I sure think that the HD market for movies will gain ground Regular DVD's on an HDTV has a pretty visible difference when compared to a HD-DVD or Blu-ray. While I really only care about the difference in movies that use alot of Special effects the difference is there. Really the price of most of the movies on Bluray are only about $5 more than the special edition DVD's and ussually if I am intrested enough to get a movie I ussualy go with the Special Edition.

I still buy DVD movies though because as of now I do have 3 other DVD players in the house and I will get my 5 and 4 year old daughters a $30 DVD player but not a $300 dollar one.

The point is the next format is years away from overtaking DVD but the sooner the "next format" is decided on the faster the prices will fall on that format. someone in China will make it Cheaper. once it is cheaper then DVD will go away and spend more time with those VHS machinces that were never going anywhere.

If Sony's going to bring out a $400 sku, they''' do so by removing all the chips that support backwards compatibility and maybe a few other features (like Wi Fi and the card reader). It may not be the best choice, but it's still better than the 360 Core/Arcade package.

I think the format war has been decided just based on the speed with which the HD-DVD players have dropped in price. They make compelling price points already. They are only going to be better by the holidays. Having recently spent a wad of cash on a HD-TV I am not in the mood to cough up a large mass of cash to watch a Hi Def format. I think most consumers feel the same way.

Having been a avid movie collector for years. I have well over three hundred DVDs in my collection. I can attest to the fact that most studios are lazy about additional content, and they do not feel taxed by the notion of multiple discs. Most people are totally oblivious to the fact that there is such a thing as dual sided DVDs, and some more recent players can no longer handle them. That said the only argument of merit is the price rather then early adoption.

Technological supremacists are always among the early adopters. They lust for specs, and rarely let prices get in their way. They are worth courting to get your product to the market, but they determine nothing about the buying habits of the masses.

I think the only consideration has always been and always will be the price factor. When it comes to two nearly identical items. Which is what these formats are. There is nothing that actually distinguishes them except for their prices. They both provide the exact same quality, functionality, and support. They both are backwards compatible, and the only difference there is one is being used as a gaming format while the other requires compatibility with CDs. They both can contain full length movies with the standard bonus features. Most episodic content will still be volume restricted to disc so the studios make more money. They both support the same high level of visuals.

I am going to pick up a HD-DVD player in a couple months. Not necessarily because it is the better format. I see no real measurable difference, and further more I do not have the money to waste. I know I will get no more content for the money, and if I am wrong so what I got an expensive DVD player. I could end up being out far more in cash if I am wrong the other way.

High Definition televisions are moving faster, because the price has dropped down low enough that people can start to buy them. The same holds true for formats. The faster the prices drop the more players that will sell. That is obscenely logical. People want to watch the best looking movies on their new televisions, and they do not want to get shafted on the price front a second time. That is a realistic expectation.

Not true. According to the tech experts, BluRay has definite technological advantages: its smaller wavelength equals more long-term storage capacity. How much more, we don't know just yet, because the engineers are hard at work on this, but the difference is real. HDDVD's only real advantage was price, and now that advantage is pretty much gone, as you've noted - low-cost BluRay players are going to flood the market this holiday season.

Biased? No - just realistic. I give credit where its due, and won't hesitate to bag a company out when they deserve it (including Ninty). Sony aren't exactly flying now.

Uninformed?? I'll ignore that one.... for now.

...

I have mentioned this many, many times in the past - and will do so one more time...

I never asked to be a mod. The only reason I am a mod, is so that I can post news items. I'll rarely ban someone, and will always try to err on the side of caution (re: banning).

So don't expect me to temper my views or opinions just because my name appears in red. This is the friggin Internet for heavens sake - if you can't post opinions here, there isn't much point to be using it.

...

BTW - I have been coding games for 22 years, have worked at 4(5?) game studios, have been producer/lead coder/lead designer on various published titles (including console/handheld/PC titles) - and have even opened/run/closed a studio of my own.

What have you done?

 Amen.  I have heard the shams bias thrown around a couple times lately and I find it completely unfounded. You provide news with insight. Certainly not biased and always well informed.  And seeing your credentials it is easy to understand why.

As always, props to the mods for their hard work. 

Just because a moderator has an opinion doesn't mean he's going to treat members unfairly. I see so much whining on this board about the biased moderators, but I never see any examples of members being treated unfairly. Unless you can find examples of that, quit whining about the bias on here. Christ, just because you moderate the forums doesn't mean you're not allowed to have an opinion.

With the $399 40 gig, I wonder if it'll still have wi-fi and memory slot. I think it'll do well if the 5 blurays are still included along with Spidey 3. would be nice if a new list of blurays was available to include spidey 1 and 2 (in separate choice categories ofcourse). :D

SlorgNet I noted nothing of the sort. I noted that the HD-DVD format will be affordable this holiday season in that some of them are retailing now for less then two hundred dollars in the form of the Microsoft HD-DVD player and in stand alone players you can find a number of models for less then $300. Given these numbers its a safe bet the prices will be well below $200 by this holiday season. Having shopped extensively I have found no Blu Ray players below $450. That is a sizable difference wouldn't you say. One costs two times more then the other.

The technical differences are neither drastic, or in any real sense demonstrable. Studios rarely make ample use of the format space they have now, and there is no rational reason for them to do so. Few movies come with ample bonus material. Nor do companies see fit to jam as much material into a single disc as they can. I site the example of double sided discs it is easy enough to place nine television episodes on to a single DVD. However you purchase most series in four episode increments on a single disc, and when you buy compilations it is the same you just get three or four discs. This is damn near universal with few exceptions. Extra space simply put does not get used.

I highly recommend you spend some time comparing the products as if you were going to make the purchase. To me and most of the world for that matter $200 is a large sum of money. With that money I could buy a lot of other things that will enhance my entertainment experience. I just think your woefully ignorant about the prices of these things.

I would like to watch a whole season of Battle Star Galactica on on disc.
TV shows should be used to push HD-Discs.
I would love to see a complete seasons on one disc.