HD DVD vs BluRay

[engine]

Loosely speaking, Blu-ray discs can hold more data, while HD DVD discs and players are less expensive to make. Also, several readers who have used both say they prefer the menu system on the current batch of HD DVD players. My take on this is that once the format wars are over, the normal process of engineering improvements will work through many of the kinks in Blu-ray. Costs for this sort of thing just go down, and they fall faster with volume. Menus are software and can be fixed. Again, everybody benefits from a standard.
The other interesting discussion is whether we really need a high-definition disc at all. Some people suggested that the latest round of “upconverting” DVD players can turn the 480 lines of resolution on DVDs into a very nice picture on a 720 or 1080 line HD set.

HD DVD vs BluRay [bits.blogs.nytimes.com]

My standard DVD Recorder has 1080P output, so it's annoying to think I will have to upgrade!

[Lord Majestic]

Given speed at which broadband revolution is going on I think physical format will be irrelevant as people will be getting any HD video on demand streamed directly from their chosen supplier. We are probably 3-5 years away from it, but it takes years to have format like this established in the first place - its useful life won't be long. Microsoft has probably stalled the market long enough with their own format to make this Sony victory a pyrrhic one.

[jimbeetle]

We are probably 3-5 years away from it...

Vudu is doing this now through a 400 buck set-top box and will supposedly have 70 HD titles available for screening by the end of this month. Not sure how the quality of the streaming will compare with that of a disc.

It does look like Sony's Blu-ray is going to win out, but I've decided to wait a few months until the final standard machines are available. These will have Ethernet ports for connection to the 'Net and a few other enhancements.

[Dabrowski]

round of “upconverting” DVD players can turn the 480 lines of resolution on DVDs into a very nice picture on a 720 or 1080 line HD set

In the same way my digital camera has a digital zoom, and an optical. There's a reason why the optical version is better.

[thecoalman]

Chances are if you buy a HD-DVD player you'll be buying the next betamax . Warner brothers jumped ship about a week ago and Paramount is apparently going with them which will all but kill the format.

DVD's do look good from a player that scales well but its still the same deatail available, just in larger softer picture. Something along the lines of scaling an image with image editing software, all you doing is removing the blockiness and sharpness but creating a better overall image for larger scales. You aren't adding detail which is what a true HD source will have.

[engine]

Consumer electronics maker Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it is slashing prices of its HD DVD format players by between 40 to 50 percent as major Hollywood studios move to embrace Sony Corp's (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) Blu-ray format high definition DVDs.

Toshiba America Consumer Products said it cut prices of its HD DVD players effective Jan. 13 to boost market adoption of its next-generation DVD players by mainstream consumers after what it said was a successful fourth quarter in unit sales.

"While price is one of the consideration elements for the early adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer," said Toshiba executive Yoshi Uchiyama in a statement.

Toshiba cuts US HD player prices [uk.reuters.com]

[Rugles]

Sony is going to win this time because they put the BluRay technology on Playstation 3's. Therefore making people less apprehensive to buy a machine because you can still use it for games. Plus, they immediately have a bigger share of the market just because of the Playstation 3 connection.

[engine]

I don't know it's that clear cut, Rugles, but, yes, it may be nearing the beginning of the end for one of them.

For the consumer, there have to be good reasons to upgrade, and price is a major issue.
The difference between the image produced on HD DVD and BluRay is next to nothing and not a great deal between today's upscaling DVD players/recorders. Most people won't notice the difference.