HD DVD & Blu-ray have the exact same picture & sound quality. They both use the same compression & sound codecs, they both use 1080p on the disc that is converted down (if you don't have 1080p your TV & player).
The difference is HD DVD has 2 video processors & network connectivity standard, Blu-ray does not. Blu-ray can hold 50 GB while HD DVD can hold 30 GB. This storage size difference is not that important because an entire HD movie can fit on 15 GB (Lia...
Where do you get these sales numbers? I’d be interested to track them going forward considering Toshiba has doubled their install base in the last 2 months.
Another thing to consider is the PS3 coupons for a free Blu-ray movie are included in the NPD numbers (the stores still report them as sales) so you can take away about a million Blu-ray movie sales.
But in all honesty, there have been some great Blu-ray releases in the first half of this year and few quality...
So what you're saying is you'd rather spend $300 more on a High-def movie player, only to save $5 to get the stripped down version of the movie? There is a flaw in your logic!
Get an HD DVD player, save $300, buy the better version of the movie on HD DVD. Stick the $300 you saved in your savings account and when Blu-ray players drop, wha-la, you have both. But once you have an HD DVD player, you probably won't want Blu-ray!
HD DVD doesn't need to be saved, they've captured 70% of the standalone high-def player market and the Xbox drive is Microsoft’s #1 selling accessory.
Don't know how long it will last, but Amazon.com currently has the Toshiba HD DVD player for $269 brand new (with 5 free movies).
They offered them for $250 a couple weeks back and immediately it rocketed to #1 in the electronics category (even beating the iPod) and they had to raise the price back to $299 they were getting so many orders.
Ever since Toshiba started the $299 promotion, they have captured 70% of the stand-alone High Def player market. But now that $299 is the permanent MSRP (no longer a rebate promotion) I think they will capture even more. I noticed that Best Buy never did offer the $299 price point in stores by me, it was always $399. But now they will because it’s the MSRP. Meanwhile, Amazon.com has been offering the $299 player all along, I wonder if they will go even lower now that it’s the official MSRP? ...
I think extra content adds great value to my movie collection. I must have watched the Lord of the Rings documentaries 10 times already.
As a fan of film, any extra content they can feed me is appreciated!
If you have both HD DVD and Blu-ray and you choose Blu-ray, then I respect your opinion. But, if you only have one and you make a general statement like Blu-ray or HD DVD sucks, then you are only a fanboy.
Both formats are great, both have great picture and sound and they both are awesome. I have both and I prefer HD DVD. If you have both and you prefer Blu-ray, then please join the debate!
Just posting something like "this format sucks" does nothing to...
Planet Earth & Black Snake Moan sold better on HD DVD than Blu-ray (at least on Amazon.com).
I have Blu-ray and HD DVD and I will be buying the HD DVD version of ‘300’ of course.
This is a great excuse to pickup an HD DVD player! They are only $300, you get 5 free movies and you then have access to over 100 Universal Studios High Def movies! And don’t worry, you’re PS3 won’t get jealous, I have them both sitting right next to each other and they get along fine!
Oh, and don’t forget:
The Matrix Trilogy
Heroes (Season 1)
Erin Brockovich (OK, just kidding)
I love the extra content, especially for an epic movie like this. Think about it, for $40 (probably $30 on Amazon.com) you get the entire High-Def movie, loads of extra video content, an interactive game, online downloads and more! And to top it off, it’s a combo disc that you can watch in normal DVD players, lend to a friend, etc… This is a great value, I’m pre-ordering right after this post!
What about this news? Seems they may go HD DVD only.
Warner's '300' to sport bonus features on HD DVD, not Blu-ray
Warner Home Video has no problem doling out an HD DVD version of 300 that outshines the Blu-ray rendition, as that's exactly what will happen when it launches on July 31st. The $39.99 HD DVD / DVD combo disc will feature a bluescreen picture-in-picture version of the film with "pre-CGI" clips alongside the finished product, an exclusive gam...
I have a Blu-ray player and it’s not a superior format. That’s like saying the Atari Jaguar was better than Playstation because it was 64 bit. All HD DVD players all have 2 video cards, allowing for picture in picture and other unique video features. HD DVD players must have an Ethernet port for online features, with Blu-ray it’s optional. Look at the movie ‘300’ coming up. There are features on the HD DVD version they cannot do on the Blu-ray version.
I just bought “Liar Liar”...
You make a valid point.. in the Chicago area, by me, HD DVD and Blu-ray have about the same stock in every store (even though I'm usually the only one in that section!).
But if Blu-ray is really dominating as everyone here seems to think, it wouldn't make sense that they are being beat in almost every category on Amazon...
Let's face it, Blockbuster has been mismanaged for years. They bought "Sound Warehouse", renamed them "Blockbuster Music" and promptly ran them into the ground, closing them all. Then they run a "no more late fees" ad blitz only to be sued for charging late fees. Then they wake up and find Netflix taking over their market share in a huge way. Now they put out a press release saying they are siding with Blu-ray, when the High Def market is still undeveloped and un...
Just checked Amazon.com:
#1 for Blu-ray is Planet Earth
#1 for HD DVD is Planet Earth
HD DVD is outselling the Blu-ray version
#2 for Blu-ray is PotC: Dead Man’s Chest
#2 for HD DVD is the The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski HD DVD is outselling Blu-ray Dead Man’s Chest
Black Snake Moan came out this week for both formats:
Blu-ray version (rank out of all DVDs): #313
HD DVD version (rank out of all DVDs): #2...
Looks like a good deal, however you don’t give away this kind of stuff for no reason. Let’s face it, standalone Blu-ray players have been selling far behind HD DVD players and PS3 is way behind the 360 and Wii. This move stinks of desperation.
I wonder if they’ll include these in their “movies sold” numbers like they did with the free movie coupons!
I’ve heard that only 30% of PS3 owners have it hooked up to an HDTV. And if you include PS3, Blu-ray has a 1 to 1 attach rate and HD DVD has a 4 to 1 (movies sold per player).
Think about it, there is a huge difference between “I’m buying a Playstation” and “I’m buying a dedicated player for High Def movies.”
A real problem for Sony is they sell competing products. Lower the price on Blu-ray players and PS3 sales will drop. Lower the price on PS3 and Blu-ray player sales (which are slim already) will suffer. Lower the price on both and you have other manufactures (Samsung) angry at you because now they are taking a loss.
I still say this holiday season will decide this war. If Toshiba gets a $200 drive out there and MS drops the price on this add on to $99, it’s bye-bye Blu-ray unle...
Every time I visit Amazon.com, I see HD DVD sales above Blu-ray both in hardware and movies!