What I don't understand is...

[nouse4aname68]

Why do people feel such strong hatred towards the opposing format? Blu-ray fans HATE HD-DVD, HD-DVD fans LOATHE BD fans. Why? What possible reason would someone have to say "HD-DVD sucks" or "Blu-ray sucks?" Both formats have their ups and downs, and I personally find it very childish to bash either one. They both have support from major companies, and major movie studios, they both offer HD movies in 1080P and amazing audio quality. I am pretty sure that many of you who bash one or the other have not seen both, or own either. Please keep the bashing to a minimum in these forums. Both formats are perfectly capable and neither one "sucks."

Also, if ANYONE can find a SINGLE person who hates every single exclusive from one side or another, please let me know, because at this point, I am neutral because both sides offer me great movies in HD.

For those who are going to bash me, I currently own a 360 and and HD-DVD drive, yes your right, this is the ranting of a 360 owner. I own about 40 HD-DVDs and 2 Blu-ray for a PS3 that I have yet to pick up. I have, however spent plenty of time in front of both set ups, and I can honestly say that, apart from the disc's case and the system its playing on, I couldn't tell you the difference in quality either way.

-Signed,
HD Neutral Consumer
PS3 Journalist
XBox 360 Owner
Soon to be PS3 Owner

[Behemoko]

Blashphemy!

Joking.

I think it is mainly because both sides see the opposing side as a prolonger in a war they are sure there side is destined to win.. eventually. I personally own only 6 Blu-ray movies, and thought about getting the HD-DVD add-on at one point (which would have me at 6 HD-DVDs also due to King Kong, and the 5 free with mail-in rebate deal), but I didn't, as I want to stick it out with one side (Blu-ray for me.) I am not one of the "I hate you for liking the other format!" people, but I do see where they are coming from if they are mis-informed. Becoming misinformed seems quite easy to me if you are a "fanboy" of one side, and want to believe everything your side says regardless. For example, MS just said HD-DVD is winning, but if going strictly by sales of Hi-def movies, Blu-ray would be currently winning. If there was a huge HD-DVD "fanboy" who wanted HD-DVD to win, they could naturally just believe it is winning because they want it to be, and because their company said so.

[Vattu]

only an hddvd owner can love both formats.

[Behemoko]

only an hddvd owner can love both formats.

Now that to me just seems counter-productive.. Did I not just say I own a Blu-ray player (my PS3) and thought about getting an HD-DVD player (the 360 add-on)? Maybe you didn't read my post, which I don't expect you to, but I know multiple people who had a Blu-ray player/PS3 before they got an HD-DVD player/the 360 add-on.

[REFLEX]

I love owning both formats. Dual format owners are the only current winners in the format war.

I have almost 150 HD DVD and Blu-ray titles combines, and that list is growing by the month. I actually had my first HD DVD player before the PS3 came out. I wanted HD movies on disc. I'm on my second HD DVD player (not because the 1st one didn't work), and I love my PS3, a lot.

I never bash the other formats, if you see I am always stuck in the middle, by choice.... there is no reason for hatred, the funniest part is this format war really gets people behaving childish. You go to AVS forums where the average age of person there is typically a bit older, and so many of them behave like children in the HD DVD and Blu-ray forums. A lot do, and a lot DON'T. Its just funny to see grown ups behaving like little kids over something like that.

Both formats are here to stay for quite a while..... what can I say.. I'm enjoying HD movies with no boundaries, TrueHd, Uncompressed PCM, 1080p..... dual formats!

[mickice]

DVD still wins! Forget wars ... Buy one format if you must but in the end it's your money not mine.

But if i had to say ... i'd back Blu-Ray.

[vorian]

I'm going dual format. I have bought about 20 HD-DVD titles so far -

300
Apollo 13
BULLITT
Children Of Men
DOOM
The Chronicles Of Riddick
The Corpse Bride
The Departed
Goodfellas
King Kong
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Perfect Storm
Serenity
Total Recall
Unforgiven
V For Vendetta


Both BR and HD-DVD are evenly matched in PQ/AQ for the most part with wins/losses either way. Like many, I have viewed both extensively now and there is no discernible difference. Anyone pretending there is might be having a lend of you in implying something like that. Sure, HD-DVD has some good recent blockbuster titles coming out soon like Transformers, Blade Runner CE and great catalogue titles/box also coming through very soon - BSG Box Set and Star Trek Box Set for Q4 but, I have to have the Alien series movies from FOX, so there is no option for me other than to go dual format.

I am currently planning to sell my launch 360 premium and HD-DVD add-on, purchase an X360 Elite and Samsung BD-UP5000 dual format player, and forget all about the 'format wars' nonesense.

Check out the Sammy here -

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...-32553618.html

[REFLEX]

Yeah...... both formats have a lot to offer. Neither one has a true advantage over the other in terms of AQ/PQ. I've been saying that around here since last November! Haha.

[vorian]

Yeah...... both formats have a lot to offer. Neither one has a true advantage over the other in terms of AQ/PQ. I've been saying that around here since last November! Haha.

Yeah - your how-to/tech threads on HD/AV have been very helpful to me - cheers man

Reflex, can you recommend say 5-10 exclusive movies on Blu-Ray that are top tier PQ/AQ releases to get me started? My favored genres are sci-fi and war epics of any era, but I don't really get into or wouldn't buy stuff like Pirates or Talladega style comedies, just a quick 5 off the top of your head while I'm in a buying frenzy

[REFLEX]

TIER 0 -Blu-

Completely flawless picture. No artifacts whatsoever, no matter how small. Demo Material - These show just what Blu-Ray is all about and everyone should own one to show any guests in their home. Show someone one of these films and they'll want to join the Blu side

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PCM)
Corpse Bride


TIER 1 -GOLD-

Demo Material, but minor artifacting may be present which the untrained eye may not necessarily spot. Little if any visible compression. Sharp image that has a lot of HD-POP effects. If you are thinking about buying a movie in this tier don't hesitate. Show someone one of these films and they'll want to join the Blu side

Chicken Little (PCM)
Open Season (PCM)
TMNT
Apocalypto (PCM)
Black Snake Moan
Crank (PCM)(IME)
The Messengers
The Host
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (PCM)
The Fifth Element (PCM) (Remastered)
The Patriot
Happy Feet
Battle of The Bulge
The Wild (PCM)
The Ant Bully
A Scanner Darkly
Curse of the Golden Flower
300
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Happily N'Ever After
Black Hawk Down (BW)(PCM)
Kingdom of Heaven (MA)
Roving Mars (This documentary includes some SD 4:3 shots which resulted in lower placement. HD Quality is top of tier one, however due to SD and feedback this film is placed lower).

Those are the best of the best so far, probably missing a few.


You'd probably enjoy a few of these.. out of all of these I own quite a few, but my personal favorites out of the ones I do own (which is a lot of these), would be:

Pirates 1 and 2
Fifth Element
Battle of the Bulge (war movie)
A Scanner Darkly (true Sci-Fi type thing, if you don't know what it is, read about it: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/scannerdarkly.html).. its one of my favs.
300
Black Hawk Down
Kingdom of Heaven (truly an epic movie.... amazing war scenes... VERY epic)


Scanner Darkly isn't exclusive, neither is 300....


But I mean, you get the idea. Take a look at that list, those are the best quality titles in somewhat of an order on Blu-ray, take your pic. and you won't be let down!

[JarOfFlies]

Why do people feel such strong hatred towards the opposing format? Blu-ray fans HATE HD-DVD, HD-DVD fans LOATHE BD fans. Why? What possible reason would someone have to say "HD-DVD sucks" or "Blu-ray sucks?" Both formats have their ups and downs, and I personally find it very childish to bash either one. They both have support from major companies, and major movie studios, they both offer HD movies in 1080P and amazing audio quality. I am pretty sure that many of you who bash one or the other have not seen both, or own either. Please keep the bashing to a minimum in these forums. Both formats are perfectly capable and neither one "sucks."

Also, if ANYONE can find a SINGLE person who hates every single exclusive from one side or another, please let me know, because at this point, I am neutral because both sides offer me great movies in HD.

For those who are going to bash me, I currently own a 360 and and HD-DVD drive, yes your right, this is the ranting of a 360 owner. I own about 40 HD-DVDs and 2 Blu-ray for a PS3 that I have yet to pick up. I have, however spent plenty of time in front of both set ups, and I can honestly say that, apart from the disc's case and the system its playing on, I couldn't tell you the difference in quality either way.

-Signed,
HD Neutral Consumer
PS3 Journalist
XBox 360 Owner
Soon to be PS3 Owner

I hate the opposing format because there shouldn't be two formats. I just want one to focus on and the other to die out.

[vorian]

Those are the best of the best so far, probably missing a few.


You'd probably enjoy a few of these.. out of all of these I own quite a few, but my personal favorites out of the ones I do own (which is a lot of these), would be:

Pirates 1 and 2
Fifth Element
Battle of the Bulge (war movie)
A Scanner Darkly (true Sci-Fi type thing, if you don't know what it is, read about it: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/scannerdarkly.html).. its one of my favs.
300
Black Hawk Down
Kingdom of Heaven (truly an epic movie.... amazing war scenes... VERY epic)


Scanner Darkly isn't exclusive, neither is 300....


But I mean, you get the idea. Take a look at that list, those are the best quality titles in somewhat of an order on Blu-ray, take your pic. and you won't be let down!

Black Hawk Down for sure and probably Battle OF The Bulge and The Fifth Element if that remaster is up to par. I was thinking of adding the Mission Impossible boxset as well as the three Rambo movies to my HD-DVD line up. Had MAD MAX 2(The Road Warrior to anyone outside Australia), Enter The Dragon and The Dirty Dozen along with Full Metal Jacket in mind as well for my next buys on HD-DVD.

Do you have any thoughts on when an Alien boxset from FOX might land on BR? How does AvP stack up PQ/AQ wise?

[REFLEX]

AvP wasn't my kind of movie.. I mean sure, it was my KIND of movie, but I didn't like the movie so I never bought it.

The Fifth Element looks really good, well the new transfer anyway, definitely worth owning.

Get Mission Impossible on HD DVD, it looks better on HD DVD than it does on Blu-ray..

The Alien Box Set .... man...... I'm guessing by this time next year for sure, but its anyone's guess now, as far as I know there hasn't been any official word.

[vorian]

AvP wasn't my kind of movie.. I mean sure, it was my KIND of movie, but I didn't like the movie so I never bought it.

The Fifth Element looks really good, well the new transfer anyway, definitely worth owning.

Get Mission Impossible on HD DVD, it looks better on HD DVD than it does on Blu-ray..

The Alien Box Set .... man...... I'm guessing by this time next year for sure, but its anyone's guess now, as far as I know there hasn't been any official word.

Yeah - I'm with ya on the qualities of AvP as a 'movie', Alien/Aliens are probably the pick of the bunch with Aliens up front for me. Interested in the PQ/AQ qualities though.

I should really get a list happening on FOX/Columbia/MGM/Disney-BV Sci Fi/War movies methinks. I won't invest in titles like Pirates/Fast and Furious etc so that kind of stuff on both formats will generally get slung to the wayside.

Are any of the the Stargate TV series coming up on BR in the next 6-12 months? That series is another instant buy for me

[gem-kun]

Someone is destined to win. HD-DVD should just die. Sony pictures and Disney will not support it, they are part of BDA association. So I side with blu-ray and hoping for HD-DVD's death.

[Lefein]

HD-DVD is nothing more than a market destroyer for HD products. That's why. Until the yokels come out of the woodworks and get HDTV sets, they will not need either format. We need a clear winner sooner than later so that the mass market gives way to a lot of choices in movies as well as content.

HD-DVD isn't just slowing up the movie industry, it's throwing a wrench in computer drive formats for gaming as well. If anyone can give a good reason to support HD-DVD, I'd hear them out, but so far it seems like a half assed, half backed, and half baked format being moneyhatted into existence because Bill Gates and Toshiba want to play another game of "shake the money tree" at the consumers expense. No Dolby Digital HD audio? No PCM 7.1? It's 2007, for the love of God! If we can't choose a format that can rock our hardware now, we'll just have to replace it with BluRay later.. It's going to be a really long assed time before we see TVs supporting higher than 1080p on a mass consumer market. I mean FFS, BluRay was out in cartridge form several years before Toshiba had an HD-DVD blueprint.

[thegame97338]

When you watch sports do you root for both teams to win or tie.....Not Me.. Go Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD sucks the big one...

[REFLEX]

Yeah - I'm with ya on the qualities of AvP as a 'movie', Alien/Aliens are probably the pick of the bunch with Aliens up front for me. Interested in the PQ/AQ qualities though.

I should really get a list happening on FOX/Columbia/MGM/Disney-BV Sci Fi/War movies methinks. I won't invest in titles like Pirates/Fast and Furious etc so that kind of stuff on both formats will generally get slung to the wayside.

Are any of the the Stargate TV series coming up on BR in the next 6-12 months? That series is another instant buy for me

I don't know about the series, but the movie Stargate is on Blu-ray, it doesn't look too bad really. Check that out I guess.

For a list of upcoming titles (its updated basically the day they are announced) check this out, It also has all the current pre orders listed until the day they come out, with links to Amazon.com.... check it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=830255

[vorian]

I don't know about the series, but the movie Stargate is on Blu-ray, it doesn't look too bad really. Check that out I guess.

For a list of upcoming titles (its updated basically the day they are announced) check this out, It also has all the current pre orders listed until the day they come out, with links to Amazon.com.... check it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=830255

Thanks again for your advice. I have enough time to plan these purchases I guess, that Samsung universal player won't be out for a couple of more months yet. There are plenty of sweet releases coming out on the Red side though, so no worries on the content front for now

[REFLEX]

Yeah.... lots of good movies to own.. no doubt about it!

[MrG]

you can't tell difference in quality, yet one has a larger storage capacity... I just support the one I feel is better, I wouldn't call it fanboyism. (I mean Blu-Ray, by the way)

[REFLEX]

The majority of movies do not use over 15-20Gigs for the movie its self in terms of image quality.

[Lefein]

Look at it this way.. if hd dvd wasn't crapping the market up, we'd have more hd movies out because studios would feel less exposed by a format war. hd dvd will either die or kill hd movies.

[REFLEX]

A lot of people believe its the other way around. I don't. But your arguments are valid for the other side as well.

[nouse4aname68]

To address a few of the comments so far:

SPACE- Movies do not need more space than either side allows, HD-DVD is doing fine on 30gb, and is the works on 51gb. There is absolutely no need for any more. If it comes to that point however, bump the extras to a second disc, and don't say anything about that because 2-disc special editions are always preferred over the standard.

SPECS- HD-DVD can easily support newer audio specs, but aside from that point, hardly anyone has the system for it. DVD is destroying both HD-DVD and BD, and it's been outdone in audio and video quality for years. By the time that the masses are ready to adopt a new format, both will be behind in both audio and video quality.

And about the comment on HD-DVD holding back the HD era because it makes studios pick a side, you must be forgetting that HD-DVD was out first. It didn't create a war, Blu-ray did when it came out a year later and tried to take over the market. So, in your line of thought, Blu-ray is stopping HD from happening, because it came out later and caused the studios to need to wait til the war ends.