Earlier this year, during CES, the HD-DVD camp announced that cheaper HD-DVD players would be in stores soon as the camp had signed up manufacturers such as Venturer as licensing partners. The time has finally arrived and Venturer has just announced plans to release the SHD7000 player for $199 in time for the Holidays. This will make it the cheapest high definition player in the market, undercutting even Toshiba’s HD-A2 by $100.

Analysts are still unsure whether a $199 player could be of interest to the general public but frankly, what do they know and who cares what they think as analyst predictions have consistently been incorrect for the past 10 years when it comes to emerging technologies.

From the pulse we get from our readers, a $199 HD-DVD player will be a welcome addition to the arena and will certainly convert some people, allowing them to enter the world of high definition, and a such it is a good thing, no matter what “analysts” say.