We finally hooked up the Samsung BD player at work. We were only allowed to open two titles and the ones chosen were XXX and Ultraviolet. The latter looks great (although there are some visible compression artefacts from time to time) but the former is iffy. XXX looks detailed but the inmense amount of grain in the feature makes the compression a lot more obvious. Still, the format shows promise thus far. I just wish we'd get an HD-DVD player in so we could compare.

What do you have it hooked up to?

And where do you work?

We have it hooked up to the JVC HD70FH96 via HDMI and I calibrated the display using DVE. I work at the CompUSA in Rio Hondo (that's in Puerto Rico). I dunno if this has been mentioned here before but the player only allows up to 1080i despite the fact that the option appears (albeit locked) in the setup menu. Still, it looks pretty good (although, as I previously stated, XXX could have looked better) but I've yet to see HD-DVD to compare.

Mine doesn't have any problem outputting 1080p to my HP 6580N.

Thats kinda comical. Arent any HD-DVD owners concerned that pretty much all the day/date releases are hybrid discs that cost 35 bux? They are selling well also, so this will probably become the standard for new movie releases. They couldnt be screwing the consumer more then forcing them to purchase a movie in a format they dont want at a much higher price. If i were a HD-DVD owner, that would be my #1 concern.

Stores can't keep systems in stock, so they don't need a piece of software to sell systems. They are probably waiting until sales sort of level off a bit before hitting with these big titles.

Have there been that many hybrid releases? Plus, even at $35, you'd STILL be in the hole for a long time with BD and $25 discs. You'd have to save $10 on every standard BD release over an HD Hybrid counter part for 50 movies before you break even on the price of the player.

BD boosters make me laugh. Talking price is OK as long as it isn't the price of the player. I thought cost didn't matter?

Interesting because according to the Samsung website the player only outputs 1080i, despite the hardware being capable to output 1080p, and that's exactly what we are experiencing.

Hardy har-har. When BR supporters talk price, everyone wants to not mention the PS3, but thats ok right? The hybrid discs are a insane rip off and just more that can go wrong. Thats a very bad sign for how they want to handle the consumer once they get you.

Universal's combo discs aren't slated to be more expensive than their traditional HD DVDs. The premium associated with them is just something Warner's doing, and although I think the combo thing is a strange thing for the HD DVD camp to keep pushing, the MSRP for Warner's combo discs is the same as Lionsgate's more recent movies on Blu-ray (like The Devil's Rejects).

It works both ways, though. If the PS3 couldn't play Blu-ray but the Xbox 360 could handle HD DVD out of the box, I'd still be every bit as dismissive.

You're looking at poorer build quality, probably a compromised interface, probably compromised video quality... I mean, if you look at the PS3 as a video game system first that just happens to play movies too, that's one thing, but everyone expecting the PS3 to be the benchmark Blu-ray player...I'm just skeptical it'll be particularly good.

No, whats comical is that BD is releasing subpar pq/aq and hardly any, if any special features yet charging the same prices as HD-DVD. That is ridiculous.

Isn't the MSRP for PS3 games going to shoot up to $59.99.

I also believe it was confirmed that Batman Begins and V for Vendetta(date/date release) would not be hybrids.

...and WTF are you still doing here?

to watch on a $1000 player.

How can a BD supporter defend this right now?

I think the PS3 will be to Blu-Ray what the PS2 was to DVD. It'll be a crappy player that will suit just fine for those that just want to say they have a Blu-Ray player but will be less than satisfactory for those that actually care about quality video.

bdhart, how did you set up your Samsung player to output 1080p? The option appears in the player at work but it doesn't let me select said resolution. I'm only allowed to go up to 1080i (which coincides with the info on Samsung's website).

What's weird is that here HD-DVD's are arount $25 each whereas Blu-Ray discs cost between $33 and $43. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

I dont get his point either.

On Amazon.com, most BD movies are between $25-35.....most HD-DVD movies are between $20-30.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Combo HD-DVD is $29.99
Crash Bluray is $35.99 (void of special features if I might add)

from todays frys ad:

http://www.dynoxtreme.com/frys.jpg

^ Cool prices....I might have to run by frys and get The Fugitive.

They should charge less for BD since it doesnt have the special features of regular dvd though. Especially the Fifth Element with its terrible pic quality!! ;)

1080p is only enabled if the HDMI "handshake" between the player and display confirms that the TV is 1080p-capable. The JVC set you're connected to will not accept a 1080p input signal (most 1080p sets will only accept a maximum input of 1080i).

Talk about a 180!! So you wouldn't worry about the capacity issue or the lack of studio support... you'd only be concerned with combo discs? HD DVD must be in a great position then...

Talk about getting ahead of yourself! What i meant was, since a lot of HD-DVD owners are so commited to their format, they should be considering the future (you know, every passing day that goes by, stuff happens later on), and these hybrid discs should be of concern to you. You the buyer can buy a 1080p player in the gen 2 cycle, but this is strait from the studios and is very bad practice. I wont get into multi layers, since HD-DVD's specs are limited to dual layers and Blu-Ray is 4 layers (for movies).

Nah, I dont think its gonna be widespread...look at Syriana, it was not a combo....I think some will and some wont.

Its no concern to me. I havent bought any of the combo discs anyways.

Besides, even if I did, it would allow me to take it on trips with my portable dvd player, watch in my bedroom on my dvd player or take to my parent's house where they dont have an hd-dvd player.

Syriana was too long to fit a combo, which is ATM single-layer on the HD side.

All the other combos released so far were new releases with a runtime of 105 minutes or less.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute there. It'll be after 2nd gen that I get/care about a 1080p player since that'll require an expensive projector upgrade. Those prices have to fall first. Blu-ray guys like to beat the 1080p drum, but it really is a non-issue (outside of marketing) right now.

And not all 1080p monitors are the same, either. My 1024x768 projector beats the hell out of the Westinghouse 1080p plasma that BB uses to show HD DVD.

Hybrid discs are a concern (I personally don't like them and don't want to pay more for one), but if that's the #1 thing an HD DVD owner has to worry about then HD DVD is doing really well.