Are you buying Blu-ray or HD DVD this Christmas?

[chenyk]

I will just get the ps3 and call it a day. I just feel uneasy right now, watching 1080p lcd tv without fully use the 1080p source... Make me keep asking myself why bought the tv now if I don't have 1080p source soon...

 

[Reorx]

My wife got us a 56" 480p TV for free...so I am stuck with that for a while. Thus no need to upgrade my source to a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray.

I am thinking though that I will wait to see which comes out with a $100-$200 pc burner. I like to be able to backup my disks.
I know that blu-ray currently has pc drives, and can be backed up. But it costs like $470.

So I'll probably hold off for 1-2yrs.

My father in-law on the other hand, just got a 65" Mitsu 1080p. So he'll probably get whichever one I pick out for him around xmas. Probably a HD-DVD since he's poor now.

 

[avliner]

No way for me to adopt either one by now!

I better off wait until the sandstorm is over, so I'll be then able to clearly see what's gonna be my next HD format though

 

[agarwalro]

The HD format situation if too volatile for my liking. I'm waiting.

 

[autoboy]

I already own a xbox add on HD-DVD player, but I will buy a PS3 this christmas for the sole purpose of HD movies, with a few games thrown in. My vote for the winner is on HD-DVD though. It is the flip disc and cheaper manufacturing of HD-DVD players and media that make me believe in it.

I buy all the equipment for my parents and my brothers and sisters and they will be buying HD-DVD. However, they are only buying it because they wanted a upscaling DVD player, and the HD-DVD players are not much more expensive than a decent upscaling player.

 

[6kids&adog]

I voted "no". The way I figure it working out for me is this. The prices on 1080p projectors have gone 20K > 10K > 5K > 2.5-3K in the past 4 years. As others have stated above, I won't be buying a 1080p player until I have a display that will show all the goods (currently very content with my 720p projector). When 1080p projectors can be had for less than 2K then I will look at getting one (looks like 2008/09 probably). After that, I will look at getting a 1080p source. Even if the format war isn't over by then, at least the competition will have lead to price erosion to the point that getting a player isn't a huge investment. Also, I'd like to give folks a few more years to get the HDMI 1.3/deep color/ 1080p24 / ... all worked out between players, receivers and displays.

It's always tempting to buy the new stuff, but occasionally common sense needs to outweigh upgraditis (I can't get barred for saying that can I?)

 

[j_garcia]

I voted "no". The way I figure it working out for me is this. The prices on 1080p projectors have gone 20K > 10K > 5K > 2.5-3K in the past 4 years. As others have stated above, I won't be buying a 1080p player until I have a display that will show all the goods (currently very content with my 720p projector). When 1080p projectors can be had for less than 2K then I will look at getting one (looks like 2008/09 probably). After that, I will look at getting a 1080p source. Even if the format war isn't over by then, at least the competition will have lead to price erosion to the point that getting a player isn't a huge investment. Also, I'd like to give folks a few more years to get the HDMI 1.3/deep color/ 1080p24 / ... all worked out between players, receivers and displays.

I don't understand this logic, you can use any of the HD players in 720p right now and with quality players from both at $500 and a few as low as $250, I don't see follow the whole "big investment" argument when you are using a high quality projector that certainly wasn't $200.

I already have my PS3 and support Blu-ray. If there is a GOOD deal on a HD-DVD player, I might pick one up

 

[Puppetz]

I won't be buying either this holiday season as well. I eventually want a PS3, but the price still needs to come down further. I'll stick with my PS2 and Panasonic upconverting standard DVD player until then.

In the meantime, I considered getting an HD-A2 HD now that they're "only" a few hundred bucks. But, I recently read that my TV (a Toshiba 65HM167) doesn't deinterlace 1080i film-based sources properly and I'd lose half of the resolution during shots with motion if I got an A2. Additionally, I've read that the A20 doesn't deinterlace properly either, so I'd have to get the XA2 to take full advantage of my TV's 1080p capability. I can't justify spending that kind of money on something not knowing how long it will be supported.

 

[davidtwotrees]

I voted no. I am very happy with my Denon 3910 and my Sony RP 53" for video sources. I don't watch that much TV and about .8 movies per week. When I watch golf on Sunday I get OTA HD and it looks great. I am much more music oriented. If these formats started putting out music in the HD or BR, then I would perk my ears up. My new Canton's really show up crappy recordings and I only have so much hires music to listen to.

So, as far as I am concerened, the HDMI and HD/BR bandwagon is not one I am willing to put my precious audio video $$$'s on.

 

[Hi Ho]

I already own an HD-A2 so I didn't vote as per the instructions but I bought mine mainly based on the price and the movies available on the format.

 

[ceberle]

After seeing BluRay on a PS3 connected an ISF calibrated Panasonic 1080p plasma, I'm asking Santa for the Samsung combo player: HQV video processing and support for Dolby True HD and DTS HD (I know, that's to be added in the first firmware update). I'll keep my Denon 2930 for SACD.

Chris in NY

 

[sleeper]

I'm just waiting for Audioholics to get their hands on one of those Chinese HD-DVD players, when they come out. If and when you guys give the thumbs up, it's as good as bought.

sleeper.

 

[Don_T]

Had to vote no

I am not planning on purchasing either player this year but maybe next year. I am leaning toward the HD DVD format with the Silicon Optics chip. Hopefully the price will come down a bit more next year.

 

[Geno]

Like many others here, I've got a large investment in SD DVDs which look great with my 3910 on my 720P display. Let the idiots who are conducting the format war duke it out 'till there's a winner. No more dead ends for me!

 

[terror_beast]

I voted "nope" as per the instructions, since I have no definite plans to buy. For me, it's simply a case that neither format gets it "right" yet. And sadly, even if one of the formats DOES get it "right", I still wouldn't be able to get all the movies from all of the studios in that format. At least not with the way studio support currently stands.

So what would make one of the formats "right" for me?

1) I have to be able to buy a player that can deliver ALL the features of the format for less than $300.

What features am I talking about?

a) Movies can be output at 1080p/24
b) Movies can also be PROPERLY output at various other output resolutions and framerates
c) Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-ES Matrix, DTS-ES Discrete, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD High Resolution, DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed multi-channel PCM can ALL be output to a receiver in bitstream form
d) If there are multiple audio tracks playing at once and such a feature requires audio to be decoded and mixed within the player and then output as uncompressed multi-channel PCM to the receiver, then the player better be able to decode and mix ALL of the sound formats listed above
e) Internet connection must be available for any and all internet features whether currently available or planned for the future
f) Deep Color must be supported
g) xvYCC color standard must be supported
h) ALL special features (ie. interactivity, PIP, etc.) must work

On this front, HD-DVD is closer than Blu-ray. But there are still no players that output DD+, DTHD or DTS-HD in bitstream form and still no way at all to listen to a DTS-HD audio track!

Blu-ray is WAY behind on internet connections, audio formats and special features in general.

2) If there is a player that can deliver everything I just stated for less than $300, then I have to be able to watch EVERY movie from EVERY studio on that player! Otherwise, I need BOTH HD-DVD and Blu-ray to deliver everything I stated and I have to be able to get BOTH players or a combo player for less than $300

3) The price of each movie needs to be under $20

4) Every movie better AT LEAST have ALL the special features found on the DVD release! Better still, they ought to have all the DVD features and then some!

To be frank, I don't foresee the format war ever ending. Sony will never put their movies on HD-DVD so long as the PS3 survives, but HD-DVD will be cheaper sooner and already seems to have a handle on special features and internet connectivity.

To be blunt, I don't see either format "winning". DVD is simply "good enough" for the vast VAST majority of people. There's really very little compelling reason to migrate to a new format.

Neither HD-DVD nor Blu-ray is a big enough step. I'd actually prefer to see BOTH formats scrapped in favor of a single High Definition media solution that is actually READY for the market. Right now, both formats are losers and that's why I'm not buying either of them!

 

[naisphoo]

why is the title so misleading? Oh I forgot this site is only hddvd...no room for bluray.

 

[terror_beast]

I realized that I wanted to add that I wouldn't consider buying a movie on HD-DVD or Blu-ray unless it had a lossless audio track (DTHD, DTS-HD MA or uncompressed PCM). The video quality would also have to clearly and consistently be better than the DVD release. To be honest, I've seen a couple of Blu-ray releases that made me seriously wonder why I would buy the Blu-ray version over the DVD.

Blu-ray has been a worse offender thus far, sometimes delivering video that is barely better than DVD. Often delivering movies with just a regular DD or DTS audio track and WAY too frequently delivering a movie with no special features or fewer special features than the DVD release.

HD-DVD has shown a more consistent step up in video quality over DVD and usually has all the special features found on the DVD and in some cases, actually has special features in HD or special features that are not on the DVD. They also seem to have, at a minimum, a DD+ soundtrack and many have DTHD. But frankly, IMO, having only DD+ is merely going half-way.

So yeah, not only do there have to be players that deliver all the features I mentioned in my first post, but the studios have to step it up and deliver nothing less than pristine video, lossless audio and all of the special features found on the DVD (preferably all those AND more) on EVERY single release.

For whatever reason, movies released on HD-DVD have been closer to my ideal so far, but there is really no reason at all why Blu-ray releases can't also meet my requirements.

I just think that if the mass market is going to buy into a new format to replace DVD, then the difference and advantages have to be VERY obvious, meaningful and plentiful.

Overall, I'm just pissed because neither camp has it "right" and the studios are split anyway, so even if one camp gets it "right" I'm still out of luck for about half the movies that I want. So either BOTH camps need to get it right or else one camp gets it right and ALL the studios move over and back that one format. Sadly, I just don't see the latter happening. So the only hope is for BOTH camps to get it "right" and for the price to come way way down.

 

[Nimrod]

I'm using my Kids (boys 15/17) as a human sheild against my wife at Christmas time.

Going with the PS 3
1) its for the kids
2) it has like a 80 gig hard drive = load up the CD's
3) Blu -Ray

The PS 3 is a heck of a deal if you look at it that way.

 

[jbrillo]

I voted "NO". I love having good audio & video. However, I don't have a money tree growing in my backyard. In my opinion both formats and their movies are just too expensive and offer minimal bang for the buck. When DVD's came out, the improvement over VHS was like a quantum leap. HD-DVD & Blu-ray look good, but I don't think that it's a quantum leap above my upconverting DVD player. I may never own either unless quality hybrid players are available for under $200. At that point, I may consider it.

 

[iamthehunter]

I am not at all sure that I will ever buy either one. A good DVD transfer looks/sounds plenty good enough to me, while a poor transfer would not show any benefit from the higher resolution. I also have a huge amount of $ invested in standard DVDs already. The final nail in the coffin is that I find the stupid "format war" extremely off-putting.

my first post to AHTF...long-time member at AVS hello all....

this format war is one more slap-in-the-face to "us" consumers. i love high-tech gadgets but too many quality issues loom which will keep me on the sidelines for some time. i agree...not enough difference between sd-dvds on a good upconverting player vs. hd.