let the love begin

this week, Toshiba fires the opening shot of the new DVD Format wars, as their new HD-A1 HD-DVD player hits the streets. this collision has been brewing for the last few years, and now the consumers get a front-row seat, and the choice to make which side they're on.

more likely, they'll be getting both (especially those who need to have to the latest and greatest gadgets as soon as it becomes available - yes, am talking about you cellphone nuts. ok, its not just them cellphone nuts.

the only fly in the ointment here is you need to have a huge screen HDTV anyway to take advantage of playing HD-DVDs (whose library is of course still in infant stage). but of course, those who are gadget nuts already have freakin $#%!@*$&$& HDTVs. boo hoo hoo simple minimum wage-gardener-errand boys like me.

in a nutshell:

HD DVD	BLU-RAY
Toshiba, RCA, Microsoft, Intel, HP, LG, Sanyo	Sony, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Panasonic, HP, Apple, Dell
Universal, HBO, WB, Paramount, Weinsteins	Sony Pictures/MGM, Disney, Lion's Gate, Fox, Paramount, WB
Blue Laser	Blue Laser
15 Gb dual layer disc capacity	25 Gb dual layer disc capacity
Available right now	Available Summer 2006
$500 + +	$1,000 + +

and we can see that there fence-sitters on both sides anyway (Paramount, WB, HP - producing discs in both formats) who don't want to go the way of the Betamax losers, and will be exclusively producing whichever type wins down the road.

as for me, since i aim to get a PS3 anyway later this year (but not going to line up at 12 AM), that will have Blu-Ray technology, which would free me up later to get an HD-DVD, especially when prices drop. Microsoft though, is talking about an XBox add-on which would allow HD-DVD capability. all signs point then to waiting. and getting both. yep, fence-sitter. me. care to make something out of it?