[quote user="mercurymagic"]
so confused here,
seen there r 2 formats of next gen dvd's out but which do i get, is it the vhs beta thing again. I don't suppose one is compatable with the other, could any of you recommend whichh way to go or is it best to hang on and see.
[/quote]
I don't blame you re the confusion- it's a ridiculous situation.
Blu-ray and HD DVD both use similar blue-laser technology to pack far more onto DVD-size discs (hence the potential for space-hungry, higher-definition pictures and sound).
But no, they're not compatible - though both Blu-ray and HD DVD players will also play your existing DVDs.
There has been much talk of hybrid players that play both formats, but we've only actually seen one player - LG's SuperMultiBlue BH100 - available in the UK market. But it's not perfect (as other threads here make painfully clear) and certainly isn't a full-function hybrid. And it doesn't play CDs.
To complicate matters still further, the specifications for players are a fluid thing, so some earlier HD players won't give you all the benefits of the discs - in terms of sound and vision!
However, a good HD player looks and sound absolutely superb: with ordinary DVDs as well as HD discs.
If you really wanted to buy now, and see every film you wanted to in high-definition, then you'd need budget players of both formats: such as Sony's PlayStation3 (£299) and Toshiba's HD-EP35 (£350 - available for less). Both of these players are firmware upgradeable, which means they're updating as the specs update.
But I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to do that or go anywhere near HD discs with a bargepole for now. As mentioned elsewhere, i've got meetings set up with both Blu-ray and HD DVD camps shortly, and am also very interested to see what new players are announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.