This is great, since HD-DVD offers better performance. Nearly all Blu-rays use the 25GB disc that uses MPEG-2 video quality, just like DVDs. The only difference is Blu-ray is 1080p and DVD is 480p.That’s why DVD movies look nearly identical to Blu-ray movies when DVDs are Upconverted to HD.

But HD-DVD is a more advanced form of technology than Blu-ray. Standard HD-DVD movies use 30GB discs with much newer and better VC-1 video quality.

So when you pick up a movie released on both formats, you are holding a 25GB Blu-ray, and a 30GB HD-DVD disc. This is the reason why HD-DVD movies usually have extra Special Features and extra Sound formats that aren't found on the Blu-ray discs.

When movies from Universal, Paramount, Dreamworks are released on HD-DVD, but not Blu-ray, people can still buy the DVD, but it won't look as good as the HD-DVD that uses VC-1 video quality. But Sony Blu-ray movies use MPEG-2, just like DVD. So we can see upconverted DVDs looking just like Blu-ray.

Michael Zoran, Marine City, MI

This is great, since HD-DVD offers better performance. Nearly all Blu-rays use the 25GB disc that uses MPEG-2 video quality, just like DVDs. The only difference is Blu-ray is 1080p and DVD is 480p.That’s why DVD movies look nearly identical to Blu-ray movies when DVDs are Upconverted to HD.

But HD-DVD is a more advanced form of technology than Blu-ray. Standard HD-DVD movies use 30GB discs with much newer and better VC-1 video quality.

So when you pick up a movie released on both formats, you are holding a 25GB Blu-ray, and a 30GB HD-DVD disc. This is the reason why HD-DVD movies usually have extra Special Features and extra Sound formats that aren't found on the Blu-ray discs.

When movies from Universal, Paramount, Dreamworks are released on HD-DVD, but not Blu-ray, people can still buy the DVD, but it won't look as good as the HD-DVD that uses VC-1 video quality. But Sony Blu-ray movies use MPEG-2, just like DVD. So we can see upconverted DVDs looking just like Blu-ray.

Michael Zoran, Marine City, MI

The fact that so many people buy a ps3 not even knowing that it has a blu-ray player in it plays a role. When they find out there is a blu-ray player in it they, by default, go with blu-ray. It's not that they made an active decision to go with blu-ray. People with an xbox 360 tend to support hd-dvd mainly because blu-ray is a sony product. Xbox live market place has the idea right in which you can rent hd movies online and download and watch. I think that hd-dvd is my prefered format because I am part of the xbox 360 camp. I think that if the xbox 360 came with an hd-dvd player built in that hd-dvd format would have a much more powerful backing. When people have a system that are going to buy anyway, yet comes with other functionality, they will undoubtably be more likely to support that functionality. The 360 is cheaper, yet requires an add-on to play hd-dvd and the games don't even utilize the hd-dvd drive. All this leads to the uncertainty of the hd-dvd.

John, Northridge, CA

Blu-ray. Sounds cool, doesn't it? HD-DVD. Now that's a mouthful in any language and it's decidedly uncool for new technology. If I understand the situation correctly, the market is likely to decide no matter what the HD-DVD community does. PS3's, with Blu-ray on board, are already closing the sales gap in the console war and the price of a stand-alone Blu-ray player is coming down fairly quickly. So any price advantage will soon be rendered moot...which leaves what? You could argue "content" meaning movies but we must remember that the alternative to both formats is still out there, namely DVD. This format is still acceptable to almost everybody and you don't need HDTVs and AV Amplifiers to gain their full potential. I suspect that we, the market forces, will probably hold onto our cash, wait for the dust to settle and keep using DVD. Viacom (the owners of Paramount and Dreamworks) are either in it for the long game or they're off target with their assumptions.

Steve P, Bedford, UK

I am not an insider to the movie biz, but It would seem to me that Sony has its own movie companies, and is kind of double dipping. It is just like Pepsi in the 1980s, they started owning the companies like taco bell, pizza hut, and kfc. Other restaurants who offered pepsi changed to Coke products, No one wants to help their competitors.

gary creighton, Lascassas, Tennessee

I have already been watching my home videos shot in hdv and burned to standard dvd in a standard dvd burner... in the hd dvd format! They play hd perfectly in an hd dvd player.. With blue ray you have to pay $20 for a blank disc and buy a blue ray burner....with HD DVD it's 33 cents for a blank disc burned in your standard dvd burner. Why would you want to pay for a $20 disc to watch the exact same file format?

k, Farmington , Michigan

I bought a games console thats Cutting edge tech , with a price to match BUT WITH A REASON. . A 50G Game on a Dual layer disc is FACT (EG, MGs4). Why dont people get that ? The tech IS going to be used , MOVIES or Not...

However , I dont want to be railroaded into buying ANOTHER HiDef Player ...The PS3 is a perfectley capable BD player...

And before anyone denounces Sony , Proprietary is Microsoft's favourite word.

(eg: Enterprise Networks , New XML formats , WMA ....)

Muzak Man, Marrickville, NSW

Personally, I'm hoping HD-DVD wins for one reason only... Sony has demonstrated a long-standing disregard for the customer. Their attempts at copy protection have proved more than once that they have no respect for the end-user. If Blu-Ray wins, just wait to see how friendly Blu-Ray 2 will be...

Steve, Owatonna, USA / Minnesota

Two good reasons:
Blue Ray is NOT out selling HD-DVD in Europe, only in USA.
60% of all PS3 owners don`t know that there PS3 is also a BlueRay player.

Dario, Berlin, Germany

A couple of points: 1. Blu-ray prices have dropped largely because of HD-DVD prices. If HD-DVD goes away Paramount is fully aware that the price of Blu-ray will climb to whatever heights Sony wants it to. 2. Sony has a long history of trying to hold the market hostage to it's business plans. Paramount, Dreamworks, and every other media producer certainly remember the Sony rootkit on audio CD's. This does not make Blu-ray, a technology being almost w holey controlled by Sony, a very attractive product in a market with no alternative format. HD-DVD is not only cheaper, has more features, but is more open. Less chance of being held hostage by any single company or technology. I think Paramount and Dreamworks are just driving toward a future where media distribution is not controlled by Sony.

D S Howard, Portsmouth, OH

Paramount/Fox/Disney (to some extent) and Dreamworks all did this before. I was working on an MPEG-2 streaming system when MPEG-2 was in DRAFT form and searches on MPEG-2 turned up sites (frequently) about DVD. I read about it and read about it before it was launched (I didn't see it's premiere at CES). I bought Sony's "flagship" DVD player (the S1000 - I think was the model) and even bought the other Sony DVD player for my parents. I did that around Oct. of 1996, I think. I bought most of my DVDs online in groups of 5 or more. I was certainly a DVD "early adopter".
There was a rival "format" that came out that Paramount/Fox/Disney/Dreamworks all supported and backed heavily. It was Circuit City's Divx player (the pay-per-view 'DVD' player). The idea took off in Hollywood because some big Hollywood law firm came up with the idea that the studios should get a "cut" of money every time anyone watched one of their movies.
So, Paramount is not new to making bad choices.

Brian Millikan, Oviedo, Florida

I guess all those millions of families with the PS3 won't be buying Shrek or Transformers any time soon.

dbarrade, Sydney,

Well, I know I will no longer be going to see "Stardust" or "Hot Rod" when they come out. I will also no longer be purchasing any regular DVDs by Paramount or Dreamworks. I have an extensive library of Blu-ray movies and a Blu-ray burner for my PC (it is a great quality HD format with more storage space). Why would they do this with Blu-ray outpacing HD-DVD, unless they have been bought off? Congrats to these two greedy studios... they just lost my $$ and that of several of my friends who feel the same, so I hope they enjoy the blood money from the HD Camp...

Tim, London,

Actually, HD-DVD has the greater capacity with its ability to (currently) have more layers than Blu-Ray. While HD-DVD only beats out Blu-Ray by 1 GB, it still is more capacity. This was announced back in eary Spring 2007, so it is nothing new. I know that Sony beat us all over the head with "greater capacity" for the PS3 campaign, but that simply isn't true any more. As for releasing titles in both formats, while that opens up the cunsumer options, it will never end the "war" and it does keep costs of production higher, meaning more cost to the consumer. So it isn't that clear cut. I've liked HD-DVD's concept since before it was released since it seemed to take a more "consumer friendly" approach by having lower costs of production (which also helps the studios' costs), and early HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray screen tests gave HD-DVD the better vote in picture quality. Today, the specs are basically equal, with cost of production, and the studios backing the formats, the only real difference.

Tom Anderson, Des Moines, IA

Blu-Ray should win.. Hopefully.. The larger amount of space allows for much greater flexibility in what the movie companies can give to the customer in content. It's really simple try to fit a large movie uncompressed into a HD-DVD and a Blu-ray.. Most movies simply won't fit so you have to compress them. There is impact and there is less of a impact if you have 50 gig to fit into versus what 30 gig?? And that's not counting the future amount of space that will be available in future versions. Someone seriously is on the take here.

John, Washington, DC

I have heard that the only reason that VHS won out over beta is that beta said no to the porn industrey. Like wise i have read that sony said that they would not offer any porn titles on thier blu-ray platform. I guess time will tell, but like it or not there is a hugh market out there. Can sony bring a end to porn, or at least high def porn?

Liam , lincoln,

Blu-Ray will be a better alternative for computers as a better storage and back up media and the decision of who wins HD format war will be a computer user and not a Hollywood film studios. Blu-Ray, once economical ($199 mark) and vastly available IDE burner media device for PCs, will give a decisive win over HD-DVD. However, if HD-DVD lowers their price below $99 mark then the format war will continue. How low can you go? Remember storage plays a big role these days and that’s the biggest advantage Blu-Ray has. Look at the storage growth of flash media 16GB, 32GB and later 64GB and hard drives reaching currently 1 TB, people like to store, pictures, software, games, and movies. Bye, bye DVDs.

Andy R., Chicago,

What I cannot understand is why most consumers feel so helpless when it comes to a possible format war. Just vote with your money and don't buy either format until a clear winner emerges. Doesn't anyone remember the VCR format wars?

Jim Jones, Tampa, Florida USA

I'm just gonna wait for the price of the dual-format players to drop before I spend my money on this latest technology. No point getting either or both when you can get ONE player that reads BOTH.

ChrisP, Norwich, UK

Paramount Films should be Boycotted for this action. All Blu Ray supporters should no longer Purchase or rent any Paramount DVDs, and especially, not buy any tickets to Paramount films in theatres.

Hit them where it hurts. Ticket sales. If you agree, please pass this idea on to anyone you think feels the same way.

Let's show Paramount who has the real power.

The Sarge, Oakville, Ontario

It is high time that there is an International regulatory body that decides and standardises on formats after weighing all factors and puts an end to such wars.These wars not only causes a lot of confusion in the market but puts a lot of consumers to loss or to uncertainty about going for the new technoogy. Competition is good but should not harm the public.

S.N. IYER, SECUNDERABAD, I N D I A

I suggest keep away from both till it settles else the loosing party will still be the end users who have invested in either of the format....or may be wait for the combo players that will be out soon. Then atleat the end user is not at loss.

Aamir Jaffar, Riyadh, S. Arabia

HD DVD is the cheaper format when manufacturing both disks and players. This, as the VHS v Betamax debate showed, is always going to make a format more accessible to more people in the long run, early adopters are willing to spend the money on a new idea as soon as it arrives and that usually means going for the best format. With Wal-Mart rumoured to be producing a sub $200 player for Christmas, this could decide the contest by the end of 2008. Although as a note of caution, downloading may establish itself by the time these guys get their act together and could mean they both loose out .

Rob Bannon, Claygate, Surrey

The only reason why blu-ray is still around is becaseu Sony is the big bully of the tech industry. They keep releaseing proprietary formats and trying to force people to use them instead of letting the market decide. Blu-ray, mini-disc, memory stick pro, psp movie discs, and the list goes on. Sony has a history of releasing products for their own equipment, and trying to dominate the market with their format. Then they put Blu-ray in the PS3 and charge people $700 for it, so that the unsuspecting cusotmers will have blu-ray forced on them. I'm sick of Sony, and I hope HD DVD rightfully becomes the new standard.

Brandon, Nashville,

I think that the storage differences are minimal. I prefer blu-ray due to the way the disk is made with storage layers closer to the reading surface which requires the hard anti-scratch coating that Sony uses. DVDs are constantly going bad due to scratches and rentals work half the time due to scratches - now, with Blu-Ray this problem will largely go away.

Aaron Moore, Simpsonville, SC

I'll sit out on the sidelines until there's a single format that's supported by all these bozos. I'm keeping my current DVD and just waiting :)

There's no way I will purchase a DVD player this year, or even next year because of this insanity of a "format war" by supposedly smart people working for dumb company's.

Larry, Lakeville Estates,

If these companies have received any payments in exchange for making or engaging in this exclusivity agreement without disclosing it, these press releases would amount, in my mind, to an intentional misrepresentation, collusion, and fraud, and might also breach a number of SEC disclosure requirements for the relevant technology firms, given that their entire press release touted purported or perceived advantages of one system over the other, waived the flag of being a "consumer friendly" decision, based upon deep reflection and contemplation, and didn't disclose any monetary consideration/bias.

Chris A, Chicago, IL

Does anyone care about these format wars, we all remember Betamax Versus VHS, 8 Track Versus Cassette, Stereo Versus Mono, LP Versus CD, another new technology that no one really needs, another new technology which urges consumers to throw all their old products away and repurchase the product in the new format

Richard Vincent, Montreal, Canada

In the great tradition of laser disk players and BetaMax VCRs:
CALL ME WHEN IT'S OVER!

David Macdonald, Grafton, Vermont

why not just produce both formats and let the market decide? It seems as only the people who get lots of cash thrown at them seem to like hd-dvd better the market seems to prefer blu-ray. so drop the exclusives and really battle it out. In my opinion blu-ray just makes more sense there is much more storage available on blu-ray and unless I'm wrong thats the whole point isn't it and as far as price I remember when my first cd player cost $800 heck I remember when hd and blu-ray cost over $1000 now you can get a player for about $600 wait another year and it will be $200 so I don't see why you would limit your sales just to stick it to the other guy (unless my guy was shoving piles of cash in my lap)

jeremy, los angeles, ca