Incorrect. Both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players are backwards compatible. Your standard definition DVDs will play just fine on a BR player.

I do NOT want to start a war here - so can someone direct me to an appropriate thread argument over whether I should get the Blu-ray or the HD-DVD given I have neither at the moment?

Probably in the HD forum here, although the debate springs up everywhere.

It comes down to how many movies you really REALLY love are on HD DVD or Blu-ray. If you have more movies you like being released by the HD DVD labels, then you choose that format.

Of course, if you're a DVDphile, then well, you're fucked. :D

My recommendation is to buy the HD-DVD drive for the xbox360 and hang it off your computer. That drive has been very hacked by the guys at doom9, so there is a good chance that if HD-DVD "loses" the war, you will be able to rip all of your HD-DVDs and then reburn them as BLU-RAY or any other format - thus providing your own obsolence path instead of leaving the fate of your investment in the hands of that MAFIAA.

There is at least one BLU-RAY drive which is almost as well hacked, but it isn't as cheap as the HD-DVD drive from MS (~$150).

Are you implying that you can use just the add-on HD Drive with a PC, and you don't need to buy the whole X-box system?

I'm not a gamer, so I have about as much need for an X-box as I do for a TampeX-box.

thanks guys...I just ordered the Blu-Ray edition with briefcase. Since it's limited and numbered, I hope they fulfill the pre-order and stop selling them...making the briefcase worth as twice as much hahaha. So, better order now before it's too late...

Do you really have a monitor hooked up to your PC that is HD worthy?

Seriously, go with Blu-Ray. Most of the major studios support Blu-ray or are Blu-ray exclusive. There is only one (one!!!) HD-exclusive studio.

It's just a matter of time.

Yes, that is correct. If you want to actually play them on the PC then there is a version of PowerDVD that mostly works with both rips and original discs (also works with BLU-RAYs if you have one of those drive). I would expect that by the end of the year, there will be Free software to playback rips too, it is currently just a matter of reading the files correctly.

A good friend of mine has both a BLU-RAY and an HD-DVD drive on his PC which he uses to drive his projector. It is not as wife-friendly as a standalone player, but it is a LOT more flexible.

The thing I hate about Blue-ray, is it keeps the region coding, which is the stupidest thing in the world IMO. But I'm sure someone will figure out a way to hack that as well.

What if USA was selling Blu-Ray movies for $1.99 on sales. Then everyone else in other countries would be importing them instead of buying it from their own countries. Region coding makes sense for business. Why haven't we seen it in HD-DVD space? They're making it region-free as an early adoption, but once HD becomes main stream and no more DVD existence, then they'll put region code as well. Enjoy the region code while you can as they'll enforce it down the road.

I agree. Region coding is the dumbest thing to come down the road since the advent of the Betamax, and it's the main reason I'm leaning HD-DVD at present.

I've gone to considerable expense and effort to get the best possible DVD player with international region-free firmware loaded (not a "hack", but authorized), and I don't want to start this all over again.

Region coding mostly harms DVD enthusiasts like those of us here, who seek out the rarer, hard-to-find titles that can't be purchased at your local WalMart. For the rest of the DVD buying public, maybe 95%, they would never seek out DVDs in anything other than their home region to begin with.

That tells me that those titles are OVERPRICED elsewhere. We're living in a global economy, let the market decide the correct pricepoint.

So is this $28 the normal 'price' or should I jump on it?

I would have to assume that it's a legit price since Warner themselves are selling it for around $30 on their own site.

They are indeed.

It just seems like a squirrelly price when you compare it to the price of the 4 disc SD DVD. Also, when you click on the page on the WB store, it reads "Media Quantity: 1", whereas the briefcase version correctly reads "5".

It may just be that it's so far out before release date, they haven't fixed it, or maybe things could change.

According to Warner's Press Release (and their press site), there's a 5 Disc Complete Collection and a 5 Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition. The Complete Collection retails for $39.99; while the Ultimate Collector's Edition (w/Deckard Briefcase) retails for $99.98.

I am still scratching my head. Why have a 4 disc for 34.99 for regular dvd when you can have the HD 5 disc for 5 bucks more???

I agree. Even if they priced a 5 disc non-HD digipack at the same price as the hi-def versions, I'd be fine with it...

I picked one up!

Thanks

Maybe this is the time they start drawing attention to the new formats, no?

At any rate, the official press release lists and prices them both specifically, and they're both 5-DISC sets on HD-DVD & Blu Ray....one lists for $39.98, the other for $99.98 retail (obviously lower with all these discounts). The only difference is the limited collector's box packaging...the 5 discs will be identical.

Folks who are still worried that one of them will end up being a 1-disc set need to read the official press release and stop worrying about it. :)

Again, I think you are reading too much into this. The official press release is OUT. These specs are not going to change, especially with this being Warner...everything is basically set in stone at this point.

There is no 1 disc set on either high-def format. There are 2 5-disc HD/BD releases and the only difference is the packaging, that's it.

Please explain how.

I would guess that you use the yellow composite cable hookup which outputs 480i.

Yep.

It's a great stepping stone for those who haven't got their new set yet, but want to start buying HD, so they don't have to rebuy everything later.