x2… I’ll wait until there is a clear cut winner, and when I can get a BluRay/HDDVD burner for my computer for $30 and a player for my TV for $50.
Yeah capacity is good and all but I just don’t know of anything that needs more then 15 GB on one disc, maybe games or programs somewhere down the road?
Now as far as just movies go, a movie over 15 GB would be way too long and I wouldn’t buy it anyways 
I think Toshiba messed up when they started selling their players much cheaper than the other HD-DVD players. Samsung, Pioneer, LG… They basically gave up and now Toshiba is the only one still putting out new models. And only the last three are 1080p and cost as much as a Blu-ray player.
On the Blu-ray side, there’s several companies producing standalone players and most of them have a few models that are on their 2nd and 3rd generations. All of which are 1080p/24fps.
I think the biggest Pro Blu-ray has going for it is the name. Blu-ray just sounds cooler, thus making it more marketable. HD-DVD just sounds like a bunch of letters to most people. HD has more available add-in content with the ethernet connection a set standard along with standard menu systems (does BRD have that?). The storage capacity of BRD is also a bonus but is only a number at this point. When the storage capacity of HD is exceeded, 2 discs will solve that. I get packages with the movie on one disc and the bonus stuff on another already. (Transformers HD for example) Hopefully they make a stand alone player that will be ‘backwards compatabile’ with HD-DVD but primarily BRD. I have more HD-DVD movies than any other format ever. I’d hate to see those become coasters. But in May when Warner goes strictly BRD - HD will be done for.
I could care less, hell I still have basic cable. But I really hate sony and all of their products and hope blue ray fails miserably.
I bought 2 dvd players last year because they were only $25 a piece. I think the movies on my 5 year old non hd tv look good and cheap dvd player look good.
and the1slowr/t - how can you say there is no need to go higher than 1080p? If people thought like that, we would still have black and white. I do not keep up with tv/audio technology at all, but the things that they are doing and making better is pretty cool. I hope they come out a tv and media that is 10x more clear than the current 1080p(that will make the current stuff cheap enough for me to get then 
)
Well the one push for the blu-ray is from video game companies. The major notable one is Konami with Metal Gear Solid 4. The game is so big it isn’t even coming to the 360. So far with the cinematics, I read it was close to 30 GB. A standard DVD holds 4.7, and dual layer at 8.55. Whereas a blu-ray holds 25 GB, and dual layered at 50 GB. Is it that big of a deal? To some yes, they just don’t want to switch discs. As of this year Blu-ray is outselling HD-DVD’s 2-1.
And right now is it necessary to switch to an HD player? No. I have an upscaling DVD player with an HDMI cable and you cannot tell a difference, yet. Not to mention movies are much cheaper. But who will win, right now it looks like Blu-ray, how long will it take, is a much better question.
Also found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HighDefShare.svg
Ran an upconverting Oppo DVD Player (very high reviews) and a PS3 for a while when PS3 first came out. Both DVI (which is same as HDMI without sound, which I run through optical cable) and both through a 1080p 102" screen with a ceiling-mounted DLP projector. The Blu Ray smoked it on a screen that big. Then I got an xBox 360. Moved the Oppo to another room. The HD DVD picture equals the Blu Ray. The on screen menu options, sound, and internet options are better on the xBox. So, I personally wish HD DVD would win. But I’ll deal with whatever happens because I rent with Netflix anyhow so I don’t have a library of useless szhit if one or the other loses.
But all in all, as you get bigger in screen size, there is a noticable difference from an upconverted DVD and a true 1080p HD/BR. Especially on action stuff or CGI or dark sets.
I just hope BR catches up on the web-linked extra stuff and sound options.
I have a up converting dvd player which is just fine for me. I have HD on demand if I want to watch HD movies. No need to buy a 800 dollar dvd player
upcovert is OK but no where near blueray/HD-DVD
ive had an upcovert DVD player for about 4yrs. & they are good, just not the same
you can really notice the difference with animated movies.
i have a lot for my son & they are not even comparable to DVD (Dinosaur, The Wild, TMNT, open Season, Ice ageII)
also HD-on demand is with comcast which i think is sub-par when it comes to HD quality & quantity …if you want a good HD picture, get dish, direct, or Fios.
And Comcast (and I’m pretty sure most all cable/sat) does their HD broadcast in 720p. HD/BR are 1080p.
There is a difference. Upconverting might bring you close to the 720p (so really your HD on Demand is no better than the upconverted DVD), but still, as I’d said, the bigger screen or more graphics you get, the more you’ll notice the picture quality difference. On a smaller screen the noticable difference is minute.
over the air HD (locals with an antenna) is either 720p or 1080i depending on the station.
msot use HD-lite meaning they compress the signal, to help with bandwidth & the the set-top box decompresses it.
some companies do better jobs then other…they downscale from 1920x1080i to 1440x1080i or 1280x1080i…Dish still have some that were still running @ 1920x1080i but i’m not sure if that changes.
where over-the-air 1080i is true 1920x1080i.
i think some subscription channel still only offer 720P…ESPN was one unless they changed.
so basically they give the signal to the provider in either 1920x1080i or 1280x720p & the provider rebroadcasts it…but to my knowledge 720 is not downscaled…only 1080i.
picture quality due to compression
blueray/hd-dvd >over the air > Dish > Direct > comcast
i haven’t see Fios first hand but a friend of mine switched from comcast to Fios & said was a big difference…so its somewhere above comcast.
Cool, thanks for the info. I actually keep mine at 720p on the cable box because the 1080i sometimes looked like ass IIRC. At that time there weren’t many channels doing 1080i and I haven’t kept up with it.
I think there is a fine line between the 720p and 1080i, and the interlacing throws off some graphic and action shots that progressive shows better. 720p actually shows a more solid well-rounded pic for my screen as far as cable goes, in most cases.
What’s even weirder is that component video cables show a better pic than HDMI on a lot of my cable channels. I have both component and HDMI running to my projector and I switch the source depending on what station it is.
Paramount is set to drop HD-DVD, to continue trying to strive with just one major company left(Universal) would be stupid, HD-DVD<Blu-Ray
i went to comcast today to get the HD box and the lady was telling me that same thing when she asked what i wanted. so i opted for the component cables for now.
the reason why the movie is over 15GB is because of the res of the video and uncompressed audio
Comcast HD is shitty because it is only 720, but hey its good enough for me for right now. I don’t really buy that many dvd’s anyway, but i’m sure once theres a cut and dry winner i’ll pick up the DVD player for the new high def format.
Speaking of HD, i kind of hope comcast adds speed hd and spike hd soon, their slack asses when adding new channels.
the thing i don’t like about speed & spike HD (currently carried by Direct & not dushnetwork) is that its not 24/7 HD they only broadcast certain shows in hd…which is BS to me…either go all the way or don’t. half ass’ed isn’t cutting it.
thats the one of the draw backs to directTV…from what i’ve read their compression isn’t the best so the quality is so-so & even though they do have a quickly growing HD lineup, not all the channels are 24/7 HD like the majority of Dish.
shits too complex now. i miss turning on a tv and that was that. fuck all this BS.
Who remembers:
*The TV stations… every single one of the 4-5 of them total in existence… would all play the national anthem and shut off at 2am.
*Being the remote control for your dad. “Hey, get up and chnage the channel for me”.
*Adjusting the foil on the rabbit ears or turning the dial on the contraption that rotated the chimney-mounted antenna?
*Having “pong” on Atari hooked through you 19" TV made you the baddest ass on the block?