Dude - pay attention to the bolded statement! It's going to suck for you in 5 months when there are almost no new movies available for your player!!!

Suck it up, return the HD-DVD player/movies.

You're just starting out with HD, why start with a dying format? Why? Seriously!

You can get into Blu-Ray for what you have invested right now, join Netflix and start enjoying HD movies.

I will reiterate - in 5 to 6 months you'll have sunk $400 into a player and movies, and you'll realize all the new releases are coming out on Blu-Ray and then what? Then do you decide to sell the HD-DVD player/movies? I GUARANTEE you won't get what you paid for them. But you have a window RIGHT NOW to return the items for what you paid. Why wouldn't you do it?

I am not a Blu-Ray fanboy! I'm a guy who has had a Toshiba for almost a year. The writing is on the wall. I prefer HD-DVD but that ship has sailed. I want to watch movies in hi-def, and the future of hi-def movies is Blu-Ray.

I'm in a similar situation and will return everything and unload watched movies on Half.com as quickly as possible. It just doesn't make sense to hold on to HD-DVD when it's obvious it will be cheaper in 6-9 months time. As most of us are always scouting for deals we'll find the bestbuy, amazon, etc. HD-DVD clearouts. I don't plan on buying a Blu-ray player just yet but I did pick up the HP discs in the BoGo sale at Amazon.

I'm in a similar boat to the OP, have an unopened player and maybe 18 movies, only two are opened (for viewing on someone else's HD).

I'm leaning towards the above quoted advice. I think I'll return everything I can, and wait a bit until I take the HD plunge.

I'm taking back my original answer and sending the player and movies back for as much of a refund as I can get. Two of the movies I've watched have pixellated/ frozen at the end despite being brand new discs. I have the latest firmware on it, so that's not the issue. It pisses me off because I loved the picture quality, but with that track record, I'll just be watching every DVD and wondering if it will freeze, which kind of takes away from the experience.

I got the 360 add on when BB had Heroes for free with it. I'm keeping the player and will just be unloading the dual format and WB titles I have.

I knew I was eventually going format neutral since I'm a huge gamer I'm just bummed the format I'm already vested in seems to be going the way of the dinosaur.

Oh well, Heroes going HD exclusive was the show that pretty much made me opt for HD DVD first anyway and the titles I own now are mostly exclusive to HD anyway so I'm not too upset other than going through the hassle of returning the WB and dual format flicks I've got.

i read alot of this thread, im looking for nice and honest answers, i just bought a hd dvd player less than 2 months ago i have a bunch of unopened hd dvds, should i really think about returning them? i knew as soon as i picked a side this would happen. it really seems like there is no hope fot hd dvd right now, if after may 70% will be blu only titles i know i cant take back the player and open discs but should i return all of the unopened ones then? ill be happy with the a3 as a sd player and play the open hd dvds i have now, but feel like these unopened ones are wasting money

That's what I'm doing. I bought a bunch with BB's B3G2 sale and will be returning most of them.

thanks, i really think thats what i'll do

I wonder how many people will be sending back their Amazon BOGO HD DVDs from this past month of sales? It might be a bloodbath. Would Amazon have to change their policy and deny the returns if the return levels get too high, or just suck it up, and have another sale at a higher discount (like B2G3F or B2G4F) just to clear it all out at a non-returnable price?

I'm wondering if I should send back the 4 Harry Potters, and the HD DVD Blade Runner Briefcase set.

Quake,

Here's what I'd consider. The Warner announcement doesn't necessarily mean the immediate end of HD DVD, but it does ensure Blu-ray's survival for a long time. That means you're probably going to be buying a PS3, which is an excellent Blu-ray player, in the not-too-distant future whatever you decide to do with these HD DVD orders. If you can afford to have both, great. If not, ask yourself these questions:

1) How many of those HD DVDs did you get because they were part of a deal and you needed to fill an order? Would you really be sad if you didn't have Face/Off or Batman Returns?

2) What's your input situation in your home theater? Will it be a pain running both HD DVD and Blu-ray or does it not matter?

If you can easily remain dual format and have a pressing need to own the titles you bought now, then keep it. You got some decent deals. If, however, you have home theater limitations, or you feel you don't really need to own all those titles today, I'd dump it. Every single one of them will show up on Blu-ray one day (many already are), and there will be more sales (although not as good). On top of that, I've found through experience that Blu-ray discs seem more reliable. That may or may not be your experience, but given the choice I've been buying Blu-ray, since I've yet to experience a glitch with a single one. My Blu-ray player is significantly better than my HD DVD player, though, so that may be the determining factor. In any case, it's something to consider.

If you end up buying a Blu-ray player relatively soon, then the money you spent on an HD DVD player is essentially wasted cost (even more if you use a needed HDMI slot and purchase any cable for it). Soon, it will have no inherent value (unless HD DVDs show up dirt cheap one day). Therefore, the reality of your expenditure is 22 discs for $391.48 or $17.79 per title. That's a bargain, but nothing amazingly special. In time, you'll find comparable deals on Blu-ray and may find you don't really need all 22 of them. The x-factor is immediacy. If it's going to be a while before you get Blu-ray, then there's a hidden value of being able to enjoy the titles today.

Personally, I'd return it all, buy a PS3 tomorrow, and hit the used movie store down the street that sells used Blu-ray titles for $15. But that's me. Your needs and preferences are almost certainly different from mine. I think you'll be happy with either decision.

das

very good advice.
i'm in the same boat after returning from the caribbean yesterday to a box at my door from amazon containing an A-3 and quite a few movies. i opened them, hooked up the player, turned on my computer, checked dvd talk..and the rest is history.

Personally I'd send it all back. I couldn't justify to myself spending lots of money on a format that's on the way out. In a year or two you'll have a HD-DVD player sitting around while all your attention most likely will be on Blu-ray.

My TV has one HDMI input; my receiver has one optical input. Both currently connected to my HD DVD player. If I ever consider going dual-format, how would I go about connecting the BD player without disconnected the HD DVD player?

Thanks for the post. One small correction: the $391.48 figure was for the brand new A3 AND 22 movies.

Without a) buying new hardware with more inputs, b) buying standalone HDMI and optical switch boxes and cables or c) getting a dual format player, you'll be switching cables. Another problem of having two formats.

Right. The point I was trying to make is that if you purchase a Blu-ray player in the not-too-distant future and all the HD DVD titles you bought make their way to Blu-ray, then the A3 is effectively valueless (with the noted exceptions of the ability to use it today instead of waiting for the Blu-ray releases or the potential for dirt-cheap HD DVDs in the future). It has no inherent value and should therefore not factor in your calculations. If you're going to buy a Blu-ray player regardless of whether you sell the A3 or not and plan to primarily purchase Blu-ray discs from that point forward, then you've effectively paid $391.48 for 22 movies. The A3 isn't an investment in future value and must be absorbed in your calculations. If you need to watch those movies today or you believe the A3 has future value to you for further HD DVD purchases, then that calculation changes. It just depends on what you plan to do. Make sense?

das

I forgot to switch my brain from *reading dumbass internet poster* to *reading das Monkey* . Anyway, I've decided to keep it. I'll get a PS3 anyway eventually, because gaming is my #1 love, but I am not happy with the choices at retail right now. I will keep searching for a 20GB version through eBay/CL, etc.

Like I posted, I think you'll be happy either way. The ability to watch these discs and enjoy them now, combined with the potential for crazy HD DVD deals in the future, combined with the freedom to shop for a deal on the PS3 over time should make you happy with your decision. Worst case scenario, even if you don't watch your discs for a year and never buy another HD DVD title, you still got 22 HD titles for under $18 a piece, and that's not bad. Best case, you get enjoyment out of your movies today and find some deals on a few more in the coming months, and the value of your overall purchase increases. It sounds like you made the right decision for you.

das

Why people make bad decisions:

http://badanalysis.blogspot.com/2006...ke-stupid.html

Hey thanks. I have looked and looked and have not been happy with the usb/ps2 remote adapter. I might give this a shot. I like the looks for one. And for another it will power off! However, to power on, you first have to pair it with a PSP. Which is the sux....but....will see.

Thanks a lot for this. It's really quite good.

HD-DVD will do all they can to hang in there and they wont' die right off. They'll get on companies asses to start hammering out more titles later in the year. BUT, the majority of the most popular studios are on Blu-Ray. HD-DVD is done. And again, this is coming from an HD-DVD supporter.

This is my main reason for hanging on to all of this. I see this playing out for at least another year or so. Supposedly DW and Paramount are under 18 month contracts to be HD-DVD exclusive, so that guarantees a slow death at least, if nothing else.

The optical switch boxes are very cheap.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...t=1#largeimage

or even better

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

I see no reason to keep it. The price is only going to drop. If you still want it then, then buy when it's dirt cheap.