Poll: If you had one choice, which format would you pick?

The reason why is pretty simple: I received the HD DVD add-on for my 360 at Christmas (thanks Mom!). Since then I've purchased about ten HD DVDs. So my answer is based on my (admittedly small) investment. Netflix has a pretty nice selection of HD DVD movies and I'm able to keep my queue filled up with them, only purchasing those that bear repeat viewing (if you're an Eagles fan I'd recommend the Melbourne Farewell Tour disc).

However if I were on the sidelines I believe that I would still opt for HD DVD. The primary reasons for me have to do with cost of entry for both consumer and studios/distributors.

HD DVD hybrids have become more common and if the price can get down to DVD pricing then consumers would have a "ready-made" library once they purchased a HD DVD player. If you're unfamiliar with the hybrid disc it's a regular DVD on one side and HD DVD on the other. This same option isn't available for Blu-ray due to the physical difference between the technologies (for one, the .6mm layer of protection is the same for both DVD and HD DVD while Blu-ray has .1mm).

This same difference in technology between the formats presents a lower entry cost for manufacturers. The same plant that is used for pressing DVDs can be used for HD DVDs with "relatively minor modifications" - (I have no idea what this entails but have read it enough times that I believe this to be true).

Of course my opinion is no more valid than anybody else that has done some research. In the long run if Blu-ray "wins" I'll still have my collection of HD-DVDs and will just purchase a Blu-ray player for $50 or whatever they're going for at the time.

First of all, both formats offer superior image quality better than any home consumer player before them. I can't visually see the quality difference between the two disk formats like I could with VHS and Beta.

Right now, without investing in any new equipment, I can shoot HD video on my 900 dollar camcorder, edit it on my existing 100 dollar Pinnacle software, and make an HD-DVD playable disk using my regular 100 dollar DVD-R drive with standard 50 cent blank DVD-R's. Granted, using regular DVD-R's, my projects are limited to 24 minutes of HD- DVD material per disk, but at least I can do it now with no additional expense. And those disks play in high definition on any HD-DVD player. I can't do the same with the Blue Ray format.

So for now, HD-DVD gets my vote because I can make HD disks with equipment I already own. It won't be long before HD comes down in price to about where regular DVD is now. I can wait.

And that nose is that last I heard, there was no region coding on HD DVD. Bravo! Regardless of the industry spin, we all know that region coding has nothing to do with service to the consumer but everything to do with squeezing the maximum possible dollars out of us. I'm really tired of that crap.

Another plus for HD DVD: Sony is on the Blu-ray bandwagon. I'm also sick and tired of Sony's crazy copy protection schemes, most of which end up also screwing the consumer for the sake of profit protection. I've almost decided never to buy another Sony disk because of that nonsense, and I'd hate to see all HD movies come out on a medium with their dirty hands in the mix.

The increased data capacity is probably not going to be much of a factor. Current DVD disks are rarely used to capacity. They stuff as much junk as can on a DVD and encode the movie at higher bitrates than necessary simply to overflow the 4.7GB single-layer capacity to make copying more difficult. Besides, If you look at the actual play time of the HD formats, that extra Blu-ray capacity seems to evaporate.

But both formats still suffer from a problem that as plagued disks since CDs first appeared, and maybe since videodisks, but I never had one of those: the media attract scratches. I feel cheated everytime I spend $15 to $25 bucks for a disk (even more for games!) only to have a single handling by a child destroy that investment, and then to have the situated exacerbated by new copy protection methods that make it impossible or at least excrutiatingly difficult to make a backup, which, as I believe, is still our right under US law. This, of course, means that we often don't have to buy a title once, but two, three, maybe four times. Oh, can you see the profit rolling in? (My personal record, though, is 3). Come now! Silicon dioxide passivation technology has been around for decades, and polyimide coatings for a few years less. It's cheap enough to put hard coatings on eyeglass lenses, but doing so on discs would cut into profits. I'm almost tempted to vote "NEITHER" until they get that fixed, but I can't see it happening in my lifetime. </vent>

It's great!

Back in 1980, we paid over $600 for our first VHS VCR. We thought we'd have it "forever". Boy, were we wrong! LOL.When I think of all the VCRs & DVD players we have owned and tossed since then...
The VHS tape rewinder is still collecting dust in the basement.

As long as Net Flix has Blu-ray DVD's for the next 2 or 3 years, I'll be happy. Then we'll get the next player...whatever that might be.
Who knows. By then, discs could be obsolete.

Before buying one or the other format player, I was watching the Planet Earth series on a *very* expensive, high-end 1080p plasma display, fed by the HD-DVD version of the title at a local Best Buy Magnolia store. Nearby the Blu-ray version was playing on another television. There was no comparison in quality--the Blu-ray version was perfect; the HD-DVD version had very noticeable flaws.

So, I decided for Blu-ray and I've not regretted the choice. A carefully transferred movie, done on a BD50 disc and displayed on a great 1080p TV can be, for this viewer, without visible flaws. My "perfect" list so far includes "Bullitt," "The Untouchables" and the remastered "Fifth Element."

They have Sony & Disney nuff said

Why does Sony always have to play in the opposing field? Why can't they cooperate with others to create UNIVERSAL STANDARDS? Instead, Sony always pushes its own proprietary formats.

Sony lost me for good when they started pushing their Memory Sticks instead of accepting the Flash Cards and SD cards that everyone else adopted as the standard. Ever since then, I have avoided all Sony products. I simply don't want to get tied down to a format that nobody else supports except Sony.

I'm a fan of Sony but I admit that they care about their name more than their consumers. I mean the memory stick duo looks exactly like the normal SD card, so why Sony won't drop the SD for the sake of everyone? It's not like you can fit more stuff on it and the SD cards are cheaper. We heard a lot about how good the PS3 is and I think it's good but we were expecting more after all that buzz going around, but it got a BD drive built in unlike the 200$ external HD-DVD for the XBOX360 witch will make it cost like the PS3. Any way, I don't have a HD TV so I don't care because I'm happy with my 20.1" Samsung computer LCD monitor on 1680 x 1050 resolution, now that's more than HD for a video game, and I download some HD movie trailers every while to experience the HD!! (that is how it sounds in commercials)

I have had both format. I still find Blu-ray as much better ooption compared to HD-DVD. Technically, Bly-rays are ahead. when you watch the same movie in both formats, its easier to pick BluRay.
Blu-ray is anyday better.

over all, I feel, the cost of all format players are comming down. just have noth of them together. why is this fight now. I am sure any person who can afford to have one of them could also be able to buy other player too. dont tell me that he is put life and soul to just purchace only one. . have both. if you feel you good movies on Bluray, watch them on bluray or if you feel you have good ones on HD go for it..no big deal.
enjoy both.
why do you want to unnecassary create fuzz between the two.

the bottom line..if you ask me.bluray is ahead.

I'll definitely go with Blu-Ray. Its holds more data than HD-DVD and more space is defnitely a good extra.

High Def over blu-ray! Could this negatively affect the Playstation 3 in any way?

I guess it may be a little pricey for some...I had a XBOX 360 before either were released. I purchased the HD DVD player for 100 dollars on Ebay. I also bought a PS3 on Ebay new for 400 dollars. I have both connected to a 65 inch Pioneer Elite. I think Blu-Ray looks slightly better. However, I am using a HDMI cable for the PS3 and components for the XBOX. I ran the same Monster fiber optic cable from both into my Denon receiver and think the Blu-Ray sounds better as well. Im too much of a movie buff to choose one or the other. I'll save all the arguing for ya'll!!!

My dog likes watching blu-ray movies on my 52 inch flat screen.
I made the PS3 investment and it does everything:
1) Internet
2) Connects to my HP Media Center
3) Upscales
4) Games
5) is more attractive then Xbox

IT has USB ports so I could always eventually buy a USB HD Dvd Player as an add on to the PS3. And maybe Sony would support it.

For all the Anti-Sony crap on here, isnt Microsoft equally as evil and controlling. Come on people.

Because as usual these days Australia Invents the best eg. We invented the Black box flight recorder.

I Am Australian

Have Fun ) Scott

The Europeans are already buying HD-DVD stuff at 3 times the rate they're buying Blu-ray. With videotapes, the U.S. ended up with VHS and Europe ended up with (Sony's) Beta. Let Blu-ray be used for data backups. Let HD-DVD come into play for movies.
If I had to choose right now, I'd choose HD-DVD. Fortunately, I don't - so I'm going to wait until the dust settles. Besides, they're both going to be obsolete in 30 years when quantum data crystals start being made to store terabytes in 1cm square chips.
Regardless of which format wins, there's no point in buying a player-only now for $500 when you'll be able to buy a player-recorder in the winning format for under $100 in 5 or 6 more years.
And when is someone going to make a DVD player that can play DIVX, XVID, and AVI files, (without a PC), or did I miss that one? I can burn 12, almost 13 hours of TV shows on a D5 single layer (4.5GB) DVD in Xvid format (about 350mb per hour), but only as a data disk for playing the files back on the PC.

Because i would have to buy all of my DVD's again in blue ray format?? just crazy!

so on the HDDVD player, i can play new movies, and my old dvds

It is really a toss of the coin which way to go, however, the main reason that I would go HD, as against Blue Ray is that so far the HD format is supported in accessoble video cameras. I have as yet not seen BR in video camera's

I agree with everyone that the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray battle is a silly one and is holding both formats back. The industry seems to do its usual 'Lets shoot ourselves in the foot' tactics. It has been this way since the invention on teh audiotape and cassette.

I currently choose Blu-Ray for a number of reasons:

1. Availability of titles. In my area the availability in shops is 3 Blu-Ray titles versus 1 HD-DVD. You can rent Blu-Ray, but there is very few HD DVD titles to rent

2. Technology. Blu-Ray has more capacity, so is eventually capable of more. The price difference between the players will disappear as time progresses and volumes increase. Personally I am more interested in the cost of titles (you buy tehse regularly) then players (which you buy once). HD DVD TITLES COST EXACTLY THE SAME AS BLU-RAY in the shop.

3. Convenience. I have a PS-3 in my sons bedroom and might put one in my own as well (More as an entertainment Centre than games machine). It is nice to be able to bring your disc upstairs and watch it there.

If HD DVD would win in the end, I probably don't care to much, but I just wish one format would survive soon.