which is better, Blue Ray or HD players? and when is a good time to invest in one?

Answer 1

If you really want to buy one right now, either buy the cheapest HD-DVD player you can find (about $300) or get a combo player that will play both (about $900). Since a Blu-Ray player is around $600, the combo player is about the same price as buying both.

These prices will come down until the combo player is the standard or one of the formats goes away. As popular as video is now, I really doubt that either will go away but many studios will continue to only release on one format only. If that is true, anything but a combo player will be a throw away in a couple of years.

I am waiting for the combo players to hit $400.

Good Luck

Answer 2

BR has more potential capacity, HD has more potential functionality. Neither is overwhelmingly superior to the other.

A good time to invest in one is when it isn't an investment. When you can pick up a player and discs at a price that's comfortable for you - that's the best time. You can buy an upscaling or upconverting DVD player that plays regular DVDs in high definition and looks *almost* as good as a BD or HD-DVD for about 50 bucks. Personally, I think that's the best option while we wait for this war to resolve itself.

The only real loser in the format war are the consumers who buy into whichever format loses.

Answer 3

Both are about the same.

Kind of like the VHS Betamax war all over again.

Eventually one format will go away. Hard to tell which one will survive at this time.

I'm not kidding about this next statement.
The Porn industry decided the VHS - Betamax war. When Porn became more available on VHS, those machines started outselling Betamax. I'm not saying I approve, I'm just saying what happened.

I wouldn't be surprised the same thing happens this time around.