Latest on Blu-Ray vs HD DVD ?

Thanks for the correction, I realized my mistake. I still have some homework to do. Thanks again to all for the input.

I have not really been paying much attention to the new hi-res video players. I am much more of an analog 2-channel audio guy..... Having said that I do like watching movies on my HT system. So I wonder if you guy's can give me some general feedback (not to hijack Blkadr's thread)? I have a Sony XBR 40 CRT TV that's about three years old now and of course doesn't have HDMI or 1080p capabilities.

Would the new hi-res Blu-Ray or HD-DVD formats be much of an upgrade over my current Sony S9000ES DVD player? Or, do I need to wait until I upgrade my TV (which is not happening anytime real soon)?

Thanks,

Chris

CMO, I use the same TV in one of my systems and hooked the Sony Blu-ray to it. Although it will not do 1080p, the 1080i did look significantly better. It was so sharp, you could see how the actors makeup is applied! I also own the 9000es and the HD is superior. On regular DVD formats the 9100es makes as good a picture as the BR and is a step above the 9000es. I use it because the BR player doesn't play CD or SACD. I normally use the BR player on the 46" set.
Too bad the 40" want do 1080p because it certainly has a better picture than any other of the newer sets I have viewed. I have a 46" Sony XBR LCD set and the older 40" XBR is superior even though I like the size and weight of the newer set vs the 300#+ of the older one. It also formats regular video full screen instead of the black left and right areas of the new set in its native size. I don't like the stretch modes because it distorts the picture too much on the newer set.
I still can't understand widescreen when both sets have the upper and lower black areas. You would think a widescreen set would show a widescreen full screen but that is not the case. Unfortunately, I guess we are stuck with what is for the time being.

My projector- a Marantz 1 chip DLP that peforms quite well, on a Stewart gray screen, cannot accomodate 1080p, but the picture from hi-def discs definitely looks better on the big screen. I did buy the LG player, I don't really care about the lack of HD functionality because I essentially plop a disc in, watch a movie, that's it. Given the limits of my current projector, I cannot make meaningful comparisons of the two formats, but my suspicion is that the quality may have more to do with disc mastering than with the technical differences between the two formats.
My biggest gripe as an early adopter is that there are no HMDI 1.3 compatible audio processors available- the lossless compression on these discs is available if you use the analog outputs of the blu/hd players.
In other respects, my video system, while not the latest by any means, has served me well: older Meridian processor; an HD Leeza backbone for video processing and native rate scaling, and a host of ARC tube amps, a big McI, a bunch of Snells and a pair of Velodynes. Some of this equipment has been in HT service since the mid-90's, so I'm pretty happy about the mix between newer technology and shelf life of the various components.

Bigtee and Bill,

I just can't see putting a lot of money in a new video monitor right now as fast as that technology is changing..... So good to know that my Sony might still be up to task if I do decide to go with one of the newer DVD players.

Thanks very much for the info.

Chris