Blockbuster goes Blu-ray, HD DVD=beta?,

Just to update, it looks like there are going to be 9 or 10 HD-DVD player manufacturers on board in time for Christmas, with sub 200 dollar HD-DVD players. The pictures of these various units are now everywhere. Names like Onkyo, Intgera, and Magnavox as well as some newer ones. In ddition, Alpine went HD-DVD for Car Video ( quite the industry I understand) there is also a portable HD-DVD manufacturer as well, which is pretty cool too. Probably ubiquitous Hd-DVD drives for computers in the near future ( besides Microsoft).

This, inconcewrt with the now slight lead HD-DVD has in movie studios among the top 100 releases for movies this year, makes HD-DVD the current format of choice it seems.

I'm writing this from the Denver Airport on my way back from CEDIA Expo. I saw a LOT of Blu-ray and HD-DVD demos in the last week. Much like last year, they alternated between breathtakingly good looking, and "meh."

Just like DVD (or any other format) what was goin on in the mastering process has a profound impact on the final image on screen, no matter how good your player or how fastidiously you've calibrated your display.

Rysa4,

As I stated much earlier in this thread, content will likely be the deciding factor. It appears that the HD-DVD camp agrees with me as they paid $150 Million in order to get two studios to go exclusive for 18 months with HD-DVD.

The data indeed shows HD-DVD is no longer losing as badly as before eProduct Wars

Cheap is not everything...why is Dell doing so badly if cheap is the way to go? Why did Apple iPod do so well - given it was far from cheapest on the market?

I continue to think content will dominate consumers choices, after all this is why you buy a player.....to watch a movie!

I agree with you that the content playing field is much more evenly matched then it was previously and it is starting to show in the sales. It may indeed give HD-DVD enough of an edge ( this last move certainly seemed like desperation on the part of the HD-DVD camp) but I also doubt this is the last move we have seen in this battle....if the data shows BD losing its lead then I expect they will respond to.

HD bought their way to two studios because they nearly lost the format war this year

I have a ps3 and am considering a cheap HD player and a good BLue Ray player (samsung 2400 comes out soon)
then I can have the best of both world with no 'one box does it all' compromised setup

Well thanks for your post. I think we agree on most things. Blu Ray isnt going away anytime soon obviously. And sure there will be punches flying in both directions in one form or another to be sure.

The thing about 150 million though- thats more myth than reality. Nobody is saying that anyone specific paid anything--in other words, nobody is saying we paid this much money. Toshiba doesnt have 150 million dollars to pay a studio with as an FYI.

I do know its cheaper for astudio to get HD-DVD mdae than Blu ray discs, and thats better for everyone in the end.

I agree content is important, but in an even playing field which we now have, production and hardware costs will win out--its just that way.