Home audio & video forum: Poll: Which factor would make you upgrade to a Blu-ray or HD DVD player?

Price is a factor because one just can't keep upgrading their entertainment systems. It comes a time when someone needs to take a hold of the situation and just say, ENOUGH!

There should be a player that plays all formats no matter what kind of media you own, just as there should be one game system that plays all video game formats. People just can't keep buying stuff every two years.

As for the two formats in question, I could care less as long as I can see what I want for little to no cost to me.

Cost has to be the biggest factor - I dont want a "cinema" in my living room - that is what cinemas are for - and I cant really achieve it without a wall size screen anyway!

Seriously I waited until the price of a flat screen panel was the same as I paid for my last CRT TV and I will wait until either my existing DVD player dies or the price of HD drops to the same level (and until the discs cost no more than normal DVDs)

I like the HD capability and (hopefully future proof nature) of Blu-Ray, but as a frequent traveller being able to buy most Blu-Ray movies all over the world is a big plus. If it were not for this I would stick with regular DVDs for at least another 1 or 2 years.

HD-DVD is NOT an option. In countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Russia I have not found any HD-DVD titles at all. Only Blu-Ray is widely available in these countries. I have not seen a single HD-DVD there yet.

Also as my partner is not a native English speaker it is good to have the multiple language soundtracks. regular DVDs only have a few. I was a few weeks abroad recently and I could only find a few DVDs with an English soundtrack. Even Harry Potter, Die Hard 4, Are we done yet and Evan almighty were not available in English. The Blu-Ray discs all DID have english, but regretfully I did not have access in my apartment to a Blu-Ray player.

Neither. Hardware is out! Software is in. I do not need another format for videos or music just a bigger hard-drive.

It just took one minute to compare HD and Blu - no comparison. On a plasma it looks incredible.

When the DVD's themselves are less than $18, and when there is a better selection of movies.

I went with hd-dvd when Best Buy had the Toshiba HD-A2 on sale for $99.00 a couple of weeks ago. And was lucky enough that they had run out and let me have an HD-A3 for the same price!

One of the movies that came packaged with it was the Bourne Identity, which I also have in regular DVD. I have a Philips upconverting DVD player with HDMI out and connected it and the Toshiba to my Sony 65 inch rear projection TV with 1080i through a HDMI switcher and did a direct comparison of the two by syncing the playback of both players and switching back and forth between the two. Although I thought the picture quality of the Philips was superb, my whole family was amazed away by the difference between the two. And as a bonus, the HD-A3 seams to upconvert the regular DVDs slightly better than the Philips.

When they get to one format. Been through Beta/VHS before. Don't want to go there again.

There is a lot of second guessing about who will win the Blu-ray/HD DVD war, and a lot of highly subjective opinion about the merits of each format. The obvious answer is to purchase a combi player like the LG BH200 making everyone a winner irresepective of who they think has the best format.

to buy, but the tide has turned. I, myself was surprised after initially favoring BluRay, but Sony is not absolutely committed to BluRay per recent public interviews with their CEO. Sony has not been willing to compete on price, but HD DVD is. That's where the money is folks, the public will vote with their dollars for HD DVD players much more price friendly than BluRay.

PRICE WILL WIN THE WAR, SO IT WILL BE HD DVD OVER BLURAY. No use even thinking about buying BluRay players from here on out. Consumers want affordable price & there's no two ways about it.

Pay attention: HD DVD wins (Got it?)

They tell me that by a certain date I will not be able to receive television signal out of the air. Since I will probably have an HD Converter on my televesion, I will need to buy an HD DVD player...and hope my dvds are compatable.

If it's a question of either/or, then niether. Why support only one? Just because the companies chose not to support both is no reason for me to choose only one.

I choose both. If a company makes a player that plays both formats, only then would I choose one. If, should it ever occur, a company would make a burner for both formats in a single box, then, most definitely, I would buy one.

Extra content (Please explain.)? Extra content pertinent to the movie--backstory, director's cut, additional versions of the movie (different endings), an original thought--the complete movie with NO scene deletions.

Price point (At what point?)? Traditionally, the prices start at $1000 per unit, then drop off. Case in point, the cost of a standard DVD player started at $1000, but now you can purchase a DVD player only for your PC for as low as $39.95.

More DVD titles (Please explain.). If the purpose of your library is to replace all of the purchased VHS/Beta tapes with their DVD-counterparts, then go for it. But just to get a better copy of "Destry rides again?"... then it's time to go out and get a life.

Special features (What specific features?). Get rid of DRM. While the idea is nice, the real-life halt of electronic innovation is absolutely criminal.

Video and audio quality. Any increase is accpetable. 1080p should be the video standard. Going beyond this is greatly appreciated. The audio standard should be 15Hz to 20KHz. More bass is nice if the system has a good (set of) subwoofer(s). The sound system should immerse the person within it, just as the director would want it.

Other (What is your reason?) Consolidation of equipment. Why have specific boxes per format when one box should be able to read/play any format on the market.
I already own a hi-def DVD player (Which format and why that format?)

Don't have any idea what the format is - they play what I buy.

I already own a PS3 and am extremely happy with it. I chose Blu-Ray based on the following criteria:
1 - More studio support including the biggie, Disney.
2 - More choice in CE manufacturer's of hardware.
3 - Larger capacity disc for future longevity.
4 - The PS3, so many more Blu-Ray players on the market.
5 - 2 to 1 sales ratio in favor of Blu-Ray throughout 2007.
6 - Blockbuster and Target have endorsed Blu-Ray.

All things being equal, I chose Blu-Ray because it has the best chance to be the next hi-def disc format.

HD DVD fans start your lament. Now you only have DreamWorks and Universal. And Warner accounts for 20% of all DVD sales in the US. Night Night Sweatheart..............