xfilefanfreak

Please help want to upgrade my dvd ,any help ,whats your input should i get HD,or Blue ray.i dont no,witch is better.thank you.

Robert

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=451129

xfilefanfreak

So Sorry

rodzm

I dont own Blu but I must say that my HD A2 is one kicka$$ upconverting player. I have heard the upconverting of regular DVD's is not so great with Blu players but what do it know since i dont own a Blu-Ray player. HD is awesome and for the price you really cant beat it plus you have a great selection of movies. I would highly suggest HD DVD for its price and quality of movies, you really cant beat it if you want to get into the High Def game

Yakuza Bengoshi

It's worth noting that several studios (e.g., Sony, Disney, Fox, Lions Gate, and MGM) as well as content distributors (Image, Anchor Bay, and Tartan) are exclusively Blu-ray. Only Universal is exclusively HD-DVD.

True_Story1011

It maynot be very financially responsible - But what the Hell...

Go Both!

Alot of members have!

The Bus

HD DVD

Pros:
Cheaper hardware
Some format exclusives (Clerks II, Universal, Batman*, Matrix*, some older WB movies*) *will come out on Blu-Ray eventually
Some software is a "combo" so if you see movies in more than one location you don't need to buy the movie twice, same disc works on HD DVD and DVD players

Cons:
Some software is more expensive (expect to pay $5-$10 more for a "combo")



Blu-Ray

Pros:
More studio support. You lose Universal but you pick up Disney and Sony/MGM and Lionsgate (Pixar, Casino Royale, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Best hardware also plays video games (PS3)

Cons:
More expensive hardware (by $100 to $200).
Best hardware is a video game machine (this does not bother many).



Dual Format

Pros:

Any movie, any format.

Cons:

Hardware investment is double.


<hr>

I personally would go HD DVD now and get 5 free movies. Your cost will be far under $299. Plan to pick up Blu-Ray later in the year. I fully expect for a BD player to appear at a cost of under $299 by year's end, although possibly only for a special sale.

Your total investment is $598, which is less than some people here have spent for their first player.

If one or more formats "fail", you still have a great upscaling DVD player and your existing Blu-Ray / HD DVD collection will be good for years to come.

I myself plan to go dual format but may not do it until year's end or later.

Sweet Baby James

That's also my plan. I got the A2 from Crutchfield for under $200 and hope to get a BR for under $300 in the next few months. I have an HDTV in both my bedroom and the family room, so one of each will fit the bill.

egy971

Both.

Jericho

This seems pretty exaggerated. Only new releases (as opposed to catalog titles are combos) are combos, and they're only used by Universal and WB. But here's the cost of new movies by studio, combo or not

Universal (all are combos) $39.98
Fox $39.98
Paramount $39.99
Sony $38.96 (unless your count Spiderman 3, which is $50)
Warner Brothers HD-DVD combo $39.99, Blu-Ray $34.99
Disney $34.99

All the studios charge $40 for new movies, except WB for Blu-Rays and Disney. You pay the same for a combo from Universal as you would any new movie from Sony, Paramount, or Fox. And Disney, while charging less for new releases, charges more for catalog titles.

So at best, you'll pay $5 more for HD-DVD combos and only on titles from Warner Brothers. And that's if you pay full MSRP. More likely the difference is down to a few bucks after discounts.


All of which I post not to boost HD-DVD. If anything, I'd recommend buying a PS3 and getting Blu Ray. But the bitching over the price of combos never made sense to me. Universal charges the same for combos as three other major studios charge (Sony, Paramount, Fox) for their non-combo movies. And the number of combos a person has is probably pretty small, since all catalog titles are not combo releases.

nemein

There is also a 5 free Blu-Ray offer going on now as well. So if that is the only deciding point you're back to square one

Personally my plan is... I just picked up a PS3, later in the year I'm hoping to get a 360 w/ the HD drive so I'll have both along w/ the respective game machines. Once the format war dies down and something is decided I'll pick up a new console player in that format.

tonymontana313

Good job in making a new member feel welcome.

Burnt Thru

true for msrp, but the actual prices in stores is somewhat different. for whatever reason combos are not generally discounted as favourably as their counterparts, regardless of studio. what this means in reality is that as a consumer you and i will pay more for a combo than for a new release from the other studios. sometimes it will only be 2 or 3 dollars, sometimes it will be more.

The Bus

Quoted for truth. Almost every combo sold at Best Buy and Circuit City is $34.99. Other titles are (inadequately) discounted to $29.99 or $27.99 or $24.99.

I think Warner should've sold 300 at a lower price for the combo, or at least offered sale incentives to retailers. Have the DVD for $14.99 on sale, and the HD DVD combo and BD for $24.99. I think the portability of combos weighs equally against the aesthetic minuses (no disc art, etc.) but when you add $5-$10 to the mix (which is often the price of the regular DVD), there's no point.

Hammer99

Both is the only way to fly. But if you absolutely can't afford both, the safest bet is Blu & the PS3.

darkside

This is my current opinion on the subject.

namja

This should do it.