Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Whose side are you on?

So, what's the difference? And what does this format skirmish mean to you? After all, both Blu-ray and HD, viewed on one of those $2,000, 1080p flat-screens, offer jaw-dropping visual clarity. Both formats will have theaters scrambling for higher quality, as evidenced by the wide release of Beowulf on IMAX and digital projection screens next month. Both Blu-ray and HD are backwards compatible, so you don't have to chuck the DVDs you already own. And both have a high level of interaction. Get bored watching Cars and you can actually play along with the movie. Want to know about Lightning McQueen and the history of the Ford GT40? Just push a button. If you've already spent all your lunch money for a PS3 or XBox 360, then you know about the interactivity afforded by Blu-ray and HD.

[BloodySinner]

None.

[Mr PS3]

Since you have to buy an HD DVD add on to be able to support any of these and you sinner are to cheap to do that it don't surprise me when you say none and i mean if half of you xbots supported your xbox like you all bleet on here about i,m sure the HD DVD might actully be winning but as i say you sinner and all your freinds on your freind list and all the other cheap assed xboxts on here like to bleet but the basic facts are you like your things in life to be cheap thats why you bought an xbox and there is no way your gonna buy an add on that is almost as much as that cheap assed game console the xbox

[MindTooth]

Currently my stake is with HD DVD. But I will not purchase either one of the formats.

[BloodySinner]

Dude, you avatar is RAD! I LOVE IT! Hahahaha!

[IdontTakeSides]

BLU-RAY....is there another format that I don't know of..???...I thought Blu-Ray was competitng with Regular DVD's !!!..im beign sarcastic kk..HD-DVD supporters ..if there's ne at all..!!!

[ruibing]

Same here. BD has the backing (studios), technology (organic dye for cheap BD-R and 100GB tri-layer), and user base (every PS3 owner will be a BD supporter as long as Sony promotes it well).

[Iceman X]

Blu ray and HD DVD both do 1080p, but Blu ray does PCM uncompressed audio which HD DVD can't do because of size issue. HD DVD uses Dolby Plus which is the same as Dolby EX(DVD audio), And it also uses Dolby True HD(compressed)which is better than Dolby 5.1 but not as high as PCM uncompressed(HD audio). And then you got your size limits Blu ray single layer 25gb dual layer 50gb, HD DVD single layer 15gb dual layer 30gb. And then look at Transformers HD DVD... only had Dolby EX on it... DVD sound on a HD movie??? ALL Blu ray movies come with PCM there are a few (less than 20) thaat doesn't. And last, over 80% of movie companies are with Blu ray the rest are with HD DVD, only Paramount and Universal still HD DVD exclusive. And for some of you that think everything is too high that's not true i get ALL my blu ray's from Amazon.com $22 each a few was $27 but still all those movies were $29-$34 at Bestbuy/Circtui City. And if you don't have a surround system that can do PCM audio you can get them very cheap Sony have a receiver for $300 at Bestbuy for those looking to upgrade. HD video and HD audio is not for every1 some people are not into or ready for upgrading thier current set up. But if you want the BEST out your blu ray then 1080p video/PCM audio is where you want to go.

[jaja1434]

Fair enough, but about 95% of the people don't want the best. I keep saying this but, if best is what the people wanted Wal-Mart wouldn't be number one in the world.

Second, yea I know, the whole sound thing relates to what I just said. To even taken advantage of 7.1 you need a damm good speaker set up. Add on to that the receiver you mentioned for 300$. And even then You would be very hard pressed to hear the difference. Though I bet someone would counter with you could if you really tried. But I don't want to pay lots of money to get a sound system where I have to "try" and tell the difference.

Lastly, finally I might add, anyone can quote specs and some might even care, but from life experience well I don't give a damm. All I care about is what I can get for the least amount of money. Which relates to Wal-Mart once again. There certainly don't sell the highest quality, but they do sell some of the cheapest.

Err I lied about the lastly :/...Basically while I can respect your opinion that BR is better and thats great. Hell it just might be the best and once 2.0 comes out it may be the end all be all greatest formate of this generation. But unfortunately its not the cheapest and in this world more often than not, the cheapest item sells. So if Toshiba forces BR to come down to the same range as HD I'll jump on it in a second, but until then. HD gets my buck. :)

[shmee]

This format war is really over.

even with Trasnsformers HD DVD couldnt beat Blu-Ray just for a single week since inception.

can you even imagine what happens when Spiderman 3 and Pirates 3 are released.

November 2 ,2007 see Spidey 3 being bundled with PS3 . expect BD to outsell HD DVD by very big margins that week

[WilliamRLBaker]

Blu ray and HD DVD both do 1080p, but Blu ray does PCM uncompressed audio which HD DVD can't do because of size issue.
(wrong, It can do it but they choose not to because of size issues...oh wait I mean they used to choose not too, 51 gig hd dvds which work on all hd dvd players so far is one more gig then 50 gig bluray therefor space and thensome is avaiable for PCM uncompressed)

HD DVD uses Dolby Plus which is the same as Dolby EX(DVD audio), And it also uses Dolby True HD(compressed)which is better than Dolby 5.1 but not as high as PCM uncompressed(HD audio).
(HD DVD uses Dolby plus, Dolby EX, Dolby HD, DTS HD, Dolby True HD is a losless Compression, and High bitrate Dolby Plus which transformers use ....well lets just say Studio mastering workers cannot tell a difference between that and uncompressed PCM most of the time)

And then you got your size limits Blu ray single layer 25gb dual layer 50gb, HD DVD single layer 15gb dual layer 30gb. And then look at Transformers HD DVD... only had Dolby EX on it... DVD sound on a HD movie???
(yet again 51 gig triple layer that works on all hd dvd players so far, And Dolby EX? wrong It uses Dolby Digital Plus at 1509Kb/s bit rate, and most reviews give it the highest score possible for sound)

ALL Blu ray movies come with PCM there are a few (less than 20) thaat doesn't. And last, over 80% of movie companies are with Blu ray the rest are with HD DVD, only Paramount and Universal still HD DVD exclusive.
(actually if you did the research Its about a half and half split when it comes to major studios and a 60/40 split when it comes to smaller studios, And ALL blu ray movies dont come with uncompressed PCM, Oh and I should add that a good 99% of users with a surround sound system dont own one capable of uncompressed PCM, Dolby HD, Or DTS HD.)

And for some of you that think everything is too high that's not true i get ALL my blu ray's from Amazon.com $22 each a few was $27 but still all those movies were $29-$34 at Bestbuy/Circtui City.
(Good for you, but the common consumer still buys most physical media at store, not online)

And if you don't have a surround system that can do PCM audio you can get them very cheap Sony have a receiver for $300 at Bestbuy for those looking to upgrade.
(Link? I check into surround sound systems most of the time, And the only One I've seen that supports Dolby HD, DTS HD, And Uncompressed PCM is an 1000 dollar receiver and thats just the receiver you still have to purchase the speakers, and that can cost alot because you dont pare 50 watt speakers with an high end receiver your wasting your money)

HD video and HD audio is not for every1 some people are not into or ready for upgrading thier current set up. But if you want the BEST out your blu ray then 1080p video/PCM audio is where you want to go.

(In a reality scenario most experts cant tell a difference between 1080i and 1080p, especially at sizes below 40 inches, and most Studio master workers cannot tell a difference between Dolby Digial Plus and PCM/Dolby HD/DTS HD)

My personal opinion:I dont need to say that We are just now geting into a major buying time for consumers when it comes to HDTVS, TVS of quality tend to last, as for that HDTVS at there lowest are still higher priced then the equivilent sizes of SDTVS at the same period in age, Most consumers dont own an Surround sound system the ones that do, Do not own one capable of either Dolby Hd, DTS HD, OR uncompressed PCM, OR Dolby Digital Plus.

Most consumers at this time are going to purchase the older reliable standards, 720p-1080i, Cheaper Surround sound systems that are reliable and are capable of DTS 5.1, Dolby 5.1, DTS 7.1, and Dolby 7.1.

Surround sound systems, And HDTVS are just now comming into their own, Most common consumers aren't searching for the high end best, when all together to get it you'll have to spend upwards of 4000 dollars.

*the above reply is all fact do some research, surveys into buying patterns...ect*

Edit: http://www.highdefdigest.co...
^ a great article on the futility of the warring factions.

[A_Gamer]

I agree with you william.

[AnalFace]

I couldnt give a damn anymore, quite happy with DVD at 1080i :)

[C_SoL]

well ya, i feel bad for you....

[kunark]

i couldnt have said it any better blueray is the future only 2 out of 8 companys make hd-dvd's but for how long like the guy from transformers said my moneys on blue-ray and so is mine i jsut got my first blueray player ps3 and i really like blue rays. could you have imagen how much more transformers would have sold if it was on blueray too lolz

[A_Gamer]

a whole lot more.

[pilotpistolpete]

I'd go with BR. just the fact that wile software can always catch up, hardware is final, and BR is better. Its a simple matter of disc space, and the bigger the better.

[Ri0tSquad]

blu ray

[Daxx]

I'm still buying regular DVDs because I myself don't watch a lot of movies and I could care less about spending tons of cash on something that will be a lot cheaper in the future, such as HDTVs and BluRay/HDDVD drives. I'm patient, I'll wait.

[jaja1434]

Me too. I remember when DVD players were 500$. Then just some months ago I picked one up for 30 bucks. Being the first to get a item is great and all but well I rather save a few hundred. Patience is a Virtue!
()()
(="=)
c(")(")

[Danja]

Blu-Ray all da way....HD-DVD is just a minor upgrade from regular DVD's...

[smturner68]

You'll have to explain that one. I think you are WRONG.

[level 360]

Basically what all governments are saying - "If it serves my interests'"

[Antiomo]

There are 3 choices

1) Upconverted DVD's
2) Hd-dvd
3) Blu-ray

Choice 1 : Sorry but once you've experience hd media you cannot turn back

Choice 2 : It produces quite fantastic image quality but its lacking 2 things. 1) most hd-dvd's do not have lossless sound (only brings half of the movie experience 2) lack of CE support (ppl like choice in their electronics

Choice 3 : 1080p always 1080p + more CE support + most discs have lossless sound. + more stupdio support from studios that grossed the most amount of money in dvd's and movies sales.

Yes hd-dvd group can say we have a price advantage on the standalone players, but in general the media costs more on hd-dvd even when it is NOT combo discs. The Gap is closing on price for stand alone units, plus the media tends to be cheaper on the blu-side. Lastly why settle for half the expereince when in general blu-ray gives fuller experience when watching a move (imo who cares about special features) I buy a movie to experince the movie itself.

[ITR]

Are you talking CE support or Consumer Electronics support.

CE link has been in every Tosh product since the A1 player.

CE support is from HP/Acer/Venturer/Integra/Toshi ba/Microsoft 360 add on/Samsung (combo units)/LG (combo units)

I think you do have a choice.

I have to disagree with the always 1080p for BD. We have a BDPS300 player(demo model) that will only do full 1080p through Sony cables only. We had a $100 AR cable on it and it would only do 1080i. Put it (same cable) on the Toshiba and you get 1080p...go figure that one out.

The avg consumer can not tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p.
The avg consumer also doesn't have a surround sound sys that can even utilize 5.1 let alone decode lossless sound. Most consumers have that out of the box home theater sys which can not be upgraded.

I know this because I'm in commission sales so I push it every time I sell a HD TV.

You do know you can get most BD titles in HD DVD imported from other countries.
All of them support english and usually have english subs. For the most part they are just copies of the BD disc on HD. Since all HD DVD players are region less you can import all you want.
To demo this at the store we show Fantastic Four HD DVD and RE 1 and 2 HD DVD's all German releases but in English DTS-HD 5.1 lossless audio.

[A_Gamer]

Yeah most people are not upgraded yet, but the point is to get everyone upgraded and as a comm sales person, this should be your push. what would it be like if everyone were were to say... im good with the current technology thats available, that is all i need there is no need to upgrade to newer tech. then we would all still be living in a world of black and white tvs and wouldnt advance much, so thanks to the people who desire advances in technology we have some nice choices at hand. too bad if all you guys want to settle for mediocre stuff but i want to see some real leap in terms of tech. not some half ass upgrade.

[solidt12]

I own a PS3 and Xbox360 but I have to go with Blu-Ray, and downloadable movies, but hey at some point you have to backup those downloadable movies and Blu-Ray is the right format for that because it can hold more data.

[gamesblow]

Blu-ray for me allllllllllllllllllllllllll the way to the end, man! I've bought over 15 so far. I'll continue to do so too. Simpsons movie is coming exclusive. Indy trilogy, exclusive. Spiderman Trilogy, exclusive... Dawn of the dead, Halloween, The shinning... Please. HD-dvd has nothing for me. Blu-ray has it all.

[Close_Second]

...was Universal/Paramount. As for the Simpsons, like all simple animated features, HD is not required.

[champ420]

Indy is MGM

[vgn24]

Both sides sound like f*****g idiots. I swear if there were no games or technology, you morons would fight of granite Vs limestone.

Get a f******g life. These companies don't care about you, yet you argue everyday for their products because you BOUGHT them and don't want to look foolish. GROW UP!

[harv052]

I choose Granite!!!

[paul_war]

You fool, limestone all the way!!

[A_Gamer]

a hybrid, combine all the finer elements of both limestone and granite and we will definately have a winner on our hands!

[Close_Second]

...is a rent-boy. I'm sticking with DVD until all studios support one or the other format.

[gamesblow]

Indy is Spielberg/Lucas... Already confirmed for Blu-ray and Spielberg has already said his movies will not be going to HD-dvd without his consent. He is not apart of the dreamworks/paramount deal. If you remember he sold off the company last year. His movies go where he says they go and he has always been an avid supporter of Blu-ray, as has lucas.

[A_Gamer]

like you and i will decide the fate of either format. I'm all blu.

[Bladestar]

I'm for digital distribution. but since HD DVD is not hurting any console and blu-ray is the one format that is taking the Playstation 3 to the ground then... I'm against blu-ray... I hope it dies... so Sony stops trying to push new formats and abusing the playstation fanbase...

[aliveinboston]

Pushing new formats is a bad thing? So PS2 should have had a cartridge instead of DVD? How stupid.

Time is ripe for a new format that supports 2k resolution and uncompressed audio. 42" 1080P TVs are now at the $1000 mark, which means 1080P is going to be huge this holiday season. The timing is perfect for the PS3.

The only people complaining about the PS3 including a blu-ray player are Xbox360 owners who got stuck with the outdated DVD drive (even Xbox360 devs have complained about the capacity) and the poor fools who bought into the HD-DVD hype.

Blu-ray is not just Sony. It's Disney, Dell, Panasonic, Pioneer, Apple, Samsung, Sharp, etc...

[harv052]

I hope it dies... so Sony stops trying to push new formats and abusing the playstation fanbase...

1. I hope you die too!

2. Ain't Micro$oft pushing a new format also?? Oh...sorry I guess it's different eh.....

[Bladestar]

" It's Disney, Dell, Panasonic, Pioneer, Apple, Samsung, Sharp, etc..." they dont make consoles... so why should I care what they do?

"So PS2 should have had a cartridge instead of DVD?" dvd was already the standard when sony added dvd... there was no format war....

"which means 1080P is going to be huge this holiday season." are you saying 1080P no possible on the xbox 360 for games?

"Ain't Micro$oft pushing a new format also??" last time I checked xbox 360 gamers can avoid hd dvd completely... as matter of fact most do...

"The only people complaining about the PS3 including a blu-ray player are Xbox360 owners" really? how about developers.. who are complaining about PS3 price point? or installbase due to price point? How about Sony being forced to drop the price 2 times in less than 6 months? How about Sony losing developer suppor becuase of the way the PS3 was designed (blu-ray player instead of a game device) making it hard to make games for.. and always getting inferior ports of the games the PS3 is also getting?
It's common knowledge... the PS3 is helping blu-ray.. and blu-ray is hurting the PS3 at least for now until the format war is over.. it will continue to do so.. and hope.. yes hope.. blu-ray wins.. becuase if it does not.. it may put the PS3 in a possition that it may not be able to get out of...

[Wile]

My own.

[BLACKJACK VII]

LOL, I support NEITHER until there is a clear winner. Unfortunately, by the time there is a clear winner, we'll probably be moving on to the next format...

[Covenant]

VHS. :)

[Mikey_Gee]

Once industry decides to PICK AND STICK with one or the other .... I will buy that format.

Till then ... they can stick it and I will watch my HD content over my Satellite dish.

As for Downloadable media, not that I don't like the idea, but being a bit older than most on here (mid 30's) I still prefer having something in my hand to show for it and that I can take to a freinds house and watch.

[snoopgg]

Blueray cause I have a ps3 and a 360, but don't really want to put anymore money into my 360 when I don't have to.

[specialmag]

The guy keep saying that only 2 studios are supporting HD-DVD while 6 are supporting Blu-ray. This is completely false. So blatantly false, I'm surprised no one else mentionned it already.

Here's the list of major hollywood studios and the format(s) they support :

Universal : HD-DVD
Warner Brothers : HD-DVD and Blu-ray
Paramount : HD-DVD
20th Century Fox : Blu-ray
Sony/Columbia : Blu-ray
Disney : Blu-ray
Dreamworks : HD-DVD
New Line Cinema : HD-DVD and Blu-ray
MGM : Blu-ray
The Weinstein Company : HD-DVD
HBO : HD-DVD and Blu-ray
Lionsgate : Blu-ray
4 Porn Studios (Wicked Pictures, Pink Visual, Bang Bros., Digital Playground) : HD DVD
1 Porn Studio (Vivid Entertainment) : HD DVD and Blu-ray

So, there's at least 7 major hollywood studios + 5 major porn studios supporting HD-DVD while there's about the same number of hollywood studios (8) and only 1 porn studio supporting Blu-ray.

4 hollywood studios are supporting HD-DVD exclusively, 5 are supporting Blu-ray exclusively.

Link :

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/...

[DeadIIIRed]

But Blu-Ray still has some of the better movies coming out. I don't think porn will have a massive effect on sales this generation, but I don't know. Does anyone in here actually buy porn, especially in high-def?

And the Weinstein Company doesn't really have any decent movies. Dreamworks is a part of Paramount, so that really counts as one studio. So basically you have two good studios supporting HD-DVD and one not so good studio. Personally I don't care for porn, but whatever floats your boat.

[jaja1434]

There are just something I really don't want to see in HD...

[Jamaicangmr]

Well i got a PS3 so logically and by default am on the blu team. lol!

[hahahabutt]

Why, cuz it has a way smaller install base but yet still sells dics. Second peter Jackson supports HD-DVD. Secondly I like the menu's and special features that most HD-DVD's offer and third is because I love how you can watch a movie from anywhere (no region code) And for every one on this site who says they support blu-ray or HD-dvd and does NOT buy MOVIES for that format, then please dont say you support anything..lol cuz you are just lieing to your selves. you buy what your parents want to get you.. nuff said. (this is a gamers website, plz lets all try to keep it that way)

[cmrbe]

It has the most support and is widely considered the better format. Personally i like the format with the biggest capacity not just for movies but also for storage.

[Kinetix]

I got a ps3 also so I'm going to side with the Blu ray. i also went to the mall out here on long island and man were they pushing those disney bd's. i must admit cars and pirates of the Caribbean never looked so nice. it depends too on the tv you have, my tv is a 1080 lcd and im pretty sure those movies would look way better on a 1080 plasma(just a hunch)

[SabreMan]

I am not on either side but i do own a ps3 and so far have purchased 12 Blu Ray movies and rented about the same, infact i'm going to rent Spider Man 3 tonight.
I may be supporting Blu Ray at present but have no allegiance to it as i have no problem buying a stand alone HD dvd player which i may well do in the near future.

I honestly do not care who wins, i feel the blu ray camp will always sell more discs because of the ps3. However both will co exist and will always be around, neither will kill off the other because both camps are determined to succeed but neither will ever outsell standard dvd because the majority of consumers do not care about HD audio visual entertainment.

both blu ray and HD dvd are at present a luxury that no one rearly needs and the masses simply don't care about it

[season007]

hmm is there a mixed apple fans+xbots?
or is it practically possible?
being an apple die hard fans should support blu ray while xbots should be HD DVD supporters....
o wait, isn't it apple fans always say windows/microsoft sucks for OS?
hmm ...it can get complicated..i wonder if there is any apple fans+xbots getting on this site reading news/leaving comments...
AND SPECIFICALLY THIS TOPIC...is gonna be hard for them

[DJ]

More storage, better movie studio support (so the majority of the titles I want are there), and my PS3 uses the format so that's pretty cool.

[djevolve]

I think it will be close. One side you got a good price and people go into wal mart and buy tvs thinking there getting the best quality hd tv when actually there buying a piece of sh-t. they don't look at the ratios don't look at the specs at all, just hey thats a good price.
pack it up put in the car. so hd scored with wal mart and blue ray scored with studios so to hard to tell. I got a hd dvd, I couldn't pass up the 9 free hd dvds at best buy. so whatever it was worth it if they lose but time will tell. please bring the damn hi def disc prices down.

[TheMART]

NONE

I can attach an USB 2.0 HDD to my 360 or stream it wireless from my PC to my 360 to play any HD material/footage I like. Without discs that can be scratched.

Discs are last gen... And will be for sure in a few years, this battle between HD-DVD and BluRay is pretty useless actually.

[demolitionX]

i would say those few years u're talking about, is like 30 years from now??!!

[achira]

blu ray of coure.

[andy001]

Only in America is the HD DVD doing anything of note. In Japan it is nowhere and in Europe as good as nowhere.

As it is part of the PS3 then I am happy buying disks for it. I am unwilling to invest in a player which may become obsolete, Blu Ray or HD DVD. In the meanwhile I can buy the disks and gain the benefit of HD, which I have to say, is pretty cool.

The growing success of the PS3 will mean that there will be a need for Blu Ray disks for a long time, and HD DVD is simply struggling to compete.

Finally, I do believe Blu Ray is the superior technology, simply because of the storage space. All the rest is software driven, and as far as cost of manufacturing, I don't care because the movie companies will not be able to charge too high a price simply because of the DVD price. As far as downloading and that malarky, just look at the recent debacle over google video where customers lost the ability to watch the movies and shows they paid for.

[SIX]

For my PS3.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

More choice more money

[Salvadore]

I will wait until the format war is over.

[demolitionX]

if you have a 1080p TV, you would be missing a lot! go watch MI3 on BD and DVD. the difference is gigantic (pic+sound)

[darthv72]

Sony made statements to the studios basically amounting to: if you back our format we can guarantee your movies will sell because we are going to use our PS3 to push the format into peoples homes.

If this format war was to be compared to anything it would be an election. HDDVD and Bluray are the candidates, Sony and Toshiba are the campaign managers, the movie studios are the electoral college.

Notice how I didnt say the consumers in that comparison???? That is because in "dirty" politics you have a candidate clamoring for votes that they will try and make deals with the senate and congress. Something similar to: if you vote for my candidate we can guarantee your bill/prop/measure will get passed.

Because the studios have drawn lines for which side they are on really leaves no choice to the consumer. Like when the popular vote overshadows the electoral vote, the one with the most electoral votes wins. Basically the studios should make their content on all formats to allow consumers the choice and not alienate the market.

We know sony will never make an HDDVD release of spiderman 3 but other studios should adopt the middle of the road approach and make their movies on both. Forcing consumers to decide by taking away their right to buy (or vote) is not right but it happens.

Paramount should make a bluray version of transformers much like disney should make hddvd versions of their movies and let the consumer decide.

[Xemnas]

blu ray :/

[ironwolf]

with an HDA30. Two guys made the line ahead of me, and bought HDA2s for $197. That was in the first fifteen minutes the store was open. I think the price drop is already taking off.