HD DVD + Blu-ray = The HD Blues! Want To Know Which High Def Disc Player to Buy?

Most consumers are aware of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle. These are the two competing formats for the latest high definition discs to replace current DVDs. For those who love movies, this appears to be the best way to take full advantage of your new high definition television, especially if you have splurged for the incredible 1080p high resolution screen (see my blog post on 10 things to know about HDTV). So, which of the two is a better option for those who want to take plunge and buy a high def player right now? Which has more movies? Which has more movies that I like? Which has a better price? Which is likely to win the format war? Will there be a winner? I will attempt to address some of these inquiries right here.

Technological Differences
The reason for the change in technology was to have a disc that could accommodate the extra space needed for high definition movies. The standard DVDs that have been flying off the shelves for years can store 3.8 hours of enhanced definition viewing (480 line of resolution) or less than an hour worth of high definition video (1080 lines). Two competing formats emerged. Both use new hardware methods to read more information on a disc, as well as more sophisticated video and audio compression techniques (called codecs) to pack more data with almost negligible loss.

The Blu-ray Disc (BD) was created by a large group of the world’s leading consumer electronics companies, including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony. Instead of the standard red laser used by standard DVD players, it uses a more precise blue-violet laser to read more information on the same sized disc, thus the name Blu-Ray. It can store 50GB of information on a double-layer disc, almost six times the amount of a standard DVD. This translates into 8.5 hours of high definition video and audio. The leap in technology, however, requires significant manufacturing re-tooling. Despite this, it is has been supported by more manufacturers and movie studios. It has also become the standard player on all next-generation Playstation 3 gaming systems produced by Sony.

The HD DVD format took a different but similar road. They also used the blue-violet laser, but with a technology closer to current DVDs. This allowed the re-tooling costs to be less significant to manufacturers. The downside is that the double layer HD DVD only holds 30GB of information or 5.1 hours of high def video and audio. This is 3.5x better than standard DVDs, but not as much as the Blu-ray format. The HD DVD format reached the market first and began penetration while the Blu-ray stumbled out of the gates. The Microsoft Xbox 360 has an add-on HD DVD player, ensuring that the format penetrates the gaming market. Although not widely used, the HD DVD format has also developed a triple layer disc that holds 51GB of information, allowing it to exceed the 50GB that Blu-ray boasts. This further clouds the issue of which format is superior. Industry backers include Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Microsoft, RCA, Kenwood, Intel, Hitachi, LG, and Samsung. Below shows a table that makes the comparison between the current standard DVDs and the new high definition formats.

	Std DVD	HD DVD	Blu-ray
Single layer	4.7 GB	15 GB	25 GB
Double layer	8.5 GB	30 GB	50 GB
Gaming	old systems	Xbox 360	Playstation 3
SD storage	3.8 hr	13.3 hr	22.2 hr
HD storage	n/a	5.1 hr	8.5 hr

Movie Release Comparison
According to sources that track high-def movie releases (such as highdefdigest.com), there are almost 500 movies released or soon to be released on a high definition disc. Of those movies, 65% are available in the Blu-ray format and 61% are available in the HD DVD format. Interestingly, there are 29% of the movies that are available in both formats. While the overall DVD selection shows a tight race, I thought that we could use the “top” movies to help us narrow down a leader. I cross-referenced our high-def movie list with the 250 top grossing movies of all-time in the U.S. Of the “top” movies available in a high definition format, 66% were in Blu-ray and 65% were in HD DVD. About 31% of these top grossing HD movies were available in either format. So, when you consider the top grossing movies, the results are even closer. To me, there is no clear winner here.

If you want to get a little more specific, maybe the particular movie studio or movies can help you determine if there is a better camp for you. Here is an example of the movie studios that have supported each of the formats, as well as a sampling of the movies available.

Available in Blu-ray Only
Buena Vista: Dinosaur, Chicken Little, Pearl Harbor, Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean
Fox: Fantastic Four, X-men, Ice Age, The Devil Wears Prada, Night at the Museum
Lionsgate: Crash, Saw, The Descent
Sony: Hitch, Click, Talladega Nights, Casino Royale, The Pursuit of Happyness

Available in HD DVD only:
Universal: King Kong, Apollo 13, The Bourne Identity, Seabiscuit, Traffic, Meet the Parents, The Mummy, Hulk, Bruce Almighty, Erin Brockovich
Weinstein: The Matador, Lucky Number Slevin,

Available in Blu-Ray and HD DVD
Magnolia: The Architect, World’s Fastest Indian
Paramount: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mission: Impossible, Coming to America, An Officer and a Gentleman, Top Gun
Warner: Scooby-Doo, The Fugitive, The Perfect Storm, Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Polar Express, The Departed, 300

So why doesn’t every movie studio make both versions available? We may apply an answer used for most questions of this kind: time and money. It is more expensive to invest in the formatting and production of movies in two formats. When selling stock, the adage of the man with two watches comes to mind. A man with one watch knows what time it is, but a man with two watches is never sure. If you have one format, you can sell what you have. If you have two formats, you’ll sell more of the format that you don’t have. Besides, many of the manufactures know that they can protect margin dollars better if there was a single format. They want one of the formats to die, therefore they will not produce high-def DVDs for the competing format. For example, Sony has their own Blu-ray player, their own studios, and their own Playstation 3 gaming system with Blu-ray. They are not going to offer their movies in the HD DVD format.

Players & Disc Pricing
Since movie selection may not have been conclusive, lets take a look at the hardware available, especially at the entry-level. The Toshiba HD-A2 has been the entry model for the HD DVD format, limiting its playback to the 720p or 1080i resolution that meets the minimum requirements for high definition. Since all Blu-Ray players have the superior 1080p output, however, the Toshiba HD-A20 that is capable of the same output provides a better apples-to-apples comparison. The 1080p Toshiba player has been running $499 with several retailers offering $100 via rebates and other discounts. But now, we have Sony’s new lower priced Blu-ray player (the BDP-S300) due out by mid June. With a retail price of $499, the gap in the hardware pricing is becoming minimal. Periodic sale prices or discounts may bridge the gap.

What about the DVDs themselves? Do we see an on-going price discrepancy there? At Amazon.com, the movie The Departed on Standard DVD was $19.99. On Blu-ray, it was $23.95. Finally, a combo HD DVD and Standard DVD was $27.95. Could there be a price difference, or was it due to a dual-format? For Mission: Impossible III, the two-disc Standard DVD version was $23.99. The two-disc Blu-ray and HD DVD were both priced at $27.95. Boy, this is getting harder than I thought.

And the Winner Is…
Heck if I know! As the determination of a winner gets cloudier, the consumers are holding out. This is not good for either side. Since HD DVD was launched first, it saw more significant sales in 2006. In 2007, however, Blu-ray has seen greater sales and continues to see more industry support. The trend in sales appears to be pointing toward Blu-ray, with each side often declaring victories for their camp. The pornography industry played a major role in determining the outcome of the VHS vs. Betamax battle, but most believe the industry will not have the influence with HD discs. During the epic VHS/Betamax battle, these tapes were the primary method of delivery, while today there are many alternatives to how porn is received. My gut tells me that Blu-ray will eventually be victorious, but it also tells me that no one will be conceding anytime soon. So, should we all wait?

No. Sitting and waiting is not my recommendation. Here is what I suggest: Look for the studios that you like best and look for a good deal on a player. My top 12 list for each format may give you an idea: HD DVD or Blu-ray. Make the leap and purchase a player, but do not start buying high def DVDs to add to your collection. Upgrading hardware will likely occur in a few years anyway, but you expect your movie collection to last longer than that. Instead, keep on the rental side. Between HD Tivo, HD on-demand, Blockbuster Total Access, and Netflix, you have many options. Both Blockbuster and Netflix will allow you to add HD formats to your queue, when available. Don’t deprive yourself of great HD movies while this format war plays out. But don’t over commit by buying a library of movies that end up sitting with your old Betamax flix (which is still next to your Rubik’s cube and pet rock).

NOTE: If, however, you feel that you must buy HD movies, check out my list of the best available awe-inspiring movies on HD DVD and Blu-ray.

There is one more side to this story. The longer this war plays out, the more opportunity there is for another alternative to arise. At the risk of sounding like a blatent teaser, you will need to stay tuned for my next blog posting. I’ll be discussing the ins and outs of downloading movies that may be played on your HD television. Music is no longer confined to CDs, so why should we expect movies to be confined to DVDs? I will discuss the current state of this technology and where it may be heading. I hope you stay tuned. Joining the feeds or email alerts are great ways to do that.

[update 6/22/07 follow-up post on HD downloading entitled, Trash the Disc, Learn from Porn!]