Toshiba Begins HD DVD Promo Tour Next Week

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/16/2006

Wayne, N.J. — In preparation for the March rollout of HD DVD players, Toshiba said it will begin the next phase of an HD DVD launch campaign Feb. 20 conducting demonstration tours in key retail outlets in 40 cities across the country.

The promotional campaign is scheduled to run through April and will include consumer and media demonstrations as well as sales and product training for selected dealers.

The retail demonstrations are part of an integrated marketing communications plan Toshiba is using to back the launch of its HD DVD format. As previously announced, the company said it still plans to deliver its HD-XA1 ($799.99, suggested retail) and HD-A1 ($499.99 suggested retail) models in March.

“The multitiered initiative is designed to educate retail salespeople, provide them with support materials to aid in the sale of the HD DVD players and continue to increase consumer awareness of HD DVD players,” according to a company statement on the program.

Toshiba said it is supplying participating dealers with a specially developed in-store display that will allow dealers to add HD DVD software “in conjunction with Toshiba’s existing HDTV in-store presence,” according to statement.

Mark Knox, a spokesman for an alliance of HD DVD format supporters, said supporting studios are expected to have a strong supply of HD DVD titles available at launch.

As with the launch of the DVD format, hardware retailers are expected to support player sales by offering HD DVD titles in the beginning.

In addition, some video rental stores, including the NetFlix online rental store, are also expected to carry some titles at launch.

“A major component to the success of HD DVD will be a strong presence and understanding by our key retail business partners, who’s role will be critical to consumer adoption,” said Jodi Sally, marketing VP, Toshiba America consumer products digital A/V group. “With our strategic, integrated marketing initiative and the support of our many promotional and retail partners, we are poised to lead the way into consumers’ homes with a next generation of DVD technology.”

Meanwhile, Knox said negotiations on the finished spec for the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) used to protect both HD DVD and rival Blu-ray Disc content are nearing completion and should be ready in time for the March rollout. Failure to complete the AACS specification resulted in prior delays in the United States and Japan last year.

Knox said AACS, which is primarily software, will be added to finished players in a flash-memory upload.

In November, Toshiba launched the first phase of the integrated marketing campaign by posting a dedicated teaser Web site devoted to the features and benefits of HD DVD.

“Partnering with key retailers in major markets across America, this tour will help Toshiba deliver the product information our customers want in a face-to-face environment that allows them to interact with Toshiba on a more personal level, a key objective of our overall integrated communication efforts,” said Tina Tuccillo, Toshiba marketing communications VP. “We also realize that not everyone can attend an in-store demonstration of HD DVD.That is why this tour is only one component of our integrated plan to promote the introduction of HD DVD in the U.S.”

The campaign will also include an extensive print, online and television advertising targeting HDTV consumers during the tour.

Toshiba said it will supply collateral materials as well as a specially designed Toshiba HD DVD micro-web site that will include product and software information along with up to the minute details on upcoming product demonstrations, and where to pre-order players.

“The HD DVD micro-site is ideal for customers who would rather learn about HD DVD on their schedule, from the comfort of their homes, said Tuccillo. “This format allows us to deliver frequent updates and promotional information to our customers, wherever they need it and wherever they are.”

The HD DVD format will also enjoy support from “Microsoft, HP, Sanyo, NEC and many other IT and CE companies, and major movie studios including Warner Bros., HBO, New Line Cinema, Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures,” Toshiba’s statement said.

HD DVD will deliver packaged content in high definition to HDTV sets.

In addition, the players will provide interactive “Advanced Navigation” features, also referred to as “iHD.”

The HD-XA1 and HD-A1 players will play back HD DVDs, standard DVD videos and music CDs, including both MP3 and WAV files.

Both models connect to HDTV sets via a HMDI jacks and output copy-protected HD content (through the HDMI output) in the native format of the HD DVD disc — either 720p or 1,080i.

Standard-definition DVDs can be up-converted for display at 720p or 1,080i (through the HDMI output), Toshiba said.

The company, however, did not address how players will support the nearly 6 million HDTVs that were sold before HDMI and DVI interfaces were commonly available. Some studios tried to block HD output over analog component video jacks, because that content would not have content protection.

Instead, some HD DVD disc titles may instruct the players to down-convert the HD signals to 480p when shipped over such ports.

The following is list of the first 10 markets and stores on Toshiba’s demonstration tour with store locations in parenthesis:

1) New York — Feb. 21, Electronics Expo (Paramus, N.J.); Feb. 22, P.C. Richard & Son (New York City)

2) Boston — March 1, Tweeter (Newton, Mass.)

3) Chicago — March 1, ABT Electronics (Glenview, Ill.)

4) Washington — March 15, Myer Emco (Fairfax, Va.)

5) Miami — Best Buy (Miami, Fla.)

6) San Francisco — March 1, Fry’s Electronics (Sunnyvale, Calif.)

7) Seattle — March 7, Best Buy (Bellevue, Wash.); March 8, Fry’s Electronics (Renton, Wash.)

8) Los Angeles — March 15, Fry’s Electronics (City of Industry, Calif.)

9) Dallas — March 22, Fry’s Electronics (Plano, Tex.)

10) Atlanta — March 8, Best Buy (Atlanta)