Hollywood is partly correct in his argument, but thats not the case anymore.

The quality difference now between the two comes down purely to the encoder/decoder chip and other factors regarding brands. The main difference for arguments sake between the two formats is the capacity of the disks.

The quality for HD DVD az mentioned bHollywood is better than blu-ray purely because originally many blu-ray used MPEG2, which is the current standard for DVD. MPEG2 by today's standards is very inefficient, and the bitrate for a quality picture at full HD resolution is very excessive. To fit the content on the disk a lower bitrate than optimal would be used and hence the quality of the picture lower.

Both formats now use VC-1 (which is basically Windows Media Video), or the superior AVC (h.264). The h.264 with AAC sound is what I'd prefer both of them to use, as both are the latest and best formats. There is one codec that at times may be slightly better than h.264, but its very proprietory and thus not suitable (thats VP7). I can't back that claim though (in that VP7 is slightly better).

Anyways the other MAJOR consideration is the capability of the tv set. A HD ready TV doesn't mean its high definition! just means it can take a HD input. Almost every plasma and LCD on the market is NOT true high definition. It sounds silly but you have the 1080 resolution but the TV's can't show it in its full glory. Most of the better plasma's and LCD's can play 720P in its full resolution. The other Tv's just downscale the picture. Many plasma's are actually lower resolution than analogue TV, especially those that have a very attractive price tag on them. These may only show 480 lines.

This can explain why Hollywood says a 720P upscaled version of Sin City looks better than a HD version at 1080i, because his TV an show 720P in its full resolution but downscales 1080i. Now 1080i being interlaced is still better than 720P, but the interlacing does lose some resolution (its hard to explain). In any case, true 1080i will look better than 720P.

A true HD definition TV costs a lot more, an example of this is the Sony SXRD, or the JVC HD-ZxxRF7 model ranges (the xx is the size of the screen).

A TV has to be 1920x1080 resolution for it to be HD, most aren't!

With a 110" screen, you'd definately want the full resolution of 1920x1080, but you can almost guarantee the TV is not that! it may be 1920x1080 compatible though :)

There are two new technologies coming out shortly, one replacing LCD, and the other replacing Plasma. The first one is for smaller screens and the second for larger screens. The replacement for LCD's provide much better blacks and contrasts, resolution, colour detail, and realism and view angle, as does the replacement technology for plasma.

The replacement for plasma is a special type of rear projection TV. It uses laser instead of a globe so luminance isn't a problem (they can be brighter than plasma's!), they don't lose brightness over time as plasma's do, and they have a higher resolution at reduced cost. The reolution can also be made greater than 1080, and then upscaling, such as the Sony DRC, can be applied to produce a better image at the very large screen size.

Overall there is no reason for the quality of the picture on HD-DVD and Blu-ray to be any different, except for what components the company decides to use. They both can use VC-1 and preferably h.264 now. The difference is strictly with size capacity, with blu-ray being slightly bigger.

The advantages with blu-ray is more capacity, but the disadvantage is that the data is at a depth of 0.1mm compared to DVD's and HD-DVD's which are 0.6mm. Thus, its easier to lose your data. This has been partly overcome by special coatings, which are not in use on HD-DVD disks. But there is no reason why it can't be.

I was in favour of blu-ray, but simply because the data can be lost easier HD-DVD is the winner in my opinion, thats only if the companies like TDK start using the special coatings on them too! The only thing that may change my mind is cost to market factors. Blu-ray disks are currently more expensive, but due to capacity the cost per megabyte is less which makes it more attractive.

Both formats are still in devolopment, there needs to be a clearly defined specification for them. For content on blu-ray or HD-DVD only one codec should be used, and that codec should be h.264. Microsoft didn't invent WMV9 (VC-1 is exactly the same) by themselves, even so I don't think they should use their influence to make VC-1 the standard when the superior h.264(as long as its compliant to the profile) can be used along with the superiority of AAC sound over WMA sound.

The reason why I said h.264 compliancy is that some companies, like Apple, have poorly implemented it. The apple version for example only using CAVLC not CABAC like it should, and although that doesn't mean much to people there's a minimum of 10 percent difference in quality between the two!

Nero digital is also h.264 and AAC sound, however their adoption of the standard isn't ideal either.

As an owner of both formats, I can tell you that watching movies in "HD" is no more enjoyable than watching them on standard DVD. The difference between upscaled 720p DVD is not that noticeable, and were talking at 110" inches.

Blu-ry as I like to call it, sometimes looks like VHS, and it skips quite a bit with artifacting. The HD-DVD load time is longer and the picture is considerably better but BD is going to run away with this war because uninformed sheep don't know s*** about HD content. They just buy whatever the next door neighbor has or what their "expert" brother recommends.

This whole country thinks a 43" plasma that is 6 feet from the floor with a Bose 3-2-1 is a true home theater and all sit around eating popcorn on Friday and Saturday nights like it's something special. The moron across the street has the exact system I just mentioned. I laugh every time those idiots fire it up becaue they put it right in their front room so everyone driving by could be jealous I guess.

I'm done ranting, BD will win only because the guy at the Magnolia section says it's better, because they get paid to say it's better and have meetings about pushing BD on the sales floor. One of the blue s***s actually told me about it.

OMG! If you say that you do not own a 1080 TV... The difference is MAJOR and someone saying anything else has not seen HD.

Blu-Ray is seriously better quality than HD-DVD, anyone that says otherwise is simply deluding themselves that their HD-DVDoorstop is still worth something..

(YAWN)

They're the same...

Joey, youre a fanboy and you're wrong. I have an XA1 sitting in the box right now, pick it up and it's yours. You'll see the difference, it's not just sharpness but black level, contrast and true color.

BD is not as good, I can vouch for that. I've rented both formats from Netflix for a while now. HD-DVD is definitely better but niether are really worth the no so huge difference from upscaled standard DVD. I have yet so see an HD-DVD or BD movie that looks as good as Sin City on standard DVD in 480 upscaled to 720p.

Seriously though, save your money and buy a good upscaling DVD player. If you don't have a projector and screen, you really wont see that big of a difference.

dude i know, its bullsh!t. this guy at bestbuy sold someone a ps3 on the premis of it having blu ray in it. he didnt compare the 360 to it so he could decide for himself. he didnt even really focus on the features of the ps3 itself. he went on about how blu ray is the future and how the $600 is a cheap blu ray player. this pissed me off. i could have gone rounds with the best buy guy but im not one to make a scene.

i went to game stop and this guy was askin about blu ray to the game stop people. they were talkin numbers and about how good blu ray looks. i went up and asked him if he had an HD TV. he said no. i explain that unless u have 1080 blu ray downscales to 480 which is ur standard dvd. so while blu ray look DECENT, unless u have an HD TV just stick to dvds. it looks the same.

i find myself torn in this format war in many ways. i love the potential blu ray shows with capacity and cutting edge technology. at the same time i have never liked sony extremely well, though i buy their stuff if its better than the competition. and at this point blu ray or HD dvd could still win. i just want the fight for monopoly market share to stop. and i will definitally not buy a sharp or this blu ray player.

and does anyone really want to record "friends" in HD onto BD? honestly. who gives 2 s***s????? i dont!

Yet another reason I will not be getting Blue-Ray. The odds are though is both formats will fail and everything will become digital.

HD checklist. Do not buy sharp for trying to pull a proprietary sytem like Apple in the pc industry.

Dude....any system that records blu-ray or HD-DVD is going to have to have a protected path.

Tool, you and I both know that proprietary protection schemes never have and never will work, whether you are for copy protection or against it. I think you are in a state of denial.

Did someone say Apple?

How fast did we forget about them and their iTunes and iPods...

And yet the devices and software loaded with the stuff is selling like hotcakes.

Huh... When will this failure you predict occur, Oh Great Swami?

I personally know of know no one that owns a blueray player or HD-DVD player. "Selling like hotcakes", lets me know you are definately deluded.

The lack of funds or motivation in your circle of friends does not mean squat, my poor deluded friend.

Take a look at any of the stats posted here and elsewhere with the numbers on HD adoption.

While the recorders are new to market (I don't even believe HD-DVD has one yet), the players are selling well, despite you and your friends absence from the market.

This HD and Blu-ray industry is going to prove to be not only the biggest failure in modern media history, but hopefully we'll get some new companies who will be short on giving us caveats, scams and ripoffs.

Not suprising, studios want to keep HD streams secure.

Still it's nice to see other manufacturers releasing Blu-Ray products, and recordable ones at that...

Anyone know when Toshiba will be releasing something similar on HD-DVD???