Thoughts from someone who just returned an HD DVD player

[bthuring]

Well, I just recently returned my HD DVD within the 30 day return policy allowed by CC. As an average schmuck I'm going to sit this one out for awhile. I was blown away by the picture and sound of the HD DVD, but then again I have no desire to invest in a dead format (if that comes to be). In addition, I cannot afford to spend $499 on a Blu Ray and wouldn't spend $399 either. The whole thing just blows. I consider pretty much anything I read in either forums to be too biased to put any weight behind. The following are just points that I found to frustrating. They don't really need answers, they just point to all the uncertainty someone like myself ran into and decided it wasn't worth the effort. I should have done my research on the front end...doh!

How can hardware price be irrelevant in a format war?

The hard drive size (if that's the proper terminology) is irrelevant to me. I mainly am into the movies and a maybe watching a few extras.

There is such a small market at this point that I don't think anyone wins until there sufficient number of non-technical customers who decide to switch to the high def DVD market.

I think these people will put a lot of weight into hardware prices, unless there is a complete dearth of choices available in one format or another.

I went to about 10 different retail locations and talked to salesman on the floor and they seem to be as split as I am. The running theme was that they were selling many more HD DVD hardware units, but selling more Blu-Ray movies.

A major independent video firm near where I live has been renting HD DVD for quite some time and just recently started stocking Blu-Ray. The manager told me that already Blu-Ray rentals are topping he HD DVD rentals.

I could go on, but you get the point. To the average consumer it just doesn't make sense to move form a standard DVD player with the ability to up convert.

I would agree that the HD DVD terminology would seem to be an advantage, but in reality it's the opposite. HD DVD is too generic a term and consumers with a standard DVD with up convert already think they have one.

If hardware prices were identical at this point I would have returned my HD DVD player for a Blu Ray and hoped for the best.