Just from looking at Netflix' listings it would appear both formats have about the same number of titles. Is this the case?

From all the discussion about firmware and yada yada, OMG I do not want another piece of technolgy that is . . . high maintenance!

OK, a summary as of today: what are the main reasons to choose one format over the other?

Sorry, but the unlimited number of posts leaves me wanting a tidy lil summary! I would love to get one or the other to compliment my screen, but I'll be darned if I can tell from these forums which way to go. Any help will be much appreciated.

Noel

I think HD DVD has the edge if you coun't worldwide titles. As for one format over the other, you may want to think about which titles interest you. That or just go neutral to get the best of both.

Both are about equal in the title department, go neutral or surf amazon.com in the all titles for each separately. Add the ones you want to get to a wish list and see which format suits you better from a title standpoint.

I am not sure about Netflix but it's very clear that currently the BD side carries a lot of blockbuster titles than the HD DVD side. On the contrary there are plenty of catalog titles pending release from Paramount/Dreamworks which may bridge the gap and maintain the balance. The primary reasons to choose the formats are

1) How much of a movie fanatic you are ?
2) Are you willing to be an early adopter ?
3) Are you willing to shell out your hard earned money for grabbing the hardware that is not yet finalized ?
4) Studios that are backing the respective formats. In this aspect BDA has a slight edge over HD at the moment but in this materialistic world anything is bound to happen.
5) Best representation of the theatrical presentation of a movie
6) Picture and Sound Nirvana
7) Last but not least be a movie fan and not a format fanboy. Hesitations no bar if you have the money and craving for HD.

Thank you all for your insights. I did poke around on a CNET Sept 07 review of just this question and their writers agree with you on all the various points. I guess I should wait, is the conclusion I've drawn.

One other quickie: how is firware updated? I understand the concept as I have done it with routers and cameras, etc, but with a player, how is this done, thru a USB port?

Thank you all for your insights. I did poke around on a CNET Sept 07 review of just this question and their writers agree with you on all the various points. I guess I should wait, is the conclusion I've drawn.

One other quickie: how is firware updated? I understand the concept as I have done it with routers and cameras, etc, but with a player, how is this done, thru a USB port?

Firmware is updated either through Ethernet ports (IF the player includes these) or firmware discs that get mailed to you after you register your player.

Firmware is updated either through Ethernet ports (IF the player includes these) or firmware discs that get mailed to you after you register your player.

Or you can burn your own cd if firmware is offered on manufacturer's web site.

what are the main reasons to choose one format over the other?


Titles are within a few of each other so for all practical purposes, they are equal in number.

Advantages for Blu-ray are greater capacity and bandwidth. However, to date, this has not resulted in consistently better picture and audio quality. Both formats have equally stellar and mediocre releases.

Another advantage for Blu-ray is more manufacturers. But other than the Sony PS3, none of the others are selling substantial numbers, mostly due to high prices. The PS3 has 90% of the Blu-ray installations.

Disadvantages for Blu-ray are having until recently incompleted specs for next generation interactivity and web connectivity. The only current player that will probably support these is the PS3 through firmware upgrade.

Advantages for HD DVD is that the format has a complete spec so all players can play all features, including extras using next generation interactivity and web interconnectivity. However, it is debateable how much of this is actually of value to a movie-watcher. It is best to know how much you value such things.

Another advantage is the availability of relatively (under $200) affordable players.

Disadvantages for HD DVD is that it sells roughly 1/2 the amount of discs as Blu-ray, so it is considered the riskier format in terms of long term survival.

All of this is as of this moment. Many of these things could change over the course of the next year so any decision in terms of selecting the "best" format is strictly a guess.

Generally, the most unbiased recommendations have been to select the format that currently provides the movies you most want with the equipment you can best afford.

The future is an unknown.

Just from looking at Netflix' listings it would appear both formats have about the same number of titles. Is this the case?

From all the discussion about firmware and yada yada, OMG I do not want another piece of technolgy that is . . . high maintenance!

OK, a summary as of today: what are the main reasons to choose one format over the other?

Sorry, but the unlimited number of posts leaves me wanting a tidy lil summary! I would love to get one or the other to compliment my screen, but I'll be darned if I can tell from these forums which way to go. Any help will be much appreciated.

Noel

Unless you absolutely don't care about throwing away money, I would wait until a winner in the format war emerges.

Let's say you choose HD DVD, you fork over $499 for decent 1080p standalone, then spend $40 per movies. It's now March 2008 and you've built yourself a nice library of those shiny new $40 HD DVD movies. You check AVS and you read that Warner has gone Blu-Ray. Oops. You're stuck with a very expensive Betamax collection.

At least wait a few months... until Q2 of 2008. My guess if we should have a pretty good idea around April '08 of who will win the war.

Sounds like some very practical and current analyses. I think I will wait and see!

One other point: it appears true that the less expensive HD-DVD (and BR?) players do not output 1080p. Is this the case? So these sub $200 players will not display the output that my Sony display can? It is a 1080p HDTV.

Thanks!

Noel

Sounds like some very practical and current analyses. I think I will wait and see!

One other point: it appears true that the less expensive HD-DVD (and BR?) players do not output 1080p. Is this the case? So these sub $200 players will not display the output that my Sony display can? It is a 1080p HDTV.

Thanks!

Noel
Unless your HDTV inputs 24Hz or 48Hz you will see little or no advantage for having a 1080p player.

Unless your HDTV inputs 24Hz or 48Hz you will see little or no advantage for having a 1080p player.

I know my Sony has 2 HDMI ports. What does 24Hz vs 48Hz mean? The TV is a KDS-55A2000, and says it is a 1080p HDTV.

I know my Sony has 2 HDMI ports. What does 24Hz vs 48Hz mean? The TV is a KDS-55A2000, and says it is a 1080p HDTV.

Don't worry about 24Hz and 48Hz, your set won't do it (the same is true for 99.9% of the sets in peoples homes today).

You're set is very similar to the KDS-50A2000 which can properly de-interlace 1080i to 1080p, the 55" model you have should do the same.

http://www.hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1106hook/

To be brief, you're perfectly fine with a low cost HD DVD player like the HD-A2 or HD-A3 that output 1080i. If you search online with some of the price engines, you should be able to find an HD-A2 for $150.

If you're concerned about the format war, rent HD DVDs from Netflix or BlockBuster Online. For $150 you get a great DVD player that does a very nice job of upscaling standard DVD's and it also let's you see some true high definition content.

**********

You had asked about software updates as well. All HD DVD players have an ethernet port. Just hook it into your home network and it will automatically pick up an IP address. To update firmware you just use your remote to tell your player to look for the latest updates. The rest is automatic from there.

Unless you absolutely don't care about throwing away money, I would wait until a winner in the format war emerges.

Let's say you choose HD DVD, you fork over $499 for decent 1080p standalone, then spend $40 per movies. It's now March 2008 and you've built yourself a nice library of those shiny new $40 HD DVD movies. You check AVS and you read that Warner has gone Blu-Ray. Oops. You're stuck with a very expensive Betamax collection.

At least wait a few months... until Q2 of 2008. My guess if we should have a pretty good idea around April '08 of who will win the war.

$40 for a movie! I haven't paid more than $27 for one. That price is just a little high I think.

Unless you absolutely don't care about throwing away money, I would wait until a winner in the format war emerges.

Let's say you choose HD DVD, you fork over $499 for decent 1080p standalone, then spend $40 per movies. It's now March 2008 and you've built yourself a nice library of those shiny new $40 HD DVD movies. You check AVS and you read that Warner has gone Blu-Ray. Oops. You're stuck with a very expensive Betamax collection.

At least wait a few months... until Q2 of 2008. My guess if we should have a pretty good idea around April '08 of who will win the war.

+1, though I don't think I've paid $40 for a title yet and the 4/08 prediction may be a tad optimistic. But the bottom line is right: unless you have money to burn, wait.

And, for all intents and purposes, the number of titles is the same and there are good and bad releases in both formats for almost any movie taste.

www.hddvdstats.com

www.bluraystats.com

To be brief, you're perfectly fine with a low cost HD DVD player like the HD-A2 or HD-A3 that output 1080i. If you search online with some of the price engines, you should be able to find an HD-A2 for $150.

I do see a Toshiba player that is about $100 more than the HD-A2, and says it outputs in 1080p. From what you are saying, there will be NO difference on my TV based on what my TV (and 99.9% of the others in homes now) can actually do. Is this an accurate interpretation of your comments?

Thank you kindly for your clarifications . . .

Noel

I do see a Toshiba player that is about $100 more than the HD-A2, and says it outputs in 1080p. From what you are saying, there will be NO difference on my TV based on what my TV (and 99.9% of the others in homes now) can actually do. Is this an accurate interpretation of your comments?

Thank you kindly for your clarifications . . .

Noel

Hmm, that is odd.

If most people can't see a difference between 1080i and 1080p then why make a 1080p player at all?

Doesn't make much since to make one if you can't see the difference.
Why would I want to buy the more expensive one when you can't tell the difference?

Unless you absolutely don't care about throwing away money, I would wait until a winner in the format war emerges.

Let's say you choose HD DVD, you fork over $499 for decent 1080p standalone, then spend $40 per movies. It's now March 2008 and you've built yourself a nice library of those shiny new $40 HD DVD movies. You check AVS and you read that Warner has gone Blu-Ray. Oops. You're stuck with a very expensive Betamax collection.

At least wait a few months... until Q2 of 2008. My guess if we should have a pretty good idea around April '08 of who will win the war. Except you can get a 1080p HD A30 for far less than that and a 1080i60 HD A2 or HD A3 may be all you need. And they can come with 7-12 free movies.

Plus they can be a great upconverting DVD player, so all your existing DVDs look better and even if either format goes away, they discs will still play in your player.

Software is getting much cheaper now.

With either format, the free disc deals with hardware purchase is making them better bargins , and with both format selling more hardware and DH DDV selling more than 750,000 combined HD DVD set tops and Xbox360 add ons, and PS3 sales increasing with the 40GB PS3 price drops, its likely both formats have now reached sustainable levels of hardware sales to insure survival and retailer support.


Don't let the pessimism of some posters get to ya. $199 or less with 7-12 free movies makes HD DVD players a better bargin than a a good upconverting DVD player now a day.

Some retailers are reporting that 50% of their new DVD player sales are HD DVD or Blu-ray units. Thats well up from the 1/20 figure from the summer.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6506504.html

Hmm, that is odd.

If most people can't see a difference between 1080i and 1080p then why make a 1080p player at all?

Doesn't make much since to make one if you can't see the difference.
Why would I want to buy the more expensive one when you can't tell the difference?

I guess it could be that most TVs don't accept 1080p signals, and so for those, using a 1080p player won't matter. Perhaps for TVs that accept (???) 1080p signals PQ might be better? Oy!

Hmm, that is odd.

If most people can't see a difference between 1080i and 1080p then why make a 1080p player at all?

Doesn't make much since to make one if you can't see the difference.
Why would I want to buy the more expensive one when you can't tell the difference?

Mostly for marketing, really. The first generation HD DVD players were 1080i only, and they perform wonderfully. Unfortunately, the bd camp tried to use this as a point against HD DVD. So toshiba came out with 1080p machines to look better to the general public.

The only time that it has a real advantage is when the player can output 1080p24, and if the tv can display that it removes judder.

its likely both formats have now reached sustainable levels of hardware sales to insure survival and retailer support.
For anyone who may be influenced be reading this, please note that this statement is far from true. It is little more than the poster's opinion or perhaps I should say the poster's wish.

The reality is that it is still very likely that one format will not be sustained in the long term.

For anyone who may be influenced be reading this, please note that this statement is far from true. It is little more than the poster's opinion or perhaps I should say the poster's wish.

The reality is that it is still very likely that one format will not be sustained in the long term.

True. Since the launch of the 2 formats ask yourself the following:

1. which side has lost a studio (i.e. Paramount, Dreamworks, Dreamworks Animation)

2. which side has picked up support from hardware vendors who were BD exclusive last year (LG, Samsung, Denon)

3. which side is selling more non game console players (game console is a viable Trojan Horse, but not the real deal, look at UMD and PSP to see what happens to a movie format tied to a game console, and also refer to comments by the CEO of Warner on their target market for the viable format being non game console players).

4. Forget about the ratio (since ratios are NEVER used for business decisions), but look at the volume of sales and the gap. We know from Paramount data published by the BDA (no less) that avg. sales difference for the same titles on both formats was around 1,450 disks! For this difference in sales, which studio in their right mind will abandon their DVD/HD DVD infrastructure for BD!

Based on this I forsee another neutral studio going exclusive soon.

DO your own analysis.

True. Since the launch of the 2 formats ask yourself the following:

1. which side has lost a studio (i.e. Paramount, Dreamworks, Dreamworks Animation)

2. which side has picked up support from hardware vendors who were BD exclusive last year (LG, Samsung, Denon)

3. which side is selling more non game console players (game console is a viable Trojan Horse, but not the real deal, look at UMD and PSP to see what happens to a movie format tied to a game console, and also refer to comments by the CEO of Warner on their target market for the viable format being non game console players).

4. Forget about the ratio (since ratios are NEVER used for business decisions), but look at the volume of sales and the gap. We know from Paramount data published by the BDA (no less) that avg. sales difference for the same titles on both formats was around 1,450 disks! For this difference in sales, which studio in their right mind will abandon their DVD/HD DVD infrastructure for BD!

Based on this I forsee another neutral studio going exclusive soon.

DO your own analysis.

Thinly veiled suggestions that Warner will pick a side are a sure sign that if others take the bait, the thread will be locked.

Thinly veiled suggestions that Warner will pick a side are a sure sign that if others take the bait, the thread will be locked.
Why? Because I said do your analysis after I did mine?

lol @ the lobbyists.

I do see a Toshiba player that is about $100 more than the HD-A2, and says it outputs in 1080p. From what you are saying, there will be NO difference on my TV based on what my TV (and 99.9% of the others in homes now) can actually do. Is this an accurate interpretation of your comments?

Thank you kindly for your clarifications . . .

Noel

No, you misunderstood me. I said....

Don't worry about 24Hz and 48Hz, your set won't do it (the same is true for 99.9% of the sets in peoples homes today).

Your TV does not support a 24Hz or 48Hz input. This is a separate question from 1080i vs 1080p.

Your TV will accept 1080i and de-interlace to 1080p. Whether you bought an HD-A2 or HD-A3 with 1080i output that your TV de-interlaces to 1080p or a player that outputs 1080p, you should not see a difference on your TV.

The only difference is how you manipulate the original 1080p24 source to get 1080p60 on your screen. I would expect your Sony KDS-50A2000 to do a good job on the de-interlacing of the 1080i signal. Personally I run 1080i into my TV, despite the fact that both my TV and HD DVD player support 1080p. That's a whole different story though. :D

Why? Because I said do your analysis after I did mine?

The Warner "analysis" -- which is really just baseless speculation -- has no place in this thread. I will simply sit back and watch the development of the thread. I hope it can stay on track without being locked.

OK. Where did I say Warner? So, guilty by inference? All I know is that Warner has said they will be neutral, that they prefer a format driven by non game console and are looking at how well HD DVD hardware sells. This is all public info. AFAIK.

I too am keen to see what Warner does in the next few months. There is more than Warner when it comes to neutral studios. Even Studio Canal isn't technically HD DVD exclusive.

Also,please remember that the statement that only one format will be viable is an 'official' BDA position. The HD DVD group believes that like all media formats in the world today we will end up with 2 formats, if both achieve viability. There is no law that says HDM is unique in that one format must surviv Look around you abd you will see viable multiple formats everywhere. Irrespective of what Neilsen ratios may say :)