Hey Gang,

I am format neutral. Is there a reason to pick one over the other?

Thanks!

I don't know of any reason. The encodes and the extras are identical.

Can your Blu-ray system decode DD True-HD?

I picked up the HD version, isnt there an issue with the workprint disc on blu?

Since I have the S300, I went HDDVD for True-HD on my A2. Other than that type of decision, I believe either format is fine.

They're identical right down to the foreign language subtitles (which BD usually excels at for even smaller releases). I went HD-DVD but the only reason you'd have to prefer one over the other is the color of the box. :)

Glad someone asked this :) I'm about to head over to Best Buy to pick this up and had the exact same question.

Still don't know which one I'll get though, probably comes down to which version(s) they have in stock - if any!

Depends 1st on your setup, 2nd on your format preference, third on which color you like better.

I think the red case looks better with the cover art. :)

Can you get TrueHD from both blu-ray and hd dvd, in you setup? If so, then you'll have to base your decision on format or color, because disc wise, they're the same. Except the blu-ray version has problems with some of the discs being incorrect. Not in all cases though, just some.

I'm going with HD DVD, personal preference really, although I agree the red box does look much better :)

Still don't know which one I'll get though, probably comes down to which version(s) they have in stock - if any!

That's the beauty of being format neutral. When you're purple and the title you want is available in one format but not in the other you can buy it without worry. :)

Being that this is the Blu-Ray forum id say Blu-Ray.

I'd say it totally depends on your player for each. Doesn't much matter if you have the top o' the line in both formats. I'm PURPLE, but since I prefer Blu-Ray over HD-DVD, I've got the Panny BD30... whereas I only have the Toshiba A2. Therefore, if there's a choice, I always choose the Blu-Ray release. I've been noticing a pretty huge difference between the two on my system, though I'll readily admit that I'm not comparing the best to the best.

(Also prefer Blu-Rays 'cuz they don't scratch so easily. I love that they're built "tough". :))

I went with the HD-DVD version but aren't both versions supposed to be identical except for HD's TrueHD track?

I went with the HD DVD - just picked up the 5-disc HD DVD version.

Remember, the Blu-ray has scratch protection...I feel better having that.

Yeah. Alot of good the scratch protection did on my Die Hard BD. I bought the HD-DVD as well, because of the color.

Either, but I did hd-dvd because some of the blu-ray had wrong discs in them also... hd-dvd movie is sure to play on my BH100 LG. Recent blu-ray titles needed a firmware that came out a month later.

Are the menu's different? I've got a PS3 and 360 HD player and I don't own a lot of movies yet but it seems with the HD-DVD discs the menu's are accessable while the movie is still playing while the Blu-Ray discs seem to work more like standard DVD menu's.

This is just based on the 5 or so movies I own on each format so far (though I've pretty much quit buying DVDs when one of the other formats are available). Either way I go both blow away my upscaling DVD player and I don't even have a uber setup just a 1080i set and a Onkyo box kit.

As for Blade Runner I picked up the HD-DVD version and my Work Print disc was loose and had a few minor dings but a wipe cleared that up and it seems to play ok (watched the intro, ending, and special features on it so far plus a few scenes to see some of the differences).

Hey Gang,

I am format neutral. Is there a reason to pick one over the other?

Thanks!

The Blu-ray version will give you the added comfort of scratch resistance in-case they come loose in the box during shipment. Furthermore if you have a Ps3 or a newer generation BD player, then it is more stable and faster than any current Toshiba. I always buy Blu-ray in these cases when the material is identical for the above reasons, and because I want Blu-ray to come out victorious so we could all just have one format.. And Warner can use up all 50GB of a BD disc and not cap each disc to 30GB so it fits on both...(Blu-ray has a higher peak bitrate and more disk space which equals to higher picture quality, however in this case both are capped at HD-DVD's lower bandwith/bitrate capacity so for this release it boils down to player preference and the hard coating) The other factor is pricing..However in this case, both are the same in most places..

I went with the HD-DVD version but aren't both versions supposed to be identical except for HD's TrueHD track?

Tes, both have the same TrueHD track... Disc 2 is an SD-DVD so if that comes loose in either case, it can get scratched along with all the other discs in the HD-DVD version. My Blu-ray version came with disc 1 and 5 loose in the case, (it fell on the floor flaton its face as I opened the case) however no scratches since it was Blu-ray. :) And the first "Final Cut" disc played perfect... I wish the "box set" cases would hold the discs better. All my "Planet Earth" discs get loose from simply picking it up and moving it around. Lucky that set is Blu-ray as well...

Another reason is right on the coating, if you do end up with a blu-ray disc that is scratched and unplayable... you HAVE to buy a new blu-ray disc(they can get scratched, but harder).

Hd-dvds' can be disc repaired/doctored like regular dvds' so you should never have to re-buy the movie again.

Another reason is right on the coating, if you do end up with a blu-ray disc that is scratched and unplayable... you HAVE to buy a new blu-ray disc(they can get scratched, but harder).

Hd-dvds' can be disc repaired/doctored like regular dvds' so you should never have to re-buy the movie again.

You forgot to mention the boiling method for HD-DVD's that do not work out of the box ;) (I haven't tried it and I don't reccomend boiling without adult supervision) I have yet to see a single Blu-ray disc come to me scratched and or causing any errors. I have however had more than a fair share of HD-DVD's cause all sorts of issues related to scratches (from rentals) and combo-discs (many issues with those including 300 and Evan Almighty). I have also had a few box sets come with scratched loose discs that freeze halfway thru during playback. I know that my HD-A2 and HD-XA2 both have very sensitive lasers which could contribute to the playback issues, however it usually has to to with the discs themselves.

I'm format neutral (PS3, A2) and, as usual when there is an essentially equal release in both formats, I went with Blu-Ray. This is based almost entirely on ergonomics. I vastly prefer the feel and layout of the PS3 remote; the Toshiba A2 remote is awful, with too many small controls set too close together and a cheap feel to boot. Plus, the fast scan functions on the A2 are very choppy (making it hard to find a specific point) while the PS3 is smooth (I don't know if ths is inherent to the HD DVD format or just Toshiba). Finally, I often rewind and bring up the subtitles for a missed line, and the Toshiba subtitle control is beyond awful since it requires the use of two separate buttons to turn subtitles on or off and places a huge graphic in the center of the screen while doing it (again, no idea how much of this is HD DVD or Toshiba). The PS3 simply cycles through subtitles with one button, like every other DVD player I've owned. The only minus for the PS3 is lack of a readout on the unit, which I prefer (though the A2's readout is not particularly well done), but the PS3 OSD works pretty well when needed.

I went into the store, grabbed both versions, closed my eyes and shuffled them in my hands. Winner: BD. People must have thought I was crazy. I agree with most of the guys here about the performance of the PS3 over the HD-A2. Although I have never seen any differences in video or audio quality, the PS3 is just a smoother machine.

Well...simple...pick the format that you think going to last another 10 years. Blu-Ray is the answer with legitimate stats.

Ya know a month or so ago I would of said by the BR version.
But to be honest I'm buying all my Warner titles on HD DVD untill they have proven to be back on track with their BR quality control. The Terminator 3, Potter box set and Bladerunner workprint fiasco all in one month - have made me weary of Warner BR discs.

If you buy the BR version make sure you check the workprint disc first, in case you have to take it back and exchange it.

Ya know a month or so ago I would of said by the BR version.
But to be honest I'm buying all my Warner titles on HD DVD untill they have proven to be back on track with their BR quality control. The Terminator 3, Potter box set and Bladerunner workprint fiasco all in one month - have made me weary of Warner BR discs.

If you buy the BR version make sure you check the workprint disc first, in case you have to take it back and exchange it.

Wait, I need another 5 different ways to watch the movie, the whole work print issue is overblown once again, exchange it if you have the problem. Gee I wonder if Warner has a crazy HD-DVD Fanboy planted that is causing all of these issues... LOL, that is about as crazy as saying that HD-DVD is winning in software sales, when actually they are having there asses handed to them in sales on a weekly basis! As far as quality control goes, I have had far better luck with Blu-Ray discs than HD-DVDs.... and I own more Blu-Rays right now..

If you have a PS3, then get it on Blu-ray. It will load faster.

Wait, I need another 5 different ways to watch the movie, the whole work print issue is overblown once again, exchange it if you have the problem. Gee I wonder if Warner has a crazy HD-DVD Fanboy planted that is causing all of these issues... LOL, that is about as crazy as saying that HD-DVD is winning in software sales, when actually they are having there asses handed to them in sales on a weekly basis! As far as quality control goes, I have had far better luck with Blu-Ray discs than HD-DVDs.... and I own more Blu-Rays right now..

I don't understand what you mean by "Wait, I need another 5 different ways to watch the movie, ". Are you joking about not needing 5 versions of the film? Of course the workprint issue is/was overblown - as all issues for both formats seem to be. But it was still an issue. I order all of my HDM online, so if there's a chance I might have to exchange it, I will avoid this as best I can. Exchanging things bought online is a pain in the arse and time consuming. It is curious why they haven't been having as many issues with their HD DVD titles. I'm sure it's quite possible their next 10 releases could have some flub on the red side. I've been lucky thus far not to have any technical issues with any HDM title. I wish I could say the same for hardware.

I'll always buy the BR when all things are equal, but I'm a nervous (read lazy) ninny, so if more than a few people here have issues with a titles (like the ones with warner) I try to avoid the gamble. I hope the BDA is giving Warner a piece of their mind about these issues. But they might not be given the current climate and desire to make Warner as happy as possible.

If you have a PS3, then get it on Blu-ray. It will load faster.

That's the single biggest thing I miss after selling my last PS3 and picking up the 1400.:(

Especially since i just bought my brother a ps3 for xmas and he keeps telling me how awesome and fast it is. He bought BladeRunner on BR of course.

From bookmarking perspective = HD DVD
From reliability perspective = Blu-ray