So then it must be a good thing. I'm not missing out on 1080p then. I should just be satsified with 720p and my LCD 20" HDTV.

Why do you even bother replying to him? Ignore him and he'll eventually just get bored of it sicne all he really wants is attention.

And more studios.....they are counting up on the HD DVD format as we speak.

I have a 50'' set, and both 720p/1080i look great on it.

1080p is a complete waste of money IMO.

HD-DVD will look great on it. I'd also recommend that you borrow (?) an upscaling DVD player (a descent one) to check that out. I'm actually astounded how good normal DVDs look on my set (after upscaling). It does depend on the movie though - newer ones tend to be a lot crisper than ones shot in the '80s...

I haven't played around with 720p too much - so I can't really comment on the differences between 720p & 1080i.

Also make sure you get a digital tuner (if you haven't got one). Getting broadcast HD (even SD, digital) TV shows, sports (etc) is great. Its more the 'digital' (vrs Analog) that makes the difference rather than the resolution.

Especially at 20'' :)

Yeah, your right all he is, is a little kid that needs attention.

The main difference between HD-dvd and Blue-ray is what movies you want to watch. Do you want transformers or spiderman 3 etc. Whichever has the movies you want is the one you should get though if price is an issue then HD-dvd wins hands down especially if you get the 360 drive.

Oh I have a digital tuner built in the HDTV already. I'm watching the broadcast HD signal of NBC right now. I'm watching the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears game.

And gosh Shams 50"!!!!

Buying a Samsung/Sony/etc. 1080p display is a waste of money - because they overcharge for their 1080p displays. 720p looks fine enough though, so unless you're picky about wanting to see every detail of 1080 content, you should be fine with what you're looking to buy now.

 edit: (I use a Westinghouse 42" 1080p LCD - not perfect, but works pretty well for what I can afford at the moment)

Here's my two cents:

I have a 360 that's connected to my projector - it's sweet at 120" - and for my day-to-day gaming, I am on a 22" LCD via VGA. I run both at 1080i and you can tell a huge difference. My projector, a Viewsonic PJ501, supports up to 1080i and trust me ... at 10', it's a work of art. As far as 720p looking better than 1080i, I don't see what folks are talking about.

As far as HD movies, I do have a Dish HD-DVR and it's pretty sweet. Running at 1080i, it's as sharp as the X-3 BR I saw running on a Sony 61". I was trying my best to see the difference between my setup at home and the Sony BR setup. Very, very minute, at best.

I have been thinking about buying an HD-DVD for my 360. It makes a lot of sense for me, because it's gonna be a long, long time before I get a PS3 and BR ...

I still can't really believe it happened...

I was planning to grab a 40'' set, as my "next" major upgrade - and pay around $2200-$2500(AU) for it.

So I ended up at JB HiFi (looking for something completely different), and saw a bunch of sets.

Then I saw my set... a 50'' Plasma (up to 1080i, no 1080p) for UNDER $2000 AU.

I couldn't believe it... chatted to the guy. Newest model, Chinese brand, pretty reliable, great looking screen (best one I saw at the store)... so I grabbed it. Price is special, because its "apparently" a brand OWNED by JB HiFi - so they can do it at cost, and stop other companies from selling them.

Still sort of in shock - 50'' sets are being advertised NOW for between $3k .. $6k.

...

And as I probably mentioned before, the Wii looks awesome on it. ExciteTruck is mind blowing. Can't wait to borrow/get a 360, and check out Ninja Gaiden II + Mass Effect sometime in the future.