Alright. It's my father's birthday this week and he's a rabid technophile. The one home theater component he's yet to purchase is a Hi-Def disc player, and I'm considering getting him one. What are the pros and cons of each technology?

I was looking at the same thing for myself (which my parents would purchase).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of...al_disc_formats

 

HD DVD players are cheaper.

 

Pretty similar disc formats but if you don't have a preference after looking at that, you need to look at which studios have exclusive contracts with a format and decide which you'd like more.

 

I have Blu-Ray but my brother has both and I have noticed zero difference in picture quality. All really comes down to the titles each is offering.

Thanks Fox. I didn't expect wikipedia to have an entry comparing the formats. :thumbup

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

Yep.

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

Yep.

 

Does the image quality improve (like some guy at Best Buy claimed yesterday)?

My gut tells me to go with HD DVD because it doesn't seem like studios will want to give Sony the advantage in the home theater movie market. So my prediction with very little research done is that HD DVD will out last Blu-Ray. (But again, I'm just talking out of my ass)

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

Yep.

 

Does the image quality improve (like some guy at Best Buy claimed yesterday)?

My player upconverts, but I'm not sure all do.

 

DVDs are going to look better, but its not going to be anywhere close to watching a Hi-Def disc.

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

 

Yes you can.

 

 

The problem right now is that both Hi-Def formats future are still very uncertain. With certain studios backing one format or the other, you may not get every movie you are looking for under that format. If you've decided that he has to have a Hi-Def player, I would try to find one that plays both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray:

 

LG Super Blu Player

 

A little on the pricey side, but you do get some sort of future proofing by going this route. Just a suggestion.

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

 

Yes you can.

 

 

The problem right now is that both Hi-Def formats future are still very uncertain. With certain studios backing one format or the other, you may not get every movie you are looking for under that format. If you've decided that he has to have a Hi-Def player, I would try to find one that plays both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray:

 

LG Super Blu Player

 

A little on the pricey side, but you do get some sort of future proofing by going this route. Just a suggestion.

 

My dad isn't a drug dealer.

My gut tells me to go with HD-Dvd because it doesn't seem like studios will want to give Sony the advantage in the home theater movie market. So my prediction with very little research done is that HD-Dvd will out last Blue Ray. (But again, I'm just talking out of my ass)

Blu!!!!!

 

Sorry, I'm anal.

 

Being serious, I think the winner will be whichever format the porn industry grasps the most similar to what happened with VHS and Betamax.

My gut tells me to go with HD-Dvd because it doesn't seem like studios will want to give Sony the advantage in the home theater movie market. So my prediction with very little research done is that HD-Dvd will out last Blue Ray. (But again, I'm just talking out of my ass)

Blu!!!!!

 

Sorry, I'm anal.

 

Being serious, I think the winner will be whichever format the porn industry grasps the most similar to what happened with VHS and Betamax.

Yeah. I just noticed that when I started reading about it.

 

(I'm anal too, so part of me wanted to go back and edit everything...)

Can I play regular DVDs on a Blu-Ray player?

 

Yes you can.

 

 

The problem right now is that both Hi-Def formats future are still very uncertain. With certain studios backing one format or the other, you may not get every movie you are looking for under that format. If you've decided that he has to have a Hi-Def player, I would try to find one that plays both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray:

 

LG Super Blu Player

 

A little on the pricey side, but you do get some sort of future proofing by going this route. Just a suggestion.

 

My dad isn't a drug dealer.

 

 

I hear ya. Kind of ridiculous that after a full year we still can't get one unified Hi-Def format and are at risk of being left out in the cold if the format you pick goes under. I want to get a Hi-Def player in the worst way, but I refuse to get stuck with a piece of technology that can go the way of Laserdisc and the Betamax. Thats just my opinion and certainly don't knock any one who has gone ahead and has purchased one of the two formats. Its just that you kind of have to know what your are purchasing before you go out and do it.

My gut tells me to go with HD-Dvd because it doesn't seem like studios will want to give Sony the advantage in the home theater movie market. So my prediction with very little research done is that HD-Dvd will out last Blue Ray. (But again, I'm just talking out of my ass)

Blu!!!!!

 

Sorry, I'm anal.

 

Being serious, I think the winner will be whichever format the porn industry grasps the most similar to what happened with VHS and Betamax.

 

Didn't the porn industry a year back choose the HD-DVD format? I know they picked one, I just can't remember which.

My gut tells me to go with HD-Dvd because it doesn't seem like studios will want to give Sony the advantage in the home theater movie market. So my prediction with very little research done is that HD-Dvd will out last Blue Ray. (But again, I'm just talking out of my ass)

Blu!!!!!

 

Sorry, I'm anal.

 

Being serious, I think the winner will be whichever format the porn industry grasps the most similar to what happened with VHS and Betamax.

 

Didn't the porn industry a year back choose the HD-DVD format? I know they picked one, I just can't remember which.

There is porn on both.

 

Sony isn't a fan of adult media on their formats (Blu-Ray, UMD)

 

So although they aren't banning it, they aren't really embracing and promoting it.

I hear ya. Kind of ridiculous that after a full year we still can't get one unified Hi-Def format and are at risk of being left out in the cold if the format you pick goes under. I want to get a Hi-Def player in the worst way, but I refuse to get stuck with a piece of technology that can go the way of Laserdisc and the Betamax. Thats just my opinion and certainly don't knock any one who has gone ahead and has purchased one of the two formats. Its just that you kind of have to know what your are purchasing before you go out and do it.

That's really the decision I'm coming to. I'm having trouble justifying it because I could be wasting my money on the player and he on his future Hi-Def disc purchases. At the same time, though, why keep investing in DVDs, which are quickly moving towards obsolescence?

 

:banghead

While I didn't pay for my Blu-Ray player (Wedding gift) I have zero problem investing in Blu-Ray discs because I will always have the player if it is the format which doesn't, 'win'.

 

I'm pretty optimistic in their chances of winning the market though but regardless of that until HDTV's become more popular and take the lion share of the market (still several years off in my opinion), both formats will co-exist. I think that really lowers the risk in getting behind one format.

i know zip about this but my friend who i trust on these issues says that blu ray will probably win the battle....my 2 cents

Interesting article about this question came out about a week ago in Business Week.

 

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/conte...position=link35

Alright. It's my father's birthday this week and he's a rabid technophile. The one home theater component he's yet to purchase is a Hi-Def disc player, and I'm considering getting him one. What are the pros and cons of each technology?

That's a huge question.

 

Blu-Ray has a max size of 50GB (25GB x 2 layers), while HD-DVD has a max size of 51GB (17GB x 3 layers).

 

The only thing is catalog. If WB decides to go all-Blu, go Blu. Otherwise, get a Super-Blu and play both.

 

(One big thing: HD-DVD is region-free, just differences between NTSC and PAL.)

I know about HDTV, but not HD DVD formats.

 

Is there a market for players to can handle both formats?

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-13817_7-6462511-1.html

Get HD-DVD because even if a movie in Blu-ray exclusive in the US region, all HD-DVD players are region-free so you can find an HD-DVD from another country where the studio distributing it in another country that does support HD-DVD will allow you to watch it on your player.

 

Also, HD-DVD + Blu-ray players are idiotic.

also something to think about if u want a blu ray player i think the ps3 is one of the cheapest if not the cheapest on the market plus u get a ps3...at least this is what ive heard

I know about HDTV, but not HD DVD formats.

 

Is there a market for players to can handle both formats?

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-13817_7-6462511-1.html

That's what Super-Blu is, though they are pretty expensive themselves.