What (if any) are the advantages HD DVD has over BD?

[Grisle]

Hey...I hate to show my ignorance here, but for whatever reason I've started to become a little worried about BD's future. I have to admit that I don't know too much about the technical aspects about either of these formats and my reasons for choosing Blu aren't exactly well thought out. I've believed BD is a better format for a long time now and with all of the studio support and the better sales I felt confident that BD would be the last format standing.

Can anyone tell me why the HD-DVD camp believes their format is a stronger format? I know about the interactivity of HD-DVD, but I know BD is actively working on acquiring that as well...why hasn't this been accomplished already?

It seems that with the move from Paramount and Dreamworks that I've started to become nervous. I still have a small collection, but it's grown to 17 and I'd hate for BD to just go away in a couple of years.

Is Warner waiting for BD to get their act together on the interactive menus and the like?

I've searched on the forums for a topic like this and I've seen a lot of threads with some of the same issues being voiced, but I wanted an objective view of why we believe BD is the superior format and what advantages or strengths do we see coming in the future, ie interactive menus, cheaper costs, or better players.

[Cyorg]

Some people like the way the red box looks better than the Blu one.

I personally like the Blu box.

[glenn22]

Originally Posted by Grisle

Hey...I hate to show my ignorance here, but for whatever reason I've started to become a little worried about BD's future. I have to admit that I don't know too much about the technical aspects about either of these formats and my reasons for choosing Blu aren't exactly well thought out. I've believed BD is a better format for a long time now and with all of the studio support and the better sales I felt confident that BD would be the last format standing.

Can anyone tell me why the HD-DVD camp believes their format is a stronger format? I know about the interactivity of HD-DVD, but I know BD is actively working on acquiring that as well...why hasn't this been accomplished already?

It seems that with the move from Paramount and Dreamworks that I've started to become nervous. I still have a small collection, but it's grown to 17 and I'd hate for BD to just go away in a couple of years.

Is Warner waiting for BD to get their act together on the interactive menus and the like?

I've searched on the forums for a topic like this and I've seen a lot of threads with some of the same issues being voiced, but I wanted an objective view of why we believe BD is the superior format and what advantages or strengths do we see coming in the future, ie interactive menus, cheaper costs, or better players.

The HD-DVD supporters have a few valid reasons for supporting their format of choice, those are mainly:

1) The exclusives they have currently
2) Blu-ray spec not entirely complete yet (profile 1.1 and 2.0)
3) Features available on HD-DVD releases that are not available on BD yet
4) Low price

Unfortunately for HD-DVD, the above problems (minus the exclusives) are really a non-issue after October 31st when profile 1.1 players are mandatory.

I would look at what Blu-ray has over HD-DVD as that is much more significant. Some of those things are as follows:

1) Better disc scratch resistant coating
2) Higher bit-rate
3) More storage capacity (FULL lossless audio anyone?)
4) More industry support
5) 2x better sales
6) Way more and better exclusives
7) discs don't need to be boiled (kidding... sort of)

[CAB]

HD DVD Camp
1. Cheaper now.
2. Interactivity now.
3. 30 GB is plenty for now.
4. VC-1 is good enough.
5. Microsoft is at God's right hand (OK, I took a little liberty here).
6. No one can tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p and even if they could it isn't needed.


BD Camp
1. Profitable for hardware manufacturers.
2. Higher bitrate capacity between the disc and the player.
3. Higher storage capacity for present and future needs.
4. Better audio and video quality available to the studio.
5. Better interactivity potential in the future.
6. Microsoft is at Satan's right hand (same liberty).
7. Better studio support.
8. Huge hardware manufacturer support.

Please add or subtract as you see fit.

[Maxell]

HD-DVD has lower starting player prices. That's it (on a 1080i player). Blu-ray is better in all facets. It's bigger storage space allows less video compression and more megabits per second, uncompressed sound, and space for more extra features. Also blu-ray is branching out much faster in terms of settop recorders, pc burners, and camcorder support.

[Beta-guy]

Originally Posted by glenn22

The HD-DVD supporters have a few valid reasons for supporting their format of choice, those are mainly:

1) The exclusives they have currently
2) Blu-ray spec not entirely complete yet (profile 1.1 and 2.0)
3) Features available on HD-DVD releases that are not available on BD yet

Unfortunately for HD-DVD, the above problems (minus the exclusives) are really a non-issue after October 31st when profile 1.1 players are mandatory.

Blu-ray can counter those

1)we have some darn fine exclusives like the Spiderman trilogy
2) neither is theirs with their inventing of TL51 that could pose compatibility issues with current HD-DVD players because TL51 has 3 layers and each layer is 17 GB instead of the HD-DVD standard of 15 GB
3) more native space and higher bandwidth for better quality picture

[Horhay]

Guys we all seem to forget the most valuable feature, PIP. Who the hell cares about PIP?! that's their only scapegoat! "HD-DVD has PIP!"

[glenn22]

Originally Posted by horhay2313

Guys we all seem to forget the most valuable feature, PIP. Who the hell cares about PIP?! that's their only scapegoat! "HD-DVD has PIP!"

I know what you mean, that argument is so silly it's laughable. They seem to think that Blu-ray can't do that or something. We're getting PIP with the release of Hairspray, but seriously... who even cares?

I remember talking to a guy about the advantages of Blu-ray and here is basically how it went:

Me: Blu-ray has a higher bit-rate and more storage space. HD-DVD movies are coming out with only 5.1 audio because the discs can't even fit lossless HD audio.

Him: HD-DVD has PIP

[The Shrike]

Originally Posted by horhay2313

Guys we all seem to forget the most valuable feature, PIP. Who the hell cares about PIP?! that's their only scapegoat! "HD-DVD has PIP!"

Dammit, I care about PIP.

[Deciazulado]

What (if any) are the advantages HD-DVD has over BD?

A great Ministry of diSinformation?

[Beta-guy]

just curious I really don't care much for PIP but does PS3, or will the PS3 support PIP?

[glenn22]

Originally Posted by Beta-guy

just curious I really don't care much for PIP but does PS3, or will the PS3 support PIP?

You can bet that it will.

[Jazar]

Originally Posted by CAB

HD DVD Camp
1. Cheaper now.
2. Interactivity now.
3. 30 GB is plenty for now.
4. VC-1 is good enough.
5. Microsoft is at God's right hand (OK, I took a little liberty here).
6. No one can tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p and even if they could it isn't needed.


BD Camp
1. Profitable for hardware manufacturers.
2. Higher bitrate capacity between the disc and the player.
3. Higher storage capacity for present and future needs.
4. Better audio and video quality available to the studio.
5. Better interactivity potential in the future.
6. Microsoft is at Satan's right hand (same liberty).
7. Better studio support.
8. Huge hardware manufacturer support.

Please add or subtract as you see fit.

Excellent list. Only thing is maybe points 1 & 8 in the BD side are related. I would only list greater manufacturer support.

[Horhay]

I really don't care much about PIP, but thats just my personla opinion if anyone here likes the extra features then good for you, I seriously don't believe that PIP is an advantage because I dont think that more than 20% of the population even bothers with extras or only watch them once, but thats just me.

[glenn22]

Originally Posted by horhay2313

I really don't care much about PIP, but thats just my personla opinion if anyone here likes the extra features then good for you, I seriously don't believe that PIP is an advantage because I dont think that more than 20% of the population even bothers with extras or only watch them once, but thats just me.

I'd be VERY suprised if that number was as high as 20%, but yea, an extra feature can only be good. I know extra features DO sell movies as I've personally bought movies because of special features... even though I probably only watched those features once.

[whippersnapper]

The biggest advantage that HD-DVD has over Blu-ray is that HD-DVD owners will one day be able to look back and tell funny stories about how they got stuck with an obsolete player that doesn't have new movies coming out on it. Kinda like I'm able to joke about the 8-track I have in my garage that I never got around to installing in my car. It's good for a laugh. Kids are mystified when they see the 8-track cartridges.

[Horhay]

Originally Posted by glenn22

I'd be VERY suprised if that number was as high as 20%, but yea, an extra feature can only be good.

Yeah I was just throwing a ramdon number out there , but I agree the more features the better I suppose.

[Grisle]

See...I knew you guys could make me feel better. I had noticed on other sites they do talk a lot about PIP...I've never used PIP in my life. So some things should be taken care of after Oct. 31st? That's good...I just can't wait until we have the interactive menus...not for the menus themselves, but for the releases that will finally come with them. Hopefully Warner sales will be really high today...I don't know what we'd do without Warner's support.

[statikcat]

Does HD DVD support lossless audio tracks?

[Zaphod]

Originally Posted by statikcat

Does HD DVD support lossless audio tracks?

Yes. All HD DVD players are required to decode PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD. Optional codecs are DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-MA.