HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray

Last post for today.

If you were waiting on buying a high def player, wait no more. HD-DVD is all but dead. Go ahead and get a Blu-Ray player. If HD-DVD wins at this point, I will buy every reader a flagship HD-DVD player. (Lost several major studios last month, recommended by Best Buy last month (read: uneducated masses will have to hunt for the HD-DVDs in the store while Blu-Ray on end caps and with demo stations), now no longer carried by Walmart, no longer carried by Netflix, and Toshiba now suspending the actual manufacturing of the discs.) BUT...

There are several Blu-Ray 'profiles' - 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0. Current players are only in the v1 realm, and the only firmware upgradeable player is the Playstation 3. What does this mean? Profile 2 basically just adds the ability to access online content. If you can do without that, you can get another player. The profiles refer to added features, and if you get a "profile 2.0" disc, but only have a profile 1.1 player, you can still play the disc, just not access the 2.0 specific content.

That being said, the PS3 is not an ideal Blu-Ray player for two main reasons.

1) The remote is RF only (actually Bluetooth), which means that if you have an all-in-one remote, like the Logitech Harmony line that I LOVE, it is useless for controlling the PS3. There is a 'work around' to get IR support that involves getting an old PS2 IR remote and a USB to PS2 controller adapter, which might be worth looking into if you plan on making the jump.

2) It is loud. Not jet engine in the living room or XBox 360 loud, but more noticeable than a standard player (it starts off near silent, but around mid-way through the movie the fans kick in). Nice comparison (don't trust the YouTube videos).