One thing that people arent considering is the fact that when alot of movies that are currently only on HD DVD, have Blu-ray versions released is that the Blu-ray versions will be essentially the SAME thing. Alot of HD DVDs will be ported to Blu-ray, not unlike how video games are ported from one system to another. Companies, like Universal and Paramount arent going to invest money into adding anything to titles when they release them on Blu-ray. Any Hi-def digest review will also tell you that Warner Blu-rays are the exact same transfer as thier HD DVD counterpart. I love movies, but I'm not going to replace every HD DVD I have when the format is no longer around. I have titles that are only good to watch once in awhile too. For example, Lucky Number Slevin and Meet the Parents are good movies, but there's no way I'm paying twice to own these, or three times, on titles that I bought on SD back when the SD version was new and expensive.

I know, it makes me laugh
"Gotta swap out my HD DVD copy of The Shining for the Blu-ray version since HD DVD is dead". I hope they do understand its the same movie, the same encode, the same quality. Nothing is different except it will play in your PS3 vs. HD DVD player.

I am salivating at the fact that I will be buying peoples "useless" movies for dollars in the next few weeks. I can't wait.

In my case I understood it perfectly. The issue for me is the future. I'm not buying another HD DVD player down the road, but as the years go by I may end up with Blu-ray players in multiple rooms. As long as I wasn't losing anything by switching it seemed a good idea to get as many movies as possible on BD. Now was the time to strike with the B1G1 at Amazon and the $15 BD movies at Best Buy combined with the $20 off coupon. I'm still getting $10-$12 a movie by selling the HD DVDs so why not switch them out if they are identical on Blu-ray and cost nothing to replace? Not to mention there were several discs that were not worth owning or replacing and I just sold them to get rid of them. I didn't like Troy, Four Brothers, Sky Captain or Last Samurai very much so why keep them around on a dead format?

If Paramount and Universal switch and release identical versions on BD I will do the same thing. If it is possible to completely swap my HD DVD collection for Blu-ray without major cost I am definitely going to do it. I have a feeling though that there will be enough exclusive discs (even if it is just features) for me to keep a small HD DVD collection.

When your DVD collection is four digits it does seem very small.

In your case, it makes sense in regards to multiple players. I, however, don't see Blu-ray or HD DVD lasting more then a few more years so 2 HD DVD and 2 Blu-ray players is enough for me. SD will far outlive any HDM as people are simply not going to replace entire DVD collections because they are in HD and the picture quality is a bit better then their upconverting DVD player. I just don't think it will ever happen, but thats me.

umm, not to sidetrack here but what $20 off coupon? I'm hitting best buy later and this would help.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=521713

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=521713

(Beat by seconds!!!! )

I hope you are wrong, but anything is possible. In a year or two it could quickly become about VOD and downloadable movies if it is marketed correctly and can be distributed well. We have seen how much cost is a factor with many people on this enthusiast forum not liking the idea of $300 players and $30 discs. You have to figure there is a lot of the general public that probably agrees.

Maybe the future of HD movies is a cheaper VOD rental market. The studios would probably love that as it would stop disc reselling and maybe even cut down piracy.

Honestly, I can't envision this (VOD and downloads killing Blu-ray and maybe DVD) as it goes against my habits, but maybe I'm the dinosaur in all of this that can't see the big picture.

Thats why I wanted HD DVD to win, it has the best chance of getting players down in price faster. Right now, once the 1.0 players are sold, we will have $349+ players. Will people replace their DVD players with a $39 upconverting DVD player, or spend an additional $300 more for Blu-ray and $10-$20 more for the Blu-ray version of movies?

With less then 1% of total sales laster year, what does Blu-ray hope to accomplish this year? 3%? 5%? At what point will it be "catching on" or proven to be an expensive failure?

I will be supporting whatever HD format lives. I don't care which, but I want my movies in HD whenever possible. But...do others feel the same way or is SD "good enough"?

The big picture is nothing lasts forever. When I was younger I never would have thought I'd see records dead, newspapers dying or the typewriter become obsolete. The only media that seems to be enduring is books. Red is dead. Blu will be too. The only thing you can do to protect yourself is not to buy anything, but who wants to do that?

As a guy who just bought a Toshiba HD-DVD player for $149 the day after Christmas, I'll admit I was hoping the "format war" would last a little longer. I may have opted for a Blu-Ray player had the prices been lower, but I suppose that should have been an indicator.

But since I just picked up a new 50" Panny plasma in early December, I'm enjoying the upconvert on my SD titles - and no matter how JSP it sounds - I think SD can look quite good. I haven't invested in any HD-DVD titles other than the freebies, so it's not like I'm really in the hole.

And picking up HD titles cheaply from panicky types who feel the need to unload 'em over the next few months might be fun.

<---------------Has owned a commodore 64, Beta, VHS, cassette, 8 tracks, typewriter, record albums, laser discs, reel to reel tape and countless other bygone technologies.

Thanks!!

Me, too, my friend. Add an Atari 400 with the fake keyboard to the list. Also toss in the NES and SNES sytems to that pile for a garage sale. At least I never picked up an RCA video disc player. (It's needle playback just seem so out-of-date compared to the flashy LD player I got instead.)

darkside, What you say may be true to some degree, but if you really wanna make a return, don't sell your HD DVDs right away. Alot of HD DVD titles, especially Warner titles will be worth more in the future to collectors down the road. And not every title makes it to the B1G1 list. Alot of those titles on Amazon's list are on the list because there isn't enough interest in them to sell them for full price. If you have to replace your HD DVDs, space them out and wait for holiday time B1G1 deals on Amazon. But keep EVERY exclusive HD DVD title until something concrete is announced from the studios. And don't forget that when companies catch up thier former exclusives.. It takes ALOT of time. Warner only updated thier blu-ray catalog of former HD DVD exclusives by a handful of titles this year, like Polar Express and A Christmas Story. My 2 year old daughter might start kindergarten before all my HD DVD exclusives become available on blu-ray. If you sell your HD DVDs now, you will wait a LONG, LONG time to see them in Hi-def again.

I do hope you get multiple Blu-ray players for multiple rooms, but don't expect to see them for $98 dollars at Wal-mart until they release Playstation 5. lol

I agree totally. I think that the reason that Hi-def movies arent catching on is that older DVDs can be bought so cheaply and at much less than the cost of the Blu-ray version.

Examples:

Into the Blue DVD can be found periodically on sale at Best Buy for $5, when the Blu-ray cost you a minimum of $20 online.

Same for titles like Lost in Translation, Cruel Intentions, Planet of the Apes, and countless others. If the catalog Blu-rays and HD DVDs were much cheaper, then Hi-def would be more quickly adoped by the masses. I wouldnt mind paying $5 of $10 dollars more for a hi-def version, but 4x the price?! That is just being taken advantage of.

You know that almost every SD DVD can be had for less than $5 thru CH, right?

But your reason there is perhaps the chief reason that HDM has not caught on with the general public, cost. Even without CH, most SDs can be had for $10 or less if you're willing to wait a couple months after release.

Even at B1G1 free prices, I can still get at least twice as many SD discs (and many of those 2 disc SEs with more special features)than HDM.

If you hold the HD DVD in your hands and say the name of the movie three times while looking in a mirror, the BD version will appear behind you.