what is the deal with HD dvd players and hi-defintion DVDs?

Answer 1

As a counterpoint to the previous responder's answer, I'd like to point out the following to further enlighten you and balance out his biased response:

- HD-DVD players are more affordable. The lower-tier consoles cost $400-$500, while the upper-tier consoles (which DO offer 1080p) start at $800. By comparison, Blu-Ray consoles start at $1000, and while the $500-$600 PS3 has a built-in Blu-Ray player, good luck finding one in the next few months.

- HD-DVD consoles are already in their second generation, having worked out more kinks and refined their technology, while Blu-Ray is having trouble even getting their first generation of devices out.

- There are more HD-DVD titles currently out, and they consistently sell more than Blu-Ray discs. (

- Sony's having a bad public relations year right now--"rootkits" in their CDs that make PC's vulnerable to viruses, computer batteries that explode, the UMD format flopping, the PSP having lackluster sales, and all the delays and difficulties that are plaguing Blu-Ray in its debut (Sony itself hasn't even managed to release its own Blu-Ray player yet; the only Blu-Ray player available in stores right at this moment is by Samsung) threaten to make Blu-Ray the next Betamax.

- HD-DVD also has support from Microsoft, which is selling an external HD-DVD add-on to its XBox 360. That means, for the 7 million plus (10 million by the end of the year) *current* XBox 360 owners, they can get a $200 high-definition player.

- "Shootouts" comparing the movies that have been released in both formats keep declaring HD-DVD the winner in picture quality, despite Blu-Ray's potential for larger capacity (note that most commercially-released HD-DVD's are dual-layer 30GB's, while most Blu-Rays right now are single-layer 25GB discs, which means the whole "larger capacity" thing isn't holding true anyway).

- 1080i/p is NOT an issue. If you're watching on a 720p/1080i HDTV set, you'll have to set your Blu-Ray player down to 1080i anyway, and if you're watching on a 1080p HDTV set, the set will convert the 1080i signal from an HD-DVD player to 1080p with no ill effects.


In short, while it's too early to call a victor in this "format war," right now HD-DVD has the upper hand.

Answer 2

Two versions of high definition DVD players and discs have been introduced. One is HD-DVD, the other is Blu-Ray. They are not compatible with each other. Neither hi-def disc will play on a standard DVD player. The players, however, will play standard DVDs and even up-convert them to high definition formats (but they still are not high def). The players cost from $500 (HD-DVD) to over $1000. The recorded discs are also much more expensive than regular DVDs.

At its best, HD-DVD can provide the highest picture quality you can get from any source. So far, Blu-Ray is not up to that level; in both systems the individual discs vary in quality.

It is believed generally that eventually one or the other format will come out on top, but it may be some time before we know which one. It is also possible that both formats will exist together for some time, especially if players are available that will play either disc (supposedly being designed right now).

My feeling is that it is too early to get into hi-def DVD right now; give it at least 6 months to settle out.

Answer 3

Well you must consider there are 2 competing formats. Blu-ray & HD-DVD , there are some important differences between them.

*1st is capacity. Blu-ray can hold 25GB per layer (50GB on a dual-layer disc), whereas HD-DVD can only hold 15GB per layer (30GB on a dual-layer disc). Blu-ray has a higher data transfer rate for video and audio (54Mbps vs 36.55Mbps).

*2nd is content. The Blu-ray format has broader support from the major movie studios. Warner, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, and Lionsgate have already announced titles for Blu-ray, HD-DVD only has support from Warner, Paramount, & Universal.

*3rd is hardware support. The Blu-ray format has broader support from the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp, JVC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, TDK, Thomson, LG, Apple, HP and Dell.
The HD-DVD format has far less supporters, Toshiba is the only company to officially announce a HD-DVD player.

*4th
HDDVD will only support 1080i output,
Blu-ray players will support 1080p.

*5th Blu-Ray will be included in Playstation 3 Game system

Answer 4

Here's the deal (see the Wikipedia link below)...

Deal?

or

No Deal?

H a p p y
H o m e
T h e a t e r i n g !