Are you going HD-DVD this Christmas?
The whole HD-DVD/Blu Ray format war continues. So do your homework first.
I personally favour the HD-DVD format, so I have created a quick video with my current thoughts about the costs/offers for Christmas 2007.
I may however choose to sit this one out as I think within the next 6 months the format war will be over and this seasons sales will play a big part in that decision.
Interested in this topic? Check the video below.
This video runs for 3m47s
Click the Play Icon to view.
Notes: Amazon Does not list the two free HD-DVD’s in the box, other retailers do. If you want piece of mind you could order from Play.com for example.
Play.com Link:
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/3497129/Toshiba-HD-EP30-HD-DVD-Player/Product.html
Amazon Link
Toshiba HD-EP30 – HD DVD Player – With 1080P Full HD3 – Plus 5 Free HD DVD’s (See Below For Voucher)
October 31st, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Unless you can easily spare the money I’d wait until next Xmas when hi-def players will have halved again in price. Plus consumer hi-def recorders are on the horizon. At the moment I believe SkyHD is the only consumer device that can record hi-def broadcasts so perhaps there isn’t a demand for Bluray/HDDVD recorders just yet – at least not until Freeview carries some HD channels or more people have HD camcorders (which are also dropping in price).
I’m with you Colin – favouring HD-DVD – but now the Playstation 3 can be had for £300 it’s quite a bargain if you want a hi-def video player, a next-gen games console, and a media centre. (But the 40Gb model won’t play old PS2 games). I prefer the Xbox 360 as it has many more games and its HD-DVD drive add-on costs just £110. Great if you don’t mind an extra box lying around.
October 31st, 2007 at 5:31 pm
The good thing about the X-box 360 HD-DVD Drive is it now comes with a similar rebate for 5 free HD-DVD titles. If I was an Xbox360 owner I would have probably gone down that road.
Little known fact: I am the worlds worst video game player
SkyHD is a joke, well not a joke exactly more a HD-Tax. As in you want anything HD you have to pay the unnoficial HD-Tax. In SkyHD’s case £200 extra for hardware and £120 a year in subs.
If I was still watching DVD movies over a scart connection I would be more interested in the next generation formats. However I watch all my movies via a HTPC connected to a 720p display using VGA and the picture quality is amazing (considering the mpeg2 source).
I have my fingers crossed that HD-DVD prevails but no one really knows.
One company could end the debate over formats in a heartbeat and that is Warner Brothers, if they chose a single format instead of supporting both, the game would be over.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Given Sky has a national monopoly on HDTV we don’t really have a choice if we want to see some of our favourite TV shows in glorious HD (albeit mostly US imports). We’d be lucky to see regular HD transmissions on Freeview by 2012. The Beeb are only looking at 4 hours a day (at night!) at the moment.
I’ve just read an interview in Starburst magazine with Alan Bell, Paramount’s Chief Technical Officer, who says they’re releasing the Transformers movie on HD-DVD only (not Blu-ray) because of technical advantages. HD-DVD can do true picture-in-picture such as showing the raw camera footage while showing the final film, or connect to the Internet to download (and store) extra features or updated features – that’s a mandatory part of the HD-DVD spec while on Blue-Ray it’s only an option which isn’t supported on current players. Interesting. I guess that proves size isn’t everything!
October 31st, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Cool, hopefully Transformers will be to HD-DVD what the Matrix was to DVD.
“300″ was similarly superior on the HD-DVD format.
Colin
January 5th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
The War is over
http://www.colindiponio.com/2008/01/05/the-next-generation-hi-def-war-is-over-standard-def-dvd-won/
January 5th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
[...] I hate quoting myself but..(Link see Comments 31/10/2007) One company could end the debate over formats in a heartbeat and that is Warner Brothers, if they chose a single format instead of supporting both, the game would be over. [...]