DailyTech's HD DVD (I mean high def) buyers guide

[spicynacho]

It came from daily tech, need I say anything else? Yeah, I do so I put my commentary in there in bold.

It's time to put that HDTV to good use with HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc


As both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc round up their first "real" year of sales, it is slightly disparaging to see that the situation on either high-definition format is no clearer now than it was in 2006[really? 2:1 movie sales and 3:1 install base doesn't indicate anything].

As neither side about to just roll over and die, the high-definition format war is one without a clear end in sight. For consumers without high-definition displays, the ongoing battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc is meaningless. For those who have recently made the investment in a new HDTV, however, every additional day spent on the HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc fence is a glorious, high-definition moment wasted (with the exception of gaming on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or use of an HTPC).

Properly upconverted standard definition material can look respectable, but even the best looking DVD will crumble when pitted against even the average HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc. Rather than waiting for a resolution that may never come, current HDTV owners will have to take the plunge if they’re interested in using their displays for what they are meant for. With the new low prices of high-definition hardware, there’s little reason now to hold back.

This DailyTech High-Def Buyer’s Guide is for those with HDTVs looking for a relatively painless and economical way to make the jump to 1080, with special consideration given to value[I wonder why]. For those without a high-definition display yet, the choice of television technology and model are beyond the scope of this guide, but it’s generally desirable to buy the largest quality display within your budget. Big name companies such as Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Pioneer make very good product, but value-oriented brands such as Vizio and Westinghouse provide acceptable levels of performance at a considerably lower price point.

After acquiring a high-definition display, the next step is to choose a player. The biggest barrier for those pondering high-definition is the uncertainty presented by the ongoing HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc battle. Thus, the best solution for many is to minimize the initial investment. [This is really nice, Marcus Yam, the biggest concern is buying into a dead format so post a buyers guide slanted to buying HD DVD because it has a lower entry point.]

HD DVD Players
The recent string [one weekend is a string?] of $99 deals made for the perfect time for anyone to jump into HD DVD, but the current street price of the Toshiba HD-A3 at around $200 makes it an affordable solution. The newly introduced Venturer SHD7000 also brings similar features [because it is a clone] of the Toshiba hardware at the same prices (though without the pack-in movies). [no mention of 1080i60 limitations]

Owners of Xbox 360 consoles or HTPC should consider the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive as an economical way into HD DVD. Not only is the $129 drive cheaper than ever, but it will work on a PC too thanks to its USB interface. The downsides of using the add-on drive are that the Xbox 360 itself generates more noise than standalone players, and that the console is incapable of outputting high-definition audio streams[and it doesn't play HP movies, but who cares? Its cheap.].

Blu-ray Disc Players
While not a dedicated Blu-ray Disc player by definition, the PlayStation 3 is the safest choice for consumers today looking for a future-proofed machine. The powerful hardware inside the console along with Sony’s regular firmware updates ensures a steam of improvements and new feature support. Full Blu-ray Disc profile (1.1) support should be available soon, and DTS-HD Master Audio is likely in the works. The only downside is that true movie watchers will have to invest in buying Bluetooth remote control, which can be found for around $20.

For the absolute cheapest way into Blu-ray Disc, the Samsung BD-P1400 can be found for under $300 – stepping clearly into HD DVD hardware pricing territory. Besides price, the Samsung BD-P1400 is also one of the few players with the ability to pass on a DTS-HD Master Audio steam.
[Where is the mention that BR is the frontrunner of the format war. Not even a word.]
HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc Combo Players
Although having one machine instead of two presents a space savings, the added cost (around $1000 for the LG BH200 Super Blu) makes a combo player a rather uneconomical high-definition solution.

Movies
Any collection of hardware is useless without good software, and this point is never more true than with HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc [Let me see, should I mention which studios support which format? No, let me just give a couple of convenient examples.]. Want Transformers and the Bourne Ultimatum? It’ll have to be on an HD DVD player. Want Spider-Man and Ratatouille? Only on Blu-ray Disc. 300 and Harry Potter? Thankfully available on both due to Warner’s format neutrality [not for long...].

Only on HD DVD
Transformers
Despite director Michael Bay’s much recorded discontent with Paramount’s decision to release exclusively on one high-definition format, Transformers on HD DVD is a roaring success. Transformers features so much eye-candy that 1080 lines of resolution seems like a requirement rather than a luxury [but progressive scan is a luxury]. Transformers was also named at the High-Def Disc Awards as having the best audio quality, despite not having an uncompressed or Dolby TrueHD track.

Hot Fuzz
From the creators of Shaun of the Dead come Hot Fuzz, which also pays homage to while poking fun at a popular Hollywood genre. The team of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright give their take on the “buddy cop” action movie genre that was popular throughout the 80s and 90s. What truly makes Hot Fuzz stand out on HD DVD is its enormous pile of extra features. With an estimated 18 hours of bonus content (including commentaries), there’s nearly a case of too-much-information with this HD DVD. It was awarded as the best live-action film on HD DVD of 2007.

The Matrix Trilogy
Regardless of how some may feel about the Matrix sequels, the trilogy is expertly crafted for HD DVD. Due to Warner’s use of picture-in-picture features, the Matrix Trilogy is a current HD DVD exclusive – but that will all change when Warner releases the set on Blu-ray Disc sometime next year.

The Bourne Trilogy
Universal’s unwavering faith to the HD DVD format also ties down the excellent Bourne Trilogy as a format exclusive. The three movies (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum) experience a significant upgrade over their standard-definition versions thanks in part to well-produced picture-in-picture commentary and documentaries.

Only on Blu-ray Disc
Ratatouille
Due to Disney’s allegiance with Blu-ray Disc, Pixar’s films will be released only on Blu-ray Disc. All previous Pixar movies have been reference-level releases for DVD, and Ratatouille carries the trend to high-definition. Perhaps even more outstanding than its picture and sound quality is the level of storytelling skill exhibited by the makers of the film.

Casino Royale
Although the latest Bond picture doesn’t achieve any new levels of technical proficiency in high-definition, Casino Royale was awarded as the best live-action Blu-ray Disc movie of the year and was the biggest exclusive for the format of 2007.

Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy
Like the Matrix Trilogy, the films following the first one lost a bit of focus. Unlike the Matrix set, however, buyers have the option of picking up the films individually, giving a choice to pick up only the favorites. Those getting the Curse of the Black Pearl should be aware that Disney is now sending replacement discs to fix the framing issue.

Spider-Man Trilogy
Many new PlayStation 3 owners will be viewing Spider-Man 3 as their first Blu-ray Disc movie thanks to Sony’s pack-in choice with the 40GB model. Sadly, the only way to get the first two movies from the series is to purchase the Spider-Man Trilogy boxset, which could leave some new PS3 owners to a duplicate copy of Spider-Man 3.

Available on both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc
300
The stylized comic book adaptation of 300 set new standards – and sales records – for high-definition. 300 took home top honors at the High-Def Disc Awards as the best high-def title of the year along with best special features. The HD DVD version of 300 is particularly outstanding due to its use of picture-in-picture, giving viewers a complete look at the film without the CGI enhancement.

Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
One of the most ambitious documentaries by the BBC resulted in truly stunning demo material to sell the virtues of high-definition. The clarity afforded by the 1080p VC-1 encode gives every nature scene an increased sense of realism that makes it nearly impossible to go back to standard definition DVD.

Harry Potter Series
Thanks to Warner’s format neutrality, the Harry Potter high-def explosion hit both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc on December 11. While the first four movies are presented on rather equal terms Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is better on HD DVD thanks to Warner’s continuing expertise in its use of picture-in-picture and web-enabled content.

[SS316SRV]

Here, buy this because it's cheap. Who cares about quality and long term investment. It's cheap, so it has to be good.

[stockstar1138]

whats funny is they named every single decent title avalible on hd dvd and only a handful of whats on blu-ray. i feel so bad for the ppl who go out and buy a DUD player pick up, 300, PE, TFORMERS, and the bournes because of constant freebies . then, they come back a little later and just see the massive amount of crap available on hd dud and then quickly begin to realize that good new titles coming out are mostly blu-ray exclusive and that decent new hd dvd titles are few and far between.

[Phane]

Shrug I'm used to reading crap that says HD-DVD is going to win the war because joe six pack is going to suddenly wake up one day and have a random impulse to run out and buy 3+ million HD-DVD players.