synth19

So... what do you have? Blue Ray or HD DVD? I was thinking of picking up an HD DVD player as the prices have been coming down.. but not sure which direction I will go. I may wait a few more months before I make a decesion... now that we have had this technology for some time, what do you guys think? Who will win the war?

NetEditor

Way too early to tell who will win. I have a PS3 that I bought before the Paramount decision. HD DVD is cheaper but I've heard more than a few people complain about players locking up and/or freezing. I've haven't had one glitch with my PS3.

Personally, I think both formats will continue on, with dual-format players being the norm.

Moog-Type-S

Until dual format players can be had for under $500.....neither.

SiGGy

I'm all about HD-DVD because it's cheaper. But I haven't bought anything

SupaRookie

Neither will win...which is a shame. Both players have $$$ to kill. Just like DVD-A vs SACD. My brother bought the PS3 when it originally came out. I work for a company that support HD-DVD. My brother also bought a XBOX360 w/ a HD-DVD drive when he went over to North Carolina for pharmacy school. Our family support both. You should get the LG player if you are not sure which side you want to be on.

Yumcha

Hard to say on the outcome. Personally, I have a Blu-Ray player because I own a PS3...but, I'd go with what Moog suggested and get a dual player.

Siddig

I have both. Had hd DVD via xbox since dec. Finally found a deal on bluray this past weekend. So I'm into both for about $500.

soopa

I have the LG BH100 dual-format player and the Xbox HD-DVD drive.

I'll be picking up the Samsung dual format player when it drops in December.

Personally, I'm hoping and betting on the war going on inevitably. If there is a winner, it won't be for a long long time. More and more companies are coming out with dual-format players, and to the consumer there is little difference between HD-DVD and Blu-ray. I think most players will be dual format by next christmas, and most consumers wont care which format disc they're buying.

I love owning a dual format player.

Yumcha

^ How much did you pay for your dual-format player, soopa?

joerockt

soopa

I paid something like $1200 (with 10 "free" DVD promotion) for the BH100 when it came out. The new BH200 is 999. The new Samsung will be $779 (the BH200 will probably drop to 779 when the Samsung comes out).

Denon is releasing a dual format player sometime around February for something like $1999. If the format neutral trend continues Pioneer is expected to drop their Bluray only attitude and release an ELITE label dual-format player, which would probably cost around $1600 if they were to release it within the next year (they probably wont).

So far as dual format players under $500, you can already get BH100's brand new in the $400-500 range. By next christmas you'll be able to get the latest generations for around 600, maybe as low as 499.

That said, you could spend a lifetime waiting for technology.

Siddig

Right now its cheaper to buy two separate players over a dual format player.

soopa

Not really.

The thing people aren't realizing is that the "cheap" single format players are often crippled. Lacking many features like Profile 1.1/1.2/2, HDi, 1080p, DTS-HD, internal decoders, high-end (Realta/Reon) scalers.

Sure, if you just want bare bones players that will play BR and HDDVD's, then you can probably get things going for about $700-800 (not including the cost of TWO HDMI cables, and the complexity of having multiple devices). But, if you want TWO players that support everything the latest dual-format players do, you're probably spending a $1200-1500... at which point the dual format players are much cheaper.

Keep in mind, the LG BH200 is currently the ONLY player supporting some of Blu-ray's latest features, somewhat justifying its $1000 price tag.

is300eater

I have a PS3 and the HD-DVD player for the 360...
I have some movies (for both) mostly bought from eBay

Yumcha

Thanks, dude.

Holy fawk...never realized the dual-format players are so $$$$$.



Yeah, it'd almost make more sense for me to buy a 360, add on the player, and at least have a console gaming device as well.

is300eater

and I assure you, you will get more usage out of it as a console than as a HD-DVD player

soopa

Yea, if all you're doing is watching the occasional movie and don't care at all about HD-DVD's more advanced features (master quality audio, etc) then the Xbox HD-DVD drive is decent.

Personally I couldn't stand my Xbox HD-DVD drive, mainly because I knew it wasn't doing HD-DVD's justice.

But ya get what ya pay for.

Pete1burn

I bought a PS3 when the 60GB went down to $499 with 5 free BR movies. I use it 95% as a movie player and 5% as a gaming console, at least until Assassin's Creed and Bladestorm come out.

However, I'm also looking into getting a standalone HD-DVD player since there are titles coming out on HD-DVD that are not coming out in BR that I want to see.

Also wondering if it makes more sense to get a 360 with the HD-DVD already on it, but we'll see.

soopa

If you're going to watch movies 95% of the time and games 5% of the time then don't get a 360. It's a waste.

It's a barely adequate HD-DVD player at this point.

However, if you're only watching movies 5% of the time and games 95% of the time, then the 360 w/ HDDVD is a decent buy.

yunginTL

what exactly are those features?

NetEditor

Those are the interactive features such as picture-in-picture and a secondary audio decoder, and players must have a certain amount of on-board memory. As of Oct. 31, all Blu-ray players released must support profile 1.1. Profile 2.0 support Internet access and Web-enabled content, opening the possibility for a lot of interactive content without taking up disc space.

Doom878

You could just get an upscaling regular DVD player for $100 or less if you want to wait. I'd be scared to pick up new dual formats before the kinks get worked out.

Siddig

If you have an xbox with hdmi its more then adequate. Most people arent hear arent going to hear the major sound differences between all the new audio formats, nor will they have or run out and buy receivers that support them.

yunginTL

but once u hear it, you'll most likely buy whatever is necessary

Sarlacc

Maybe for pure audiophiles. But the difference in the newer audio streams is less noticeable then actually watching the difference in video. DTS and 5.1 still sound very good.

is300eater

Welcome back dude...

btw, after your remark about Infiniti FXs... I see them EVERYWHERE now... I guess I just never pay enough attention before...

Sarlacc

mhm

soopa

i do agree with this.

i have a relatively high-end system and reasonably tuned system yet i notice only minute differences when switching from standard DD or DTS to HD. there's a difference, but it's not earth shattering.

Crazy Bimmer

Does that stand true for PS3/Blu-ray as well?


If its worth it then i might just sell my PS3 and buy a dual format player instead. I never play games on it.

soopa

I'm not sure. I don't have a PS3.

For every bad thing I've heard regarding the PS3's Blu-ray capabilities, I've heard an amazing thing.

From what I've gathered, it's a capable piece of hardware and the easily & constantly upgraded firmware keep it a true contender.

One thing it's lacking, however, is a quality scaler. So if you watch alot of 480p DVD content I would imagine you would be much better served by the upcoming Samsung with it's Realta processor.

NetEditor

I'd say the PS3 is the most stable and trouble-free BD player out there, and the most future-proof. I've never had one problem with my PS3 for BD playback, while I've heard about problems with other players, especially regarding the BD+ copy protection.

You can pick up a Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player for $199 with 10 free movies at BB and CC (2 in the box (300 and Bourne Identity), 3 off the shelf and 5 mail-in).

I'm seriously thinking about going neutral with that deal.

yunginTL

^^^^
neutral is the way to go, even though after i got my hd-dvd player i still prefer my ps3, the hd-a20 takes forever to load, does anyone know if a firmware upgrade can fix this?

is300eater

that's a killer deal... just the movies alone are worth the price of the player... but is the player 1080p or 1080i?

NetEditor

1080i but I have a Pioneer 5080, which has a great converter, so it's not a big deal.

Sarlacc

Home theater PC people.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136133

Though the reviews say the software blows, and you have to buy the full version to get multichannel sound.

SupaRookie

^ That may run out quick. Most places dont have that item in stock.

Mach30SiR

Yep, thinking about picking one up tonight. I have a coupon for an extra $40 off with a purchase of 199 or more.

http://pulverizer72.com/scans/cc_coupon_1130.pdf

Mach30SiR

For those stuck on "dual format" players take a look at this

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...4.html?tag=txt

sure its only one review but don't narrow your choices down. As mentioned here, you get what you pay for, but even at 600 bucks this doesn't sound like such a great deal.

soopa

The BH100 is old.

The BH200 is LG's latest model.

bz268

The 40g PS3 w/ 1 movie is selling for $399 from the Sony site. If you apply the Sony credit card and spend $299 or more, they give you $100 "card credit".

So, $399 - $100 = $299

Not a bad deal I guess. The only problem is what they really mean "card credit"?

Do I spend $399 and then I have to spend more on something else for that $100 "card credit"?