Needed a new TV today and picked up an Aquos. Got a free BD player with it. Anyone else have the Sharp BD-HP20U? Seems nice, but I will probably stick with the PS3 as my main player since it is profile 1.1. At least I have a second BD player now.

What size Aquas did you get? Ive been thinking of getting a new TV to replace my 42" HP Plasma.

If you get a 1080p 50" Panasonic plasma, you might get a free Panasonic BD30 player. I know Circuit City was running this special, but not sure if the promotion is over yet.

Whens Superbowl? Usually there are some good deals then, right?

Now I just gotta sell my current TV...Craigslist here we go!

Super Bowl is in 2 weeks (Feb 3).

52", which is the same size as the RP LCD Panasonic I am replacing. It starting showing some weird problem with the optical engine block and repair costs were not going to be reasonable.

Got the Aquos all set with the Video Essentials disc and absolutely love it. I had been tempted to get a Plasma for the better black level, but so far I'm happy with the black level and colors of the Aquos. I also have a bright room in the daytime so the LCD seemed the best way to go.

First 1080p TV I have owned and so far so good. Definitely glad to move on from Rear Projection. Tons of good deals right now. I had just finished clearing my refrigerator, oven and dishwasher off the Best Buy card from last year. Since it was empty and it is three years no interest with a free BD player I figured what the hell and bought a new TV.

Is there an estimated release date yet for the Panasonic BD50?

I'm debating whether or not to pick up the BD30 this weekend for $400, but I bet that's going to drop once the BD50 comes out.

I've seen March mentioned from a BD insider.

I am now begrudgingly in the Blu Ray camp. I got a free BD-HP20U with the 42 inch Sharp Aquos we picked up yesterday.

I saw a shelf tag for 369 at Frys the other day for the BD30. No units though.

I may be joining the club with this guy, but not until I move out of my apartment.

Its been in the sub $400 range since January 1st.

Where? It's listed at $415 on Amazon and a 3-6 week wait. I haven't seen it on sale at BB or CC, other than the 5 free BD movies with purchase promotion.

I was quoting the poster who saw it for that price at Fry's.

Damn. I thought I was just missing the deals.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/journalists012108.htm

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: When Journalists Go Wrong
As they say, don't believe everything you read.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (January 21, 2008) -- "As a longtime journalist, I am reluctant to criticize my fellow scribes for errors and other transgressions. It's a tough business and mistakes come with the territory.

However, in the last week, I have come across two reports that are so wrong -- so dumb headed -- that they demand a public airing so their wounds against the truth can be properly healed.

Let's start with Sunday's edition of The Washington Post in which tech columnist Mike Musgrove offers a stinging critique of the high-def disc format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD.



Musgrove's report suggests that digital downloads will soon replace the hard disc so people shouldn't care who wins the Blu-ray/HD DVD war.

I disagree that digital downloads, particularly for high-def, will be ready for primetime anytime soon. But it's a legitimate argument to make.

However, in attempting to make his point, Musgrove offers a whopper of a statement that couldn't be supported by any analysis, no matter how subjective:

"I've found that I can't really tell the difference between the picture cranked out by a Blu-ray player and the picture delivered by an 'upconverting' DVD player designed to make standard DVDs look their best on high-definition sets," he writes.

Now, anyone who has seen a high-def disc player in action -- as well as an upconverter player -- knows that the high-def playback is far superior. (George Ou of ZDNet recently offered a scientific analysis proving this as well.) The high-def playback is, well, high-def while the upconversion merely improves the picture on a standard-def DVD; while it's improved, it's not remotely close to an HD-quality image.

There is simply no comparison, which makes one wonder why Musgrove said there is.

I won't question his motives, but I can only guess that either he doesn't own a high-def TV (and has only seen a Blu-ray or HD DVD for a short period of time at a convention or some other event) or his HDTV isn't properly tuned.

Or he needs to make an appointment with a nearby Pearle Vision.

Now, for example two:

Syndicated columnist Don Lindich is reporting that Sony, the leader backer of Blu-ray, recently paid Fox and Warner Bros. to support the high-def format. Lindich says Fox was ready to jump ship and support HD DVD until Sony kicked in with the money. At that point, Warner decided to take a payoff as well.

Lindich quotes "sources" for his report without naming them or even characterizing them from coming from a specific unit.

I will not challenge his report -- it may even be true. But I have to point out that Lindich, a longtime HD DVD booster, also reported less than two weeks before the Consumer Electronics Show that Warner Bros. would attend HD DVD's big media event at the Las Vegas conference.

The columnist said HD DVD's attendance was evidence that Warner would not shed its neutrality in the race and support Blu-ray. (This reporter, and a few others, predicted that Warner would endorse Blu-ray.)

As we now know, Warner not only did not attend the HD DVD event -- but the event was cancelled 48 hours prior because Warner announced it had...decided to endorse Blu-ray.

Lindich was wrong about the HD DVD event. Spectacularly wrong.

So I am surprised that several online publications are now reporting his claim that Sony paid off Fox and Warner. -- without noting that his HD DVD "sources" in the past apparently led him astray.

Maybe they are leading him astray again?"

Here's some more info on all the "Best Buy phasing out HD DVD plans". From the Bits:

Things are not looking good for HD-DVD, folks. Based on the reports we're getting from sources at the studios and in the retail industry, this format war is all but over. Frankly, we'd be surprised if HD-DVD still a viable commercial home video format much past the end of the year.

Word is that Best Buy has already decided not only to heavily favor Blu-ray in their stores, but they're actually planning the phase out of HD-DVD by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2008, so they can focus entirely on selling Blu-ray to their customers in the 2008 holiday season with a clear message.

Look at your two stories.

You are pointing out that this guy Lindinch should not be believed because he fabricated his story with non-specific sources, and IN THE VERY NEXT POST you back-pat Bill Hunt FOR THE EXACT SAME THING.

Come on.

IMO, Bill Hunt got really lucky a couple weeks ago. He would look like a real tool if things had swung to HD DVD's favor. Now he is "predicting" things that anyone with a little knowledge of the situation obviously expects.

I am at the same point that you are, Mr. C. I fully expect BD to close this mother out by 2009, but you have always been able to see through the BS, calling a spade a spade. All of a sudden you are all about BD. I never saw you as one of those guys (on either side) who spoted opinion or ideas as if they were fact. What's up?

...and to be fair, the HD DVD camp themselves were saying that Warner was attending their event up until the last minute, so while it'd be fair to criticize his interpretation of what that meant, hinting that he's irresponsible for reporting what had been announced is not.

Prior to WB's announcement, I had posted several times that whatever they chose is who I was going to focus my attention on. They just happen to choose BD. So I have shifted my focus to that format. I want the war to end asap. I know we still have some that wants it to drag on, but I want it to end. I don't want HDM to be niche. I want as many people as possible to buy into BD because I want more classics released. I want those Spielberg titles in HD. If HDM stays niche and adoption slows, we may not see those titles for a long, long time, if ever.

So trust me, just because I have shifted to complete BD backing, I'm not "one of those crazy BD supporters" who does not use logic when talking about HD. I've praised BD and certainly criticized them when it's warranted.

That post that Bill Hunt made is similar information I've read from BD insiders on certain other websites. Some of the same insiders who predicted the WB move before it happened. I'm confident the Best Buy story is legit.

The author of the WB story says the payoff may be true. But that one's a little tough to prove than the Best Buy possible scenario. WB denied the payoff.

As the famous quote goes, "Even a Stopped Clock is Right 2 Times Each Day"

I'm not saying Bill Hunt is right or wrong on a lot of things, but I do feel that his credibility is zero.

Is Blu Ray winning the battle going to make it anymore mass appeal? Maybe, but those current player prices are hurting a lot too.

Agreed. I think we should start a petition now that will (hopefully) ensure that he never writes a book about this format war...

Smart move by BB. Time to wrap this war up.

Yep, time to phase out movies that over a million people own stand alones in and growing with the recent price drops.

Its time to devote more shelf space to a format that has .60% of what DVD has instead of .40%.

i'm not saying it's entirely justifiable, but those tiny percentages of the DVD market are one of the biggest reasons retailers want to move quickly to just one hi-def format. additionally, the spirit behind each of your statements is somewhat contradictory. in the first, you suggest retailers shouldn't give up such a large market of HD DVD owners and in the second, you display how terribly small that market really is, when put in perspective.