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Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD

I'm an early adopter (My wife would say, "Gadget geek"). As such, I've been burned a few times (MiniDisc, Atari Lynx, ReplayTV, DAT), but have also been on the cutting edge of a lot of cool new technology.

I am also an avid film enthusiast. I love DVD and even went so far as to eBay a laserdisc player for some stuff that was (and is) only available in that format. As HD content was set to debut, I knew I would be on board, and when the next gen gaming systems came out, blu-ray support clinched the deal for a PS3.

Through all the rabid, fanboy flamewars on hidefdigest, aintitcool and others, my satisfaction in my choice has steadily grown. Here's why:
  1. HD-DVD and Blu-ray offer IDENTICAL picture/sound quality on go-forward releases (VC-1 and TrueHD). I am astounded at how gorgeous the pictures are. Simply stunning.
  2. Blu-ray has the edge in studio support. Universal's HD-DVD-only stance hurts, but blu-ray has Fox, Disney, MGM and of course, Sony/Columbia as blu-exclusives. That's no contest.
  3. New releases will count FAR more than catalog sales save a HANDFUL of blockbuster titles BECAUSE:
  4. Upscaling makes HD "repurchasing" a tougher sell AND
  5. Newer movies benefit from the crystal clean film assets that really shine in HD.

Of course, there are some epic movies (Lawrence of Arabia, Ten Commandments, etc.) that will really look astounding in HD. But are you REALLY sweating to get an HD transfer of "Scary Movie"? I'll pass.

On the other hand, thanks to my PS3, projector and 92" screen, the wife and I are already deciding which NEW movies will end up as strictly home vs. theatrical viewings: FF:Silver Surfer (Fox release=Blu-ray purchase); Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount=movie and home purchase); Evan Almighty (Universal=maybe a DVD rental).

With two kiddies, most family movie choices (Pixar/Disney's included) are going to be seen on the home cineplex too. Factor in babysitters, snacks and gas and the economics of HD start to look a LOT more favorable. Easily, $70+ per film in L.A. for a family of four.

Blu-ray's studio support guarantees a stronger stream of FUTURE releases as well as some incredible catalog properties already mentioned here... Blockbuster's Blu-ray "exclusive" announcement makes them the first and largest brick and mortar retailer to declare for one format... Things are trending toward Sony, IMO.

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