Best Buy Pulls the Plug on SD Television Sales

[rphillips187]

According to Fox News in Detroit, Best Buy will be pulling all of their SD televisions off the shelves and will begin to sell ONLY HDTVs. The company believes that SD is becoming obsolete and will be completely useless in the near future.

What does this mean for us? My thoughts...

1. More HD programming (and hopefully ALL HD programming in the near future)
2. Cheaper HD televisions. HDTVs have already come down in price by nearly half over the past year. With no SDTVs available, manufacturers and retailers will have to lower prices even more to provide coverage for low/moderate income households.
3. Cheaper HD programming. HD will eventually not be an upgrade but a standard.

Sounds like a win-win situation for us HD fans! With Best Buy being the leading electronics retailer, it's hard to see everyone else not following suit in the near future.

Sorry I don't have a link for you. I saw this on the news this morning and I don't have time to look around for one. If I run into one at work today I'll be sure to update.


-Rob

[James Long]

Actually the story is that they are pulling ANALOG television off of their shelves. A good thing since an import ban on analog TVs 13" and larger went into effect July 1st.

http://www.reuters.com/article/consumerproducts-SP/idUSN1735317420071018
Best Buy ends analog television sales
ATLANTA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Retailer Best Buy Co (BBY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it has pulled all analog television products from its stores ahead of a planned 2009 U.S. switch to digital television.

The consumer electronics retailer said its stores were instructed to stop selling analog products on Oct. 1 and it will now sell only digital video tuners.

. . .

Best Buy said it was the first electronics retailer to publicly announce an exit from analog sets. "The analog TV portion of our assortment has been dwindling each year," Vitelli said.

[rphillips187]

I stand corrected. Odd though because I'd bet my last dollar that Fox reported that "standard definition" televisions were being pulled.

Another reason I don't normally watch Fox News. At 7:30AM though it's the only local news source available on TV.

[Ira Lacher]

Thank you, Best Buy, for recognizing that there are still a few of us troglodytes who refuse to jump into HD. For my family, the four-figure price of HD -- as much as my daughter spent on a good car! -- still doesn't justify the arguable improvement in picture quality. When I can buy a 42" HDTV set for $500-$600, all local programming is in HD, and to get it I don't have to spend more money for additional D* hardware and programming, is when I'll take the plunge.

[Richard King]

http://www.theretailbridge.com/#article3
Could this have helped give them the push?

FCC DTV/Retailer Fines: $3 Million So Far
......
During his testimony Wednesday before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said the agency has inspected nearly 1,280 retail stores and Websites and issued nearly 280 citations notifying retailers of violations for failing to comply with its DTV requirements. So far, fines assessed against retailers that have allegedly violated the rules have amounted to about $3 million, he said.More....

[Drew2k]

Interesting, but to be expected. I've noticed that it's almost impossible to find a VCR (!) with a tuner in it ... Most VCRs seem to be dual VCR-DVD recorders with prominent notices that to record TV the consumer needs to record from the Line-In Input using an external source.

[James Long]

VCRs and DVDs imported after July 1st that have a tuner must have digital tuners. Apparently it is easier just to leave it off.

[Tom Robertson]

James, didn't the July 1st date get pushed to March for all devices with tuners?

[Tom Robertson]

Here is the FCC R&O link: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-190A1.pdf We conclude that advancing the DTV tuner mandate effective date for 13-24” TV sets and other TV receiving devices to March 1, 2007 and applying this requirement to receivers with screens smaller than 13” will most effectively ensure that products in these categories are equipped to receive digital television signals as quickly as possible consistent with the manufacturing and product distribution capabilities of manufacturers and retailers.

[James Long]

I missed that ... at least it didn't get pushed back into next year. Pushing forward is good!

[richiephx]

I have a small 13" Sanyo tv in my office and use a wireless audio/video transmitter connected to the second output from my 211 receiver. The SD picture quality is superior to the SD picture quality on my MITS 65". Isn't the new digital technology great?

[Tom Robertson]

In the longer commentary, IIRC, the FCC wanted to push forward to December of last year! But the consumer electronics people said they typically need 18 months for development, manufacture, ship cycles so asked for a compromise.

What I don't know is how the slingbox with tuner models exist today? They have tuners, don't have digital tuners (and I haven't seen the warning labels either.)

Cheers,
Tom

[James Long]

"By law, beginning March 1, 2007, all television reception devices (including TVs, VCRs, DVRs, etc.) imported into the U.S. or shipped in interstate commerce must contain a digital tuner."

Is a SlingBox a "television reception device"? Probably.

Edit: I don't see the "tuner" model on the website ... AV, Solo, Pro are the models listed.

AV is Standard Def one input
Solo is Standard or High Def one input
Pro is four inputs (one HD)

[Tom Robertson]

Slingtuner seems to be gone now, but SlingPro still has a tuner.

[James Long]

http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingbox-pro-connections

Note that it is labeled as a "Cable Tuner". :)

(They still have the tuner on the purchase options ...)

[Tom Robertson]

I bet "Cable Tuner" doesn't fly any farther than how DIRECTV or Dish inflate their numbers... :)

BTW, Congrats on 17K, James!

[harsh]

I bet "Cable Tuner" doesn't fly any farther than how DIRECTV or Dish inflate their numbers... :)TiVo seems to have successfully hung their hats on "optimized for cable" for the Series 2 models even though they don't handle QAM.* Record from two basic cable channels, or one basic cable and one digital cable channel, at once. Does not support recording from two digital cable or satellite channels at once. Supports recording from cable and satellite sources only; does not support recording from over-the-air antenna.It is painfully obvious that the Series 2 has two NTSC tuners and no ATSC tuners. TiVo should be spanked hard for this baldfaced lie.

[braven]

Thank you, Best Buy, for recognizing that there are still a few of us troglodytes who refuse to jump into HD. For my family, the four-figure price of HD -- as much as my daughter spent on a good car! -- still doesn't justify the arguable improvement in picture quality. When I can buy a 42" HDTV set for $500-$600, all local programming is in HD, and to get it I don't have to spend more money for additional D* hardware and programming, is when I'll take the plunge.


Funny, because I've never heard anyone "argue" HD vs. SD PQ. :rolleyes:

[FTA Michael]

Funny, because I've never heard anyone "argue" HD vs. SD PQ. :rolleyes:I dunno. If you're using a 12-inch TV in the kitchen, it might be hard to discern the improved quality of HD. Or if all you watch is TV Land. ;)