Three: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray
War of the Roses
Why is HD DVD vs. Blu-ray the "War of the Roses"? Well, roses are certainly beautiful, and so are the visuals found in both HD DVD and Blu-ray playback. It makes the battle between the two seem trivial, yet at the same time fascinating, as we're left staring down the barrel of what could be another VHS vs. Betamax.
Of course, the real question everyone asked in 2006 was, "who's VHS, and who's Beta?" That's a tough one, and even as the year ends we're not sure it can be justifiably answered. In all likelihood, we won't know for at least another year, as mainstream movie viewers await the much-needed price drop of both formats.
And yet, we can certainly speculate. Heck, that's all anyone has done, and it's been done a whole lot. So, what are the factors?
HD DVD Basics
- It's cheaper, meaning stand-alone players are at least somewhat affordable ($400)
- Supported by Microsoft via the Xbox 360 add-on
- While selection isn't bad, it's a bit thin compared to that offered by Blu-ray
Blu-ray Basics
- Supported by Sony via the PlayStation 3, and unlike the Xbox 360, isn't just an add-on. In fact, the PS3 is the best way to get Blu-ray HD playback right now.
- Superior selection of titles, albeit not by a long shot
- Way too expensive. Even though it's a bargain in the PlayStation 3, Sony's system is still the priciest console. Much worse are the stand-alone players from Samsung, which cost over a thousand bucks.
Although Blu-ray players seem to offer the best choice, technically, the price drawback is the most important factor, popularly. If the cost of stand-alone systems doesn't come down, Blu-ray is in big trouble. Let's face it, no fifty-year-old Dad, the guy most interested in HD playback, is going to buy a PS3. Games are going mainstream, but just not quite fast enough that the consoles are about to pull in baby boomers just yet.
