As of Feb 1st the difference in price between a BLU-RAY and HD-DVD player is $135.05

[HDTV1080P]

As of Feburary 1st 2008 a 1080P/24 3rd generation HD-DVD player is only $135.05 cheaper compared to a 3rd generation 1080P/24 BLU-RAY player.

A factory new Samsung BD-P1400 with HDMI 1.3, Ethernet port, and 1080P/24 support can be purchased as low as $289 + shipping.
http://www.streetprices.com/Electronics/Home_Theater/Blu-Ray_Players/Samsung-BDP1400-SP16695513.html?query=Samsung+BD-P1400
A factory new Toshiba HD-A30 with HDMI 1.3, Ethernet port, and 1080P/24 support can be purchased as low as $153.95 with free shipping.
http://www.streetprices.com/Electronics/Home_Theater/DVD_Players/High_Definition/Toshiba-HD-A30-SP16591039.html?query=Toshiba+HD-A30
When one compares the cheapest factory new 3rd generation BLU-RAY player with 1080P/24 support to the cheapest factory new 3rd generation HD-DVD player with 1080P/24 support then one will discover that HD-DVD players are only around $135.05 cheaper when compared to BLU-RAY players. When the difference in price between a BLU-RAY player and a HD-DVD player is so small the smart decision is to choose a BLU-RAY player since many movies in BLU-RAY are mastered at high bit rates using 50GB discs versus HD-DVD which has lower bit rates using 30GB discs. BLU-RAY high bit rate movies look better then HD-DVD movies since the bit rates for video and audio are higher then what the HD-DVD format can provide. Maximum combined Video and Audio bit rate for BLU-RAY is 48 Mbits and the HD-DVD format offers only 36.55 Mbits for maximum combined Video and Audio bit rate. BLU-RAY is the smarter choice since Disney, 20th Century Fox,, Starz, and Sony Pictures are exclusive to the BLU-RAY format. Also starting on June 1st 2008 Warner will be BLU-RAY exclusive. In the end player prices are not going to matter much, which format is the best in picture and sound quality with the more exclusive content will be the most popular format with consumers. The only reason to own a HD-DVD player is for people that want to watch exclusive Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures movies in HDTV. BLU-RAY has more exclusive studios compared to HD-DVD.

Of course there is a third choice in the format war now. Dual format combo players

A factory new Samsung BD-UP5000 with HDMI 1.3, Ethernet port, and 1080P/24 support can be purchased as low as $799.99 with free shipping.
http://www.streetprices.com/Electronics/Home_Theater/Blu-Ray_Players/Samsung-BD-UP5000-SP18797078.html?query=Samsung+BD-UP5000
The advantage of dual format players is one can play both BLU-RAY and HD-DVD discs and just collect movies again without having to worry about the format war. If dual format players become popular and if the bugs are fixed then consumers will start to replace all their DVD players with dual format players. The mainstream consumer is never going to purchase both a BLU-RAY and HD-DVD player for every room in the house. The problem with dual format players is when they reach the under $500 level it could cause both formats to coexist just like the Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio format coexist with universal players available.Currently a dual format player costs $357.04 more then owning two of the cheapest HD 1080P/24 players. Sometime this year most likely dual format players will cost at least $100 less then owning both a 1080P/24 BLU-RAY and HD-DVD player. A dual format player can be made cheaper then two separate players. The dual format player only needs one case, power supply, remote, circuit board, and many of the chip sets can be shared. Unless one format is able to secure 100% studio support dual format players will become the best solution for movie collectors. Of course all three dual format players have issues. The discontinued LG BH100, current LG BH200, and current Samsung BD-UP5000 have all kinds of problems. If these issues are not corrected BLU-RAY will win the format war most likely. HD-DVD’s only chance to co-exist is for working under $500 dual format players to appear late this year for the 2008 Christmas season since it sure does not appear that they are going to get any more exclusive studio support.

[nickoakdl]

That is one colorful post.

[Favelle]

Orr......put another way, HD DVD is 50% CHEAPER than Blu-ray........

[BD/PS3fan]

Originally Posted by Favelle

Orr......put another way, HD DVD is 50% CHEAPER than Blu-ray........

It should be, its got 50% less major US studio support.

[Ashamed Pegasus]

Originally Posted by Favelle

Orr......put another way, HD DVD is 50% CHEAPER than Blu-ray........

Look at the studio support... You get what you pay for...

[hdinred]

If it doesn’t do PiP and web features, then it is not a comparable product. Therefore the 1080p HD DVD player is an even better value.

[bazie]

Originally Posted by hdinred

If it doesn’t do PiP and web features, then it is not a comparable product. Therefore the 1080p HD DVD player is an even better value.

if it doesn't play 75% of all future new releases, then its not a comparable product.

[Coaler]

Originally Posted by bazie

if it doesn't play 75% of all future new releases, then its not a comparable product.

????????? By my count it will play 42% of new releases....not 25% and it will play EVERY single special feature on every one of those discs which is more than the other player can say.

HD DVD 41 new through March

January 29, 2008
Dispatch: Zimbabwe - Live at Madison Square Garden (Warner Music Group)
King of California (First Look)
Strauss: Die Fledermaus (Opus Arte)

February 04, 2008
Deadliest Catch: Season 3 (Discovery Channel)

February 05, 2008
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Universal)
Naked Beneath the Water (Phoenix Group)

February 12, 2008
The Amateurs (First Look)
Girls Gone Wild: Baby Bash - Live And Uncensored (Mantra)

February 19, 2008
American Gangster (Universal)
Galaxina (BCI)
The Invasion (Warner)

February 26, 2008
Beowulf (2007) (Paramount)
The Brave One (Warner)
Cecilia & Bryn At Glyndebourne (Opus Arte)
Dragon Tiger Gate (Tai Seng)
Freedom: 4 (Bandai Visual)
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Resurrection (EuroArts)
Rain in the Mountains (Vanguard Cinema)

March 04, 2008
Aquarium Impressions (Navarre Corporation)
Fireplace Impressions (Navarre Corporation)
Into the Wild (Paramount Entetainment)
Mystic Forests (Navarre Corporation)
No Reservations (Warner)
Things We Lost in the Fire (DreamWorks)

March 11, 2008
Appleseed Ex Machina (Warner)
Bee Movie (DreamWorks)
Dazed & Confused (Re-Issue) (Universal)
Fletch (Universal)
In the Valley of Elah (Warner)
Land of the Dead (Re-Issue) (Universal)
Michael Clayton (Warner)

March 18, 2008
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner)
Justice League: The New Frontier (Warner)

March 25, 2008
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (DVD International)
Disco Pigs (Vanguard Cinema)
The Jack Ryan Collection (Paramount)
The Kite Runner (Paramount)
The Low Life: Director's Cut (Vanguard Cinema)
My Favorite Brunette/Son of Paleface (BCI)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Two (Paramount)
UFC: The Best of 2007 (First Look)

Blu-Ray 56 new through March

January 29, 2008
Daddy Day Camp (Sony)
Damages: The Complete First Season (Sony)
Dispatch: Zimbabwe - Live at Madison Square Garden (Warner Music Group)
The Invasion (Warner)
Justin Timberlake: Live at Madison Square Garden (Sony BMG)
King of California (First Look)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (Sony)

February 04, 2008
Deadliest Catch: Season 3 (Discovery Channel)

February 05, 2008
Across the Universe (Sony)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner)
The Brave One (Warner)
Breaker Morant (Image)
Celine Dion: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas (Sony BMG)
Crimson Tide (Buena Vista)
The Jane Austen Book Club (Sony)
Me, Myself & Irene (Fox)
Wall Street (Fox)

February 12, 2008
The Amateurs (First Look)
Becoming Jane (Buena Vista)
Gone Baby Gone (Buena Vista)
No Reservations (Warner)
Over America In High Definition (Topics)
Over California In High Definition (Topics)
We Own the Night (Sony)

February 19, 2008
Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006 (Eagle Rock)
In the Valley of Elah (Warner)
Michael Clayton (Warner)
Run Lola Run (Sony)
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)
Yes: Live at Montreux 2003 (Eagle Rock)

February 26, 2008
30 Days of Night (Sony)
Beyonce: The Beyonce Experience - Live (Sony BMG)
Initial D (Tai Seng)
Justice League: The New Frontier (Warner)
To Kill a King (Starz)

March 04, 2008
Ice Age (Fox)
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (Fox)
The Rookie (2002) (Walt Disney)

March 11, 2008
Appleseed Ex Machina (Warner)
August Rush (Warner)
Dan in Real Life (Walt Disney)
Dogma (Sony)
Gattaca (Sony)
Hitman (Fox)
I, Robot (Fox)
Independence Day (Fox)
No Country for Old Men (Walt Disney)
Saawariya (Sony)
Sleuth (2007) (Sony)

March 18, 2008
Enchanted (Walt Disney)
I Am Legend (Warner)
Steep (Sony)

March 25, 2008
Bonnie & Clyde (Warner)
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (DVD International)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Sony)
March 28, 2008
Godzilla (1998) (Sony)

[Ashamed Pegasus]

Originally Posted by Coaler

????????? By my count it will play 42% of new releases....not 25% and it will play EVERY single special feature on every one of those discs which is more than the other player can say.

HD DVD 41 new through March

Dispatch: Zimbabwe - Live at Madison Square Garden (Warner Music Group)
King of California (First Look)
Strauss: Die Fledermaus (Opus Arte)
Deadliest Catch: Season 3 (Discovery Channel)
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Universal)
Naked Beneath the Water (Phoenix Group)
The Amateurs (First Look)
Girls Gone Wild: Baby Bash - Live And Uncensored (Mantra)
American Gangster (Universal)
Galaxina (BCI)
The Invasion (Warner)
Beowulf (2007) (Paramount)
The Brave One (Warner)
Cecilia & Bryn At Glyndebourne (Opus Arte)
Dragon Tiger Gate (Tai Seng)
Freedom: 4 (Bandai Visual)
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Resurrection (EuroArts)
Rain in the Mountains (Vanguard Cinema)
Aquarium Impressions (Navarre Corporation)
Fireplace Impressions (Navarre Corporation)
Into the Wild (Paramount Entetainment)
Mystic Forests (Navarre Corporation)
No Reservations (Warner)
Things We Lost in the Fire (DreamWorks)
Appleseed Ex Machina (Warner)
Bee Movie (DreamWorks)
Dazed & Confused (Re-Issue) (Universal)
Fletch (Universal)
In the Valley of Elah (Warner)
Land of the Dead (Re-Issue) (Universal)
Michael Clayton (Warner)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner)
Justice League: The New Frontier (Warner)
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (DVD International)
Disco Pigs (Vanguard Cinema)
The Jack Ryan Collection (Paramount)
The Kite Runner (Paramount)
The Low Life: Director's Cut (Vanguard Cinema)
My Favorite Brunette/Son of Paleface (BCI)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Two (Paramount)
UFC: The Best of 2007 (First Look)

I counted 3 titles out of that list of 41 worth my interest... You guys who are sticking with to the end are not going to have much to look foreward to after May...

[bruceames]

Actually, the 5 free by mail for Blu-ray ended today, so the price difference is now $135 + 7 movies.

[maley]

Originally Posted by bruceames

Actually, the 5 free by mail for Blu-ray ended today, so the price difference is now $135 + 7 movies.

Extended to the end of february.

[Coaler]

Originally Posted by Ashamed Pegasus

I counted 3 titles out of that list of 41 worth my interest... You guys who are sticking with to the end are not going to have much to look foreward to after May...

Funny i counted 9. And 7 BD's....i included Warner titles in BOTH counts.

[Favelle]

Originally Posted by Ashamed Pegasus

Look at the studio support... You get what you pay for...

ACtually, I get 100%.....and I didn't pay all that much for it. Thanks.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by maley

Extended to the end of february.

Link? According to Amazon it is gone.

Also, that $289 Blu-ray player has $30 shipping, so the difference is really $165 + 7 movies. That's a lot. Way more than double when you consider the free movies.

[chipvideo]

Originally Posted by Favelle

Orr......put another way, HD DVD is 50% CHEAPER than Blu-ray........

Or better yet. A bd machine costs double what a hd dvd player costs.

The worst thing is the bd machine he is talking about is a complete POS. Buggy as hell. Its a samsung. The worst maker of bd players in this war.