boe

I buy DVDs for the most part about twice a year due to a certain sale many of us wait for. I had a tad over $750 worth of DVDs in my wish list(before the discount). After thinking about it, I pulled almost half out as they would be better in a high definition format - e.g. Underworld Evoloution, NCIS, etc.

I didn't think things like Family Guy and or MST would benefit that much from the new format although they would at least take up less space (decisions, decisions). So, I left those in my order list.

Even though I have no intention of buying an HD/BR DVD player until they have DTS HD and TrueHD, they new media is effecting my purchases. Waiting for more hybrid players that are feature rich will probably delay my purchases for at least a year. It is painful to wait for so many movies and tv shows I want but well worth it for me since I've double dipped on far too many DVDs in the past.

speedyray

It could be years before one tenth of the DVD catalog reaches HD-DVD or BD, plus there is a format war, plus everyone of these first disc will be inferior in a year or so just as the original DVDs are now. I mean being frugal is ok, but I am not really letting the new format effect my decision on anything but the latest movies - and that is just because I plan to upgrade before Christmas.I have held off on Underworld: Evolution because depending on what I upgrade to I would like it in HD. But something like NCIS - I mean I just don't see it in HD anytime soon - maybe ever.

boe

Yep - it is a problem not being able to see what is coming out when but I'm still willing to wait. Hell, I'm still holding off on buying Colossus - the Forbin Project hoping they will release the widescreen format. That may never come but I'm gun shy now that I've double dipped on so many movies over the years - director's edition, DTS, widescreen etc. I used to worry about the format war but I'm thinking it won't go away in the next 5 years, I think the choice will be buying hybrid players or two players.

Numanoid

Actually, it affected your decision.

mbs

I'm glad someone said it.

Class316

Yea I'm going to sit out the format war. Not worth the $$

When we have a winner and a burner for PC, then I'll worry about it.

Zodiac_Speaking

Fahget about it! Blu-Ray and HDDVD look great on paper, but they won't make a dent in the average consumer market for years and years.

Hell, I'm still explaining widescreen to certain people, let alone HD for sports and such.

Years and years my man, enjoy DVD, cuz it sin't bad for movies and ain't dead yet, if ever.

moviezzz

Let's not forget, whatever format wins out, they will still play your current DVDs. And, there is a big chance that when you finally decide to buy into one of the formats, the title you didn't buy may not be available in the new format / may be out of print / may have rights issues preventing it from appearing on the new format.

Or, as some have speculated, neither format may win out and both will fizzle out. People are very happy with current DVD. Just like you had the Mini Disc, DAT, and DVD Audio try and fail to challenge CDs, Blu Ray and HD DVD may fail as well.

speedyray

On side note - MiniDisc was great - not for the quality, but for what it was and could do - it could record, it was tiny and it did not skip or scratch - it was awesome and is awesome for travelers. When I used to fly more I loved having a MiniDisc player. All my friends at school in the RATV and Music departments turned in homework on MD. I don't think MD failed so much as it became a very niche market, which exactly what I have predicted for HD-DVD and BD for the last year.

Mr. Cinema

HD DVD looks great display.

I think the new format(s) will make a dent because more and more HD TVs are being sold in stores. So why not get a HD player to go along with it. More cable channels are moving to HD. Everything is moving to HD, including movies. I don't see any retailers pushing SD tvs, it's all HD.

Why settle for only a 480p resolution when you can get 1080p?

FantasticVSDoom

I stopped buying vhs as soon as dvds came out and it was 2 years before I got a dvd player. Now although not completely done with dvd, I would say about 97% done buying dvds.

BackStJoe

There was a good article somewhere online where they talked about how "well" SACD and DVD-Audio have done...and predicting HD/BR might suffer the same fate. What a lot of people on message boards don't get, is that most of the country is not tech savvy.

Class316

Also, a lot of people don't see spending extra cash on "premium" stuff as worthwhile.

For instance hardly anyone gets more than basic+preferred cable, much less HD or whatever.

I myself don't even waste cash on preferred cable cause whatever I want to watch I simply download. Or in the case of something live like Monday Night Raw, I watch it via a live Internet broadcast ($3/month is much much cheaper than cable)

digitalfreaknyc

Actually...quite the opposite. I think there are a LOT of J6P's who suddenly think they're techie boys because they have money to burn on 500 DVD's and plasma screens. As I've stated in the numerous HD threads, I've seen guys who can't even dress themselves properly come in and purchase the new Toshiba. DVD started something that wasn't seen beforehand in the home entertainment experience. It's a priority now whereas it never was before. Home theaters increase the value of your home. People are stopping going to the movies because of them. This was never an issue with VHS or even the beginnings of DVD. Times have definitely changed.

I'm not saying the public at large is going to drop everything and start buying HD movies right now but it IS inevitable. To add to that, the Toshiba makes my SD-DVD's look and sound better than they ever have before. It's definitely a win-win situation.

digitalfreaknyc

Except for premium channels, HD is free with digital cable where I come from.

Most of the people I know in the burbs actually have the premium channels. Hell, most of the people I know in the city also do. I refuse to pay a premium for full-screen. The HD channels are really all I watch now. If I could JUST have those, I'd be fine.

marty888

I'd prefer watching movies I enjoy to sitting in pain.

Josh H

It's not affecting me yet, but I'm not a high volume buyer anyway, probably average 25-30 DVDs a year the past couple.

I'll wait for the format war to be decided, players and discs to be the price of DVD players and discs today, and for HDTV TVs to be standardized and drop in price before I get into HD. Then I'll rebuy a select few favorites.

I'm just not a videophile at all and DVD quality is more than sufficient for me, at least sufficient enough that I'm not rushing into HD nor feel any need to stop buying and plan on replacing most of my meager DVD collection with HD format down the road.

I'll buy in to HD eventually, and start buying new releases in HD, but that's it and I'm in no rush.

PopcornTreeCt

I watch movies in HD format on HD-Net Movies channel, and frankly the movies aren't that much clearer than they are on DVD. I love watching nature shows on Discovery HD because that stuff is beautiful.

boe

Part of that is not a lot of people realize that broadcast is 1080i but the new BR/HD DVDs offer 1080p for many movies.

Zodiac_Speaking

I love 1080p, but my dad, most of my friends could care less (and they are the average consumer).

Plus, I'd rather buy dvds, then to play too much for what is undecided as of now. In time I will, buy the winner, but like one of the above posters said, then a winner is decided and PC burner is here, then I'll worry about it.

Still too much cool titles coming out...

LiK

i was reading some tech sites about hybrid hd players cuz i wanted one to avoid the format wars, but it seems companies like samsung have scaled back and are delaying them. they also might cost a fortune considering the standalone players for those respective formats are incredibly expensive. i'll continue buying sd dvds just so i can enjoy whatever's out already. besides, they're getting cheaper and cheaper ^^

Dan1boy

not a backlash on the whole HD fervor, but I'm just not into it yet...and I don't feel its gonna really catch on for at least a couple more years. I *know* it will someday, but nobody I know is even aware of what "blu-ray" is at this point.

bdhart

The HD DVD's are recorded in 1080p, but the players only output 1080i.

boe

I could be mistakend but I believe the BR players are spec'd for 1080p - even on the first generation.

bdhart

Yep, they are supposed to. That is why I only included HD DVD in my statement and not BD (BR).