Alright so i'm highly considering making the switch to bluray. Is this a good choice or bad. Not too up to date with the whole hd/blu war that's been going on. I just feel what is the point of buying the standard dvd's when i know eventually i'll be gettin bluray/hd. I'm just throwing $ down the drain.

Problem is i don't have an hd tv yet...If i get a bluray player, more than likely a ps3...how will it function on my regular tv. I'm guessing it will work fine other than the picture won't be in true 1080 etc. I'm up for suggestions lol. I'm really looking forward to buying my first blu ray. I just can't bare the fact of buying anymore standard dvd's. Thanks

You'll still see an improvement, but it will be slight. Plus you'd have a PS3 and cool menu system for your new-gen DVDs.

The issue though, why pay a premium now for HD content which you won't fully utilize when you could be just as happy buying substantially cheaper SD content for the time being? I mean, yeah, double dipping sucks, but so does paying $25+ for a movie you can get for < $10 on SD.

i would say, hold off and buy the HDTV first. you can probably find a 37" LCD for about the price of a PS3.

instead of buying more DVDs, rent them and keep a list of the ones you'll want to buy in hi-def when the time comes. it will require restraint, but i really think it's the best way to go.

Ya..I guess you're right.

We need a 'I'm thinking of going HD, help me out' sticky thread where anyone asking for opinions can post and ask...every day there's a new thread asking for advice!

Unless you want a gaming machine, there's no reason to buy BD/HD without an HDTV. Why spend hundreds of dollars now and pay a premium on discs now when you can wait until you have a proper TV and prices for players and discs will be cheaper.

I don't really think you'll see an improvement at all. How could you? Standard def DVD's are at a resolution of 480, and your standard def TV displays that. An HD setup now would be a waste of cash. Upgrade your TV first or your sound system.

Just wait until you can get an HDTV. No point in upgrading now, unless you have an absolutely kick-ass sound system.

I agree. The SDTV might barely display that, if it's a cheap one.

It's all about the future. You've got to start somewhere. As soon as I knew HD media was going to be coming out I quit buying SD DVD. I signed up for Netflix and waited until I was ready to make a decision in the format war.

One advantage of getting a PS3 now and starting your collection is when you do get your HDTV you'll have plenty to watch. After watching my first Blu-ray, I haven't watched a SD disc since. It's that good.

....But he doesn't have any of the equipment at home to take advantage of HD-DVD. So why start now, especially when prices on both BR and HD are coming down more and more all the time?

Agreed. Get the nice audio system and HDTV before delving into HD-DVD or Blu Ray. For a couple of grand, which is a lot of money for most people, you could have a really nice setup. Then you could enjoy all the benefits of HD programming, whether HD media or satellite.

My point being (in my first post) if you're making the change (or planning on it) then it makes sense not to waste money on SDDVD. Use that money with your end in mind. Wether you start your collection in HD with a PS3 (which you can get for $299 or you save that money for your HDTV. Whichever you decide, you should use your money with the end goal in mind (HD video, sound and media).

What kind of TV do you currently have? Do you have a receiver (what kind?)

A-fucking-greed. You don't even need to search for cripes sake. These threads are on page one. Also kudos for the totally ambiguous thread title.

With the way this format war is going, whenever I check out a thread like this, my first thought is "here we go again, another thread baiting attempt"...

Don't take this the wrong way Jason, but that's not a good reason to jump into this particular format war. There's NO solid reason (yet) to expect that EITHER of these formats will ever be as big as DVD. For all any of us know, the winner of this war (be it Blu-ray or HD DVD) may simply wind up being a "transitional" media (much like laserdisc was) until the "next big thing" in home video comes along.

I made the jump to high-def (both formats) primarily because I'm a movie lover, and love the idea of seeing my favorite films in 1080p (or as my case currently is, 1080i) instead of 480p and because I loved the potential of what the formats could do in terms of bonus material. But did I buy them because I thought they were going to "take over" home video? No. It would be great if one of them did...but to use that as a reason for jumping into the format at this point is pretty risky.

Once again, if HD DVD or Blu-ray has the kind of "marginal success" (not your words, Shannon, I know) that laserdisc had, I'm going to be so happy. Thousands upon thousands of titles, many with great special editions. Bring it on!

I think it's safe to say one or both of these formats will be at least as successful as Laserdisc. I remember I could never get laserdiscs in my area in B&M stores (I always had to use Ken Crane's catalog), and most my friends didn't even know what laserdiscs were. Even if you don't own HD DVD or Blu-ray, chances are you've heard about them and seen them in your local store.

I've bolded part of your post because this is exactly what I am trying to say (I just didn't do a good job of it )

But the OP said the following:

I think the main point the OP was getting to was that he wanted to invest in HDM instead of SD even though he had yet to buy an HDTV. I agree with you that early adoption is for movie lovers first and foremost that want to see their movies the best way possible. My point in being not to waste his money if he (if he feels it is a waste) and use that money to invest in the HD of his choice; whether it be in HDM or an HDTV. Since the OP has not returned to clarify what his intentions are, I am guessing he is not entirely serious.

$299 PS3?

Some sort of convoluted Sony Style financing deal they have.

I don't want to start a new thread for my question, which falls under the "predicaments predicaments" category. I bought a Westinghouse 32" HDTV last Christmas, which is 720p. Would it be worth it to investigate switching to HD DVDs, or would the improvement be so slight that I shouldn't bother until I eventually get a TV that is 1080p? (I currently have a DVD player that upconverts via the HDMI hookup.)

You will see an immediate and drastic improvement over SD even when viewing HD at 720p.