition movies into your home today," said Jodi Sally, vice president of marketing at Toshiba America Consumer Products company.