I HATE combos. I bought a high-definition player mainly for its use with high definition discs. If a movie is availabe in HD, why would I want an inferior/lower quality dvd version attached to it? If I'm traveling, I'll just read one of those things they call books. I can't watch a movie on an 8" screen. I can't.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9&page=7&pp=30

300 joins The Good Shepherd and Children of Men as the latest combo disk to to cause freezing problems.

Heck, I'll extend that even further. My family is banned from even handling ANY movie on hd-dvd (even combos). For those sd-dvd's that I have sold in order to "upgrade" to hd-dvd, they cannot watch them without me handling the disk, seeing that the inevitable smudge, finger print or minor scratch from my family (i.e. wife or daughter) will render these sensitive disks unplayable or glitchy. HD-DVD combo discs are controlled by me in the same way for the very same reasons. My family doesn't care enough to ensure that the discs are kept flawless for repeat playback.

While I'm only supporting hd-dvd at this time (100 titles as of now), the sensitivity of these discs, for whatever reason (combos as well) is a major letdown. Regardless of the reasons why Blu-Ray is avoiding creating a combo disc, even if it were because of the negative "problems" that have occurred with hd-dvd, they are the wiser format as far as this competitive point is concerned imho.

What a frustrating issue for those (like me) who support the supposedly inferior product (hd-dvd).

We don't need combos, people who want the SD can always get that separately, but people who don't want it should have the option not to have it forced on them. I would at least like to see a non-combo version offered as an alternative if there are people who really need to have both versions on one disk.

Strongly agree with this, but it is a capitalistic society we live in. If they can charge more, they will.

I'm looking forward to ripping the SD side off of discs in coming years for my kids and burning a copy. It'll be some years before they are old enough to really be watching movies though.

I guess I could dig out the anti-AACS stuff and rip an HD-DVD and re-encode it to DVD format but that's a pretty annoying and time-consuming process.

Again, I like combos. DVD players are everywhere. Good for car trips, hotels, etc. And once in a while on my computer.

What percentage of HD titles is combos? Where can one find a list of these combo titles?

HD DVD deserves to lose the war because of the damn combos. LAME!

I was REALLY really interested in Fearless for HD before my 360 crapped out on me. I had already bought the standard but I loved it so much I would pay extra to buy the HD version. Problem was my only option was a $39.99 combo disc with another copy of the standard def my only option and FORCED on me, if I wanted to watch the HD DVD. I had already bought the standard def version. Because of that I haven't seen fearless in HD yet. But I agree I think HD should lose just because of all the damn HD combo discs. It's rediculous.

I'm wondering if Universal and Warners has a certain time-table for each of their day & date combo titles to where they quietly re-release them as a standard HD DVD with lower pricing. Much in the same way Universal did with Army of Darkness and Unleashed catalog titles.

If titles like Hollywoodland have been out for over several months, does it make much sense to keep releasing it as a combo disc?

combo discs look like DVD+/-R that you can buy for 10 cents each. There are no pictures on the discs...just plain silvery coated..similiar to DVD+R...and you need to put on your glasses to read the small print to tell you which is a DVD or HD-DVD side. Later down the road, you can probably make copies of your combo discs that look like a cheap copy version...that's how I view combo discs Oh...and a lot of people complain about not being able to read it on certain players

The studio is forcing consumer to pay extra for something they don't need. If I want regular DVD, then I go out and buy regular DVD for less. If I want HD, then I want HD..not DVD. They're already releasing it separately on DVD, but why are they still making me pay the extra for DVD that I don't care about in HD. I'm sure if they perform a survey, then I guarantee that the majority of the consumer hates combo discs. But, they don't care..they just want your money since they know HD-DVD has no choice but to buy them.

I gotta love that they're still a group who loves the combo disc idea. Thank goodness we have Blu-Ray as an option for consumer who hates combo discs. So, HD-DVD can continue with their combo discs LOL. Fearless HD-DVD is the only one I have in my collection...and it will be my last one as I'm waiting for the Blu-Ray version next year so I can get rid of the HD-DVD version.

Good luck on your purchase.

I've been noticing these combination Standard / HD DVD's being released in some stores now. Letters From Iwo Jima was one that I noticed. What's your opinion on these? Are they something that will stick?

Warner and Universal continue to use them for day-and-date releases, but they're not being used for catalog titles anymore, and no other movie-releasing studio seems to have any interest in them. Considering the manufacturing problems that have plagued some of these combo releases, I wouldn't mind seeing the whole idea disappear.