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Which HD DVD Player will you buy???

2317 Views 27 Replies 24 Participants Last post by cannonks, Sep 23, 2005

gimp

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2005

Which HD DVD Player will you buy???

1st generation HD DVD player, not BD

1st generation BD player, not HD DVD

Both 1st generation HD DVD & BD players

1st generation universal HD players

2nd generation HD DVD player, not BD

2nd generation BD player, not HD DVD

Both 2nd generation HD DVD & BD players

2nd generation universal HD players

Undecided/wait and see

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1 - 20 of 28 Posts

nightowl

· #2 · Feb 25, 2005

I beleive the first generation units of both will require disks in cassettes, like the original CDs did. One format will win out over the other, likely in pretty short order. Either that, or a third machine will come along that plays both (think SACD and DVD-A).

Until it all shakes out, my current DVD player, DVHS, etc will be working just fine.

blackngold19

· #3 · Feb 25, 2005

That's too vague of a question/answers....I'd say alot depends on how much they are and what HD movies are available at the time for either BR or HD-DVD.

REWJR

· #4 · Feb 26, 2005

It is really simple HD-DVD will have 80 plus movies and the player out first so if you are an early adopter then it will be the easy choice ...

P.S

If you have VC-1 DVD's like I have it will also play them

gaderson

· #5 · Feb 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by REWJR
It is really simple HD-DVD will have 80 plus movies and the player out first so if you are an early adopter then it will be the easy choice ...

P.S

If you have VC-1 DVD's like I have it will also play them

But, if you don't have an HDCP-compatible input on your display it's a definite wait and see.

Foxbat121

· #6 · Feb 26, 2005

There will only be one format survives. I will only buy whatever survives.

Foxbat121

· #7 · Feb 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by REWJR
It is really simple HD-DVD will have 80 plus movies and the player out first so if you are an early adopter then it will be the easy choice ...

P.S

If you have VC-1 DVD's like I have it will also play them

But that may well be the only 80 movies you will ever see on HD-DVD. It's too early to tell who will win the format war.

ChrisW6ATV

· #8 · Feb 26, 2005

I will actually buy a computer BD-RW drive (or whatever it will be called) probably before a set-top player... such a drive has a clear and definite current and long-term value, but the highly uncertain set-top player/Hollywood movie situation is not worth worrying about yet, at least in my opinion. I voted for 'wait and see'. Right now, that choice (12 votes) beats all others combined by a two-to-one factor, I notice.

REWJR

· #9 · Feb 26, 2005

Quote:

But that may well be the only 80 movies you will ever see on HD-DVD. It's too early to tell who will win the format war.

I for one do not care who wins as I am only interested in being an early adopter showing my first native 720P movie offering to my Hitachi TX-100 .Then comparing this to my 1080i from sat or cable .

As for the format war it's just amusement and will deal with BDrom if and when it gets here . Who knows mabey HVD will win the day .

http://www.optware.co.jp/english/index_tech.htm

vstone

· #10 · Feb 26, 2005

I'll probably go with HD VOD.

hmurchison

· #11 · Feb 26, 2005

I'll probably go with what unit is the cheapest upon the second generation and then pick up the next format when I can. I'll keep each unit as long as I can hoping that a universal HD player is developed so that I can go back to one device. I don't think you'll see a winner in under 5 years. There is no winner of DVD-Audio and SACD as Universal players have obviated the need to "choose".

That is the nice thing about Digital that escapes many people. The optical discs are just carriers for the data. Thus once the data is off the disc and running through the processor/converters it's all the same down to the codec.

If fact you "should" be able to pump your own HD contect in MPEG2, VC-1 and AVC and have this very same player decode your video and playback to the screen. A HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player is nothing but a computer bolted onto optical playback

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nyg

· #12 · Feb 27, 2005

Unless something bad happens with HD-DVD between now and October I'll likely be buying "Both 1st generation HD DVD & BD players." I strongly prefer Blu-ray but my wife and children won't be happy with me if I ignore the HD-DVD Harry Potter discs that are coming out.

sbrown23

· #13 · Jul 23, 2005

I will buy into whichever format screws the consumer least with "copy protection"/DRM.

If I want to back up my discs, I oughta have the right. Having Toy Story, and some others, backed up has already saved me more than once with children running around. Not to mention fair use, which the corps like to turn a blind eye to.

The move to prevent HD over component on HD DVD already bodes negatively for that format. Is that the first of many more consumer Rights being Managed by the industry? If they continue to pile it on then Toshiba might just get the finger, especially if Sony eases back with Blu Ray. I will wait and see, though, and compare both when they are ready for production.

hmurchison

· #14 · Jul 23, 2005

Whoever has the most quality Porn takes the lead.

No man.....I'm serious

rlsmith

· #15 · Jul 25, 2005

I really can't see getting out in front on this one. (I am usually a very early adopter.)

The manufacturers have done everything they can to disinterest the consumer (with some help from the studios).

I will wait until there is a format winner, the technology improves a bit and the prices fall.

Bob

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Darrin

· #16 · Jul 25, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxbat121
But that may well be the only 80 movies you will ever see on HD-DVD. It's too early to tell who will win the format war.

That's an interesting point. I look at it this way. IF you DID purchase HD-DVD and that was ALL you ever had, you would have 80 as close to perfect as you can get movies. Yes, it will be an inconveinence having to keep another machine in the chain but still.

That is the way I justify my D-Theater purchases.

sneals2000

· #17 · Jul 25, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightowl
I beleive the first generation units of both will require disks in cassettes, like the original CDs did. One format will win out over the other, likely in pretty short order. Either that, or a third machine will come along that plays both (think SACD and DVD-A).

Until it all shakes out, my current DVD player, DVHS, etc will be working just fine.

Don't think that is the case. The BluRay recorders currently on sale in Japan for use with their MPEG2 HD systems use caddy based discs, but the system that will be launched for pre-recorded material world wide is going to be caddy-less AIUI.

The prototype HD-DVD players I've seen photos of all have caddy-less discs - looking just like regular DVDs and CDs.

AIUI the development of a specially robust, scratch-resistant coating has allowed this.

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rlsmith

· #18 · Jul 25, 2005

This poll has provided very useful information.

About 60% say they will wait and see. Only about 20% are looking at buying a first generation machine.

This is an EARLY ADOPTER web site, where people are very enthusiastic and knowledgable. If there is this kind of resistance/indifference here, what can we be looking at in the broader population?

The manufacturers and studios need to reconsider or else we are in for, at best, a prolonged period of uncertainty and at worst two big marketing flops.

Adam Tyner

· #19 · Jul 25, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by n2blu
Unless something bad happens with HD-DVD between now and October I'll likely be buying "Both 1st generation HD DVD & BD players."

I'm in the same boat. I know the quality of the tech will quickly improve afterwards and prices will plummet, but I can't not have this right out of the gate.

Thomas Desmond

· #20 · Jul 26, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlsmith
This poll has provided very useful information.

About 60% say they will wait and see. Only about 20% are looking at buying a first generation machine.

This is an EARLY ADOPTER web site, where people are very enthusiastic and knowledgable. If there is this kind of resistance/indifference here, what can we be looking at in the broader population?

The manufacturers and studios need to reconsider or else we are in for, at best, a prolonged period of uncertainty and at worst two big marketing flops.

I think that you've nailed it: between the uncertainty of a format war and the nervousness regarding draconian DRM, I think that both camps (Blu Ray and HD-DVD) are getting ready to bomb big time.

While comparisons have been made to Beta versus VHS, this is really something completely different. After all, neither Beta nor VHS were initially marketed as formats that were dependent on prerecorded media, whereas Blu Ray and HD-DVD are being promoted for prerecorded media playback primarily, and only secondarily for home recording. In addition, Beta and VHS recorders were designed to work with any existing television, whereas it appears that Blu Ray and HD-DVD will not work with a sizeable percentage of existing HD displays.

I was in the 60% who indicated the intent to wait it out. But really, when I look at the output restrictions being proposed I suspect I will be passing on both Blu Ray and HD-DVD for many, many years to come. More than likely, the first HD-capable disc player in my home will be something like the Link Player that will work with discs burned on my own computer.

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1 - 20 of 28 Posts

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