Should I return my unopened HD DVD player and buy a PS3 now Warner has gone with Blu Ray?

Question

I ordered an HD DVD player last week from Amazon, and the next day Warner announced they were going exclusively with blu ray. Should I just send it back now, get a refund and buy a PS3 instead? Is HD DVD doomed? I don't need a game console - I've got a PC - but I want to play HD movies on my new 1080p LCD TV.

Answer 1

I'm in the same boat. I got the add on for my 360 for X-mas but I'm considering returning it because of the overwhelming amount of production companies going to Blu Ray. There are also rumors out there that Paramount will be making the switch soon too. I think that pretty much leaves Universal as the only HD-DVD exclusive. Makes me a sad Panda. I say return it and use that money towards a Blu Ray player. *sigh*

Answer 2

since the ps3 is the cheapest blu-ray player out there, and the Warner Bros announcment, I think getting a ps3, not only for a built-in blu-ray player but also you can play games on it, is the best invesment you can do. I think blu-ray player will be the best way to go becuase my best guess is that entertainment companies will switch to blu-ray in the near future.

Answer 3

Yes, although this "burial" of HD is not necessarily going to go down fast. They also announced that while they are converting to all BluRay, they are still going to release titles in HD (probably ones that are already in the works??).

Also, if you have some movies (or many) that are HD, you will have to be able to see those - or get a dual capable unit (Very expensive), or replace those individual titles(?).

Even if you do not play games, a PS3 is great to have if you got the cash - and you might start liking gaming more than you imagined you would!!!

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Answer 4

I would seriously consider returning it at this point if you want one or the other.  BluRay now has 70% of the studio backing for it's available movies.  I don't know if PS3 BR player is as good as the standalone that outputs 1080p or the HDMI spec (1.2 vs 1.3?)  Check those out just for info, but you can't really go wrong with the PS3, since you can play games on it too.

Answer 5

I would return the player and get a Blu-ray player instead.  However, there are plenty of HD options besides discs.  

Vudu just released a set-top box capable of streaming/downloading HD movies to your TV via your broadband connection.  The selection is limited (you can basically just buy the Bourne Trilogy) but their selection will expand.  The cost per movie is about $3.99 to rent (24 hours) and about $15-$20 to own.  The box is $399 so it's not cheap but if you like the convenience of HD movie viewing without having physical DVDs to worry about, it's not a bad option.

Xbox Live Marketplace currrently has the best selection of HD movies with prices below: SD=standard definition, HD=high-definition

HD TV Episodes -- 240 points ($3)

SD TV Episodes -- 160 points ($2)

HD Movies -- 480 points ($6)

SD Movies -- 320 points ($4)

Classic HD Movies -- 360 points ($4.50)

Classic SD Movies -- 240 points ($3)

However, Xbox 360 only offers an HD-DVD attachement($179) and does not currently plan to release a Blu-ray attachment.

If you prefer having a physical disc, Blu-ray is really your only option:

1) Among major movie studios, only Universal, Paramount, and Dreamworks support HD-DVD.  Fox, Disney, Warner, Sony, Lionsgate, Newline all support Blu-ray exclusively.

2) Target only sells Blu-ray players and Blockbuster only rents Blu-ray discs (some HD-DVDs still offered in some stores)

Retailers are likely to stock fewer HD-DVDs in stores or allocate less shelf space to them so even if HD-DVD survives it will be like Betamax.

I don't have an HDTV, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, or work for any of the tech companies.

If you prefer a physical disc, Blu-ray is your only option at this point.