I just jumped onto the HD DVD bandwagon after getting an A2 a few weeks back of $99, and even though I picked up quite a few HD DVDs soon thereafter (in addition to all the free ones I got/will be getting), I noticed something: I'm losing interest in owning SD DVDs.

Now, as announcements come out for new releases, I realize that I'm automatically shut out of half of them because they'll only be available on Bluray. So instead of dropping loads of cash every Tuesday to gobble up all the new releases, I'll be limited to only those that are on HD DVD. Of course I will pick up a few SD DVDs here and there of movies that I feel I can't live without, but for the most part, I'll go the Netflix route and perhaps finally get my DVD spending under control!

That's true


Once you go HD it's hard to go back to regular dvd's

Kind of like breaking with a girl you use to like and thaught about getting back together with her but then you realise how miserable you were so you stay single

I don't get it. How are you single? Isn't HD the new woman? Perhaps you don't get to be with her as much, but you enjoy it more.

I'm seeing all these Thanksgiving sales with DVDs priced around $2-$3...I jump online and start browsing through, thinking I'm going to clean up - but as I go through I find myself thinking, "I need that one, but I'd rather wait for HD DVD".

I dont buy dvd's at all anymore either. But since I'm format neutral I still have plenty of stuff to buy.

It's true, although I own both High-def formats, so it doesn't save me that much money. But I've stopped buying DVDs altogether unless there's isn't an HD release expected (for example, I got Doctor Who Season 3 and have pre-ordered The Wire Season 4 on DVD)

OTOH, the active "format war" has driven down the prices quite a bit as evidenced by the $99 HD DVD players and the BOGO Blu-ray disc sales. Now, I'm just waiting for HD DVD to have BOGO sales and for Blu-ray to have $199 players.

If it weren't for the two formats, we'd be stuck with $500 players and $40 discs. And, no, adoption rates would not have been much higher with a single format.

Now that is the positive comment about the "Format War" we were looking for in this thread.

This post should be required reading, and agreement of the statement should be the gateway for posting permission in this forum.

I am also waiting for the day where both formats have cheap players and cheap discs, and thanks to each other, that day is not far off.

While I certainly agree about the players, I don't think the discs would have been more expensive (deals/giveaways aside). Warner started the whole thing off with reasonably-priced discs, yet they didn't really have a stake in either format. If only to compete with them, we would have seen other studios price their discs similarly (except Fox of course).

Format War = Netflix Win

I think this is a huge byproduct of this format war. I know a few people, myself included, that signed up for Netflix just for HD/BD renting.

I've only bought 3 movies thus far (Heroes, Planet Earth, Fifth Element) in the four months I've been HD. Netflix is the clear winner until catalog titles SRP for under $15 and new releases are cheaper on release week.

Now that player pricing is dropping on both sides, is there now a need for 2 formats now? Would 1 format at this stage create a faster mass adoption rate? Of course, once BD lowers pricing in the less than $200 range, there may be no reason for any studio to abandoned their format. The install base on both sides should be built up enough to where there's a profit.

I believe sometime in 2008, Warner Brothers will be an exclusive studio. Whatever side they choose is the one I'll likely shift my focus on, as I expect others to do the same thing.

That is SO true. I basically stopped buying SD dvds and rent most everything now. I refuse to spend alot of money on an HD format until there is a clear winner.

The problem with Netflix is they don't get enough copies of their HD rentals. Many of the new releases immediately go to long wait.

I always had great luck with Netflix and HD DVD, but maybe its my area. I turned if off for a few months since I will be away most of DEC and some of Jan and also the great 4tr releases I am buying.

That is SO true! I'm another one who joined Netflix just for HD discs. After buying a bunch of HD DVDs last year, my purchases this year have dropped to just a few titles where I want to swap out the SD DVDs. New releases I have just been renting until I can spot bargains on the few I would want to own.

While good for Netflix, this isn't very good for the movie studios peddling discs.

I'm format neutral as well and I don't purchase SD anymore. I'm mainly just committed to renting for now although I have around 35 HD/BR titles. I have the same problem with Netflix and HD titles. I have 20 HD/BR titles at the top of my queue and they all are long wait.

I still buy some titles on dvd mainly because I believe it will be years for certain niche titles to make it to HD. It took years for certain titles even to be released to dvd and there are still a few titles never to see a proper dvd release.

I'm not sure we'd be stuck with $500 players and $40 discs. A single HD format would still have to compete with DVD. And I think it would compete better than these 2 formats have. Anyway the PS3 would still have to compete with the Xbox 360 and Wii.

I agree with renting getting a boost. That's how I plan to watch HD movies, something I never did with DVD. Even with B1G1F, I'm looking at $15 for catalog titles, most of which I've seen on DVD. I plan to rent now, maybe buy later (if these formats gain broader acceptance). For whatever positive effects out there, the format war has stopped me from buying both DVD and HDM for over a year now.

Being format neutral as well, I also have completely stopped buying any movies on SD DVD....only SD I still buy is TV shows (mostly to finish out series runs, like recently Seinfeld and Gilmore Girls for example) and the odd one off music/special interest title that won't probably make it out on high def for years, if ever, like today's release of Nirvana: Unplugged In New York....hell, that was shot in SD so even if it did ever come out in high def it wouldn't look any better...

I will only buy a TV show in high def if I can do so from the start....for example, Heroes I bought on HD-DVD since it was the first season....but I finished out my Sopranos on SD since I already had the other seasons on SD, and I don't want to have one oddball HD season....