The rout is on for Blu-Ray

02-16-08: Ears
For once, the superior format [Blu-ray] has won.

How so? Just because it has 50GB in two layers instead of 30? Has anybody on this forum lamented freeze-ups, disappointing digital transfers, or compressed sound on HD DVD? You hear it pretty often about Blu-ray machines and discs. Even a $128 HD DVD player is updatable via its built-in Ethernet port. The only Blu-ray player with that feature is the Playstation 3. Blu-ray discs and players often don't feature or support Dolby True HD, opting instead, at best, to offer uncompressed PCM audio. Since the visuals of the two formats are equal, is Blu-ray using their extra space to store uncompressed PCM rather than more sophisticated lossless compression schemes used in HD DVD soundtracks?

HD DVD has featured interactive features and interactive games since the beginning. Even the $128 HD-A3 has it. Blu-ray won't offer this until Blu-ray Live 2.0, whenever that is, and the only current player that will be upgradeable to that standard is the Playstation 3.

Soooo... in what way is Blu-ray the superior format?

HDDVD should have won but money talks so back room deals and "Gamers" with the Play Station pushed thru a flawed and rushed techmology.and we are all worse off for it. Anyone who thinks Blue Ray is best simply doesnt understand what is really going on.

I have both so I didn't really care who "won". I do believe that Blu has the better hd picture (movie dependent), but the Toshiba Hd players do a much better job with upconversion of std DVD's. Since it looks like the end of Hd, I would recomend holding off on purchasing a Blu player, until they can work out the kinks. Buy a Hd player just for the upscaling capabilities, especially since they are so much nore affordable.

Since it looks like the end of Hd, I would recomend holding off on purchasing a Blu player, until they can work out the kinks.

That's what angers me. For the past year I was watching lots of well-made, enjoyable HD DVDs on my totally reliable, upgradeable, and stupid cheap Toshiba HD-D3. Now for the next year or two I'll be doing without as I wait for Blu-ray technology to catch up in features, reliability, and affordability.

If anybody comes across some fire sales for HD DVD discs, I'd appreciate the info.

In NY Times Business section today is Toshiba announcement they will stop making HD DVD players. Its over. Blu-Ray wins. Expect prices to rise.

Neal