Am I the only one that thinks buying both formats is serving to prolong the format war and prevent an eventual winner from emerging? I would like to buy both formats, but I choose not to because I think it's harmful to HDM's long term success and eventual mass adoption.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is anyone else sacrificing duel ownership for this reason?

While I think the format war is bad for HDM, I also tend to think the actions of an individual, especially on something like that which tends to be niche...aren't strong enough to make a difference.

So...yes and no. Yes on the high level, no on the personal level. So buy away if you want.

Uhm. No. Buying both formats will do wonders for HDM. Remember both Blu-Ray and HD DVD are HDM. Good news for either is good for HDM. But buying both may prolong the war. That is why i am only supporting one format hoping to end it sooner rather than later. Nothing is without sacrifice. Imagine if sales for both formats start to take off; it only means one thing, the market is starting to adopt.

jer

@OP. Yes. Without 100% studio support for either side, both formats will remain niche and DVD + HD PPV + HD VOD will be the norm. I think in 3-5 years either universal players will become the norm or the majority of studios (except Sony) will release on a TotalHD type format. This will keep prices high and the general public will continue to stay away.

Is buying both formats bad for HDM?

Nope but worrying about what other people think of your CE purchases is.

Nope but worrying about what other people think of your CE purchases is.

:confused:

It would be fine if you don't mind having two players sitting in front of you along with all the extra wiring, etc. I am one of those people who do mind, however, and I will not buy either format until only one format has full studio support or there are affordable dual-format players. That's where I drew the line. I think it's great, though, that HDM is finally here, despite all the trouble, and fully support anyone who wants to buy in now.

Doug

:confused:

Confused?

In my opinion the answer is yes.

It expands the niche for two formats and prolongs the confusion for the majority of consumers.

What's good for the goose, is good for the gander.... ;)

At this point any HDM needs as much sales as they can get, signaling there is enough demand to continue investing in and releasing HDM. Imo the "war" will work out itself.

If you don't have both formats, you are not getting all the media. This is hobby. Given the state of the format war, I can't imagine any enthusiast with a dedicated or family room home theater NOT buying both.

The only detriment to HDM is the constant bickering between the format fanboys and the FUD that they spread. Just my 2 cents.

Unless the FUD is vanilla flavored.

At this point any HDM needs as much sales as they can get, signaling there is enough demand to continue investing in and releasing HDM. Imo the "war" will work out itself.

I would have to agree with the above. At this early stage in the war versus status quo (SD-DVD), format neutrality allows users to buy what they want (for their own benefit), and highlight to the studios the market that is there for HDM. Look at 300, for example. the hundreds of thousands of copies sold should tell the studios there is a market, that is growing exponentally... Overall, I would think the level of interest is exciting to the studios.

Don't get me wrong, there are downsides, such as those that refuse to get in at all, but I think a long war will lead to a stalemate situation, where combo PLAYERS will be more prevalent.

Am I the only one that thinks buying both formats is serving to prolong the format war and prevent an eventual winner from emerging?
Why bother worrying about it? If that is truly how it plays out, then these formats were doomed to niche as soon as BDA and HD DVD walked away from negotiating a single format. As a consumer, I have no obligation whatsoever to help decide a format war for billion dollar corporations. I'll buy what I like and can afford as long as it is available, whether it be one or both.

If you don't have both formats, you are not getting all the media. This is hobby. Given the state of the format war, I can't imagine any enthusiast with a dedicated or family room home theater NOT buying both.

This is exactly how I feel,I couldn't have said it better myself.

not buying both formats hurts HDM!!!!

It's a sliding scale.

Right now it's probably best to have both formats because HDM is still strictly enthusiast.

But if it goes on too long then HDM in general will be held back. As some point in time, there must only be one format or both will suffer, ala DVDA SACD

clarification: Buy hardware now, you're ok. But at some point in the future, you need to stop buying discs in one of the formats, otherwise both media hurt long term. That "in the future" timeframe is up in the air too. Nobody really knows when it will be.

It a year to 18 months it will be dual format players as far as the eye can see.
Buying both formats is an OK idea. After that, the new 200 GB discs that support 3D smellovision will be out and the early adoptors will be touting that.

Not buying either format hurts HDM far more than buying both. Buying both only means that both formats are (potentially) viable. If CE's can get dual format players out in force, there's no reason for studios to not simply go exclusive to their preferred format of choice, knowing that consumers can watch whatever content is made. the only people "screwed" are people with single format players who don't want a dual format player (or simply a 2nd player)... that's the price you pay for early adoption.



I see no reason why the 2 formats cannot co-exist as DVD+/- recordable media did. The only reason to be against this is if you want 1 format to go away for whatever reason. If DVD-RAM discs didn't go away, there's no reason why either hd-dvd or blu-ray (or both) must.

In what burnt out brain could the idea of buy a product be said to hurt the product?

I agree that there are so few HD media sales out there that every sale regardless to which format will ultimately help HDM. Buying a SD DVD instead is what will hurt HDM.

Yes.

Yes. It is good. The more the studios sell, the more they want to sell.

But forget them, most enthusiasts will want HD media from both formats - hence I see many going format nuetral or buying a dual player. Why choose from 50% of the HD media when you can have it all?

I was going to start a thread asking the same question and found this one.
I believe buying both formats will in fact prolong the war.
Funding both sides of the isle will no doubt allow both formats to continue to survive for some time to come. I was reading a news article that said this war could last till 2012!!! :eek:
If course that is purely speculation, but the way things are going, it is a very real possibility.
A pole on this question would have been cool. :)

Craig

I could care less whether it is good for HDM. I didn't create this format war and it is not up to me to end it. I just react to the reality of the current market. The fact is if you want all the new releases in High def you need to be neutral. So when all the fanboys on either side argue about which format is better, i sit back in my HT and enjoy every new release in glorious 1080/24. As long as studios keep releasing catalog titles and every day and date why do i give a s--t if there is clear winner in the format war and mass adoption ensues. If the general public can't see the value in superio aq and pq that is their problem.

OP
No, thats silly, it presumes the customers could have all been on the same page and kept this from happening, that's not the case.

If most early adopters own both and buy movies on both it means growth for HDM, more studio neutrality, and the promise of affordable DF. I consider that things working themselves out, much more than starving both sides out of existence by playing up the war angle, which is a major consumer turnoff.

If BD hammers out specs and pulls down their prices 25%-30% I'll be there, it's true they aren't my preferred choice, but I'd rather have both have a chance than neither.

I was going to start a thread asking the same question and found this one.
I believe buying both formats will in fact prolong the war.
Funding both sides of the isle will no doubt allow both formats to continue to survive for some time to come. I was reading a news article that said this war could last till 2012!!! :eek:
If course that is purely speculation, but the way things are going, it is a very real possibility.
A pole on this question would have been cool. :)

Craig

I still firmly believe that buying both formats only prolongs the war - perhaps even prevents an eventual winner from emerging. For this reason, I have been exclusively supporting my format of choice for the past year.

I think our only hope is that the studios collude and pick one format soon before the install base of both formats becomes to large to abandon.

I firmly believe that buying both formats will only prolong the war - perhaps even prevent an eventual winner from emerging. For this reason, I have been exclusively supporting blu-ray for the past year, but I know I'm in the minority. Our only hope is that the studios collude and pick one format soon before the install base of both format becomes to large to abandon.

Well, if you'll forgive, Blu-ray supporters tend to lean against neutrality, because if the studios offer both formats, player-price will hold greater sway in the market-place. I think it would be a good thing if the consumer had a choice based on the products being sold, and what they value in them and not whom signed on with whom to sell the software.

in my view, buying both formats at this point prolongs the life of HDM, which is a good thing. i think those who believe that buying both is ultimately bad are overestimating the number of people holding out because of the format war. i believe the untapped market is mostly made up of people who don't yet have an HDTV or have one but feel that DVD will always be good enough for them. the people waiting for just one hi-def format are likely a small subset of that much larger group.

so, in short, my answer to the OP's question is no.

If you don't have both formats, you are not getting all the media. This is hobby. Given the state of the format war, I can't imagine any enthusiast with a dedicated or family room home theater NOT buying both.

agreed, we're hobbyists. Did we worry this much when laserdisc was out???

I find it amusing that it's always the Blu Ray side that franticly screams about how we need only one format. Seriously, were hobbyists, we shouldn't be worrying about the mass adoption but rather best quality and other such geeky stuff.

I only buy HD DVD and rent BD, but I'm a bit irrational. Everyone should be buying what they want no matter which format its on! If everyone owned a player from each format or had a dual format player this "war" would be moot. For those sitting on the sidelines or refusing to buy into one of the formats so as to not prolong the "war" think of this - you could lose your sight tomorrow or worse and there would have been things you would have wished you'd done. Too late, too bad, so sad! Grab what you can while you can.

Cheers,

Grant

I think many of your are missing the point. Perhaps this thread should be titled "Does buying both formats prolong the war?" IMO, it probably does or it at least could. Buy whatever you want, of course.

I think many of your are missing the point. Perhaps this thread should be titled "Does buying both formats prolong the war?" IMO, it probably does or it at least could. Buy whatever you want, of course.

So what your suggesting an antidote to the war is let all future HDM buyers decide who sinks or swims, and we just sit with what we got?

May I ask, is this a response to HD DVD prices being so low that there is no longer a compelling financial reason not to pick it up if you previously owned BD only, and you think it's a bad thing to change the hardware balance to one of greater parity? That's a little of what I'm getting anyway.

It makes sense from both a short-term and long-term perspective to buy both formats. For the short-term, we are getting more choice in movies by being dual format. And if we don't buy HDM in the short-term, there may not be HDM in the long-term.:(

I think it's bad to buy both formats. Choosing both will only prolong the war.

I'm not too worried about the format war. I agree w/ the others that say to buy what you want. If you have the money and the space for two players then buy both. Personally I would think that w/ more people buying both it would speed up manufacturing of dual players and thus making them cheaper, which would be a win win to everyone :)

Buying both formats opened my eyes to reality. I advice dual format to all :)

Two words: Warner Bros.

I think it's bad to buy both formats. Choosing both will only prolong the war.
If it were not for the format war there would not have been a $99 HDM player sale. There would not be $10 BOGO media sales. The format war has been good for many consumers. Why would I want the format war to end:confused:

I'm not too worried about the format war. I agree w/ the others that say to buy what you want. If you have the money and the space for two players then buy both. Personally I would think that w/ more people buying both it would speed up manufacturing of dual players and thus making them cheaper, which would be a win win to everyone :)
Right on. This is the logical conclusion of the format war.

If it were not for the format war there would not have been a $99 HDM player sale. There would not be $10 BOGO media sales. The format war has been good for many consumers.

Amen. And most importantly, it keeps both sides honest. Without HD-DVD I wouldn't be surprised if the BR side will turn on the more restrictive "features" in BD+. And without BR, the HD-DVD side wouldn't be as aware of lossless audio.

I used to wonder the same thing as the OP, until I bought a HD-DVD player. Now that I have started watching movies in HD, I can't wait to get a Blu-Ray player so that I am no longer limited in my choices for watching HD. I now agree with others that we need to support HDM overall to show the studios we want movies in HD regardless of which format.

Im buying both formats right now, I can care less about the war....I would rather not buy SD-DVDs and support HDM on either format instead.

Two words: Warner Bros.

two more words "dream on"

Yes, purple people are bad. They think it's cool to enjoy all HDM ATM while not seeing the big picture that HDM will never go mainstream unless there's just one format. Flame me if you like but I'm entitled to my opinion.

Yes, purple people are bad. They think it's cool to enjoy all HDM ATM while not seeing the big picture that HDM will never go mainstream unless there's just one format. Flame me if you like but I'm entitled to my opinion.

Unfortunately, 90% of you who feel this way are staunch Blu-ray supporters who are really saying nobody should be buying or have bought HD DVD. I'm not flaming you here, just stating a fairly obvious perspective.

Now that a pretty big chunk of HD DVD players have moved in the last month, I see more and more "neutral is bad" and "extras are bad" threads popping up all over the landscape. I'll bet if there were final-spec, cheaper BD standalones in the immediate future, you guys would be all about HD DVD only people going neutral.

Am I the only one that thinks buying both formats is serving to prolong the format war and prevent an eventual winner from emerging? I would like to buy both formats, but I choose not to because I think it's harmful to HDM's long term success and eventual mass adoption.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is anyone else sacrificing duel ownership for this reason?

Yes, I've heard that if you buy both formats you will die within 7 day unless you get rid of one of them. Also if you have family they will be killed, raped and then killed again.

They think it's cool to enjoy all HDM ATM while not seeing the big picture that HDM will never go mainstream unless there's just one format.

Not sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying not to buy ANY format until one wins? The more I think of this situation, the more I think it shouldn't be up on the consumers shoulder to burden. Reading on the history of how HDM became about, it seems the various companies could not come to an agreement on one format, obviously due to money. I say we make both camps get together and pound out some agreement on one format. Lock them in a big room w/ only bread and water and no bathroom breaks until a deal is made :D

Yes, I've heard that if you buy both formats you will die within 7 day unless you get rid of one of them. Also if you have family they will be killed, raped and then killed again.

Reminds me of a Serenity quote. :D

Simon: What happens if they board us?
Zoë: If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.

Reminds me of a Serenity quote. :D

Simon: What happens if they board us?
Zoë: If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.

lol, that quote was my inspiration :D

I still don't see how boycotting one format is going to end the war any faster than boycotting both. If half of the people boycott one and the other half boycott the other then both sides will grow slower. Could somebody explain why boycotting one format is any better than boycotting both? I mean if you are really opposed to the war then the right thing to do is boycott both.

I was thinking about that about a year ago, and made a personal choice to instead exploit the war. Should I feel guilty every time I make a big BOGO purchase? Should I feel guilty for not supporting DVD instead?

If the price is low enough I don't really care who wins the war. Quality is roughly the same between the two formats anyway. I will continue to buy both BOGO as I like the price point.

Am I the only one that thinks buying both formats is serving to prolong the format war and prevent an eventual winner from emerging? I would like to buy both formats, but I choose not to because I think it's harmful to HDM's long term success and eventual mass adoption.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is anyone else sacrificing duel ownership for this reason?
What a silly question. Just because studios and HD hardware manufacturers act like idiots doesn't mean we, as consumers, have to.
To apply some sort of allegiance to a manufacturer or a format of the HD player you just bought on sale is ridiculous and than evaluate your purchase in terms of how the sale affects HDM as a whole is compounding ridiculous and making the whole process utterly and totally stupid and a waste of time. If you think along these lines your spending way to much time on these forums and probably own a PS3.
Just remember people, shooting wars where people die are BAD. Commerce wars are GOOD especially when manufacturers compete with each other for YOUR dollar. If you truly are a movie aficionado you have already bought both formats to simply multiply your movie enjoyment experience X 2 and have taken advantage of the extraordinary low prices on hardware and software for both formats this month. If your NOT buying the other format or BOTH formats for any reason, well than...the format WAR has won and HDM has LOST. Just my opinion.

Hi,

At this juncture I believe the first priority is to stop buying DVDs. I agree with others that the market for HDM is currently so low when compared to DVDs that it simply doesn't matter what we enthusiasts do, it is not going to measurably effect the outcome of the format war.

In the interim, from an enthusiast perspective, the format war is unquestionably a good thing that has resulted in excellent player pricing and accelerated innovation. If you're a true hobbyist and there are reasonably priced players, with the right feature set, then its a no-brainer to go neutral when you see content that you want to view or own.

When the mass market does finally start buying HDM in earnest it will of course have an effect on the format war. At the risk of stating the obvious, if competing disc volumes are about the same it will prolong the format war, if they aren't, it will end end the war.

Larry

Quality is roughly the same between the two formats anyway.

On that point I definitely disagree. Perhaps our equipment today if terrible enough that we don't notice the difference, but what is considered state of the art equipment today is common place tomorrow.

I'm about to go dual format thanks to a very nice bonus from my job for a very nice year of work.

So for me the answer is not at all. I'll have 100% of the available HDM media at my disposal. Universal and Paramount will still get my money, so that won't hurt them.

The war has brought prices down. Without the war, players would still be $500+ and there would be no such thing as a BOGO.

The only true losers from dual-format thusfar are the studios.

A monopoly on anything is almost never good.

The format war has been great for HDM.

The competition has forced each side to improve their product more quickly that they otherwise may have, and has forced prices down much more rapidly.

The negative has been consumer confusion and uncertainty, which has kept some people out of the market.

However, when the studios are supporting BOTH formats, ie when all by Sony and Universal have gone neutral, these customers will dive in!

The format war has been great for HDM.

The competition has forced each side to improve their product more quickly that they otherwise may have, and has forced prices down much more rapidly.

The negative has been consumer confusion and uncertainty, which has kept some people out of the market.

However, when the studios are supporting BOTH formats, ie when all by Sony and Universal have gone neutral, these customers will dive in!
I agree with the first part of what you are saying, but I can't see all of the studios going format neutral. That would just lead to an inefficient, fragmented market. I think it is far more likely that dual format players eventually dominate and the differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray will be as trivial as the difference between AC1 and AVC codecs -- very few will care.

I don't see many going neutral either. maybe Disney, MGM or Lionsgate being so small.

I don't see many going neutral either. maybe Disney, MGM or Lionsgate being so small.

Oddly enough a lot of the BD I'd buy are Lionsgate and Anchor Bay

Hi,

At this juncture I believe the first priority is to stop buying DVDs. I agree with others that the market for HDM is currently so low when compared to DVDs that it simply doesn't matter what we enthusiasts do, it is not going to measurably effect the outcome of the format war.

That's fine if you don't give a crap about what you watch and only if what you watch is HD rather than of any interest to you.

I completely disagree with the theory that the format war has brought prices down. While I don't have proof for my theory, I would like to see actual proof of what rdjam and baccusboy claim. Saying prices have dropped doesn't actually prove it was competition and the format war that is the cause.

I believe it is poor acceptance and poor sales as in over supply and little demand that has caused prices to drop. I also believe this is why those players were unloaded for 99.00. It is classic marketing and business economics 101. Prices fall when demand is poor. Is demand poor because of the format war? While I think the war has contributed to price drops, it is really poor sales that have contributed more. The PS3 which I am a huge supporter maybe a classic example of this as well as other HD DVD players.

I completely disagree with the theory that the format war has brought prices down. While I don't have proof for my theory, I would like to see actual proof of what rdjam and baccusboy claim. Saying prices have dropped doesn't actually prove it was competition and the format war that is the cause.

I believe it is poor acceptance and poor sales as in over supply and little demand that has caused prices to drop. I also believe this is why those players were unloaded for 99.00. It is classic marketing and business economics 101. Prices fall when demand is poor. Is demand poor because of the format war? While I think the war has contributed to price drops, it is really poor sales that have contributed more. The PS3 which I am a huge supporter maybe a classic example of this as well as other HD DVD players.Well, there is no doubt that they are all searching for a formula that will work. The bad news is that for the PS3 all that will work is games and adding PS2 compatibility back (like all of the 360s) and having players and discs priced like DVD (which means they don't make the extra money they wanted, though their catalog dreams may come closer).

I buy both formants, and I never really understood why so many think 2 formats = death of HDM.

Multiple formats co-exist just fine in the video game and home computer markets. In addition, BD and HD DVD are so similiar, that we have dual format players only 1.5 years into the war.

The only thing bad about dual formats is customer uncertainty. Nobody wants to build a big library if the format may die prematurely and players will be difficult to find in the near future.

If Universal and Paramount were to definitively and unilaterally say... "We will never publish in Blu-ray ever, no matter the circumstance." And likewise Sony, Fox & Disney said the same regarding HD DVD, then the entire issue becomes completey moot.

We would all happily purchase two players or new dual-format players (which would certainly quickly come down in price).

Hi,

At this juncture I believe the first priority is to stop buying DVDs. I agree with others that the market for HDM is currently so low when compared to DVDs that it simply doesn't matter what we enthusiasts do, it is not going to measurably effect the outcome of the format war.


That's fine if you don't give a crap about what you watch and only if what you watch is HD rather than of any interest to you.

Hi Tim,

No insult intended, and perhaps I've missed your point, but I think that you've chosen to take my comments a bit too literally and have taken them out of the context of this discusion which deals with ensuring the success of HDM.

All I meant by my innocent remark was that when presented with the option of both standard definition and high definition content, enthusiasts should generally choose HD or Combos. Is there content on DVDs worth buying? Sure! I'm in the habit of buying The Teaching Company lectures which are only available in standard definition. I continue to buy their DVDs, but if I were given the option of HD, I would rather buy an HD version.

Now that I'm an HD enthusiast am I going to discard my hundreds of DVDs? Not likely. My HD-XA2 does an excellent job of upconverting them to near HD quality and they continue to provide me with a great deal of enjoyment.

Larry

Hi Tim,

No insult intended, and perhaps I've missed your point, but I think that you've chosen to take my comments a bit too literally and have taken them out of the context of this discusion which deals with ensuring the success of HDM.

All I meant by my innocent remark was that when presented with the option of both standard definition and high definition content, enthusiasts should generally choose HD or Combos. Is there content on DVDs worth buying? Sure! I'm in the habit of buying The Teaching Company lectures which are only available in standard definition. I continue to buy their DVDs, but if I were given the option of HD, I would rather buy an HD version.

Now that I'm an HD enthusiast am I going to discard my hundreds of DVDs? Not likely. My HD-XA2 does an excellent job of upconverting them to near HD quality and they continue to provide me with a great deal of enjoyment.

Larry

Well, there we agree, I'm into film-history, silents, grindhouse, Euro-tarsh, in short lots of stuff on small labels that may never see the light of HDM. So, when it surfaces, I buy.

Indie labels are dropping like flies and sink or swim from release to release, the last thing in the world I want to do is dry-up support for their content, in favor of some Will Farrel comedy or third-rate sequel in a spent franchise.

Right now most of the movies I want to buy are not available on either format. The average consumer won't buy both format's players, and there is a good chance they won't buy either as long as there is a format war going on. If HD enthusiest like the people on AVS are the only ones buying players the market share of HDM is going to remain small. As long as the format war continues you can expect HDM to remain a niche market with continued high media prices and a lack of releases of big name catalog titles like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings and other classic movies.

I don't think we will see wider market adoption until either one format wins, or we get a dual format player that retails for around $100-200.

Yes, purple people are bad. They think it's cool to enjoy all HDM ATM while not seeing the big picture that HDM will never go mainstream unless there's just one format. Flame me if you like but I'm entitled to my opinion.

If everyone's big concern is that HDM should go mainstream, then Blu-ray would not be having the success it is currently having. Without getting into the details that will make everyone start bickering, HD DVD has been better positioned for awhile now to be the mainstream format. Since it is quite questionable that it has even picked up any ground in the format war, the only conclusion I can reach is that that there is overall not very much concern by anyone about HDM being mass adopted.

Buy whatever you want.

format war is good. Buying tiles from both formats is even better. 100% of the market

@OP. Yes. Without 100% studio support for either side, both formats will remain niche and DVD + HD PPV + HD VOD will be the norm. I think in 3-5 years either universal players will become the norm or the majority of studios (except Sony) will release on a TotalHD type format. This will keep prices high and the general public will continue to stay away.


I disagree. If their were 1 format players would be $700-1k . Competition has LOWERED prices not raised them. I want this format disagreement to go on forever. Mostly, the introduction of this new format is to resell you titles and make file sizes to big to DL from the internet...in a word it is all about DRM and when they find a way to stop you from casually copying media-if they ever do-that will be the winning format regardless of features.sound/audio. :)

It is good short term. Long term no. It will only prolong the war. I have almost gone purple a couple times. Just couldn't do it. I will be staying blu.

It is good short term. Long term no. It will only prolong the war. I have almost gone purple a couple times. Just couldn't do it. I will be staying blu.

You guys with the pro-blu sigs all seem to be on the same page with this. Unfortunately, barring something like snagging Warner soon (which IMO is very wishful thinking), your just going to continue to see the price disparity in hardware continue to make the next round of HDTV buyers gravitate more toward HD DVD standalone unless they wanted a PS3 anyway, and upshot is were gonna have two formats.

I say buy HD DVD now and Blu-ray when they get their ducks in a row at a reasonable price, or simply wait for the inevitable DF compromise, but do buy HDM if you want HDM or nobody wins. You can't manipulate the market by withholding your nickel while others buy anyway.

The short-term is entering the long-term now anyway.

You guys with the pro-blu sigs all seem to be on the same page with this. Unfortunately, barring something like snagging Warner soon (which IMO is very wishful thinking), your just going to continue to see the price disparity in hardware continue to make the next round of HDTV buyers gravitate more toward HD DVD standalone unless they wanted a PS3 anyway, and upshot is were gonna have two formats.

I say buy HD DVD now and Blu-ray when they get their ducks in a row at a reasonable price, or simply wait for the inevitable DF compromise, but do buy HDM if you want HDM or nobody wins. You can't manipulate the market by withholding your nickel while others buy anyway.

The short-term is entering the long-term now anyway.

See I disagree to a point with you there. With BD players dropping below $300 and movies all costing around the same on each format there is not much, if any, price difference between the two now. Yeah you still have your sub $200 HD-DVD players but I am going off the 1080p players only. And now with the ps3 showing that it will be able to upgrade to profile 1.1 I think your going to see even more ps3's sold now. This is just my opinion.

Also, according to the timeframe of Betamax vs. VHS format war, this war is still in the pupil stage. Hopefully there will be something to end this format war real soon.

See I disagree to a point with you there. With BD players dropping below $300 and movies all costing around the same on each format there is not much, if any, price difference between the two now. Yeah you still have your sub $200 HD-DVD players but I am going off the 1080p players only. And now with the ps3 showing that it will be able to upgrade to profile 1.1 I think your going to see even more ps3's sold now. This is just my opinion.

Also, according to the timeframe of Betamax vs. VHS format war, this war is still in the pupil stage. Hopefully there will be something to end this format war real soon.

If your refering to a gen-1.0 SONY for $300 on sale this week as "BD players dropping below $300," I gotta question your logic. Who's going to want a 1.0 player by this time next year, and how well will 1.1, and 2.0 disks work on it?

Also if were going to consider sale prices as actual prices does that mean HD DVD now only costs $100?

I think your getting a little ahead of yourself.

Is buying a DF player "bad" for HDM?

'Is buying both formats bad for HDM??'


....Not if you want to see The Simpson's movie tomorrow night and Bourne Ultimatum the next.....

So ,it is good for HDM as they are getting your dollars regardless of the format.

As a side note....the only BD player to have is a PS3......

As a side note....the only BD player to have is a PS3......

Not if you like the IR remote, quietness of a standalone and a preference for BD 1.0.

I don't have a personal financial interest in the companies behind the so called war so I don't see anything negative about there being two sides. Just keep the movies and players that work coming. Things will eventually work themselves out, while in the meantime I continue to enjoy what ever I want to see that is available.

I buy both formants, and I never really understood why so many think 2 formats = death of HDM.

Multiple formats co-exist just fine in the video game and home computer markets. In addition, BD and HD DVD are so similiar, that we have dual format players only 1.5 years into the war.

The only thing bad about dual formats is customer uncertainty. Nobody wants to build a big library if the format may die prematurely and players will be difficult to find in the near future.

If Universal and Paramount were to definitively and unilaterally say... "We will never publish in Blu-ray ever, no matter the circumstance." And likewise Sony, Fox & Disney said the same regarding HD DVD, then the entire issue becomes completey moot.

We would all happily purchase two players or new dual-format players (which would certainly quickly come down in price).

I completely agree! The studios have caused this "war" so it's their responsibility to end it. A five year exclusivity agreement with the side they're now on would do it. If Warner feels it can make more money going up the middle, then so be it. Take the uncertainity out and its over. Just think - no more threads on the forums about Universal or Disney going neutral. If you want HD movies you get a dual format player or one from each format - period. If you're not that interested then fine, move on.

Cheers,

Grant

Nope but worrying about what other people think of your CE purchases is.

+1

I am not buying both formats until both formats are on equal footing and neither seems to be going away anytime soon. That means avoiding Blu Ray like a plague until they settle all their Revision 1.1 or Profile 2.0 or whatever other names they apply to all the catching up they are trying to achieve to attain a level of technological parity with HD DVD.
SO my answer at this point is YES it is wrong to support both (especially if you want a 1 format HD Disk world.
D

NOPE - buying both formats will not hurt HDM.

That said, I only buy HD DVDs...

And yes, I think it's obvious to most people that competition has helped the consumers in this "battle", with better prices and better quality content.

I think that dual support is the only way to go.

I love my Tosh A1 and PS3. They are the best bang for the buck that I could have purshased for my HT. Why do I care what the HDDVD forum or the BDA think. They created this stupid war and right now I am benefiting from it. Did any of you one format people ever consider that there are too many players out in the wild now for there to be only one format? If people lose confidence in HDDVD for example, couldn't there also be lost confidence in BR also? I think that both formats are joined at the hip.

If Warner Bros. goes HD DVD exclusive I will break down and start looking for an HD DVD player and go format neutral.

However, if they go Blu-ray exclusive, I will continue my Blu-ray only stance.

Warner, I've got my eye on you.

If Warner Bros. goes HD DVD exclusive I will break down and start looking for an HD DVD player and go format neutral.

However, if they go Blu-ray exclusive, I will continue my Blu-ray only stance.

Warner, I've got my eye on you.

Well at least you just gave them permission to go HD DVD ;)

If BD put out some serious players for $300 and under, I'm there. I want Halloween and Dawn Of The Dead, and about five others right out of the gate.

Not if you like the IR remote, quietness of a standalone and a preference for BD 1.0.

yea theres that but I meant to say for future compatibility.:)