Integrating HD With Your Current Collection

"When you begin to search for HD titles for your HDTV, have in mind you are integrating your HD titles with your DVD collection, NOT necessarily replacing your collection entirely..."

When you begin to search for HD titles for your HDTV, have in mind you are integrating your HD titles with your DVD collection, NOT necessarily replacing your collection entirely. Currently, there are simply not enough titles to replace anyone's DVD collection. The titles are just not available. HD content is still limited to recent releases, a few television shows (and even then not all seasons), and a few titles from decades ago which are considered "classics". There are still several hundred titles available from both Blu-ray and HD DVD, so while there is an amount of limited availability of titles, if you're a movie collector, there will more than likely be a few dozen titles at the minimum, which will be on your HD Wishlist.

On a side note (since we're talking about content being offered on HD) Dragon's Lair, the popular early 1980's arcade game which was ported over to PC then to DVD, then to the Nintendo DS (don't ask), has now been released on HD DVD and Blu-ray as the first "game" on the HD format. How many times can you can beat a dead horse? Currently, this theory is being tested. Dragon's Lair seems to pop up whenever there is a new media format available. Some things just need to remain classics. But if you're a Dragon's Lair fan, hey, knock yourself out with an HD disc.

When you begin your HD purchases, look for the movies which you know are your favorites. Purchase the HD movies you know will be viewed more than just once. Seems pretty basic enough, doesn't it. As your HD collection grows, you will also begin to have a particular taste for certain movies on HD. This is why HD, for many years to come, will play an important role in transcending your DVD collection, but not replacing it.

As a consumer, it is important to realize YOU have an important role in how HD and high quality formats in general, are going to be successful. If you take sides and call the other side names, this will be noticed by the competitors, and the HD industry could be battling it out for many more years to come. However, if you embrace both formats, and let it be known, the HD future might be determined a lot quicker without a serious fallout.

You might ask yourself, But how can I support both formats when I can only afford one? This is a great question. I am in the same situation. While I support HD DVD, and while I make it known I am not particularly fond of Sony's history regarding consumer products, I still support Blu-ray in the sense that I welcome both formats to coexist in the future. This is the difference between those who are exclusively dedicated to one format, and who are unwilling to share any amount of space with the competing format. You can financially support one format, but still be open to the other format coexisting.

It would be nice if one could dive into both formats and purchase two HD players, but this is currently more than what a typical consumer can swallow. Online movie forums will reveal a large amount of owners who indeed own both a Blu-ray player and HD DVD player. But usually, these are dedicated movie enthusiasts. A typical consumer, interesting in high definition movies, is going to be more interested in one affordable HD player, and only having to concentrate on one HD format.

When eTailers announced the $99 Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player, it was time for the fence-sitting HD Lurker, to take charge and embark on the HD adventure. Combine the offer with at least 5 Free HD DVDs from Toshiba's own rebate form, and in-store bonuses with a few more HD DVD titles, the player easily paid for itself. More sales are expected around Thanksgiving of this year and into New Year's.

Getting back to original theme of this particular part of the article, once you begin your HD collection, on whatever format you choose, do not worry about the pressure of it replacing your entire collection, and how much it would cost. The HD format has a long way to go in releasing titles, and prices will significantly drop in the following years, so my advice, is to be discriminate when you purchase your HD titles. Don't be impulsive. Look for sales. Many stores have recently featured about a dozen HD DVD titles for around $13-$15, and Blu-ray has been featuring Buy One Get One Free (B1G1F) offers. It is expected HD DVD titles will also have a B1G1F type of sale in the future.