Poor Toshiba. Not only does it have a flop on its hands with its HD-A1 HD DVD player but it’s also losing about $200 for each machine sold. That’s no surprise, since the players can’t be cheap—they’re actually Linux boxes disguised as old-fashioned VCRs from the 1980s.
https://gizmodo.com/toshiba-hd-a1-hd-dvd-player-reviewed-verdict-a-disgr-174127
Market research firm iSuppli did a teardown of the machine, reckoning that its components cost $674. Add manufacturing costs and boxing it up, and you end up with a figure north of $700. No wonder Blu-ray players cost $1000.
https://gizmodo.com/hands-on-samsung-bd-p1000-blu-ray-player-180950
Toshiba’s Battle with Blu-ray [BusinessWeek Online]
