Matt, you must have better luck with electronics than I do. I’ve had to replace many DVD players. Once my HD-DVD playuer is fried, I don’t expect to be able to replace it (or want to unless something drastically changes.)

I’m likely not spending any more on HD DVDs either. In fact, I haven’t bought any other than the 10 that came as part of my original deal of $174. I’m now enjoying HD content via my player solely through HD DVDs from Netflix.

My pain was eased because HD DVD is the more consumer-friendly format. Compared to Blu-ray, lower price = less pain. Also, since most of my 10 movies will work as regular DVDs, $17 per movie with a free player isn’t that bad. I’ll be able to use these movies even after HD DVD’s death (hence, more easing of pain).

The point is, if Blu-ray were the player dying, I would have lost much more money and had a bunch of movies that don’t work on any other standard.

Given how short of a life most DVD players have, I’m not wasting any more money on HD-DVDs that I may not even be able to play in three or so years.

VC-1 may require a royalty to Microsoft but it is a better format than plan MPEG4.

Personally I’m HD DVD, I love the “Region Free”ness of it, it allows me to get films from anywhere in the world, the interactivity that Blu-Ray is just starting to get, HD DVD has had since the beginning.

However if HD DVD dies, I’ll just pick up a BluRay player (More than likely a PS3), and buy new films on BluRay instead, until then I’m buying HD DVDs like they are going out of fashion (Which perhaps they are).

HD DVDs HDi uses XML and ECMAScript (which is powered by Jscript).Its technology is just as easy to grasp. And if bothcompanies have ignored using an open-source approach; why even make the argument?

Content protection is always a joke. Its always got around eventually. WB was part of the HD DVD development. If it was really an issue they would have left some time ago.

Besides, this is about HD DVD owners getting the better deal. Which I do believe they have (and always have).
As HD DVD comes to its end; we could see massive HD DVD sales to get rid of the remaining stock (only an assumption here, but a valid one nonetheless). In terms of cost for each High Definition movie, the HD DVD users certainly got it better.

Microsoft used proprietary, VC-! video. window based technology that would make HD-DVD a Microsoft format.

Consumers need open standards, neither camp has been good at doing that.

WB chose Blu-Ray because of strong sales in europe and asia as well as the high quality content protection provided by camp Blu-Ray. Time Warner has been hurt the most by piracy and HD-DVD failed to realize how important this issue was to WB.

In the end WB needed to make a choice, they chose Blu-Ray, they own a lot of content and Toshiba should give up on HD-DVD and focus on network storage if they want revenge since that is the way the market will go in the next 5 to ten years anyway.

I’ve heard the storage space argument before… Is that all I get for giving up region free discs, decent price, and backwards compatibility? I’m not sold.