HD-DVD or Blu-Ray? My decision...

Typically I look forward to launching into reviews of the latest DVD titles, and recently I’ve been considering going back and reviewing older titles that I’ve always wanted to review but for some reason or another didn’t get the chance, or for that matter got overlooked – and goodness knows there are quite a few of those out there. Thank goodness I’ve got a blog site where I can do that now! However, I have to sidetrack for a while and offer my own thoughts on the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray format war.

It’s been extremely interesting to read all of the comments lately about this studio siding with HD-DVD, that studio siding with Blu-Ray. It’s similar to everyone taking sides on the war on terrorism in Iraq, with Americans siding either for or against President Bush. Yesterday CBS/Paramount and Dreamworks announced that they threw in a lot of money to exclusively support HD-DVD, joining Universal in favoring HD-DVD. On the other side you have Disney and Buena Vista Home Video, who are supporting Blu-Ray exclusively. This isn’t some little schoolyard squabble here; this is now bringing in the big guns from all sides, and earlier today director Michael Bay (“The Rock” and this summer’s “Transformers”) publicly expressed his frustration about Paramount’s decision. I can’t say that I blame him.

What should the average consumer do? If he or she shells out X amount of big bucks to get a HD-DVD player and get HD titles only, or should he/she go with Blu-Ray? It really hurts the pocketbook, because you’re getting only certain titles on a certain format at the expense of other titles you may be interested in not being accessible to the other format.

Then there is the issue of HD and Blu-Ray releases with exclusive features. Take for example the upcoming “Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 1” Remastered set, set to come this October. This is certain to turn off a lot of people just because of the price tag alone, when you can spend around $180 to pick up all three seasons that were released in 2004. While having the remastered set is nice, there are exclusive features to the set, including several interactive features that cannot be accessed on standard DVD format. First of all, why should I shell out over $200 just to get exclusive features on the HD-DVD side that I can’t view on the standard DVD format? That’s ridiculous. My wife would agree with me on that. Somehow, seeing that it would be released on a DVD/HD combo set got me suspicious.

Then there’s the upcoming first season release of “Heroes” next week (which I’m hoping to have a review of soon, should I get a review copy of the set – please, Universal?). In addition to all of the DVD features, there’s a wealth of HD-DVD exclusive features that I wouldn’t be able to view on any of my standard DVD players, much less a Blu-Ray player (if I had one), to begin with. That would pretty much kill the HD version right then and there for me. How many of us have bought the cart before buying the horse too often? I think a lot of us are guilty of that.

And then you have Disney and Buena Vista. Having spent $20 picking up “Cars” last Christmas, only to find out that their Blu-Ray release will have all sorts of interactive features on it, why would I want to shell out more money for an upgraded disc that I can’t even watch?

I’ve got to hand it to Warner Home Video, who has made themselves accessible to all consumers with releases of catalog and new titles in all formats across the board, like their upcoming “Blade Runner” five-disc Ultimate Collection. Their decision to cater to everyone is a smart one, if you ask me.

So what’s my decision? I’m not going with either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. I’m sticking with good old standard DVD. First of all, it’s extremely frustrating to see studios lining up and doing format-exclusive releases at the expense of the consumer, who ultimately winds up the loser in this battle, because that’s going to cost a lot more money in siding off with one format or the other. I’d rather have something that’s going to be cost-effective and all-inclusive that is easily accessible. Second of all, why should one format or the other have exclusive features on their HD or Blu-Ray versions that aren’t available on standard DVD? Why should I have to shell out even more money for something that is all-encompassing on one disc? And why should I have to upgrade to a format that can’t support the opposing format? And you think Democrats and Republicans have a hard time getting along! As my wife and financial advisor would say, that’s stupid tax for you (go, Dave Ramsey!), and my wife and I will not allow our pocketbook to become a casualty of this war. Third and finally, as the format war heats up, we’re going to see more and more casualties in both camps, and that’s going to be a sad day when we see losers on every side of this format war.

It took me over three years before I decided to upgrade from VHS and laserdisc to DVD, and I’m not planning on converting to HD-DVD or Blu-Ray any time soon either. (If you give me a combination player and a number of discs absolutely debt-free and cost-free, however, then I’ll be happy to talk with you.) Besides, when you have to live on a budget, sometimes the best way to stay out of a war is not to get involved in it to begin with.

And there’s my two cents on it right there. More reviews next time – see you soon!