The war between the two high-definition DVD formats entered a new phase, as Blockbuster announced that it will offer the Blu-ray format for rental in its 1,700 stores.

See the Full Story: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=102006NMMGUU&nl=2

I still have not researched them enough to draw to a conclusion in which one is better, but looking at the past, sony formats have not caught on. Of course, I wasn't around for that when it happened :p .

All the cool kids use Netflix anyway, and they will rent you both formats.

There isn't going to be any winner or loser in this battle, it will turn out like DVD+R and DVD-R, things will just play both. VHS vs Beta was 2 completely different physical structures making smooth interoperability impossible.

I think this (http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/warner-officially-announces-total-hi-def-hybrid-disc/) is what will solve the format "war."

If the discs come with both blu-ray and hd-dvd on one disc, then neither party can lose. Much cheaper to than hybrid players, since they currently are >$1000USD.

Edit: The hybrid discs would be good if they were similarly priced, but it seems they may cost much more(due to licensing and media costs). If they're much more, they will fail.

I think the HD war will come down to the cheaper HD DVD vs. the more expensive but better quality Bluray. To tell you the truth, I can't even tell the difference. The only reason I want Bluray to win is because I have a PS3 so it would just be convenient. :p

I wonder how long this friggin' war is going to last. How long did the VHS/ betamax war last?

I believe that SONY introduced the Betamax in 1975 or so and JVC put out VHS about a year later. I believe it actually took about ten years after that before VHS was perceived to be the victor of this war. The original Betamax could only hold an hour's worth of video and that limited its appeal to the movie-watching crowd. They enhanced it later, but it was too late.

I just read a review about a machine that plays both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD :D ! It's also cheaper than most single player machines :eek: ! It sounds like a good idea for now if you really need Blu-Ray or HD-DVD and fear one is going to die out. It's similar to vnf4ultra's link.

Got a link cfitzarl? I breifly googled yesterday and the only one I found was $1000

I'll scan the magazine article when I get back to my dad's house :) .

I can only see this format war coming to and end with dual players.

Microsoft Signs HD DVD Pact with Amazon

Amazon and Microsoft are joining forces in an alliance designed to bolster the chances of the HD DVD format's survival. The deal might also be a boon to independent filmmakers.

See the Full Story: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=002000866FEW&nl=2

The only hybrid HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player is available from LG and costs in the extreme price range of $975-$1100. Details here (http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/05/lgs-bh100-hd-dvd-blu-ray-player-officially-hits-stores/). Samsung is also going to release a similar player, as mentioned here (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/samsungs-combo-hd-dvdbluray-player-182234.php).

There is no "better" format the way I see it. Some people will like HD-DVD for the better price, while many will like Blu-Ray for the better storage. I disagree with the idea that dual players will become popular though, but its just a gut feeling. My bet is on Blu-Ray because 9 or 10 out of 11 major Hollywood studios support it, and the PS3 has done wonders for it's popularity, as well as the support of many more technology companies. On the other hand HD-DVD is currently cheaper, and people who are no tech-savvy will see the word HD and think"Hey it's HD!!" and look at Blu-Ray and think "What's the big deal about Blue?" But hey thats my opinion.

All the cool kids use Netflix anyway, and they will rent you both formats.

There isn't going to be any winner or loser in this battle, it will turn out like DVD+R and DVD-R, things will just play both. VHS vs Beta was 2 completely different physical structures making smooth interoperability impossible.

All the cool kids huh? You're quite sure of that?

Toshiba is backing Blu-Ray, Samsung is backing High-Def, (or is it vice-versa)?
Funny thing, TSST corp. stands for Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology. Oh, you mean they're in bed together! I predict that once you factor in DRM schemes the loser will be the consumer!

No captaincranky they've already found a way to crack one of the new DRM schemes and are going to crack BD+ soon. Limewire and the torrents will always find a way!

No captaincranky they've already found a way to crack one of the new DRM schemes and are going to crack BD+ soon. Limewire and the torrents will always find a way!

Shush.....!