To HD or To Blu-Ray, which is the answer?

[Dr Kain]

At first, I supported BR, then recently, I decided on HD-DVD. After hearing about the negative reports, inability to find a player, and seeing that BR had more movies I wanted coming out for it, I decided I'd rather have a BR player again. Now however, with the negative reviews about BR (and its price is still an issue, but I've been saving up money for it for a month now), I'm not sure. I want Fifth Element, Underworld Evolution, and in July, Resident Evil Apocalypse, but WB seems to be releasing more and more movies on HD-DVD with no BR dates in sight. Universal has been doing a tremendous job from what I've read, yet, BR has more companies supporting it. However, it is a Sony made product, and Sony has been very pompus. Which is the format I should get? HD-DVD or BR?

[suprmallet]

If money is a factor, HD-DVD. If you want Fox, Disney, Sony, and MGM movies, go with BD. If money isn't an issue at all, get both.

Or you can get neither and wait to see how the format war goes.

[AV_Integrated]

You have the choice, but IMO the first generation products are a lot of extra cash which will be half as much, or less, in a year. Blu-ray has many obvious advantages... But, they are a fair bit behind HD-DVD for movie quality. This, I think, will be rectified before the year is out.

But it is a real question of your willingness to wait and your disposable income.

[cws2882]

I am wondering the same thing. I decited to wait for the industry to mature a bit. I am going to hold off on buying either until the end of the year and possibly even early next year.

[Dr Kain]

Originally Posted by suprmallet

If money is a factor, HD-DVD. If you want Fox, Disney, Sony, and MGM movies, go with BD. If money isn't an issue at all, get both.

Or you can get neither and wait to see how the format war goes.

What if a major portion is from WB? They claim to be supporting both, but I only see HD titles coming out and nothing for BR at all from them. NOT EVEN ONE.

Anyway, I guess I can get the BR player this Sunday at CC with the 4 free movies, and if it sucks, I can always return the player and keep my movies for the future. Then just buy an HD-DVD player. Or, whichever I can get first, is the one I'll get.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

What if a major portion is from WB? They claim to be supporting both, but I only see HD titles coming out and nothing for BR at all from them. NOT EVEN ONE.

Anyway, I guess I can get the BR player this Sunday at CC with the 4 free movies, and if it sucks, I can always return the player and keep my movies for the future. Then just buy an HD-DVD player. Or, whichever I can get first, is the one I'll get.

Paramount claims to be supporting both as well, yet you don't see any titles from them for HD DVD yet, do you? NOT EVEN ONE.

Patience, is a virtue, and like as many have noted here, must be exercised. Obviously the content factor is in favor of Blu-ray, as well as the CE manufacturer factor, as well as the IT industry factor. I think BR will most obviously prevail, but like HD DVD have launched with a few quirks. It will take time for both to improve upon any defeciencies, but I'm thinking once we see 50GB dual layered discs, the quality of movies from the BR camp will be most noticeable.

Moreover, we have players here coming in another month or two from Sony and Pioneer that will more than likely improve upon any shortcomings seen in this initial launch from Samsung. Also, we have other titles from Fox, Disney, Warner, Paramount, and others to look forward to as well. What codec they decide to use is up to them, so hopefully they'll get the gist of what the public is seeing with SL MPEG-2 encoded discs.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

What if a major portion is from WB? They claim to be supporting both, but I only see HD titles coming out and nothing for BR at all from them. NOT EVEN ONE.

Anyway, I guess I can get the BR player this Sunday at CC with the 4 free movies, and if it sucks, I can always return the player and keep my movies for the future. Then just buy an HD-DVD player. Or, whichever I can get first, is the one I'll get.

What do you mean "if" if sucks. You already know the answer. Bitstarved SL MPEG2 discs are not going to impress.

I like Hitch, HOFD, TFE and other movies but I'm not buying these crappy artifact laced movies. Forget the politics for now and choose the format that gives you the most quality. Right now odds are that's HD DVD but next year Sony might have 50GB DL discs ready and they may use better codecs and then would be a good time to hop aboard.

You don't owe the BDA or DVD Forum anything. You owe yourself...make the decision that is right for you.

[zombie]

Either buy HD DVD now or wait until BD improves.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by nyg

Either buy HD DVD now or wait until BD improves.

Or wait until the format war is over.

But we're all seeing typical first gen early adopter stuff on both sides here.

I think everyone knows that the REAL good usually don't start coming out in force until you get at least into second gen.

So...if you early adopt...good luck to you. Just make sure you understand the ups and downs.

[zombie]

Originally Posted by JTK

Or wait until the format war is over.

I was gonna say that too but at this point I think the war is going to last a lot longer than I had previously anticipated.

[Dr Kain]

Well, I think I'm going to pass on BR for now and get an HD-DVd player, and use that extra $500 for the movies currently out. Sony delaying their player again just means they aren't confident enough with BR. Sad, but true.

[suprmallet]

Or you could use that extra $500 to buy me an HD-DVD player.

[TurboNutter]

I hate answering questions like this when I need the same question answered myself. I keep going back to the article that Bill Crutchfield wrote in this summers catalog. He compares this to the Betamax vs VHS war and how he bought both and that when Beta died, he was left with a ton of movies with no new player to play them on. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't HD DVD use the blue laser technology also? I've been looking forward to High Definition DVD ever since I heard about it, but I'd rather wait and make the right decision. Maybe I'll wait until all of the "glitches" are gone. In fact, I might even wait longer and buy a 1080p tv first.

[Dr Kain]

Originally Posted by TurboNutter

I hate answering questions like this when I need the same question answered myself. I keep going back to the article that Bill Crutchfield wrote in this summers catalog. He compares this to the Betamax vs VHS war and how he bought both and that when Beta died, he was left with a ton of movies with no new player to play them on. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't HD DVD use the blue laser technology also? I've been looking forward to High Definition DVD ever since I heard about it, but I'd rather wait and make the right decision. Maybe I'll wait until all of the "glitches" are gone. In fact, I might even wait longer and buy a 1080p tv first.

That is my worry, but you know what, I have a feeling this war will be like the video game console war, and there will be no clear winner for years to come. Sony may have dominated the market for the last 10 years, but we all know what happened to Rome in the past.

[cws2882]

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

That is my worry, but you know what, I have a feeling this war will be like the video game console war, and there will be no clear winner for years to come. Sony may have dominated the market for the last 10 years, but we all know what happened to Rome in the past.

Yea, i am still wondering what to do. I have hear Samsung is still looking into making a universal player. If this happends, it could work out that both formats survive much like sacd and dvd-audio. Although these audio formats are slowly fading away, there was never a clear "winner" in that war. Maybe the same thing will happen with the hd war.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by TurboNutter

I hate answering questions like this when I need the same question answered myself. I keep going back to the article that Bill Crutchfield wrote in this summers catalog. He compares this to the Betamax vs VHS war and how he bought both and that when Beta died, he was left with a ton of movies with no new player to play them on. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't HD DVD use the blue laser technology also? I've been looking forward to High Definition DVD ever since I heard about it, but I'd rather wait and make the right decision. Maybe I'll wait until all of the "glitches" are gone. In fact, I might even wait longer and buy a 1080p tv first.

I mean...if he had both...he had to expect one to die?...or maybe not...

but it's not like his beta-max player discintigrated after the format war was over....he just wasn't able to get a new player or new movies for that format and bought everything for VHS...

[Psiweaver]

I'm not that concerned about the format war because the next logical step is a player than can do both blu-ray and hd dvd.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

Well, I think I'm going to pass on BR for now and get an HD-DVd player, and use that extra $500 for the movies currently out. Sony delaying their player again just means they aren't confident enough with BR. Sad, but true.

No, not true. They very well may be adding specs like support for HDMI 1.3, support for DL discs, etc. I think we should leave the gauging of confidence in BR as truth to the hardware manufacturers themselves.

I don't think this has anything to do with confidence with BR, but rather readying their hardware to be the best it can be on launch. Good for them.

[Dr Kain]

I agree. For now, I'm supporting HD-DVD, and I'll jump onto the BR bandwagon closer to Xmas time if we start getting the quality Sony has promised.

[The Don]

HD DVD doesn't have enough movies, but has the better product at this point....

well, the hardware is still in BD's favor...but they aren't putting their best effort into the movies themselves....