This question from reader Matt came in for PC Magazine lead analyst Robert Heron:
I purchased a Samsung FP-T5084 yesterday, and now I want to feed it a true HD signal--I am talking about HD DVD and Blu-Ray players. I don't know which one to get. I would like to get two--one for each format--since it looks like the dual-format players don't have all the features, and lack some performance, but I have been looking for the best quality within a reasonable price range.
Which 1080p Blu-Ray and HD DVD players would you recommend in the $500 price range? I might entertain one that costs more if there is a dramatic increase in picture quality. I would also like to know what player (Blu-Ray or HD-DVD) you use.
My other question, is do the Blu-Ray and HD DVD players upscale normal SD DVDs better than an upscaling DVD player (or my plasma's built in video processor)?
Robert's answer after the jump.
Robert: As it stands right now, you have a several options.
1. Wait for Samsung's BD-UP5000 dual-format disc player (full Blu-ray/HD DVD support and DVD upscaling.) It is scheduled to arrive in January 2008 for about $1000. LG's new BH200 dual-format player is available now, and it appears to have addressed many of the shortcomings of the original dual-format player--the BH100 Super Blu Player.
2. I like the PlayStation 3 as a Blu-ray player because it receives regular updates via its network connection; most other Blu-ray players require burning a CD to update the player's firmware. The most recent PS3 updates have made it a very good upscaling DVD player, and its Blu-ray performance is as good if not better than any other standalone player (because of those updates!). Adding Sony's Bluetooth PS3 remote makes this an almost perfect Blu-ray player setup. If a game console just isn't doing it for you, some of the newer Samsung Blu-ray disc players also provide an Ethernet port for receiving firmware updates.
3. Toshiba's latest 1080p HD DVD players are looking good too (I have the new HD-A30 in my lab right now). No complaints here at all, but I'd skip the 1080i model--HD-A2--although it would look great on your TV.
If I couldn't wait for the Samsung combo player (or couldn't afford to spend $1000), I'd get a PS3 and a recent Toshiba. The upcoming Samsung player is nice, as it is a single unit (less clutter, remotes, and use of HDMI inputs), and it is supposed to offer full support of both HD disc formats.
I have a HD DVD player at home and I appreciate that format for a few reasons (no region codes, consistent hardware features, price). But there are several movies that are not available on both HD disc formats--that's why I want and would suggest a combo player.
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December 21, 2007 10:37 AM
I would get a PS3. Its on of the best players on the market and its fitted with a hard drive making it when of the best media centres on the market.
You simply cant get a piece of home AV as good as it for the same money.
December 21, 2007 11:44 AM
Sorry Larry, I have to disagree with you. See just like Gaming consoles, and the PS3 sucking because there are no good exclusive games, the HD DVD and Blu-ray market have the same issue.
Go to a store and look at the possible DVDs you have to choose from for the 5 free Blu-ray DVDs, compare that list to the 5 free HD DVD list. In the HD DVD list you have about 4 different "Best picture" movies, and other very good movies as well. On the Blu-ray list you get crap such as Con-air, or "now introducing Chuck and Larry." You can't get Transformers on Blu-ray, you can't get any Borne Identity movies on Blu-ray. . . There are only 2 good movies to get on blueray, Casino Royale, and Die Hard 4 . . As for Casino Royale, the Regular DVD has one of the best looking pictures I've ever seen, so I can't even figure why you'd need the HD version. . . .
It's all about the movies guy asking question, forget about the advantages that HD DVD has over blu-ray (such as cheaper price, easier update of firmware, more interactivity - blu-ray JUST added picture in picture . . . HD DVD has been shipping with it since it's inception), but forget about all that stuff, just go look at the available crappy movies for Blu-ray, vs the great movies available for HD DVD.
December 21, 2007 1:32 PM
Use your home PC w/ a decent graphics card and the combo drive from LG... it plays both formats for only $300. Stripped down player software is included, but you probably want to buy the reatail version 'cuz it will sound better.
December 21, 2007 3:05 PM
Jonathon,
Why are you saying blu-ray has crappy movies?
More people are buying blu-ray movies then HD DVD.
Blu-ray might not have Transformers but they do have Pirates of the Caribbean and Spiderman HD DVD doesn't.
More companies support blu-ray
Examlpe:
Disney
Sony Pictures Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Heck even Apple supports blu-ray
HD DVD got Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and DreamWorks Animation because they paid them 150million
Please next time do your research.
December 21, 2007 4:39 PM
I have to agree with Jonathon, look at what movies you like. Blu-ray has some good blockbuster titles, but most of them I would never watch more then once (Spideman? meh) Blu-ray and HD DVD have about the same support studio wise:
HD DVD
Universal
Paramount
Dreamworks
Blu-ray
Fox
Sony/Columbia
Disney
Both
Warner
New Line
Paramount and Universal have huge back catalogs that are just as good, if not better, then Fox and Sony. Disney has some kiddie fare, and 40 or so great animated features. If your kids can live without HD cartoons. I already have all of the Disney movies on DVD, and I don't plan on buying the movies again, so going forward HD DVD is better for me.
As for the $150 million marketing money given to Paramount, it's probably nothing more then a sweetener to ramp up production. Sony bought an entire movie catalog for Pete's sake! (Columbia/TriStar) I'm sure that when Blu-ray was getting going, Sony paid Fox and Disney to jump on board. They probably covered the expensive costs of the new presses they would need to make Blu-ray disks (HD DVD's can be made on the same line as DVD by just changing out the stamp).
December 21, 2007 8:34 PM
Stop playing around with silly lists of studio names.
If you really want to do that then count independents & medium studios; the lower authoring & production costs and the less restrictive contracts mean HD DVD leads with 41 studios signed up.
With HD DVD being 100% region-free, importing means HD DVD offers the most movie content and the most exclusive movie content.
....and, unlike Blu-ray, it's not totally reliant on a game console which is never going to break in the adult a/v market either.
But this is all such early days and the sales leads such as they now are are pretty insignificant, less than 4% of all DVD sales in fact.
There's a big shift coming in the 1st half of 2008.
A wave of good quality Chinese $100 very nice upscaling DVD players is coming, those players also happen to be very good HD DVD players
(they use the new 3rd gen Toshiba HD A3 as their reference design).
Once they arrive (and those same Chinese manufacturers withdraw their 'ordinary' DVD players) it's all over.
People will buy their new DVD players and the switch will be seamless.
The new HD DVD Twin discs will also see the distinction between formats vanish with only one disc made containing both SD DVD & HD DVD on the one side - with huge production volumes meaning prices will be slashed.
PS3 & Blu-ray will simply be the new PSP & UMD with a relatively tiny amount of standalone & PC burner activity bolted on.
December 22, 2007 6:10 PM
Jesus, talk about dragging the HD DVD fanbois out of the cess pit! And for a balanced article too, it's not even like he pronounced Blu Ray as the format winner (plenty of other sites you HD DVD FUDsters could have visited for that though eh? "Reliant on gameboxes" - hasn't HD DVD just had to include the Xbox 360 add-on to try and meet it's player sales targets for this year? They still failed miserably BTW, 1st 2.5 million, then down to 1.8 million, now 1 million, and they still haven't reached it. And the 360 add on accounts for over a third of HD DVD players, and is bought 100% by gamers, not purely as a player like many people have purchased the PS3. Besides, at least two of you said Transformers is a good movie. Need I say more?
December 22, 2007 7:51 PM
The news is in.
HD DVD Harry Potter outsold the Blu-ray version.
This was exactly the kind of like-for-like sale warner said they would be studying closely in the Q4 results.
The facts are that even with reduced numbers HD DVD shifts movies in a way the game console format, Blu-ray, cannot.
That can only increase as the tidal wave of inexpensive HD DVD arrive in early 2008.
$100 and less as a permanent price for HD DVD players (not a seasonal offer).
Blu-ray is just on theway to becoming the latest failed Sony proprietary format, PS3's version of UMD with a little burner and standalone activity glued on.
December 28, 2007 6:47 PM
Iam an older enjoyer of hi quality sound and video. i have seen various attempts by sony to monopolize content---i have been a victom of sony drm costing me a $1200 to build a new computer. I have 2 sony tv's one almost 25 years old and a new lcd because they looked great. i am sure my almost 20 years old tv will still be working lomg after my new lcd has died(predict 1 month after warranty) i have no use for sony because : they don't honor warranties. they don't build products to last any longer than the warranty, they don't provide easy access to their support, and i truly believe they could care less about the consumer. i am still owed $300 for wireless phones , $700 for a tv(2 years ago, $499 an amp/receiver, $150 speakers, 3- dvd players $1100, obviously the computer they ruined with the diabolical scheme of drm killer. they do have great tech but no --- none--- concern after they sell it.