Crash Course: What You Need To Know About Hi-Definition DVD
February 19th, 2008 by NextRound
Not a “tech” guy? Think tracking format war news is for losers? Don’t worry, we’re too cool for this shit too. But as a courtesy, we did some research so our visitors could be informed in the least lame manner possible.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the deal with Blu-Ray? What’s the deal with HD DVD? Should I buy one?
The Basics:
As of this week, it’s pretty much official that Blu-Ray has won the hi-definition format war against HD DVD. The battle has been going on for a couple years, but Blu-Ray officially daggered HD DVD when they went exclusive with Wal-Mart and all but one or two studios. As was the key indicator for VHS over Betamax, the porn industry siding with Blu-Ray all but sealed the victory.
The Blu-Ray win is really the first format win ever for Sony, so that’s kind of a big deal (past losses include Betamax, mini-discs, and memory sticks).
Blu-Ray technology isn’t really as intuitive as HD DVD is. HD DVDs could be played in regular definition on standard DVD players; Blu-Ray discs are completely incompatible. But–again–much like VHS over Beta, superior technology didn’t win this war; funding, industry backing, and porn did.
Does That Mean I Should Go Head First into Blu-Ray?
Only if you consider yourself an “Early Adopter” (translation: everyone in your life thinks you’re a bit of a dork).
Or if you own a PlayStation 3 (Blu-Ray already included).
Or if you have trust fund.
Blu-Ray players start at around 400 bones. Not cheap. And even though they’ve defeated HD DVD, there’s still competition brewing with digital, downloadable technologies that are looking to replace discs and other physical mediums altogether.
If you do happen to fall into one of the three Blu-Ray ownership categories above, you’re in good shape though because both Blockbuster and Netflix offer Blu-Ray discs now.
What We Recommend:
We stand by the “wait and see” approach. Digital download services (essentially Tivo for HD Movies via the internet) soon to be offered by Netflix, Apple, and others could wipe out discs altogether in the near future.
If you’ve got a monster LCD and want a better picture when you’re watching standard DVDs, we recommend upgrading to an upconversion DVD player. The picture is definitely better than any regular DVD player, even if not quite Blu-Ray quality. And they start at like 70 bucks, so even the cheap bastards who visit our site should be able to rummage through enough unattended purses to afford one.
