Which format better meets your needs Blu-ray or HD DVD?

If you take a look at specs of the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats side by side (see table below), you see a great degree of similarity. The discs are the same diameter and thickness. The players both use a blue laser with a 405 mm wavelength. Both provide a maximum 1080p screen resolution. And players from both formats have to be able to support the same advanced video codices. There are differences in the formats. The information on the disc is written at different depths beneath the surface. Blu-ray has a higher storage capacity than HD DVD, and the two formats write to and read information from the disc at different speeds. Unfortunately, the two discs formats are incompatible.

*The blue ray association recommends that players be backward compatible, but it is not a requirement.

At this point in time, figuring out which format is better is tricky. Certainly, if you were to take a straw poll of all of the companies who will profit from the adoption of a next-generation video format, then it may seem like Blu-ray is the better format. Currently (February 2007) Blu-ray Disc has the overwhelming support of the companies who will make the players and the movies, and from the information technology sector. Many, support both formats, and have even changed sides. The notable companies who have yet to choose a side are JVC, IBM and the other two computer CPU manufacturers: AMD and Motorola (Intel supports HD DVD).

The answer to the question “which format is better” depends on how you intend to use the technology. If you are in the information technology industry and you value storage capacity above all, it is impossible ignore the fact that currently, Blu-ray has a higher storage capacity, and costs less per GB of storage. If you are a content provider who wants to ensure that your content always provides the best video and audio flexibility for your end-user, then you will choose HD DVD. If you are a content provider who doesn’t want to make the additional investment needed to provide Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD with your content, then you will choose Blu-ray.
If you are a consumer who just wants a better picture on your HDTV set, then both HD DVD and Blu-ray will meet your needs. They are both capable of delivering a crystal clear high definition picture, and all current players on the market can play the DVDs you already own. For us consumers the choice between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD may be based on brand loyalty or some other extraneous factor, but most likely will be based on the price of the players. The other option that is available to consumers is to spend just under a $100 for a new up-converting progressive scan DVD player. The newer DVD players can digitally manipulate a plain old DVD picture, to look almost as good as their high definition replacements, producing a 720p, 1080i or 1080p output to a HDTV set.

Both of these next-generation video formats will provide the majority of us with what we are searching for. The rank and file consumer will not care about the different factoids that both camps list to demonstrate that theirs is the superior technology. Consumers (all but the videophile and audiophile) have a very short list of core concerns. Can I use it to watch movies? Will I get a better picture on my HDTV than with DVD? Will it play the DVDs that I already own? How much does it cost? Alright then, I’ll get one, just not the Betamax one!

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