HD or BluRay?

Question

HD or BluRay?

Answer 1

go with blu-ray its winning the format wars against HD-DVD.

and HD-DVD is planning to stop make movies for it in may.

Answer 2

As for waiting, here's the LATEST info on those last 3 Hollywood studios still supporting HD-DVD.  Click this link to see why they're about ready to give up: http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/U...

And it's the SOUND which makes the jump from DVD worth it.  Most people don't realize this because they haven't hooked their new players up correctly.  Click this link to see how to get the most from a Blu-ray Disc player: http://www.avtruths.com/uncompressed.htm...

Answer 3

Go with Blu-Ray.The war is really over. It will work fine with any HDTV you get now.

As of Fridays announcement that Warner would make only BD movies after May '08, the winner of the war has been declared. Blu-Ray. I thought it might take a year for it to happen but now I think it will be VERY soon that HD DVD closes up shop.

HD DVD was hit hard and is scrambling to recover. They were surprised by Warners move to back BD and even cancelled the HD DVD event at this years CES.

http://www.cepro.com/article/warner_bros...

Warner chose to do this because Blu-Rays have outsold HD DVDs 2-1.

Many people beleive that this spells the end of HD DVD and a win for BD, me among them

http://www.avtruths.com/blurayvshddvd.ht...

Furthermore Paramount has a clause in their contract allowing them to pull out of HD DVD in the event that Warner went Blu-Ray exclusive. Well since that happened expect Paramount (and of course Dreamworks) to switch to BD. This leaves only Universal for HD DVD. (Giving BD about 85% of the movies being made in Hollywood.)

I know that HD DVD will fight back. Expect great deals and free offers from HD DVD. But realistically the war is over.

Ultimately the only way for consumers to win is for one of them to win so that all of the studios will make HD movies in a format accessable to everyone. I also expect that once Blu-Ray wins (or HD DVD if that happens) you will see second and third tier manufacturers to make players driving the price to $100 by 2009-1010. Funai just announce one for $299.

They have to make this happen or the window is going to close and internet HD movies are going to take over before BD has a chance to flourish. LG and Netflick have already announced an internet movie device and VUDU's machine is already available.

Buy now or buy later but buy Blu-Ray.

Answer 4

Wait just a little longer.

The industry has made a decision some what, however sales still will dictate the move.

Remember Laser disk, every movie studio decided it was the standard. But the high cost kept the average consumer out. Then DVD came along and the media cost drove sales.

Just note that Sony wants a huge royalty for the Blu-ray media and media sales are what drive a format not technology.

But now as Blu-ray moves ahead, look to see if the consumer decides to go along with it or not.

1 year should be enough time.

Answer 5

In the end I think there will be players that are compatible with both formats.

Answer 6

My advice is to wait it out.  If HD-DVD does go under, then that will kill the HD market as sony (having a bit of a soulless, greedy corporate reputation well earned) will skyrocket the prices of Blu.  It also is VERY much an incomplete technology, as it has just adopted profile 1.1 and still is working towards 2.0 (which will finally have it on par with HD).  You will be shooting yourself in the foot if you go Blu.  HD-DVD is not dead yet though, and as it is the only mass affordable option, could still win this thing.  Laser disc vs. dvd is the perfect example.

Answer 7

It's actually a two part question.  First, can you benefit from HD disks (and are you willing to pay the premium)? Second, if the answer to the first is yes, which format?

The second question is easier to answer. Since blu-ray is almost sure to be the survivor in the "HD format war", if you can benefit (and are willing to pay the premium prices), blu-ray is the obvious choice. But that said, I would highly recommend that before deciding to buy you compare DVD and HD disks ON THE SAME SETUP (An HD Player (or a much less expensive upconverting DVD player) will "upconvert" DVDs to pseudo-HD) to see if the improvements are compelling enough to you to warrant the costs involved (see below).

In terms of can you benefit, here are some considerations.

- Since Blu-ray and HD DVD are 1080p video you need a 1080p display (HDTV or projector) to fully benefit ... and larger than about 40" to reveal the extra resolution in comparison to an "upconverted" DVD ... and with HDMI connectivity for reasons given below.

- A similar or larger 720p display will still provide some benefit over DVD, but only marginal.

- And even with a suitable display unless you watch closer than traditional distances (or get a very large display) your eye will simply not be able to see any benefit.

- To fully benefit from HD disks you need to be able to handle both the video and audio.

- This means to benefit from HD disks you will soon need not only an HD capable display, but one with HDMI connectivity and an HD capable source (e.g. Blu-ray player), but also (more optional) an A/V receiver with HDMI switching to process the advanced surround sound, and a better than average surround sound speaker setup.

- Because of studio concerns about preventing copying of HD copyrighted material you can only (or soon will only be able to) connect any device that outputs, switches, processes or displays HD video using devices that are HDCP compliant and connected with HMDI cables. Analog video cables (composite, component) will only output sub-HD video (540 lines or less).

Now, look at current prices (I'm assuming you already have a suitable HDTV or projector).

- The two essential components are a HD disk player and cables. Audio is more optional.

- A Blu-ray player costs at least $300, and basic players are somewhat limited in their features.

- HDMI cables are relatively cheap (unless you listen to salespeople in stores like Best Buy ... who will charge $100+ for a single cable)

- An HDMI equipped A/V receiver costs a minimum of $300, but again, one with the ability to decode advanced audio from Blu-ray costs $600 or more.

- Speakers adequate to reveal the benefits of HD audio are going to cost $600-$1000 minimum.

Finally look at the cost of the disks. Typically they list for $5-$10 more than the equivalent DVD for new releases, but often $15-$25 more expensive for older movies. Also note you can't play HD disks in your normal DVD players .. so you will have to buy the regular DVD too if you want to, for example, play at the beach in your portable player, or at the cottage or in hte bedroom.

Finally, rental options are limited at present and typically are more expensive and/or have shorter rental periods.

So .. do your own evaluation, consider the costs, and whether the benefit is worth the cost of both additional hardware, loss of convenience (re not being able to use any existing auxilllary DVD players), and the higher cost of the disks.

In my case, I tried and decided DVDs look fine to me. I have the equipment to benefit (110" screen and HD projector in a dedicated Home Theatre with 7.2 audio system), but simply refuse to pay the prices for HD disks when I can get almost anything I want on DVD for less than $10 (including previewed disks).

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

BluRay, I've had a much better experience with it. That, and companies are being really n**i about HD, so **** that, I hope BluRay becomes the standard.]

EDIT: hahahaha @ some high def loving geeks thumbsdowning me because their media is inferior to the blu.