Which is More Consumer Friendly: HD DVD or Blu-ray?

[Wally]

What I got out of this article, is that Joe and Mary Average would most likely choose HD DVD over Blu-Ray. For 3 really simple reasons.

1) an HD DVD player is cheaper than a Blu-ray player ($98.00USD to $299.00USD)

2) HD DVD's 1080p is the same as Blu-ray's 1080p which really doesn't matter anyway because most people will likely buy the cheaper 720p television, which also works at 1080i, and feel pretty good about their choice. Now I Know being a Blu-ray fan you'll want to beat a dead horse and say people will go for the 1080p because it's a better television. What I am saying is Joe and Mary Average either wont be able to see enough difference to justify the higher price or wont care because they got a killer deal at Wal-Mart on the 720p 42" flat panel.

3) Name... HD DVD instantly tells a buyer it's most likely a Hi-Def DVD, no brainer. Blu-ray actually doesn't mean jack unless you're an AV geek, but it refers to the blue laser in the device.

As for the stupid "Blu-ray has more disk space" argument... Get a copy of Superman Returns which comes in both formats and tell me that disk space made the Blu-ray disk look and sound better and had tons more interactive features than HD DVD. It didn't, which means Blu-ray isn't actually putting anything on the table that's worth the extra money.

OUT...

[rtywonia]

I have both a first generation blu ray player and an hddvd player. I say a prayer every time I load an hddvd and I would never have movie night for an hddvd title with my friends. They are just to unreliable. BTW - I stopped sending in my error reports to Netflix because all they would do was send me another disc that does not work.

Ok you are saying - this is one user experience. So I now own a Bluray and HDDVD 3rd generation player. What do you know - BluRay is near flawless. HDDVD - same problems.

Maybe some of the problem lies in the dual HDDVD format discs (hddvd/dvd). These seem to have the most problems. Therfore if you stay away from them - you are ok.

Now you may say - buy brand new discs and stop renting. Well - I rarely buy discs unless I think I am going to watch them over and over again. Therefore, for me, the hands down winner is BluRay for ease of use. For me -- ease of use is simply defined as: Put disc in and disc works 90% of the time. For BluRay I am about 95% (1 disc failure which was fixed by a firmware update). For HDDVD i am batting about 600 (taking an optomistic view).

Note: If its on BluRay I watch it. HDDVD is always second choice. Once in a while I choose HDDVD over BluRay - and I get bit. Disc freezes up.

[rtywonia]

One last note - HDDVD (i.e Toshiba) has the ability to update firmware on line, because they have so many firmware updates that you need a way to update easily. I am not sure this is a benefit. I can not remember having to do firmaware updates on my DVD players. Now granted these are more like computers than VCR's but to say that Toshiba enables you to easily download a myriad of firmware updates that never totally fix the problems is truly a weird way of charecterizing a benefit.

[miller]

One last note - HDDVD (i.e Toshiba) has the ability to update firmware on line, because they have so many firmware updates that you need a way to update easily. I am not sure this is a benefit. I can not remember having to do firmaware updates on my DVD players. Now granted these are more like computers than VCR's but to say that Toshiba enables you to easily download a myriad of firmware updates that never totally fix the problems is truly a weird way of charecterizing a benefit.

So you're stating a fact? Please provide a reference. Either that or rephrase is as "I think ..." or "It would appear ...".

C'mon, the internet port was not added to do updates, it was added for interactivity. So your assumption/claim that it is needed for updates is rediculous.

By the way, just wait until all the updates for profile 1.1, 2.0 start coming our over the next 12 months ... you'll be in upgrade hell.

- Miller

[rtywonia]

If you are a Toshiba owner - go to their website and check out any firware update they have done - there is a list of fixes described in each update. You are welcome to define for yourself wheter or not that is a fact.

These firware updates never seem to totally fix my problems with my $1000 first generation Toshiba player:

Remote does not work
Disc freezes

or my third generation $350 player
Disc freezes

This information can be charecterized as anecdotal - my opinion based on my individual experience. You may have different experiences and if so I would gladly trade you either of my two units that do not work very well.

Juxtapose that with my two BluRay players. The much maligned (for picture quality) Samsung. Two updates easily downloaded to my PC and burned on disc and fixed the minor problems. -- And the well received Panasonic which has 1 update which I have not downloaded as the player is flawless out of the box.

(Unlike Toshiba which forced me to string cat 5 to my movie room for updates that never resolved my problems). Note: I say the stringing of Cat 5 issue only as a joke as I needed to get my basement movie theater connected to the outside world any way.

Final note: If you have some "facts to share" or even anecdotal experience as a user of both units ( Blu and HDDVD) I would be anxious to get your perspective. I am just trying to share my real world anecdotal experience with 4 of these boxes.

[p99ro]

Hi I still don`t know arrrgggg
But just because it`s cheaper to do HD and a couple things like updates yes maybe Copy rights but that`s supposed to go away in the future. So they say.
Cheaper means CHEAP
I`m in the A/V bus. as a high end installation company.
Again Cheap is Cheap.
So I`d rather have me or my clients who are spending 20,000 and up for systems not to have stupid problems that Cheap DVD players have with them. Even if your budget is not that large you get what you pay for.
Hey we all know that these stores have the products made for them with a cost that they will only pay per unit and it has to be done anyway they can.
But that`s my 2 cents
Scott

[jtmjnow]

Neither Blue Ray or HDDVD seem to give a flying hoot as to meeting our immediate needs with instant gratification; its all about the bottom line and who has the most power/trip. Had they truly cared they both would have collaborated together and made one that uses both standards. They really needed to do a win, win, win solution; the third win stands for you and I the consumer.

Now if I had to say which one or the other provider seems to be more consumer friendly I would at this time say HDDVD. These clowns would have driven the cost down right from the beginning, working together. I assume they are being made over seas, so I don't doubt that the price is inflated five times over.

As far as I am concerned the war is still on and it's still to be determined who will be king of the mountain.

Have a Happy Holidays!
jtmj

[jerfilm]

I take HDTV home movies with Sony equipment which I like. However, after editing, putting them back on tape and then having to watch them using the camera as a VCR sucks. So I make SD DVDs. Needless to say, I've been waiting for a way to burn my own Hi Def DVDs. Here's the dilemma.....

I have Sony Vegas Pro 8 and DVD Architect. This new version will, surprise, burn bluray discs. So, problem solved, right? Not exactly. I have a laptop that I built just for editing video. Nothing else. I want to equip it with a bluray burner drive. Sony has them, but they aren't available except if you buy a new Sony Laptop. Cute. Ok, so buy an external burner. Yeah, for $600 bucks. Oh, and then I'll need another player for my tv system. Total bill, over a grand. It ain't so much the money as the principle.....

OK, so how about HD DVDs? Toshiba has both the internal laptop drive and now a cheap unit for the home theater. Great. But is there any software out there to edit my tape and burn the HD DVD's?? I haven't found any. Roxio Media Creator 10 sez it will burn DATA onto HD DVD discs. Whoopee Ding. But a careful read of reviews sez, don't be fooled into thinking you can make HD DVD videos. Does anyone know of software that will do this?

Surely I'm not the only person with this problem.

Jerry

PS: And just to complicate this scenario a bit more, my "theater" is an early Pioneer 50" plasma that I see no reason to give up. Except for one HUGE problem - no HDMI inputs and only one component video input. Any ideas around that problem would be welcomed too......

[rtywonia]

Try pinnacle software - it works for me on all forms of HD and allows you to burn BluRay and HDDVD. Now - all I need is an external HDDVD drive. Note - burn your discs at night - cause it is slowwwwwwwwww.

Can you point me to any information that you have on external USB HDDVD or BluRay burners.

[GMohr]

Funny, I have a first Gen Toshiba HD-A1 and I have not experienced any of those problems.
I had a Samsung 1st Gen BluRay Player that I sent back after 3 days. Nothing but problems
and no way to upgrade the firmware. My Toshiba did not cost $1000 either it was less than
$350... But I am still neutral with PS3's for when I want to play BRD. I rent from NetFlix and
have absolutely had more problems with BRD than HD DVD. Oh.. and the PS3 has had to
update firmware way more than the 2 times I have updated my A1. I also now have an A30
and it is much faster than the A1 or the PS3. Maybe one day when they get a stand alone
player than meets the published specs I will buy another.

Peace!