First off, I owe you guys a review. I have a stack of movies I have seen of which I need to get their reviews up and I am in the middle of the Harry Potter series. I should have some up tonight and this weekend for your HD DVD shopping pleasure.

One of our favorite Gizmo blogs, Gizmodo ran a blog post today by Brendan Koerner, a contributing editor at Wired and columnist for Slate. The post is basically a throw down between HD DVD and Blu-Ray with the title bout being competing commercials. The HD DVD commercial has Marty Schotteneheimer giving a pep talk to his red jerseyed team about the benefits of dual sided HD DVDs. Koerner says that the ad misses the mark because 

… Toshiba botches the most important part of the ad: the website mention. As of this writing, HDDVDNBC.com brings up nothing but a blank page. How can consumers be expected to trust a new technology that doesn’t deliver on so simple a promise? 

Two things about this. First, the webpage is up and redirects to thelookandsoundofperfect.com. Secondly, you can trust HD DVD because it is the format developed by the same group that brought you your beloved DVD.

Click to continue reading HD DVD Opinion: Editorials piss me off.

2007 was a banner year for HD DVD as the format sold more players in its first year than DVD sold in its first year. Interest in HD DVD grew as more and more quality titles were released for the format including, Blade Runner, and the Stanley Kubrick Collection. The BD catalog has grown as well. Many bloggers are tired of the format war and think it is bad for consumers. I disagree. The competition between the two formats encourages better products (i.e.: released titles) and lower prices as BD and HD DVD fight for the top sales rank. 2008 will see more of the same.

The ‘format war’ will come to an end but not with the result most people will think. Ultimately I do not think the SD DVD format will really go away. There is an economic place for 480/720 video and 2.0 audio for manufacturers and studios. My daughter’s “Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia” DVDs for instance should not be released in 1080 with 5.1 surround. Similarly, there are movies that have been released in HD DVD that should *not* be released in HD DVD. Bullitt for instance looks aged and has *only * a 2.0 audio track. I still shudder to think that they actually released it with 2.0 – why even bother? Additionally, I would rather watch an SD movie with some kind of 5.1 mix and upconvert the video than watch an HD movie with a shit 2.0 audio track; yes, Bullitt pissed me off that much.

Accordingly, I think the marketplace is headed to dual sided dics: HD on one side, SD on that other. HD DVD is perfectly suited to this production model as SD DVD and HD DVD can be manufacturered in the same fab facility. Soon you will see studios abandon standalone SD movies and release the dual sided format movies. (I have loaned out my Miami Vice and The Departed to friends sans HD DVD players). HD DVD is the only HD format that accommodates the release of movies in this dual format.

Additionally, movies which are rich in audio complexity and most new movies should be released in an HD Format. With the capabilities of HD DVD manufacturing, I think more and more studios will start leaning towards that format. Other movies, however, will retain their SD release and *no* HD release.

The big moves for the HD DVD format will be which stuidos sign on and whether HD DVD can score the Star Wars trilogy for its format. Dont get me wrong, the entire Star Wars series in its SD format is actually pretty awesome when upconverted and the surround mix on the SD release is great. But I want it in native 1080. I also want to listen to the movie in TrueHD with a THX certified mix. HD DVD is also a better format for Star Wars because of the interactivity. Star Wars fans, like myself, are notorious for delving deeper into the story. HD DVD and its HDi format provide this interactivity. BD cannot. If HD DVD can score Star Wars BD is dead.

Michael Bay, the talented director behind such academy greats as Pearl Harbor, Armageddon and Transformers (we liked the Transformers HD DVD) has publicly blasted Microsoft for confusing the marketplace on his personal forum page.

What you don’t understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth.

Mr. Bay’s comment was propted by this post from someone in the UK:

I am disappointed to hear that Mr. Bay has chosen to only place his films in HDTV format and not the UK leading Blu Ray format. Having seen the quality of both my personal opinion is that Blu Ray is better.
Why have you chosen this format?
I and my friends all own PS3’s and it’s easier and better to watch these films on our systems especially as the HDTV format players are too expensive here in the UK. I was looking forward to viewing the extra bonus material and quality that Blu Ray offers for the new release Transformers and I now can’t do that. Only having this system means that I am NOT going to buy Transformers or any of your future releases from you Mr. Bay or give into buying the HDTV system. i was also shocked to hear your decision you made so abruptly on your website.

Wow. So much in this short forum post. This is one of the most idiotic forum posts I have ever read. I can understand Mr. Bay’s response. He did not want to ignore this possible stalker, and he did not want to call him out on his idiotic comment. 

First off, I am not critisizing this guy for liking BD – that’s a personal choice, like who you sleep with and what kind of salad dressing you like. This poster just simply does not know what he is talking about. He refers to BD’s competing format as “HDTV”. He also states taht PS3’s are cheaper in the UK than HD DVD players? huh? Amazon.co.uk has an A-30 unit for 194.99 GBP and a PS3  for 279.99 GBP – on sale – that 80 GP more that the HD DVD unit. On the qulity of image issue, there is really no discernable difference in visual quality from BD and HD DVD. We have watched movies in both formats and found that both formats produce image quality up to 1080p. BD has more storage space and HD DVD is cheaper. Additionlly, HD DVD players have True HD decoders on board (except for the 360 HD DVD player). There are more movies on BD but there are more HD DVD stand alone players sold to date.

Crucifying Microsoft for a business strategy is scapegoatism. Microsoft wants to make money and they have every right to do so. We clearly favor their 3600 system. the games rock, Live is great and the expandability means it will spend a long time in our living rooms. If paying studios hundreds of millions of dollars to go to HD DVD makes MS money, they will do it, and they should. As Crunch Gear posts, HD movie Download is the future but optical media is now. Let MS make money on the format. If Michael Bay is so against the format and Microsfot’s strategy let him take his profits from HD DVD sales (Transfermers did set HD DVD sales records) and promoite BD.

Again, we LOVE the transformers HD DVD.

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