The cost of the players is coming down to where I will buy one but I'm not sure which way to go. I cannnot believe that Sony got it wrong twice in a row. (Betamax and Blu Ray)

The format war seems determined to stay muddy. If I had to guess on a winner, I'd either go with Blu-ray or neither of them (a la the DVD-A/SACD format war that was won by iTunes).

I've contemplated a Blu-ray player, but at this point I figure that I'll wait a while longer - at least until 2008, I think. Blu-ray has a good bit of potential, mainly due to studio support and disc capacity. Unfortunately what I've seen so far leaves me thinking that the only player I'd consider investing in today is the PS3. The Samsung and Panasonic players both look decent, but they're priced higher than I'm ready for and are still just Profile 1.0. It's going to be late this year before the Profile 1.1 players (with the Java interactive content supported) arrive, by which point at least TrueHD decoding - and perhaps DTS HD MA decoding - will become standard at a lower price point.

HD-DVD hardware definitely has come together faster, but even with the recent support from Dreamworks and Paramount the HD-DVD software library isn't as robust as Blu-ray's. My HD-A2 is a decent enough player, and $250 was a price that I felt OK about paying to dabble in the format war. I don't have any plans to invest in much HD-DVD software (I've spent less than $100 to date, I think, and don't know when I might buy another disc), but Netflix keeps a few discs coming my way.

I understood about half of that which for me is pretty good. WHat's a PS3? Once again thanks so VERY much for responding to me. I have been away for a while and it's nice to come back and see you still helping everyone out. You are a true hobbyist. (I had better be careful the paragraph police may be watching me.)

"PS3" is the Playstation3. Even though it's technically a game console, it is also a Blu-ray player (and possibly the fastest and most powerful Blu-ray player around at the moment). The version with a 60GB hard drive and wifi now sells for $500, which is comparable to the least expensive standalone Blu-ray players. There are a couple drawbacks to the PS3. For one thing, it lacks proper support for an IR remote, so you are left using the $25 add-on bluetooth remote even if you have a universal remote for everything else. (There's an IR-to-USB add-on available for the PS2 that is compatible with the PS3, but that add-on's remote doesn't include all of the functions of the PS3's bluetooth remote.) The other drawback is the lack of a multichannel analog output, something that the standalone Blu-ray players and the most expensive HD-DVD player all offer. My HD-A2 and the HD-A20 also lack a multichannel analog output. What that means is that output of the new audio formats (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS's "too long of a name" DTS-HD Master Audio) is restricted to HDMI. My HDMI FAQ goes into some detail about those issues.

I have somewhat less faith in Blu-ray than Gonk, although we agree in most other respects. (Still, for my film-viewing preferences, I disagree that the Blu-ray catalog is more robust.There are still more movies I'm interested in on HD DVD; but, then, I'm not the "Talladega Nights" demographic that IMO a lot of the Blu-ray catalog targets).

However, like Gonk, I do have the conviction that Blu-ray is definitely a bad bet for at least the next 60 days. Blu-ray will implement a new hardware profile at the end of October that will render current players obsolete for advanced special features (though all players will continue to play the film, itself).

So, as the Blu-ray software becomes more sophisticated, the past 12 months of player will not play those features. (As Gonk observes, the PS3 is a more likely bet because Sony can probably update the firmware to support the new hardware profile features.)

While I own an HD DVD player (and have had one for about a year), I'm not against acquiring Blu-ray, but the "moving target" aspect of the platform and its unsettled standards have kept me away.

For me, the undeniable truth here is that hi-def discs represent a stunning improvement in home audio and video quality, particularly if you're watching a large format display, and I sincerely hope that one of these formats gains favor with the mass market.

To hedge my bets financially, I've purchased an HD DVD player, reduced my disc purchases, and subscribed to NetFlix to keep up with the latest releases. So, I'm enjoying superb quality hi-def at home NOW with a relatively modest investment (because the cost of the player -- HD DVD or Blu-ray -- is nothing compared to the ultimate cost of building a software collection).

I think that Bob's hit on perhaps the best advise at this stage in the format war - neither format has earned the classification of a successful format or a sure bet yet, and I'm not sure when (or if) either will reach that sort of critical mass in the marketplace. Until then, investing in hardware or software (especially software) needs to be done with the awareness of that.

I too went the HD-A2 route as an inroads to HD.

I am very pleased with the DVD performance and joined Netflix for HD. I bought "Planet Earth" and "Serenity"

I figured both HD and BD will be around for a while, so maybe a cheap BD player at Christmas.

Interesting stuff on HDDVD vs Blue Ray:
http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/blu-rays-dirty-little-secret

Anybody reading this article should also read the discussion in the related forum that follows. It points out that this article, while mostly correct, does have some of its own omissions and half-truths.

For example, if you go to Amazon.uk to look for "Total Recall" as mentioned in the article, the Amazon.uk site lists it as a Region 2, PAL disc. If that's true, it's not going to look right on a player in the US.

Interesting read either way...

I will probably go with a PS3 to play Blu-Ray once the new series of Outlaws receiver comes out. Since i have such a great DVD player, I see no need for a full blu-ray unit so the Ps3 seems good.

That article was indeed an interesting read. The bit about HD-DVD being cheaper to produce has been well established ( at least as far as I know ). The region-free statement is also of interest, as I don't think it would last for long if it became the dominant format ( courtesy of greedy movie studios ).

As for a winner....I have a sinking feeling that by the time a format is decided upon, something newer, simpler and less complex to the consumer will have already taken hold. Movie crystals perhaps?

HD-DVD manufacturing costs have always been one of HD-DVD's selling points - in fact, that was basically the argument that its backers offered as justification not to unify with Blu-ray early in the format war, since there are very few differences otherwise. Interactivity is another difference, as both formats have (or are still) developing independent systems for that, but really that and the few other functional differences - all of which were developed very close to format launch - are largely just details floating on the surface with the underlying structures sharing a lot in common (video and audio codecs being the really big commonalities, not to mention AACS being used by both with some variations between the two).

Audioholics can be a good source of information, but there are times when I feel that they get a bit sensationalist. This article is a good example. It could really be summed up simply by saying that movie distribution rights often vary in overseas markets, which means that movies handled by exclusive studios (either HD-DVD or Blu-ray exclusive) may appear in other markets on the "other" format. If you don't mind potentially having the interface be in a different language - several of their examples were Spanish releases, with instructions on the order pages explaining how to navigate the menu to find where to turn off the Spanish subtitles - or paying a premium to buy these imports, you might be able to only buy one HD player and have access to a somewhat larger catalog of titles. Presenting it as one format (either format's) "dirty little secret" feels like an effort to make a splash.

Reminds me a bit of the first time I read their "Attack of the Clones" article, which came months after folks around here had become pretty well informed about the two clones of the Model 950 on the market. (Sherbourn and Atlantic Technology both contracted with Eastech to have processors built using the Model 950 platform but using their own faceplates; Fosgate Audionics FAP-T1 came later and made some noticeable changes to the Model 950 platform, including an extra component input and a good-sized LCD monitor on the front.) Their article spent several pages analyzing the similarities in an almost conspiratorial manner and asking which came first. The story in that case was also easily summed up in a few paragraphs.

There is quite a bit of fud being passed by both sides. The truth is that the number of studios releasing disks are the same for both camps (though the actual numbers vary by +/- depending on who you count). There are now two combo players out there, and as soon as the China gets into the act, there will be more. As soon as the price of a decent combo player comes to the point where it costs less than one of each the war will end with a stalemate.
(probably by next XMAS).

I just bought a new Vizio GV52LF 52" lcd tv and an Oppo DV-981HD upconverting dvd player. I'm happy with the PQ of my current DVD collection on this gear, and I'm happy to sit out the format war.

You are likely correct, but my worry is that such a stalemate will bear a resemblance to the DVD-A/SACD "stalemate" (which was finally "won" by SACD when new DVD-A releases pretty much stopped). With two competing formats on the market, retailers are going to be loathe to dedicate shelf space to stocking both, especially with DVD still (and for some time to come) the dominant format in the marketplace and thus requiring a lot of shelf space as well. I have no problem buying my discs online - maybe a dozen or less of the DVD's I have at home were purchased at a brick and mortar store, and CD purchases in the last seven or eight years are much the same way - but not all consumers are like me and limited retail availability will hurt both formats at some point. If their growth is stunted enough, they may take too long to reach a critical mass and end up getting beaten by some entirely different format (like downloadable content).

Like several others, I also dipped my toe into HD discs with the PS3 (the 60 GB when the price recently dropped). Video goes via HDMI directly to the Samsung 50", audio to the 990 with its own "PS3" setting via the digital connection, which I play with the 7-channel DSP setting. Also, Netflix supplies all the software. Since I can't really integrate it into the MX-700 controller my wife doesn't feel comfortable playing her disks by herself, so I help out.

So far it's done just fine as a HD disc player, and someday I'll get the time to play Oblivion IV;-)

Good news for integrating your PS3.

I have a PS3 and an MX-800. I recently got a Playstation 3 Blu Wave Remote from Nyko. Amazon carries it. You have to manually turn the PS3 on and off. Other than that, it does the job you would hope for - standard transport and menu functions.

Recommeded

Nice. Is it an IR device or is it RF?

It has an Ir receiver that plugs into the USB on the PS3. This USB device needs power to function, so the PS3 has to be powered up. Therefore, you need to turn the PS3 on and off manually.

I just placed an Ir emitter from my MX-800 a short distance from this receiver. I learned what I needed from the included Ir remote and it works.

That's something that has been long-needed for the PS3. Glad to hear somebody has developed one.