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Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD

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John Kercheval

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I realize I know nothing about HT, but can anyone explain to me if there is a difference b/w Blu-Ray and HD-DVD?
I am buying a Sony Blu-Ray player which will also play "standard " DVDs,
is HD-DVD yet a third format? Another name for Blu-Ray? Something else?
John in DC

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Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - videophile 13:11:44 05/15/07 (1)
Why not just wait for the universal players? LG announced their player at CES but Samsung may actually have theirs on the shelves first. It looks like all the manufacturers except Sony are scrambling to get universal players out the door.
- LG already has a combo Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player on the market... - oscar 18:40:56 05/15/07 (0)
  I know, I own one !
  Unless you were talking about one which will play Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, DVD, DVD-A, SACD, DAD, CD et....
  There are issues to deal with though: It appears I can't listen to DTS HD MA and TrueHD is available only in stereo. And a primary reason why I like having uncompressed LPCM audio tracks on the HD movies.
Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - panhead 08:19:34 05/14/07 (1)
I dont see an end to this format war soon. If you are an enthusiast why not buy both? The sony bd player is wonderful and well worth every penny it costs. Upscales DVDs beautifully, excellent color and GREAT sound (but does not play CDs). No problems with latest firmware update. The toshiba A2 is relatively inexpensive. Total costs $800 + $350. Not outside of the cost of a medium range universal player. And I bet you could find these players cheaper than I did.
- Good points - Jack G 13:27:37 05/14/07 (0)
  Stand alone players are only going to get cheaper. Getting one of each isn't outragous, and will be even cheaper by the end of the year. If you don't want the clutter, os have limited TV inputs, go for a dual player.
  Jack
Other than pricing, the biggest difference is Blu-Ray has higher available storage capacity and higher bandwidth. - oscar 06:33:09 05/14/07 (0)
The storage and bandwidth constraints has a theoretical impact on audio and video quality. I.e. the less compression, the better, everything else being equal. Whether that shows as a "perchievable" difference between Blu-Ray and HD DVD has become a very active discussion topic on the AVS forum.
In my case, the release of uncompressed LPCM audio tracks on a large number of Blu-Ray movies has been a definite plus.
Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - 4season 22:00:36 05/13/07 (3)
They are competing and incompatible standards, both of which are capable of 1080p output. Of the two, HD DVD has been on the market longer.
At the moment, Blu-Ray is supported by more manufacturers and movie studios. However, prices for Blu-Ray players are also somewhat higher, and if lists of top-selling products on Circuit City and Amazon websites are to be believed, it looks to me that HD DVD players are currently outselling Blu-Ray, and when movies are available in both formats, that HD DVD may have a slight numerical edge. Note that those lists don't include sales of Sony's Playstation 3 console, however.
I had originally planned to sit out this war of the competing formats, but things changed when I got a spiffy new 1080p TV set, wanted a player that could upscale my regular DVDs, and decided that paying a bit extra (~$415 + 5 bonus movies) for a Toshiba HD DVD player seemed like an okay risk. Had originally thought I'd be getting a Playstation 3 and hence, joining he Blu-Ray camp by default, and this may happen in the future, but for now, there's no games I really want to play on it and it doesn't upscale regular DVDs yet, so that's on indefinite hold.
- Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - John Kercheval 02:45:21 05/14/07 (2)
  Thanks for your note. That's exactly the info I was looking for.
  John
  - You should peruse the list of movies available on both Blu-Ray and HD DVD before making a decision. - oscar 06:23:58 05/14/07 (1)
    If there is a "gotta have" movie available only on a particular format, you might consider a player capable of playing that format. Of the big players, Universal supports HD DVD exclusively, while Sony, Fox, and Disney support Blu-Ray exclusively. There are also some smaller labels which are exclusive to one format or another.
    Or you might go with a format neutral player like me (LG BH-100).
    - This is really good advice - 4season 11:03:24 05/14/07 (0)
      I don't know about B-D, but bestbuy.com seems to have one of the best listings of what's available on HD DVD, though it doesn't include imports.
Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - hibeta 19:27:54 05/13/07 (4)
Why are you buying the Sony if you don't know anything about Blu Ray vs. HD-DVD? You might want to do some research...just google either and you'll get lots of immediate information and opinions. Many people will tell you that it is still too early to buy. Others will say Blu Ray and others will say HD-DVD. It's ill advised to buy without doing your homework.
- Re: Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - John Kercheval 02:44:33 05/14/07 (3)
  Thanks but it is not ill advised at all.
  The purchase would be made regardless if the HD DVD/Blu-Ray situation. You will notice my question was NOT: "Should I buy one..." or "Should I do my 'homework'..." it WAS "I'm buying one, what is the difference."
  - Which one did you get? (nt) - Jack G 05:33:31 05/14/07 (2)
    .
    - This One - John Kercheval 06:36:03 05/14/07 (1)
      http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HD-DVD-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/sem/rpsm/catOid/-16221/N/20012866+20012872+20016221+40000129/link/ref/rpem/ccd/categorylist.do
      - Hope you got a good price for it.(nt) - Jack G 06:39:22 05/14/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: This One posted by John Kercheval on May 14, 2007 at 06:36:03:
        
        .