When you compare a superior resolution image which you've seen for the first time, and then compare it to what you've been seeing for years, your eyes do in fact tell you that what you thought was clear all these years, is not that clear at all.

Yeah, but the thing is, it really doesn't matter. I have a 61" TV and an up-converting standard DVD player and I also have a cable provider that gives me high def movies. I've watched the movie 'Serenity' on both and sure there's a difference when you make a side-by-side comparison - the high definition image is sharper. But it's not that much sharper and when I watch a movie I'm not interested in seeing individual strands of a character's hair. All I'm really interested in is the plot and the action.

This is where the high definition folks miss the point. The average viewer doesn't care one bit about a crystal clear image. The average viewer is watching on a screen that's 30" or less. To him, high definition is completely meaningless - he's not going to see a better image because his TV can't give it to him anyway. High definition Blu-Ray DVD players have one advantage that Joe Sixpack can understand, and that is that they can fit 22 hours of SD playback on a single disc. THAT'S where Blu-Ray can show its advantages to the average Joe. They can release thousands of movies in high def and a few thousand high def fans will switch, but until Joe Sixpack can buy a full season of his favourite SD TV show on a single inexpensive Blu-Ray disc he's not going to see any reason to switch from SD to HD.

As for me personally, I'm holding out for the Samsung Duo-HD player that's coming for Christmas. I don't care about the format war and I have no preference between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD because cuirrently Blu-Ray is not taking advantage of its additional storage space. In my view Blu-Ray is only superficially better than HD-DVD. Until it becomes materially better I'm sitting on the fence.

Sure it is, you can get more content on one disc. Gods & Generals is a one sided Blu-Ray with the extras, while you get a flipper (technically a Combo) with the extras on the other side for the HD-DVD version. With this direct comparison, obviously the 30GB isn't enough space here.

I've been holding out for the following reasons...

1) Software Availability. So far, there just hasn't been enough software released to either format that really interests me. Though that is beginning to change with releases like Halloween, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Blade Runner, Kubricks, etc.

2) Disappointing Software Titles. The controversy over Bram Stoker's Dracula (another title that would normally interest me) being the most recent example. The BR Robocop is an inferior version to the new DVD SE (not being the unrated version being the main example). Terminator is a barebones release. Serenity isn't the recently released SE. Dune doesn't have the extended cut found on the steelbook DVD. Halloween is just a port of the most recent DVD -- why not include the extended TV version on the disc via branching?

3) Waiting for the technology to stabilize. The format war is a part of this. There's also the firmware issue, disc compatability with certain players, not having finalized BR specs. Seems like Toshiba and (especially) Sony are still feeling out what they want their formats to be. And I'm left wondering if that $1000 dual-format Samsung player I've been eyeing will play triple-layer HD-DVDs and BJD 2.0 discs in a year or two.

4) Still seems like it costs too much. Still looking at somewhere between $500 and $1000 to be format neutral. Discs are in the $25-$30 neighborhood. I'm used to paying between $5 and $10 for almost any DVD I want. I bought my first DVD player in '98 for about $300, so I've already gone through the early adopter experience. Also helped by online retailers burning through inverstment capital, so I could get a lot of discs cheaply of movies I'd never seen before, so the idea of paying over $20 for old movies I've already seen numerous times doesn't have much appeal to me.

For the folks who argue that it would be crazy not to get an HD-DVD player right now instead of a SD player, I might be persuaded if they would meet my region-free needs. However, it is my understanding that they don't.

I'm holding out because I refuse to finance this format war. As soon as some of my favorite films are available on HD-VMD I'll be picking up a player.

I didn't think anyone wanted that version of the film...

If you already have a region free DVD player then its a non-issue. Just hold onto it. All HD-DVDs can play in all HD-DVD players.

I was a holdout too, but the 360 addon for $150 was worth trying for me. I soon upgraded to the A2 for $300 plus Matrix + 2 freebies + the 5 freebies and ebayed the addon for $150.

I'm not back-upgrading movies. But new purchases are the HD version, and upgrading of our most favorite movies (for me, Eternal Sunshine & 12 Monkeys).

I don't pay $30 for hd-dvds. We've forked out $20-$23 for a few new releases (300, Children of Men) but other than that we've been picking them up on sales and deals for about $15-$18 tops. Then again we've only got about 25 total HD-DVDs.

Both formats are here to stay. A few more years and it'll be like +R and -R again - mostly combo players. This isn't the era of the betamax tape not fitting in the VHS deck.

So then I'd need to have 3 DVD players in my system (i.e., a SD region-free, HD-DVD, and Blu)? I think I'll wait until this silly format war is over.

Start holding your breath now.

I have a PS3, but haven't bought any Blu-Rays. How corny is it that if I buy a movie, I most likely won't be able to play it at a friend/family/significant othe'rs house? Thats my holdout so far.

I want to upgrade from Standard DVD to High Definition, either BluRay or HD-DVD, but I will not buy one player until this format war is ended. They are being so stupid cause there are alot of people like me who are just waiting to leap into this market and start buying all the movies I have in 1080, but I am not going to get caugh until one format wins.

getting a shiny disc from best buy for 7.99-15.99.

Yup, that's how my system is set up: 360 + addon, Oppo Region Free DVD player, and 60gb PS3.

I agree. It's not so much that High Def is leaps and bounds above standard DVD, it just seems like this is how I should have been watching movies all along.

I've watched HD movies via cable provider, and while some are pretty good, they are certainly not as good as watching it on an HD player.

Most people who are currently into HD, are in fact interested in seeing the small details of a movie. Your eyes naturally capture it, and it also gives more artistic quality to the plot of the movie, because the director wants you to see something, which you might have normally missed otherwise.

I'm not sure why you think the average HD potential buyer is not going to be concerned with clarity and detail. I know a guy who lives with his father in a mobile home park, who is upgrading from his 37" LCD to a 46" or larger by the end of this year. Why? He wants to see a BIG picture, and wants to see it REALLY clear. He's your typical J6P. But he wants a super-clear picture.

At this point, fitting so many hours of SD DVD content on a disc is pointless. Do you really think this is going to matter, especially when SD DVD content on HD media is not the major concern of the movie labels at the moment, and probably will never be--in other words, don't expect the entire season 1 of 24 on one HD disc. Won't happen. The features from a 2-disc SD DVD edition are the most any movie company is going to worry about on HD discs. They want you to buy high-def. So, we won't be seeing any help from them anytime soon.

Now, when HD media become affordable, and you can burn dozens of hours SD DVD content on one disc, this will be great, but you forget HD is catching on. People like it once they see it. And they will want to record HD content as well. So, while recording SD DVD content on HD media will be nice, I don't think it's going to catch on as much as you might think it is.

The key to making HD content the new standard, is making sure people SEE IT in person. Telling them that HD content is the way to go, doesn't mean much. The person must see HD content in person. Everyone I've demonstrated my HD DVD movies to, love it. They want it. And when telling them that HD DVD players are not outrageously expensive, but can be purchased for only $200, is making this even more tempting.

The usual process of getting into HD, is just buying an HDTV, then receiving HD content from the cable provider. This might actually hinder HD DVD player sales by 20-30% (my estimate) because people won't want to buy the discs and the players. However, I do believe eventually cable-HD-only viewers will buy the hardware, but just not as soon as what the HD market would want.

Good reason for them to come to your house and watch a movie instead of catering to their wishes.

Still holding out.
Why? Because most of the movies I own and/or watch are put out by :

Image
Criterion
Kino
New Yorker
Masters of Cinema
Wellspring
Koch Lorber
Synapse
Blue Underground
etc.

I got a bunch of gift certificates for Best Buy for my birthday, probably around $300.00, and I was actually going to buy an HD Player, but this damn format war made me hold off until it is settled. It drives me nuts cause I was at Best Buy looking at HD-DVD & BluRay players, and I just wont delve into this market until the war is over.

Well, your certificates might be expired by the time that happens.

Look at the titles for each, and pick the one side that has more of the titles you like. 6 months from now, the war will still be going on, and you can then purchase the other one.

Anyone that's "waiting until it's settled"... It is likely you'll be waiting until 2009 or beyond.

I have an HD-A1 that works reasonably well, but my biggest gripe is with the HD-DVD discs in general. They can be glitchy during playback and scratch way too easily. It leads me to think sometimes that I should have waited till the format matures and becomes more reliable. Nowadays, I tend to heavily scrutinize every HD-DVD release before committing my money.

I'm willing to wait until 2009.

I suspect Best Buy sells other stuff than HD players & titles. So that gift certificate doesn't have to expire, it can still be used on anything from a washing machine to a digital camera.

I am, too. I'd be all over HD discs if there was one format, but for the time being, I'm okay with SD discs on my upconverter player -- plus the DVDs are less expensive. I may not see every freckle on an actor's arm, but it's pretty damn close.

I am, too, but only because we are putting off the purchase of an HDTV until we remodel one of the upstairs rooms as an HT/family room. Unfortunately, the kitchen remodel comes before that, so...yeah, 2009 sounds about right.