Up until Paramounts move on Monday I was firmly in the Blu Ray camp but when it happened I bit the bullet and bought a Tosh A20 and have made a decision to go neutral.

My personal belief is that Blu Ray will win out in the end so my stratedgy will be buy on Blu unless ONLY available on HD DVD (eg Transformers etc). I have nothing against HD DVD at all but, at present, I just think they are still not in a strong enough position to fight off Blu Ray but it will be very interesting to see how it all pans out.

Has anyone else done the same since mondays news?

I have nothing against either one, I simply want one format.

The announcement will only make me wait longer to make a purchase.

I am waiting on the right BD Player for me to go neutral. Nov. 6th is the first set of releases (Pixar) making me squirm that the right player has not been released yet at the price I want to pay, and has SACD.

One format please and since Paramount decided to prolong this format war I say no them on DVD and HD DVD. What a nice way they found to thank me for buying their movies. Consumer friendly move my ass, they were doing the right thing before (letting the consumers decide what they want and yep most of them wanted Blu-Ray).

I also don't want HD DVD to be the one and only format because that would be too big of a loss as storage medium.

I'm going to wait this out a bit more.

There's bound to be moves and counter moves.

Perhaps moves that will involve dratic price reductions.

I think it may be premature to jump on HD-DVD now.

BD could respond with something of their own, thereby causing another response by HD-DVD which could mean lower prices for me.

Let's wait a couple weeks and see what happens from the news.

Give time for BD to react.

I was neutral for about 2 weeks. Thanks to Paramount I was able to return my BR player and am selling my 4 BR movies on ebay.

Now that I know HD DVD is here to stay, it will be my format of choice. I do not buy a lot of movies, so I am not to worried about content and what I am missing. I am already dreading spending that $ on Transformers, Harry Potter, Bladerunner, the Boune Ultimatum, and Star Trek. I might pick up Shek 3 too, but I have found that most SD animated stuff looks HD on my HTPC.

I have both players, and have bought the odd red must-have disk when it comes out. I expect that Shrek 3 and Transformer would probably be on the red shelf along with the matrix things. I still avoid combo disks, but Paramount disks like Universal and Fox have been among the most expensive ones so I got very few of those. Warner, Sony and Disney make decently priced day&date releases and I have lots of their disks. I tend to buy more if the disk is cheaper (hint, hint).

I don't think it's changed my buying habits much, except that a few blu disks are going to now be in red cases.

It has delayed the day when I can put my HD-A1 in my basement museum of dead equipment though.

I'm now more curious about the HD DVD burners when they come out.

Going neutral was one of the best decisions I've made and I have yet to regret it, even with the additional costs involved.

One format please and since Paramount decided to prolong this format war I say no them on DVD and HD DVD. What a nice way they found to thank me for buying their movies. Consumer friendly move my ass, they were doing the right thing before (letting the consumers decide what they want and yep most of them wanted Blu-Ray).

I also don't want HD DVD to be the one and only format because that would be too big of a loss as storage medium.


COUGH COUGH 45GB COUGH COUGH.
I'm quite sure if HD DVD came back into the lead or there was an indication that they would win the format war, 45GB discs would accellerate their way to the market. So the storage medium talking point is moot.

And again, tell me how Fox and Disney are consumer friendly? This "letting the consumer decide" BS seems to not apply to these two companies who force you to have BD if you want their movies?

I don't know what irks me more, the fanboyism of the BDA Army, or the blatent and obvious hypocrisy that smacks them in the face and they stand there like it didn't happen.

COUGH COUGH 45GB COUGH COUGH.
I'm quite sure if HD DVD came back into the lead or there was an indication that they would win the format war, 45GB discs would accellerate their way to the market. So the storage medium talking point is moot.


COUGH COUGH 100GB & 200GB COUGH COUGH.

Uhh the storage medium talk isn't moot at all. I guess you haven't looked how much does those DL DVD disc cost comapred SL discs. I would first like to see an affordable RW burner from HD DVD before starting to talk about 45GB or 51GB for that matter. Blu-Ray already has 50GB R/RE discs available and burners that can burn them.

Edit: Fox and Disney aren't consumer friendly I would prefer if all the studios went neutral so that people could buy the format they like the most. In the end it would be better for every one if there was only one format.

Haven't bought HD DVD yet but might do so this xmas. I expect another round of price adjustments by then. :)

So much angst. So much chatter. So many impassioned arguments. People dividing into champions of one format or another. What if they gave a format war and nobody came?

I admit, I have been playing HD-DVD for some months now, but only because the ubiquitous Xbox 360 drive was available for $200. But the problem is, up until the announcement this week, there was about 40% of the HD media exclusive to one format or the other. Now the percentages will shift a few points, but the war will continue.

You must still choose both formats, or watch some movies in SD instead of HD. As soon as I can get a Blu-Ray player for a reasonable price, I'll have one. If one format becomes predominant months or years from now, I won't care then anymore than I care now.

I don't double dip, I never have. Occasionally I feel the urge to watch one of my old movies on -gasp- VHS. I'd rather buy new films than replace old ones.

It really is OK if you don't give a hoot about a format war. You don't have to be a proponent of either media. They both produce wonderfull audio and video in your Home Theater.

Not me. I'm still firmly in the HD DVD camp.

One format please and since Paramount decided to prolong this format war I say no them on DVD and HD DVD. What a nice way they found to thank me for buying their movies. Consumer friendly move my ass, they were doing the right thing before (letting the consumers decide what they want and yep most of them wanted Blu-Ray).

I also don't want HD DVD to be the one and only format because that would be too big of a loss as storage medium.

if you want to get technical bluray saved their butts when they got warner bros and paramount to go neutral... they were originally both hddvd exclusive to begin with. if they would of stayed true, today we would of been saying "blu what?"
so if you want to point blame, blame the format you support for the prolonged war

My BluRay purchase is now on indefinite hold.

I have no stake in the game. If a movie I really want is on only one format I will buy it. So once a really good universal player comes out (please someone make a HDDVD/BR/DVDA/SACD/DVD player) I'll buy one.

My brother in law did last night....was a HUGE Blu ray fan boy. ;) I'm still in shock that he did. ;)

won't be going neutral, and i will still not buy any SD DVD and will limit my BD purchases as well until more news surface. as sudden as the paramount news came, i just have no trust in the industry anymore. how do we know tomorrow we won't hear X studio is going exclusively *red/blue format*?

also the deal is rumored to be for an 18-month period, with that in mind i won't be going neutral unless a $300 or less dual-format player comes along that can decode dts-ma as well as being able to access all functions from both formats.

Some of us were always neutral.

Content is king, not format.

Some of us were always neutral.

Content is king, not format.Amen! :D

I have nothing against either one, I simply want one format.

The announcement will only make me wait longer to make a purchase.

Agreed

Sadly I don't want to wait a few years. I've seen the light and love the picture and audio quality. I'm picking up an HD-A2 today and a PS3 in a few months so I will be format neutral. The Paramount news only strengthened my decision to get an HD DVD player now.

One format please and since Paramount decided to prolong this format war I say no them on DVD and HD DVD. What a nice way they found to thank me for buying their movies. Consumer friendly move my ass, they were doing the right thing before (letting the consumers decide what they want and yep most of them wanted Blu-Ray).
No. Most PS3 owners wanted blu-ray.
I keep hearing this argument, and I am shocked that you didn't boycott Sony for actually CREATING the war by including a format in their game console. Boycot Paramount but not Sony for the same thing? Total hypocrisy.

How were they doing the right thing before? With one format having more studios, consumers don't get to pick the best format, they get to pick the format that pays off more studios.

Consumers will never get to pick the right format in this war until all studios are neutral. It won't be "fair" till then. So please stop making it sound like it was somehow fair before.

All is fair in love and format war.

Life is never fair, is what one learns as you mature.

I was leaning towards Blu-ray but now I'll wait for dual-format players to drop to $200. Or get a PS3 to hold me over.

If I were to go neutral, it'd be in the form of an inexpensive dual format player.

Since no such thing exists, and since I still see Blu-Ray winning regardless...no, not going neutral. Transformers stings, but I'll just have to live without buying it for awhile and maybe just rent it on Xbox Live.

Some of us were always neutral.

Content is king, not format.

Thank you. :)

I've neutral in the sense that I haven't bought either format yet. I have been waiting for a winner in this stupid format war. I was going to jump in at the end of the year with Blu-Ray because the end of the war was in sight. Now, I am not quite so sure and freaking really pissed off about it.

I don't want to buy two players and I don't want a dual format player. I'm fundamentally opposed to dual format players because I believe it will do nothing but prolong the format war resulting in neither side prevailing.

I really don't care which format wins just so as ONE format wins and soon. The longer this drags out the greater the chances are HDM will fail because people like me will not jump in with either side. The real war is between HDM and standard DVD.

I do understand that point of view. But since NetFlix added HD-DVD and Blu-Ray I have been viewing movies on HD-DVD when they are available.

I mean, I admire the restraint and the self-sacrifice of anybody who has not jumped into the fray, but since I own a 1080p display, I'm gonna go after the HD media whenever possible. Why view DVD when you can get HD for the same price from NetFlix?

As for a dual-format player, no thanks. Those are $1K and up. You can get an HD-DVD player for $299 and a Blu-Ray player for $499 and you are still $202 ahead with better support for the enhanced menus on HD media. The nice thing about a Westinghouse LVM is it has six HD-capable inputs, and three with HDCP.

HD-DVD on HTPC is occasionally balky, sometimes infuriating. I'll add a reasonably priced Blu-Ray player later this year and then replace the HTPC with a reasonably priced HD-DVD player. There should be a few HDM player deals by Christmas. Or maybe they will surprise me and release a GOOD dual format player. I'll bet Oppo could do that if they tried.

As for how long the format war lasts or who's gonna win - I could care, but I don't.

COUGH COUGH 100GB & 200GB COUGH COUGH.

Uhh the storage medium talk isn't moot at all. I guess you haven't looked how much does those DL DVD disc cost comapred SL discs. I would first like to see an affordable RW burner from HD DVD before starting to talk about 45GB or 51GB for that matter. Blu-Ray already has 50GB R/RE discs available and burners that can burn them.

Edit: Fox and Disney aren't consumer friendly I would prefer if all the studios went neutral so that people could buy the format they like the most. In the end it would be better for every one if there was only one format.

Yes true blu-ray might come out with those sizes to the mass market one day but it goes along the same lines of what is cheaper, Dual layer dvd's are available with double the storage but do people really buy them in the masses like single layer dvd's. I'm in IT and from what i see is more will buy single sided dvd's and use them and we use SAN's and LTO tapes to backup since they outdo any blu-ray disc in size.

oops

I was planning to buy a bd player when 1.1 was out and prices were down to the $300s. Now I won't do it. HD DVD is looking like the smart long term choice (at least for my situation)

I have not bought into either and don't plan on it until this is finished. What is sad is that roughly 6-7 replies here said the same thing. Which leaves 15-18 that have "bought in"

Silly anectdotal calculation from this thread. HDM could increase adoption by 33% with 1 format. :)

I have not bought into either and don't plan on it until this is finished.

Wise words.

Paramount going exclusive is a perfect example of why not to get involved with either format until there is an end. nothing in this war is guaranteed and can lead to one, either or neither.

If you do decide to go one route or another or even both, be prepared to take a loss because it can and most likely will happen. when it's over that same movie you've been wanting to see in hi-def will still be there or come when its time.

Let the formats fight it out...not the consumers.

Not because of all of this, but I have already made the choice to go neutral a few months ago. I'm not format neutral yet, but it is not that I don't want to be.

I have the XA2 as of now.

I'm waiting on a BR player with at least 1.1, 5.1 outs, and DTS-MA for no more than $500. The day that happens, I'm totally neutral.

Like was stated before, content is what matters; not format.

Just bring on the affordable dual format players so I can convince all my joe-six-pack friends to adopt HDM.

Wise words.

Paramount going exclusive is a perfect example of why not to get involved with either format until there is an end. nothing in this war is guaranteed and can lead to one, either or neither.

If you do decide to go one route or another or even both, be prepared to take a loss because it can and most likely will happen. when it's over that same movie you've been wanting to see in hi-def will still be there or come when its time.

Let the formats fight it out...not the consumers.

I understand your perspective. However, I think that the only wasteful path is continuing to buy SD DVD's which are basically outdated technology now. As an HD DVD owner, I've been returning many unopened DVD's I still owned, and trading in the opened discs for credit. I average about $3.50 per DVD as trade-in value! These things simply are no longer worth anything...

If you can get new titles on DVD for $5, then I guess there's no harm. But to continue building a DVD collection at $15+ per disc is silly, when there's a new alternative that offers such superior specs.

I've had my days when I've wondered if my 200+ HD DVD's would become obsolete early, but this news from Paramount / Dreamworks has me more confident than ever. I'd rather be buying HD DVD's and missing titles from Fox, Disney and Columbia than continuing to spend my $ on obsolete technology. JMHO.

Transformers stings, but I'll just have to live without buying it for awhile and maybe just rent it on Xbox Live.

Voting with your dollars for HD downloads, I like it :D

No. Most PS3 owners wanted blu-ray.
I keep hearing this argument, and I am shocked that you didn't boycott Sony for actually CREATING the war by including a format in their game console. Boycot Paramount but not Sony for the same thing? Total hypocrisy.

So you are implying that if you buy a PS3 you are forced to buy Blu-Ray movies? It is a choise that the consumer has, to buy or not to buy. Sony isn't forcing those disc down the troath of PS3 owners.

How were they doing the right thing before? With one format having more studios, consumers don't get to pick the best format, they get to pick the format that pays off more studios.

They were neutral that is how they were doing the right thing. Other studios should also go neutral. So you are saying consumers don't get to pick the best format "HD DVD" well that is your opinion, mine is that Blu-Ray is the best.

Consumers will never get to pick the right format in this war until all studios are neutral. It won't be "fair" till then. So please stop making it sound like it was somehow fair before.

Just said and said it before in this thread that I'd like all the studios go neutral. But this move to go exclusive was just damn dump (it didn't reflect to what the consumers wanted nor did it make sence financially unless they were paid off). It will only prolong this war which isn't good for anyone. Didn't I ever say it was fair before and not going to say its fair now.

I understand your perspective. However, I think that the only wasteful path is continuing to buy SD DVD's which are basically outdated technology now. As an HD DVD owner, I've been returning many unopened DVD's I still owned, and trading in the opened discs for credit. I average about $3.50 per DVD as trade-in value! These things simply are no longer worth anything...

If you can get new titles on DVD for $5, then I guess there's no harm. But to continue building a DVD collection at $15+ per disc is silly, when there's a new alternative that offers such superior specs.

I've had my days when I've wondered if my 200+ HD DVD's would become obsolete early, but this news from Paramount / Dreamworks has me more confident than ever. I'd rather be buying HD DVD's and missing titles from Fox, Disney and Columbia than continuing to spend my $ on obsolete technology. JMHO.


No offense, but DVD is far from obsolete. It will be around for a long time.

No offense, but DVD is far from obsolete. It will be around for a long time.

Exactly right!

It is plain that the format war cannot be decided by the consumers. This thread clearly reveals that most early adopters of HD prefer to be format neutered. So I really welcome the moves of Paramount and Dreamworks to junk one format in favor of the other. I think this paves the way for the industry to force the issue do what it should have done right at the outset - come out with just one format. And if more studios follow suit in junking BD as they should have done when BD started with a lousy launch product, I think we can have a nice single HD DVD format by summer of 2008. (with a few Sony executives committing harakiri. You see in this format war, it's Sony that stands to lose the most if it failed. Not Toshiba, not Microsoft.)

The good news for HD DVD with the Paramount news is that it will cause some BD owners to go out and buy HD DVD. It will not cause any HD DVD owners to decide to go and buy a BD player. So not only will it boost sales of software for HD DVD, it will also result in a boost in hardware sales (which in turn also boosts software).