[JTK]

Originally Posted by CobaltBlue

From past experience we can only hope that not only is Sony not the only one running the show,

Look at who's in the BDA. Look who's putting out hardware. Look who's responsible for BD's inception.

Again, we can all repeat ourselves a thousand times and I guess it just isn't going to matter with you:

IT"S NOT JUST SONY!

... but that they're letting the marketing aspect fall to someone more capable.

It's all about the movies and the cost to transition from DVD for the average consumer.

Many years from now.

If a year from now HD-DVD players are still 50%(read $500) cheaper with more movies available,

They won't be.

...possibly at a cheaper price... then superior tech specs or no, Blu-ray will be relegated to PS3 games and backup media for PC's.

Won't happen.

As long as HD-DVD is just Toshiba, Microsoft, and a few other strays against pretty much the rest of the world, I can assure you this will not happen.

As for PS3's impacting the # of BR users, BR is already greatly limiting the PS3 launch to begin with.

How so?

Link? Source?

Regardless, only the few titles unique to the Playstation are going to look much different from 360 titles. Remember how superior the xbox hardware was to the ps2, yet the games came out by and large as ports catering to the lesser system to maximize third party profits.

True. It will be at least 1-2 years before we see PS3 games that start breaking down barriers.

The fact of the matter is: The Xbox360's present hardware will most certainly hit a brick wall long before the PS3's hardware.

Thinking about it further, the higher potential storage capacity argument doesn't hold either. All Blu-ray movies currently released have been on single-layer 25 GB discs while 30 GB dual-sided HD DVDs have been used on nearly every release.

Ah yes. I've seen this spin on AVS countless times.

You have seen the news about BD50 titles coming out this year, like Black Hawk Down yes?

So this spin is already dead. Hate to break it to you.

If it came down to storage I'd expect the timetable to get bumped up on 45gb single side or 90 gb double sided hd-dvd's.

I'll believe it when I see it. At that point, it will be down by 5 gigs to BD50's...which are coming out this year, starting with Black Hawk Down.

So then the argument comes down to quality I guess. Without going into how the public will sacrifice quality for cost and convenience(mp3)...
Blu-ray permits a higher maximum video-bitrate, as well as potentially higher average bitrates due to greater total disc-capacity.

Yes.

But if disc-capacity isn't really an issue as stated above, where is the advantage?

I already answered this.

In terms of audio, there are greater differences. Blu-ray allows conventional AC-3 audiotracks at 640 kbit/s, which is higher than DVD/HD DVD's maximum, 448 kbit/s. On the other hand, Dolby Digital Plus support is mandatory for standalone HD DVD players at a maximum of 3 Mbit/s, while only optional for BD players and capped at 1.7 Mbit/s.

I'll take uncompressed PCM over just about anything else.

So to sum up how I interpret the current state of things... more storage on currently produced 30gb HD-DVD's

Very short term advantage. See above. Your argument is pretty much already gone and done with.

... with the potential to increase matching Blu-ray to limits beyond what is needed for movies. Higher potential for audio on Blu-ray but with a higher standard in place on HD-dvd players.

Higher standard my ass. Those clunky Toshiba HD-DVD players couldn't be much lower in standards as far as hardware goes.

Sony(and company) have a formidable road ahead. And that's assuming they don't have to go up against ads saying... "Lord of the Rings(collectively the highest grossing films of all time) Only on HD-dvd."

Won't happen.

I'm for Blu-ray and I'm not even sold yet. Especially at a $500 higher price for entry. So yeah, I'm hoping someone else holds Sony's hand on this one, soon.

I doubt it. I think you're here as an HD-DVD fan trying to stir up some trouble.

Maybe not, but there's a few things you've written here since you joined that make one take pause.

I think you've got the HD-DVD talking points down pat. The same spin and non arguments I've been reading on forums like AVS for months.

It's nothing new. I've seen all of this before and so has everyone else.