Hi
Def vs. Blu Ray
OK,
time to own up: I’m a DVD cheapskate.
I
review movies on a 10-year-old, 35-inch Sony TV.
I
do not own a home theatre system I run the sound through my
21-year-old Bang & Olufsen stereo system which pumps out
crystal clear sound from two Mission speakers either side
of the TV. It sounds great!
My
Region-free Accura DVD player (allowing me to watch any DVD
sold anywhere in the world) cost $29.
I
do not own a Blu-ray or HD DVD player nor do I plan on getting
one anytime soon.
What
am I missing?
Bugger
all. (I can hear the electronics store sales associates sobbing…)
Like
most working stiffs, I do not have the budget for a Beverly
Hills-type screening room (or the space).
Yes,
I’ve watched movies in HD and Blue-Ray DVDs on screens
that are almost as wide as my humble abode, with home theatre
sound that made my ears ache. I admit it’s impressive.
But "ordinary" DVDs are still great - and the best
equipment in the world won’t make a poor film better
or salvage a lousy script.
I
mention all this because the latest battle for YOUR precious
money is heating up. I refer to the Blu-ray/HD DVD format
war.
We’ve
been through this all before. Remember Betamax vs. VHS video
recorders?
Once
again the entertainment industry has failed to get its act
together by deciding on one format (frankly I can’t tell
the difference between either).
So,
you ignore the warning voice in your head and spend your hard-earned
cash on an HD DVD player for the high-def experience - then
discover Sony will only release Spider-Man 3 in Blu-ray.
The
good news? You’ll be able to watch Universal’s The
Bourne Ultimatum on your player, but Blu-ray owners won’t…
And
man, have you seen the price of those discs?!
I
do like Warner Bros. idea of a dual format disc that can be
played on either machine. The technology is there. But it
might prove a tough sell to those in the industry who want
“their” DVD format to win this stupid war.
Meanwhile
I’m sticking to DVD, plain and simple until the industry
sorts it out…
…
or the price of a Blu-ray/HD DVD player drops to $29.
