If you can play either BD or HD-DVD, Which Would You Choose?

[georgedingwall]

HI all,

I'm thinking about getting the new Samsung Dual Format Player which is due out later this year.

If a movie was available in both BD-DVD and HD-DVD, which version should I choose to get the best quality picture? Or isn't there any difference between the two.

Thanks for any comments.

[stuartslater]

I was an early adopter and have Toshiba HD EX1, and E1, previously used the X-Box external Drive, own 40 HD-DVD movies.
I also own a PS3 and now dedicated player BDP-S300 with around 15 movies, and personally much prefer the Blu-Ray movies.

I find they have an edge on picture and sound.
I actually find some HD-DVD's are terribly picture quality like the American Werewolf in London.

It is largely a matter of personal preference, but for me in future am buying the Blu-Ray versions when I can, though i still buy HD-DVD's.

I do not worry which format will ultimately win or about laoding times or cost of movies.

[Noggin1980]

Now that it's only Warner that is neutral it's pretty much irrelvent picture quality wise as Warner always uses the same encode for both.

A Few of Warners HD DVD's have better extras than the blu-ray ones.

So I'd buy the one that belongs to the format that you think is going to win or the one you want to win, or maybe the fact the title is or is not a combo may sway you, or the cheaper one, or if nothing else the one that the movies box looks nicer on (some covers go better with red or blue)

A review site like highdefdigest.com will tell you if there are any reasons to pick one format over the other for any title, like sometimes they have different audio formats. So check there before buying and you shouldn't go far wrong.

[Noggin1980]

Originally Posted by stuartslater

I was an early adopter and have Toshiba HD EX1, and E1, previously used the X-Box external Drive, own 40 HD-DVD movies.
I also own a PS3 and now dedicated player BDP-S300 with around 15 movies, and personally much prefer the Blu-Ray movies.

I find they have an edge on picture and sound.
I actually find some HD-DVD's are terribly picture quality like the American Werewolf in London.

It is largely a matter of personal preference, but for me in future am buying the Blu-Ray versions when I can, though i still buy HD-DVD's.

I do not worry which format will ultimately win or about laoding times or cost of movies.

Thats not a reasonable comparison, you can't say because X movie is bad that Y format is better quality wise.

Thats like saying I prefer HD-DVD because Kong looks amazing and the house of flying daggers looks crap. You are comparing 2 different movies and as such it's irrelevent.

I don't belive there has been a single movie released on both formats where the blu-ray version has been better picture quality wise and the only time the HD-DVD's were better were very early on when blu-ray was useing mpeg 2 and 25gb discs.

[stuartslater]

Folks were asked what they thought, I have yet to buy a single Blu-Ray movie with either terrible picture or sound, that doenst appear to be a direct port from standard DVD, but I certainly own a few HD-DVD's that are exactly that.

I still buy both formats, but will continue to buy Blu-Ray as I dont care which format wins.

I am presently repalcing SD's with Blu-Rays and HD's that i previosuly had on VHS and will undoubtedly continue to do so with whatever new format comes out.

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by georgedingwall

If a movie was available in both BD-DVD and HD-DVD, which version should I choose to get the best quality picture? Or isn't there any difference between the two.

With a few very rare exceptions, there's no difference.

Steve W

[klacey]

I have both hd dvd and blu-ray, and if a movie is released on both formats i tend to go more blu-ray. To me blu-ray looks better, plus i have had problems with skipping and pauses with my machine which has put me right off hd dvd.

[Vern]

We have both but for reasons as already listed would choose BD over the HD version - more robust disc (protected playing surfaces) and that you won't be sitting with your heart in your mouth waiting for the disc to freeze or sound to drop out.

[emcm0026]

I have both formats and have more hd dvds than blu ray's but thats more down to the region coding of blu ray and what movies work and what doesnt, otherwise I have to say think blu ray has the slight edge on hd for quality.

[brian s]

Originally Posted by Vern

We have both but for reasons as already listed would choose BD over the HD version - more robust disc (protected playing surfaces) and that you won't be sitting with your heart in your mouth waiting for the disc to freeze or sound to drop out.

I have had disc freeze twice on HD DVD and six times on BD. The BD problems were on 2 different LX70s borrowed over a three week period.

Freeze problems aside I would buy the BD if it were BD50 with a PCM soundtrack.

Cheers
Bri

[JamesL]

If there is a choice I always buy the HD-DVD. The use of the True-HD soundformat may prove to be the better option long term due to offboard decoding and, if not, still gives me PCM with player side decoding. Where there is no next gen soundtrack please give me Dolby Digital Plus over old Dolby Digital anyday. In contrast to comments above I tend to find the HD-DVD picture qulaity superior as well.

Other reasons exist as well; I like not having added DRM, I worry about the physcial resilence of Blu-ray disks and regional coding is bad. For this reason New Line won't see a penny from me until they release on region-free HD-DVD.

If a format is only available on one format though I have no worries about buying it. Both are clearly here to stay.

[Rasczak]

Another one whose perference is for HD DVD here

That said for the most part the differences are negligible. Warner are the only dual format studio of note now and their releases are identical for video. Audio wise, as has been mentioned, TrueHD may be a better option over PCM - we simply don't know yet. Regardless it makes me lean towards the HD DVD.

[HugoFJH]

The fact I have 60 BR's compared to around 40 HD-DVD's probably speaks for itself (about the same ratio of impulse buys also)

BR's are easier to use (well PS3 is easier compared to a "clunky" E1) and usually sound and look cleaner - been disappointed in few HD-DVD films which look plainly awful (First Blood comes to mind) and the awful mixes not to mention only DD+ on some titles

[scartlead]

HD-DVD for me...In terms of picture quality as well as sound. Besides most movies I want are on the format anyway. I have a ps3 with a couple of BR's but have been very dissapointed with the quality of the movies I have. Though I'm sure they all dont look like that. No biased comments please.IMHO..

[kingfats]

HD-DVD for me!
Got a soft spot for the old blighter.