Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2007 > March > 29 > Entry
Blu-ray winning? Seriously, this time
Although I was just being goofy in my last blog entry, I do see evidence that the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD may already be drawing to an end, just months after a clear winner seemed impossible to project.
To clear things up, Blu-ray and HD-DVD are rival next-generation DVD formats that can deliver high definition picture and sound and hold much more data than a standard DVD. As such, the movies on these next-gen discs can’t be played in regular DVD players. You either have to buy a new Blu-ray or HD-DVD player, buy an expensive combo player that can play both formats or invest in pricey hybrid discs that, in the HD-DVD format at least, offer both the standard DVD version of a movie as well as HD-DVD.
The Xbox 360 has an add-on HD-DVD drive that costs $200 and all PlayStation 3 consoles have Blu-ray DVD capabilities. HD-DVD drives can’t play Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray drives and the PS3 can’t play HD-DVD.
Sales so far seem to indicated that Blu-ray has taken the lead. Exclusive movies like “Casino Royale” and the news that Disney will be releasing its films on Blu-ray and not HD-DVD haven’t hurt. And, in my opinion, Microsoft put a nail in HD-DVD’s coffin by not including an HD-DVD drive in its just-announced Xbox 360 Elite system. Whether or not there would have been technical complications inherent in making an HD-DVD the primary drive in the system, it screams a vote of “No confidence” to me. Pity because HD-DVD seemed to have just as much potential as a format as Blu-ray.
Which means that all of a sudden, the $500-$600 versions of the PS3 seems like a bargain for anyone who wants to get into Blu-ray video. I can report that watching “Casino Royale” on Blu-ray recently was a fantastic experience. The picture was far superior to a regular DVD, the sound was dynamic and the movie itself pretty great.
Unfortunately, a movie I’ve been dying to see, “Children of Men” is only available on DVD and HD-DVD, not Blu-ray. And I don’t have an HD-DVD player. Oh well. I’m sure the DVD version will look just fine.
Permalink | | Categories: Movies & DVDs
