Bob Caswell - Latest Comments in Help Me Decide: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

Re: Help Me Decide: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

tom4cam — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:51:14 -0000

I just did a quick check, and it looks like the Toshiba HD-A2 is currently available starting at $199 (http://techbargains.pricegrabber.com/search_att...). But I wouldn't be surprised to see it drop again during all the big Thanksgiving sales. Toshiba is pushing the HD-DVD players hard as a strategy to win the format wars, but the weekly sales numbers show more Blu-ray discs being sold. I don't know how long it took for VHS to win over Beta, but this time it may be more like the DVD+R and the DVD-R wars. In the end it ended up becoming a dual format. This time it may also end in a tie.

Re: Help Me Decide: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

Bob Caswell — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:51:34 -0000

Tom, any of those $99 HD-DVD players still left?

Re: Help Me Decide: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

tom4cam — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:26:53 -0000

I went with HD-DVD, although Sony and Disney are exclusively Blu-Ray. For me it was a simple question of price, and when Wal-mart put their Toshiba HD-DVD players on sale for $99 last week (and Best Buy matched it), I decided it was time for me to jump in. I really don't care that much who wins because I just joined Netflix and I really don't buy that many movies. So for now I plan on renting rather than buying. I don't know how long it will take for these format wars to end, but until then I have found a way to enjoy all the high-definition movies I want through Netflix.

Re: Help Me Decide: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

Paul Ellis — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:49:16 -0000

Actually, more movies are available in HD-DVD. HD-DVD does not have any region codes/restrictions so you can get a lot of movies that are "Blu-Ray Only" in the U.S. from European online retailers in HD-DVD. Sure, you can't get the Blu-ray exclusives on HD-DVD at Target/Walmart here, but you can still get them.

HD-DVD is the more consumer friendly format; not be be confused with actually being consumer friendly however. My vote is on HD-DVD. I'm really close to buying one.