Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

Wait.

I am not a troll - whatever that is. I did post the question in another thread and realized it was best to ask in a different thread. The other really wasn't related...I just thought of it while I was reading it.

I apologize for the error...but I greatly appreciate the personal interest you have taken in me.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

You could just buy the Samsung 1200. It is really good at scaling SD DVDs to HD resolution. I don't know when those movies will be on BluRay but I suspect they will be eventually.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

Unless you have a lot of money, I would wait. They wont be out by christmas but Im sure it wont take to long once Universal switches. Hopefully that is soon.

Thank you ADGrant for giving me a serious response.

I may just upscale using my PS3 until the price comes down even more for the A2...or until it comes out in BluRay.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

Only you can make that decision. the Blu Ray fanatics will all tell you to wait and the HD DVD boys will tell you it's worth it. Honestly only you can tell whether or not it is worth the money. If you've seen how beautiful HD can be just upscaling can be a painful thing :D. So look at the list of HD DVD titles you want and if you feel those titles are worth it to you buy the player. Don't give into the FUD that the "war is already over" and Universal is going neutral next month. That's been going on for over a year now with no signs of letting up. Look at the titles, look at your Bank account and decide what's worth it to you.

Absolutely waste of money. Just wait.

You will not see any Universal titles on Blu-Ray by Christmas. If $250 is an amount that doesn't affect your lifestyle, get one. The reason most HD folks have an HD player is the titles available for it. That should be why you get one as well. But you will not be getting Bourne or EB on BR any time soon.

MEC2

wait until players show up on ebay, you can probably get one for 50 bucks.

wait until players show up on ebay, you can probably get one for 50 bucks.
that won't happen until titles are available on BR.

for fangirl,

i'm a ps3 owner and a blu-ray supporter. if the 5 free titles with a player deal plus the rebate still exist, and the money isn't a big deal to you, you should get it and get the titles you need off the 5 free titles.

couple of reasons i wouldnt buy it myself is the money is a lot to me even at $250 with free movies, and i simply don't want to have to connect 2 players for 1 purpose of watching hi-def movies. there are 3 hdmi connectors on my incoming receiver and all 3 will be taken up already by hd dvr cable box, ps3, and a samsung region free upconverting dvd player for region coded dvd's.

so money aside u'd still have other factors to consider on making this decision. an extra device also means an extra remote or more programming to be done on the universal 'mote.

this needs to move to the HD-DVD forums.

1) Julia Roberts titles definitely won't show up by Christmas on Blu-ray (except for the Oceans movies)

2) even if HD DVD went down the drain in 2008 (which is very unlikely also, despite what Blu-ray supporters are constantly promising) Julia Roberts movies ARE NOT the kind of content that would appeal to a format ruled over by a video game console, and thus would be unlikely to be released soon after anyway.

3) if $250 + a bunch of free software is too daunting for you, you really should just sit this whole thing out for another year or two.

this needs to move to the HD-DVD forums.
it will get flamed there as OP has already assumed hd-dvd will fail. her login name also will not help her cause, she won't get any rational responses there.

Thank you jkcheng122.
I think I'll just upconvert the DVDs. I usually rent movies more than purchase. I probably own only 50 DVDs. There are only a handful of movies I'd actually repurchase on HD format, so I think I'm better off at sticking to Blu Ray and renting DVDs of anything not on Blu Ray.

I say wait. Either Universal will go neutral or HD DVD players will continue to drop in price unless disc sales pick up. Either way, you can make do with DVD upconverted until one of those two happens. For that few a titles, I'd say wait for $200 pricepoint... at least.

Thank you jkcheng122.
I think I'll just upconvert the DVDs. I usually rent movies more than purchase. I probably own only 50 DVDs. There are only a handful of movies I'd actually repurchase on HD format, so I think I'm better off at sticking to Blu Ray and renting DVDs of anything not on Blu Ray.
Renting HD-DVD's doesn't cost any more than DVD's, and if you have the screen, the difference is stunning. Remember "The reports of my death are premature". BD is depending on the PS3 and it's future isn't clearly healthy either.

I think if you have the cash to spare, then it is totally worth it to buy an HD-DVD player for 250 bucks. The HD-DVD format is a great format and there are a lot of movies out for it that are not out for Blu-Ray, so I think it is worth it if you have the spare cash.

This whole format loyalty thing is kind of stupid, both formats are great, have good movies on each and the best of all, they are High Def and I think that is what counts most.

I'd get it at the price its offered. Great upscaling plus you get 5 free HD-DVDs.


Oceans 12 is comming to HD-DVD overseas so you could import that along with a lot of other great movies.

But I'd say take a look at all the HD-DVDs see what you'd want. If HD-DVD should fail it will be atleast 1 year before they start with BD re-relases and such..

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

The insecurity of some people over the Blockbuster announcement is amazing. All the major studios are still backing the same format they were a year ago. If there are movies on HD DVD that are interesting you, go for it and you can have them now.

Don't listen to all the Blu-ray fanboys FUD. At that price, you'll have the movies you want on a great product at an amazing price.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?Settle for upscaled DVDs.

If you have disposable income, why not?

Yes, it'll be a boat anchor in a year or two but if money isn't really an issue, go nuts. You'll be able to watch the Universal and Weinstein flicks and it's probably a safe bet that when they rerelease them all on Blu-ray they'll use the same encodings so you won't be missing out, quality wise.

not jumping at you at all. I've just seen this term used a lot. Why is your HD DVD player going to turn into a boat anchor??? I mean, will it stop playing all your HD DVD's??? Did your LD players turn into a non-working hunk of junk after LD died in around 2000??? Of course not, your player will play all of your HD DVD's just fine.

Thread smells funny to me.

Someone with Sony in the name, posting if they should get a dying format? Gimme a break. This person had NO intention of buying an HDDVD player.

What the intention is, should be obvious.

not jumping at you at all. I've just seen this term used a lot. Why is your HD DVD player going to turn into a boat anchor??? I mean, will it stop playing all your HD DVD's??? Did your LD players turn into a non-working hunk of junk after LD died in around 2000??? Of course not, your player will play all of your HD DVD's just fine.

I guess some people just think this world is like Mission Impossible and if HD-DVD were to fail it will self destruct so it could never be used again.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?
If you feel that you are missing out on some movies, then I would definitely go out and get that a2. At under 3 bills, you can't really go wrong.

Wait. There's no reason to jump in right now. Prices will continue to go down.

Thread smells funny to me.

Someone with Sony in the name, posting if they should get a dying format? Gimme a break. This person had NO intention of buying an HDDVD player.

What the intention is, should be obvious.

I think I expressed intentions clearly. I am considering purchasing an A2 for the reasons I have stated. I am not bashing HD DVD or promoting Blu Ray, etc. I feel they are of equal quality. I just wanted people's opinions and most people have been kind to respond.

THAT was my intention. Nothing else. I am sorry if my intentions weren't clear; however, your ignorance is quite the contrary.

I think I expressed intentions clearly. I am considering purchasing an A2 for the reasons I have stated. I am not bashing HD DVD or promoting Blu Ray, etc. I feel they are of equal quality. I just wanted people's opinions and most people have been kind to respond.

THAT was my intention. Nothing else. I am sorry if my intentions weren't clear; however, your ignorance is quite the contrary.

Please nice dodge.

YOUR thread asked if you should buy a dying format. You said it, not I. So if it is dying, why even ask? Ignorance no, more like pointing out the obvious.

...
THAT was my intention. Nothing else. I am sorry if my intentions weren't clear; however, your ignorance is quite the contrary.
What do you really expect with your userid and calling HD DVD a dying format, it is going to tick people the wrong way :)

Anyway, it all comes down how serious you are about hidef movies. If you truly enjoy it, dual format is the only way to go. Frankly, $250 is not a lot of money, even if HD DVD does lose, you still can play your favorite movies. So it's all up to individual preference.

If you want Universals Studios, Weinsteins, and some of the exclusives from Warner then go for the A2, unforunately you just missed the $100 instant rebate on all Toshiba HD DVD players. So if you wait until black friday there will most likely be another sale.

If there is a Sam's Club nearby, they still have it under $250, but as you said SFG it's a dead format :rolleyes: *cof* t *cof* r *cof * o * cof* l *cof* l *cof* l

Absolutely waste of money. Just wait.

There are some that will say buying into either BR or HD DVD is absolutely a waste of money. Would you agree with them? If not you cannot tell her buying into HD DVD is absolutely a waste of money.

I have an A2 and its been a decent machine but I am very dissappointed with the content available at the moment and upscaling is useless for me because Toshiba still can't get the DVI>HDMI correct even though I am using an Toshiba HDTV. I have about 6 great HD DVD's and very little else looks appealing to me. I would say wait if the available titles don't appeal to you.

You bought a format that only 6 appealing titles appeared on? There are 6 titles at the top of my head on Blu that I'd like -

KoH
PotC
Blackhawk Down
T2
Casino Royale
Fifth Element

Not enough for me to drop the cash for a player though. It sounds like you picked the wrong player...

Absolutely waste of money. Just wait.

Just to clear up this quote, both formats are a waste of money, these things are not necessities, they are wants and depreciate quite a bit. So both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are a waste of money. Just as DVD is as well.

LOL.... FLAMEBAIT THREAD ALERT.....

Sonygirl (20 posts) asking about buying a dying format...
25 Playstation kids from the PS3 forums respond to not waste the money.

Instead, waste it on some games the PS3 doesn't have.
Is this entire thread a rouse?

P.S. If you are for real, you won't see any of those films on HD-DVD by Christmas. Go dual format and then you won't have to worry about what is on which format. You can enjoy it all.

LOL.... FLAMEBAIT THREAD ALERT.....
Ya think? ;) :D

I seriously have no idea what a flamebait is. Personally, I'm straight and not into that.

Thanks to the many of you who were nice to respond sensibly. To the others, I am a new member. I do have a PS3 and I was considering getting an HDDVD player as well. I am NOT anti-HD DVD. I like Sony products, hence the name....but don't judge a book by its cover and make comments. Go role play or whatever you flamebaits do together.

buy it...you'll get tittles such as, King Kong, Matrix trilogy, Batman Begins, TV series "Heroes", Bourne and much , much more...it is well worth the price!

buy it...you'll get tittles such as, King Kong, Matrix trilogy, Batman Begins, TV series "Heroes", Bourne and much , much more...it is well worth the price!

You'll get the Matrix(es...Matrices?), Batman Returns, etc anyways pretty soon for your PS3. If getting King Kong and the other Universal Studios movies now rather than waiting a year or so is worth several hundred dollars to you, then you should absolutely get it. If not, just enjoy every other movie in HD and wait until Universal releases on BD.

I seriously have no idea what a flamebait is.

On the off chance that you are actually ignorant of the term, "flamebait" is saying something on an internet forum specifically to rile people up, getting them to "flame" you with upset responses.


Calling HD DVD a "dying format" is flamebait. It shows your bias right from the start and makes your question moot. Why ask if you apparently know the answer?

For the record, HD DVD is a growing (not dying) format. It just happens to be growing slightly slower than blu-ray at this point in time.

A week ago, HD DVD was riding high and all of the doom-and-gloom was on the BD side. Now, with the blockbuster announcement, the tides have turned. You know what? They can turn again the other way just as quickly. Neither format is done.



My answer to your question about whether you should get an A2 is simple: Do you see a lot of HD DVDs you want? If so, splurge on the $250 and get yourself a player. If not, don't.

Personally, there are piles of stuff on HD DVD that I wouldn't want to be without: Casablanca, The Sting, Batman, V for Vendetta, Kong, Slither, Serenity, The Frighteners, etc. etc.

I'm personally waiting for King Kong on Blu-ray. A 50GB version of King King that includes TrueHD would be nice .
I hope you are a patient man, it is going to be a LONG time before that happens. To the OP if you are sincere 250 bucks for an A-2 is not much of a price to pay to be able to watch 1. The Matrix trilogy 2. King Kong 3. Batman Begins 4. Harry Potter GOF Theses titles alone are worth the 250 bucks. :)

As Amir said it hd-dvd has a few tricks up there sleves and the war will be in the long hall, he quoted saying its not a sprint race but a marathon and its just best to go slow as not to force the market with there player but instead ease it on. Also in response to the blockbuster thing ken graffeo commented HERE AT BITTECH (http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/06/21/hd_dvd_shrugs_off_blockbuster_move/1) I also said move it to the hd-dvd forum because you blu-ray nuts are just like sony and try and force your beliefs on people. I know some of the hd-dvd guys do but the majority of them are open about it. So go back to kindergarten.

Just wait. In the best case scenario for HD DVD it will still be running more promotions in the future.

As Amir said it hd-dvd has a few tricks up there sleves and the war will be in the long hall, he quoted saying its not a sprint race but a marathon and its just best to go slow as not to force the market with there player but instead ease it on.

What else is he going to say? That HD DVD is throwing in the towel? Just like denying you are going to make a price cut up till the moment you do (see innumerable articles on PS3 pricing...), you don't ever admit you have lost, or even are losing as long as you hope to get a few more sales out of people.

In late summer and early fall of 2006 I don't recall Amir or anyone else stating that it was a marathon, I recall claims of having already won over the enthusiast base, of HD DVD being "the peoples' choice", and outright threads asking if HD DVD had "Already won".

You bought a format that only 6 appealing titles appeared on? There are 6 titles at the top of my head on Blu that I'd like -

KoH
PotC
Blackhawk Down
T2
Casino Royale
Fifth Element

Not enough for me to drop the cash for a player though. It sounds like you picked the wrong player...

I bought it for use as a DVD upsampler primary and HD content secondary. I agree it was likely the wrong player for me to buy. If however, Toshiba gets there act together and fixes the HDMI>DVI issues it will be an excellent player for me and I will still have access to future Universal releases. As for the original question, if all they want it for is a "few" HD titles I stand by my suggestion of waiting.

I seriously have no idea what a flamebait is. Personally, I'm straight and not into that.
Yeah... I could see it from the title of the thread. This is the type of threads that need to cease. That shiny light on your monitor is the flame burning from this one.

LOL.... FLAMEBAIT THREAD ALERT.....

Sonygirl (20 posts) asking about buying a dying format...
25 Playstation kids from the PS3 forums respond to not waste the money.

Instead, waste it on some games the PS3 doesn't have.
Is this entire thread a rouse?

P.S. If you are for real, you won't see any of those films on HD-DVD by Christmas. Go dual format and then you won't have to worry about what is on which format. You can enjoy it all.
Couldn't agree more

What else is he going to say? That HD DVD is throwing in the towel? Just like denying you are going to make a price cut up till the moment you do (see innumerable articles on PS3 pricing...), you don't ever admit you have lost, or even are losing as long as you hope to get a few more sales out of people.

In late summer and early fall of 2006 I don't recall Amir or anyone else stating that it was a marathon, I recall claims of having already won over the enthusiast base, of HD DVD being "the peoples' choice", and outright threads asking if HD DVD had "Already won".

Amir said it today in the insider forums here is the whole post From Amir:
oh and its post # 566 if you want to verify.

I ask, to what end? With all of the PS3 push, in grand scheme of things, PS3 has not accomplished much against us. It is not like they have 10X the software sales that we have. It is not even 2X. In exchange for that, how does it make sense to slide down to #3 sales position on game consoles?

Look at this way. For all the money that Sony is losing on PS3, they could be giving everyone their BD discs for free and still come out ahead financially! I mean, they have sold what, 1.6 million movie discs? Their cost including royalty is probably $10. That is $10.6 million total. Compare that to hundreds of millions of dollars they have already lost by including BD drive in PS3, to say nothing of delaying the schedule for the product. In reverse, for the same expense, we could go and buy 2 million discs and completely mess with the PR line of BD guys .

Also consider that our stand-alone boxes are valued a lot more than PS3 sockets due to higher attach rate. And that is ultimately what studios care about.

So while I am not going to rule out anything here, we have shareholders who expect us to run a business, not a hobby . And customers who like us to be around to build the next box!

In other words, there is no successful model here for us to follow. If anything Nintendo has shown the fallacy of stuffing too much hardware in a box, and forgetting what you are building.

Our HD DVD drive is the most successful accessory for any game console by the way. The attach rate is unheard of for something that costs this much. So all in all, we feel pretty good about making it available.

Of course, I appreciate your sentiments. But trust us. We have a good game plan to make HD DVD successful. As I have said, to us, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Time is our friend. Last mission I was on, lasted 7 years. We are just one year into this thing. Other guys can jump up and down all they like. We are going to do what is right and create a proper market for this format, not a forced one…

__________________
Amir
Microsoft (HD DVD insider)
VC-1 video codec insider in BD/HD DVD
Ask me questions about HD DVD here

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

I hope this thread hasn't been moved or closed yet. I'll answer your question honestly & thoughtfully. I wouldn't call HD-DVD dying. (struggling, troubled but not dying). Sales aren't growing as fast as bluray's (hense the view that it's losing the war) but it's premature to refer to either as "dying".

Those movies will not be on bluray for Christmas 2007 and I do not think you will see them on bluray before 2009.

Given that you've found HD-DVD titles worth buying, you may want to spring an HDDVD player. How much you're willing to spend... is $250 the max or do you want to spend less but can't find better deals? Given the fact you've got a ps3, you should already know how much better HD media is over upscaling DVDs so the only problem is get HDDVD now, get these titles now, and it costs you $~250+(~$30*# of titles). Or wait 2+ years for bluray versions that may never come out.

Knowing there are some movies you want in HD, I'd get it. If $250 is reasonable, go for it. If it's a stretch, wait until the price drops to whatever is more comfortable.

I'm personally waiting for King Kong on Blu-ray. A 50GB version of King King that includes TrueHD would be nice. The pack-in with the 360 add-on looked awesome but of course the 360 only does lossy sound and King Kong only has lossy sound to begin with.

And before anyone calls -me- flamebait - understand that I'm one of the dopes who owns SACD's - my loves me high resolution audio.

Universal doesn't really use TrueHD, just look at their HD DVD releases, maybe 5 titles have TrueHD out of the 100+ So you'll be disappointed with >90% of Universal HD DVDs

Looking at the specs of the HD-A2 now selling for under $300 vs the Sony BDP-S300 for just under $500 the HD-A1 takes the lead in features for the dollar.

The Sony BDP-S300 doesn't decode anything but DD+. The HD-A2 decodes DD, DD+, DDTrueHD, DTS, and DTDHD. So unless you wait and buy a Receiver with built in decoders, Onkyo is the only current one, you'll be stuck.

The only thing the BDP-S300 has over the HD-A1 is that it can display 1080p. If your display doesn't support it then that's not really a benefit.

OKay, I don't have the BDP-S3000. I have a PS3.
Also, in August, I will either buy a Denon 3808 or 4308 or an Onyko 875 or 905. Obviously these are big expenses, so I am trying to do everything at once (so I won't have to pull my cabinet out more than once for hooking everything up). That is why my hesitation on the A2. And in fact, it only has 1080i, so I'm also considering that one, too since my TV (also purchase in August) will be a 1080p. Decisions, decisions.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

The only thing the BDP-S300 has over the HD-A1 is that it can display 1080p. If your display doesn't support it then that's not really a benefit.
Unless your source > 30 fps, it don't matter anyways... not to mention it's been said many times, the HD player pass all the flags to recreate 1080p...

MEC2

And in fact, it only has 1080i, so I'm also considering that one, too since my TV (also purchase in August) will be a 1080p. Decisions, decisions.

It's a non-issue. The A2 will pass all 1080 lines to your TV and your TV will handle the rest (de-interlacing). You'll see everything in glorious 1080p, it just isn't coming natively from your player.

You could just buy the Samsung 1200. It is really good at scaling SD DVDs to HD resolution. I don't know when those movies will be on BluRay but I suspect they will be eventually.

Good advice, let her buy the movies on another dying format :p

Do you want to watch HD movies now or later? If now, how much is it worth to you. If you buy your favorite movies you can trust that the player won't self destruct when / if they ever stop selling them. I'm sure there are plenty of 8-track player and a laser disc players that are still running fine.

Plus my cassette decks and turn tables still work...all "dead" formats :)

going back to OP's question. As much as my HD DVD bias, my suggestion is to NOT spend money on an additional player for a few movies.

My (personal and illogical) logic is that if I don't currently have at least 30 titles (to be watched -- bought or rent) then I won't be buying the player.

You bought a format that only 6 appealing titles appeared on? There are 6 titles at the top of my head on Blu that I'd like -

KoH
PotC
Blackhawk Down
T2
Casino Royale
Fifth Element

Actually, you can get T2 as an import HD DVD. Remember, region-free. ;)

From my perspective, my question "BD player worth it for a few titles?". My answer, no.

Would you recommend getting an HD-A2 for the new HD-DVD releases. I love Julia Roberts movies, but they are on HD DVD (like Erin Brokovich). I also like the Bourne series. Is it worth spending $250 on a dying format or do you think they will reproduce them on Blu Ray by Christmas?

IMO no it's not worth it. Though you may have to wait till Christmas '08 for BD versions of those films.

From my perspective, my question "BD player worth it for a few titles?". My answer, no.

No kidding, The Prestige, The First POTC, Spider-Man 1, 2, 3, Terminator 2, 24 Seasons 1-6.... I can't think of much more that would make me get a Blu-Ray player

Luckily I can import some of those such as The Prestige and Terminator 2. Fox isn't releasing titles in the states, and Blu-Ray has region coding.

However BD+ has permanently sidelined the possibility of me getting a Blu-Ray player. I just can't stomach the idea of helping out Sony with their BD+ dream so if I ever get a Blu-Ray player I'll have to be drunk or something :eek: :p

Edit: Ohh and Finding Neverland

My Costco sold 2 pallet fulls of HD-D2's for $250, while PS3's are gathering an inch of dust sitting there for 600 bucks.

Eventually, most studios, even Disney will go neutral.

And Sony Pictures will be the last studio solely supporting Blu Ray.

Been away for a while, but sorry I maintain that the thread is 100% imitation, & I find it highly contrived.

Any hi-def purchase is a risk, but my popcorn machine cost double the entry of HD DVD, I find it hard to imagine given your other investments, you need advice on how to spend two-and-a-half bones.

Eventually, most studios, even Disney will go neutral.

And Sony Pictures will be the last studio solely supporting Blu Ray.

LOL

Until recently there have been very few Universal titles that interested me. With the recent release of Children of Men, Eternal Sunshine, and the forthcoming Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Heroes (as you can see I'm a big SF/comic book nerd) along with the recent price drops HD-DVD has become much more appealing. I didn't feel like paying $250+ for the few Universal titles out there, so I bought a refurbished HD-A1 online instead. I hope Universal will also release Battlestar Galactica on HD-DVD soon.

Since then I'm still buying Blu-ray versions of titles that are on both formats since I foresee eventually upgrading my Blu-Ray player, but stay with a first generation HD-DVD player. I'm currently waiting for Warner to have a firm announcement if the current HD-DVD exclusive titles will have a Q4 release (V for Vendetta and Batman) before buying the HD-DVD versions.

If I didn't hear the rumors about Warner's eventual Blu-Ray versions of all their exclusives I might have bought an HD-A2 at launch. Even with the news I think that the player is finally worth it for the handful of Universal titles, especially if you have the spare HDMI inputs on your setup.

You bought a format that only 6 appealing titles appeared on? There are 6 titles at the top of my head on Blu that I'd like -

KoH
PotC
Blackhawk Down
T2
Casino Royale
Fifth Element

Not enough for me to drop the cash for a player though. It sounds like you picked the wrong player...

You're a lot less picky than I am. Of course, I'll admit that I have never even considered getting BR, but the available titles on that format make it so easy not to. What I consider to be the best titles on BR are also available on HD DVD with better audio and more extras, so to me the choice was obvious.

To the OP, this entire thread is pretty silly. If something is worth it to YOU, get it. If you don't think it is, but a lot of dorks online insist that it is, you'd buy it? Your wallet isn't a democracy, at least I hope not. The only thing you can do with your own money is to research your options, and spend it as you see fit. Did you expect to reach some sort of consensus here? LOL. The Blu fanboys will tell you you're wasting your money, the HD DVD fanboys will tell you it's a great decision. Stop trolling so much and do some more research, it's time much better spent.

Sonyfangirl,

I hope some of these people haven't run you off. By saying HD DVD was a dying format, you've stirred up a very sensitive subject with many people. Also your name, Sonyfangirl, causes suspicion. However, you could love Sony cameras or other products...not just as it relates to the company or Blu Ray.

This site is a fantastic resource. There are a lot of incredibly knowledgeable people on here, and some others who feel like one particular hi def format is their own creation/child and defend it till the end.

Either way, if a good sale comes along on a player of a format you don't have (in your case HD DVD), go ahead and get it. If you do get the receiver you mentioned, you should have plenty of inputs available.

Try DVHS...

What is that?

Truly a dead format, but essential if you want to archive copy protected contents off your HD DVR. It only works with certain DVRs that have firewire connections.