With Toshiba on a massive holiday campaign to sell HD-DVD players to every man, woman and child, HD-DVD has serious momentum. The recent prices are crazy and completely out of control. Tomorrows $98.00 A2 HD-DVD Player is the deal of the year and should not be missed by anyone looking to get into hidef movies but cost was always an issue. At $98.00 you are seriously getting over as the 5 free movies pay for the player (and then some). Can you afford to pass on this? The only problem with Toshiba's recent campaign is Microsoft. The 360 HD-DVD Player is currently priced at $179.00. It is becoming harder and harder for Microsoft to justify the price of the player when you can purchase a stand alone player for 197.00 (today) and 98 bones tomorrow morning. Microsoft and Toshiba need to drop the price to of the player to $99 if they really want to put the axe to Sony and the Blu-Ray camp. In fact, Microsoft needs to make this move as the new 399.00 PS3 is a serious threat because the game machine does still functions as a Blu-Ray player. Microsoft and Toshiba also need to promote the 360 HD-DVD player as a playback device for PC and HTPC. The ability to playback from the desktop is very nice as I can work and watch an HD-DVD at the same time. Many users already have Dual-Core Processors and High-End Video Cards. The only problem with the PC Market is HDCP compliance and compatibility. Many LCD Displays do not support HDCP which is required to playback HD-DVD and Blu-Ray when using DVI or HDMI in XP or Vista. If you are using analog connectivity you will have no issue but will sacrifice the best in visual quality. If you use as HTPC with your HDTV Display in your living room, HDCP is supported and you are all GOOD. These next couple months really tell us where this war is headed and and just maybe this whole thing will come to an end. After all, Sony never should have tried to mess with the natural evolution of DVD to HD-DVD. Do not like this WAR, blame our meddling friends SONY!

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Editor - www.hidef.com

"True adaptability involves changing ones self to meet ones environment, not changing ones environment to meet ones needs" - Species8472

I keep hearing about HD-DVD dropping prices, and how that is going to kill Blu-Ray...yet, HD-DVD has had a sizeable price advantage from the beginning, and is still not selling as well as Blu-Ray. Again, I don't care which format wins...I just want a winner so I can jump in the game. That said, right now, my money is still on Blu-Ray. I'm just not seeing any of these new happenings creating any major momentum on the HD-DVD side. Transformers sold OK on HD-DVD...but it didn't set the world on fire. It will be interesting to see how Spidey 3 fairs this week on Blu-Ray.

Also, its really funny to me how everyone spins the Warner comments to suit their needs. You suggest that the news of them possibly settling on one format means that they are going to go HD-DVD exclusive. But, Hollywoodinhidef.com, a pro Blu-Ray site, suggested that it meant they were going Blu-Ray exclusive.

I don't know how well one is selling versus the other but you are absolutely correct that HD-DVD had a price advantage of blu-ray but up until recently they weren't using it at all. The price of the hardware is almost insignificant. It's the recurring cost that matters the most. And HD-DVD's could have come out the gate cheaper than the blu-ray discs but that didn't happen. But I think they are realizing that they'll need to push prices lower to get the sales and I see that happening. Also, they need to make EVERY movie a HD-DVD combo and not jackup the price in doing so. I can honestly tell you that had they done that I would have purchase WAY more than the few HD-DVDs I own now. WAAAAAY more. Which I guess is more than the 0 blu ray discs I would have purchased had I had a PS3.

Agreed, the comments can be spung either way BUT the comment WB makes about consumers No longer needing to choose really only points to one factor: a few variable with is "price". Once euthasists are no longer a factor the new factor is generally price. We shall see..

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Editor - www.hidef.com

"True adaptability involves changing ones self to meet ones environment, not changing ones environment to meet ones needs" - Species8472