The 2 BB's I go to here in Orlando have had prominent HD-DVD displays, right next to the Magnolia sections for at least 6 to 7 months. The BD display is down about 3 to 4 aisles down around the regular DVD player and DVD/VCR combo sections. Softwarewise, both stores I go to have the same amount of space allocated for BD and HD-DVD. In the newspaper adds, up until recently, I haven't seen much of a difference in advertising, other than there have been more models of BD hardware that have been promoted (because there are more brands out there) than HD-DVD hardware.
I've been to other BB's in Central Florida, and have noticed the same thing. I will admit, I own a PS3 and about 20 BD movies (NEVER have had a problem with playback in any way), but it seems like many here are implying that HD-DVD isn't getting a fair shake and the reality is, IT DOESN'T MATTER which is the better system of playback, it's about MARKETING, and Toshiba has done a really, really crappy job. They have no one to blame but themselves. They couldn't align any of the major Japanese manufactuers with themselves, and could only muster half of the major studios to support them early on. ON TOP OF THAT, they had a pretty big headstart over BD in both hardware and software, thanks to Sony's early on PS3 supply fiasco.
As for which is the superior system, they both are as capable as each other as far as picture quality and sound quality is concerned for the most part.
One more thing to remember. Sony created Beta. If anyone here is old enough to have expereinced Beta vs VHS, Beta was CLEARLY, as far as picture quality was concerned, a superior format. It was a VISIBLE difference, and Sony still lost that format war. Sony learned from JVC's victory on this one, and just applied it to beating Toshiba, who apparently has a very short memory of the past.
I guess that's my rant.
