I just purchased a Toshiba HD-A1 to lend some support by purchasing HD DVD's. I could no longer simply observe. The Combo's were a good idea but...they are not a motivation because of their price. Big mistake if the point was to get the HD-DVD format in the hands of consumers to garner support. I have lost before on Beta and Laser Disc (still have 250 of those!) but I am afraid of the BD format. Never mind that the promises far exceed the reality, the additional capacity being promised is what I fear. They do not seem to be using space to improve quality for consumers, so my fear is that the intent is to have excess "real estate" on the disk so they can sell advertisment space! Face it, the war is not about anything but money. When I by a movie I want the movie...not trailers or anything else. Trailers should be something you have to select from the main menu to see.
We can al debate the technical advantages of each, but that is not what will determine the winner. After all, VHS won out. It is a lot like buying a computer or a higher end piece of equipment. Analyze numbers and based on that decide which is best. Then in the real world you cannot determine any appreciable difference. But if we made that determination and spent the money, we convince ourselves it is "better" so we do not feel so foolish. Buying a projector based on specs and numbers is likely to not yield the "best" picture. But try to find someplace to see them in action. Face it, we are only spectators along for the ride. We are only a part of the motivation that is provided for those hoping to transfer wealth in their favor. And MPAA is attempting to make life difficult for honest people that have never copied a movie. HDMI is not the superior connection everyone would have you believe. It is just necessay to support HDCP for the MPAA. Never mind it makes those that are supporting them with purchases replace thousands of dollars of equipment. I currently own just under 1,800 movies and I am not certain what I will end up doing with my B&K Reference 50. To "transition" to something now that supports HDMI connections at an adequate level with a quality unit I would have to look to Australia and have an extra $10,000. (Makes my B&K preamp and amp seem like bargin basement purchases!) I am afraid the stakes are so high that the loser in this "war" will be the consumers.
