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Afro Samurai confirmed for European releaseWith Blu-ray and HD DVD fighting for the title as the number one high definition video format, this causes a problem for the consumer. Which format provides the better features? Which format has the better movies? These are just some of the questions that many people will be asking themselves when looking at these two new successors to DVD.
In an attempt to answer some of these questions, PSU.com provides a look at what each format has to offer, and what our thoughts and predictions are for the future.
When looking at the hardware provided in both these formats, people should know that the average high definition movie without compression takes up 22GB of storage. This is without the extra features, multiple languages, and multiple audio soundtracks - just the movie itself. Moving onto multiple discs can increase the manufacturing cost and so as the size of movies continues to creep up - with its higher potential storage capacity - Blu-ray has a clear advantage starting with a single layer 25GB disc to the 50GB dual-layer (250GB Blu-ray disc is being prototyped). Then you have HD DVD starting out with single layer 15GB discs up to dual layer 30GB (51GB triple layer being tested).
(Click to enlarge)
Sources: Blu-ray.com, Blu-raydisc.com, HD DVD Wiki
Consumers must look at what movies are best for them and their family. Since some studios have decided to be exclusive to one format, this is one of the toughest choices people must make when deciding their next gen format. If you enjoy movies by Pixar (Cars, The Incredibles, Ratatouille), Disney (Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Sleeping Beauty), Sony (Spider-man, Resident Evil, Surf's Up), or 20th Century Fox (Die Hard, Star Wars, Ice Age) than Blu-ray should be your format of choice.
However, if you are interested in movies by Dreamworks (Shrek, Old School, The Ring), Paramount (Transformers, Mission Impossible, Star Trek), or Universal (King Kong, Jurassic Park, The Mummy) than you should look at going with HD DVD. Click here for a full list of Blu-ray releases, and here for HD DVD.
It is also worth noting that you can find some of the movies by Paramount (Sleepy Hollow, Italian Job, Disturbia) and Dreamworks (Blades of Glory) on Blu-ray, as it was until just recently that they moved exclusively to HD DVD. Rumors suggest that Microsoft was behind the move, as Paramount and Dreamworks were offered $150 million from the HD DVD camp to become exclusive. Their deal with the HD DVD camp expires sometime in January of 2009, and the deal excludes any films by Steven Speilburg (Indiana Jones, Saving Private Ryan, War of the Worlds).
What are our predictions for the future? Well, in our honest opinion your best bet is Blu-ray, simply because more studios and manufactures support it. Also the fact that the PlayStation 3 offers Blu-ray support as standard provides a much needed user base to create higher sales for the industry. With a few studios (such as Warner) still undecided, having a larger install base and higher sales will increase the chance of the publisher moving to one format.
If you like to rent your movies instead of purchase them, the industry is already seeing a turn towards Blu-ray as Blockbuster, a major movie rental store, has announced that they will become Blu-ray exclusive. Also, stores like Target and Woolworths have also stated that they will only sell Blu-ray players and movies.
As the format war continues, we are starting to see that Blu-ray is slowly coming out on top. Industry analysts such as Understanding & Solutions have predicted that Blu-ray will become the winner as "58% of the of the high-def market comes from Blu-ray-exclusive business." Another company, known as Nielsen VideoScan, has also produced data which supports that Blu-ray is leading the market, showing for the year of 2007, Blu-ray holds 65% of high definition movie sales.
The decision, however, ultimately falls down to you, the consumer. What features interest you most? What movies are you more partial to buy? Just keep in mind the ... (continued on next page)
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what a really stupid article lol
we already know whats the better format get over it man!!!
not hating on HD DvD but i think its a useless thing if the xbox 360 had it in and use it not dvd would be better for games aswell :( but as for the ps3 has it in it thats what makes it so much better ^_^
ye well 25GB blu ray games have ot exactly been used right, games like uncharted and HS are sooo sort and they got all that extra space on the disc so it hasnt exactly been an advantage so far.
to the point blu ray has been marketed soo much better then HD-DVD so they diserve to win.
Blue Ray is dominating the market :)
stupid space on the disc inst used to make the game longer its used for quality but I do agree that the games commiong out lately are WAY to short but the amount of work developers put into these games it must be extermly hard to make it longer and also there has been massive pressure for these games to come out so the have to being it out earlier then they might like
BLU-RAY!!!!!!!!!! lol
Blu Ray all the way!!!
Stupid article to post on this site when the majority of members support blu-ray. As for me I couldn't care less which format wins. Sure the ps3 supports Blu-ray but I dont by or rent hi-def movies anyway, also if Blu-ray failed Sony still needs to produce the discs for ps3 games to be stored on.
Still if I had to choose a side I would say HD-DVD as it still has plenty of space to store HD movies and lossless audio. It is cheaper and supports less DRM.
But when looking at how the two formats have been performing I feel that Blu-ray is going to win. Not because it is a better format, but because more companies support the format and Sony has put a lot of money into marketing the format
way wrong zarajoe -
HD-DVD does not have nearly enough space. Look at Transformers: the picture quality is superb, but as far as audio, there's only enough space to put the low-def 5.1 audio from the DVD version - not linear PCM lossless or whatever other types of high-def audio HD-DVD supports.
I think it should also be mentioned in the article, that while HD-DVD players that are cheaper ($99-$150), only support up to 1080i. Basically regular standard def DVD players that cose half of that support up to 1080i.
Blu-ray WINS!!! Silly article, we already know what is best. Get over it and move on.
I'm not saying the article isn't well written, but it's got everything in it we already know. I guess they thought they needed to fill some space...
Oh well, woo-hoo Blu-ray and all that.
psn id: gingo... wel its definetely blu ray for me mainly because of ps3 and the fact that i wasn't willing to buy an xbox 360 or an add on for it
It's a rhetorical question, especially on a biased site we're reading from. :p
Oh BTW, what if you want high-definition porn??? Which format already has PORN? (not that I'm looking for one) ;D LOL.
As far as I know only SONY has brought out a Blu-ray disc burner. Is there one for HD-DVD?
I vote for Blue-ray.
Blu-ray owns and we all know it. A bit overkill to make this article.
Oh god of cours this is going to be biased. >_< Any way blu-ray does have a good hold on the market just not a full one.
You should buy a Blue couse HD-DVD will not be on the market soon and is inferior technology. I will not waste my money in somthing that will die soon. Go Blue. Good thing I have a ps3 so I dont need to buy a blue ray player.
You should buy a Blue couse HD-DVD will not be on the market soon and is inferior technology. I will not waste my money in somthing that will die soon. Go Blue. Good thing I have a ps3 so I dont need to buy a blue ray player.
@matrix as for your question the major porn industry has already signed a deal with blue ray and thats a billion dollar market there so we all know who the winner is
you should not have listed Jurassic Park under HDDVD exclusive. While it is a universal film, it is also a steven speilberg film, and he, like micheal bay, has made it quite public his affinity towards Blu. So, expect to see that on Blu after the format war is over.
really getting sick of the bluray vs hd articles, pointless to post them on psu as 95% of us support it, lets stick it to em by posting this on a hd forum....maybe not THIS article.
ahh!!! Paramount, Studio Canal, Universal, Dreamworks hold most of my favorite films! This could be another Betamax for Sony. HD-DVD only have to flaunt the films to get mass market support, current data only show the early adopter/enthusiast market, as we saw with Betamax technical superiority doesn't always win. If the situation continues, universal players maybe the way to go.
just buy regular dvds you can get a regular player for atleast 20 bucks
oh well dvd quality audio sounds good enough for me.
I was just thinking, the article mentions several films such as Transformers, Mission Impossible and Shrek III being HD DVD which is fine, but really... just buy those films in DVD and your Blu Ray player will upscale it to near HD quality anyway. Just keep supporting Blu Ray and buy the HD DVD movies you want in regular DVD format. Cheers!
blu-ray!
dude, i dont care, got both players! the way to go
yeah i know they have posted this article that is irrelevant to people who are only blue ray supporters, but you got to understand that there are guest on here that are trying to figure out what format is the best when looking for quality hi def movies. So these articles aren't just for us there for guest as well. When they post articles that are already on different websites, it's not like they are being lazy their posting it because there are some people that use PSU as its source for gaming information. I'm on all types of gaming website and in actuality the news is all the same some minor differences here and there.
There is an error in there. Intel support Blu-Ray now! but i don't know if they still support HD-DVD
One thing people forget about is the Software support for Blu Ray. One of the biggest I know and use is Adobe Software Suite. Everything I record on my HD Camera I edit and create on Blu Ray as supported by Adobe. There is no support at all for HD DVD so in my opinion HD DVD is dead. The more space is better for businesses wanting to back up Data and I can back up my edited footage without compression onto 1 Blu Ray disc instead of having to put it on 5 DVD's which I used to have to do, thank you Blu Ray!!!
Mr Gates made an error with the xbox, including the hd-dvd from the start would have seen a different story i expect, as it stands Blu-Ray is the clear choice. Shame on Paramount for being stupidly bought, good for short term cash but they could make more selling their films on the blu disc! Just have to wait for the top dogs at Warner to wake up and realise where the real money lies !
ummm ok for all you ppl complaining that we already know this stuff... umm yea we already know this because we have been following every article on this site since ps3 was even a idea! this guide is for ppl that are trying to decide what console to buy based on movies so stop whining just for the sake of it!
The only problem I have with this article is this line:
"When looking at the hardware provided in both these formats, people should know that the average high definition movie without compression takes up 22GB of storage."
That is simply not true. The 22GB you mention is highly compressed because 2 hours of uncompressed 1080p video (no audio) would take up at least 1TB (up to 2-3TB depending on the frame rate). No disc based format can store that much data yet. Not to mention the bandwidth needed to play it back would be around 1Gbps (which is 1000Mbps). For comparison, the bandwidth for BD ranges from 8-28Mbps depending on the encode.
Blu-Ray is better. If you don't agree then your very ignorant.
How the helI is this biased? If I was your average dumb as.s American preppy guy going along and I had no idea the difference between the two, I would like to know that Blu Ray is going to be the winner so if I buy an HD DVD player I pretty much just fcked myself.
Both formats are nice. Since i have a ps3 i def. find that blu ray is awsome. It seems that blu ray is taking the cake
I'm glad blu-ray is owning the market. seems like another victory for the PS3.