I wish the marketing idiots would get off of this cretinous idea that 'we' want 'interactivity' in our movies. I want better movies from people skilled at the craft of engaging and provoking my imagination. I want memorable movies that make me think and/or resonate with me. I don't want a never ending diet of superficial cr@p that is stupifyingly worthless and instantly forgetable.... .... no matter how many idiotic 'extras' in the form of moronic little Java games they decide to pack the retail high def disc with or pointless alternative endings or inane ramblings from the folks responsible for the dross that seems to be the level of most of what is appearing these days. Both Blu-ray & HD-DVD seems to be afflicted with this mentality. It needs to be stopped.

Agreed! How many times do u watch ANY of the extra's? or i noticed the cut scenes in xmen 3 where 5 different ways that one scene was shot with very small differences, a beard vs no beard! It is stupid!

this my friends, is a quality product

They have to employ gimmicks into the films as most of them are a complete pile of dog poop. Maybe this is why there is falling sales in the movie/record industry!

well blu ray discs are huge so they try to fill up space by putting crap we never use like bd java...pointless!

What the hell? That java crap delayed blueray in the first place, and now some players don't even support it? Well that's a load of BS. Sounds like the original xbox playing dvd's. I've passively rooting for HD-DVD, and this further confirms my position.

I am just so glad I have not updated yet. Ill wait till all this piddidly rubbish is over and there is one format the works correctly.

this isn't surprising at all considering that descent on dvd you cannot even convert into mpeg to place on your ipod because they heavly incrypted the disk

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I am just so glad I have not updated yet. I'll wait till all this piddidly rubbish is over and there is one format the works correctly.

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Couldn't agree more. I wonder how long it will be before a hi-def movie disc will contain 85% DRM-baggage, and only, say, 15% movie-content? It's mind-boggling - all the useless, consumer-hostile DRM-CRAP they're stuffing onto a disc these days. It clogs up the whole 'movie-enjoyment' experience worse than a roll of toilet paper stuck in your toilet. And as hughjars points out, what movie-content Hollywood does spew out these days, is pretty much as disgusting as the DRM that 'protects' it. I'm in no hurry to 'update' or switch over to anything yet - not by a long shot.

Lady's and Jellyspoons, This is going to be exactly the same old story as the - or + war that we all saw play out with DVD burners just 2 or 3 years ago. The result was as I'm sure you all know, the industry simply did exactly what the consumer wanted in the end, and made dual format burners. I don't think they did this because they wanted to be consumer friendly but because as you may remmember the initial uptake (Sales) was very low simply because, we, the consumers didn't know which format would win out and didn't want to be stuck with the loosing format. After having spent huge amounts of cash on R&D they were simply looking for a return on the investments made ASAP. I therefore strongly advise everybody to wait untill they do the same with Blu-ray and HD, I assure you they will !

When are they going to realize that all we want it to put the disc in and have the movie start playing? I don't need to see previews or advertisements or any of that crap. Once the movie has ended, then I might be interested in seeing cut scenes and whatnot. Until then, standard DVD works just fine for me.

Well the good thing about this article is what players to stay away from and what ones are good at the moment :)

the main problem I have with DVDs is the forced previews and warnings and BS ,even the menus are a bit to much,I just want the movie to start,and in order to do that I have to rip every movie I have in order to just get to the damn movie,its bad enough Hollywood is as shallow as a salt lake,but the movie industry dosent have to constantly force crap we will do everythign within our power to avoid....they make media over priced and then make it hard to simple sit back and enjoy the film,so we will do what we can to bring balance to it.

I know what you mean, zippy. For the longest time I was doing the same - ripping just the movie (sometimes two of them on a single disc) just to get rid of all the other aggravating tripe on the disc. It's really nice to be able to pop in a disc, and have the movie itself auto-start, with no quibble. Especially now that blank dvds cost less than a blank cd - just pennies per disc. And it's too bad about Sony and Blu-ray. They could have made a bundle. There was a time when just about anything you bought with the Sony name on it was a high-class, *quality* piece of equipment, no questions asked. Today - now that Sony is on the other end of the stick as well - a *content* provider as well as a hardware manufacturer, -- everything "Sony" has changed. At one time, Sony owned no movie or music content, they were strictly hardware-related, but with the acquisition of Columbia Records, and Columbia Pictures, AND lately, the MGM Movie Catalog, they are singing a different tune. There is SO MUCH CRIPPLING DRM BAGGAGE associated with Blu-ray, the format is gonna self-destruct if Sony doesn't smarten up fast. Right now, Sony is it's own worst enemy - they've *got* to ease up on the DRM, or consumers are going to avoid them in droves. They already are. As far as I can tell - from what I sense on the Web, Blu-ray is for now, a non-starter, certainly not anywhere near mass-market status. But then, you knew all this anyway, right? :-)

im really anoyed at all this blue ray crap.first they invent video players and we buy loads of films.then they invent dvd so we get rid of our video tapes and buy loads of dvds.now its blue ray so guess what we buy a new machine and buy loads of blue ray discs.my question is how much better does the picture have to be before we are forced to buy more stuff.i just think its a big rip off

Well, considering how l-o-n-g it took (many, many, many years) for genuine High-Definition Video to finally get here, I think it's a safe bet to assume we won't be 'burdened' with any more major new formats for the foreseeable future. (Famous last words). :-/ An awful lot has been promised from the current high-end contenders (BluRay/HD-DVD) - any new "thing" to come along now is going to have to be a virtual MIRACLE to grab anyone's attention - we (consumers) are sick-to-death of New Formats. Already, I was reading about a video monitor that has *four times* the resolution that today's best hi-def monitors (1080p lines) currently have !!! Honestly, outside of, say, Hospital Operating Theaters, WHO needs that kind of resolution in their Rec Room? Sooner or later the 'madness' has got to stop, right? The industry needs to consolidate - refine - bury-the-hatchet and cooperate with one another, warring factions need to agree on critical, carved-in-stone standards, and just "get-on-with-it". I myself have no intention of purchasing any new hi-def hardware or content until the industry "grows up".

im in total agrement with last comment.why do we always have to buy new stuff i could understand if your items are broken but just imagine how many perfectly working video machines were binned as soon as dvd recorders hit a sensible price.i wont be bothering with blue ray just yet

A_Klingon ture they have yet to get the glut of High def stuff to look better than the best of analog stuff so its goign to be another 5ish years before you will be able to find cheap(under 200)digi TVs that are not grainy and by that time a winner of the format war should be crowned if not a king and queen,BR is a slow starter and a bit more in price but would be best to go on since it still can hold the most on the least amount of layers but HDVD is near perfect so don't pick or side with any yet *L*

Well .... BluRay is 'high-end' stuff right now. Only for the very affluent or the very anxious. I'm not looking for rock-bottom prices (a-la regular DVD) - in fact, I don't mind paying a premium price for a truly superior system, BUT right now - even if I could afford it - I have no desire or room for a massive, wide-screen theater-size wall monitor for my single-bedroom apartment, y'know? There's way too much wrong with both formats anyway - they (the studios) really need to get away from putting MPEG-2 (regular DVD) video-encoding on a disc that should be ONLY encoded in the superior MPEG-4 format. This is just one example of the industry's stupidity. Most of this added realism is going to be wasted on smaller monitors anyway - like the size that would fit comfortably in my bedroom, perhaps. And just *try* to fit a massive 5.1 surround-sound audio system in my bedroom when my upstairs neighbours pound on my door whenever I just turn my *TV* up to catch the nightly news! Blu-Ray and HD-DVD want to go mass-market. Not necessarily mass-market cheap, but certainly mass-market in popularity and sales. Right now, I don't think you can really appreciate all that (proper) hi-def has to offer without both the money AND space to take advantage of it. So - you can have either mass-market sales for the masses, or High End Superiority for the elite niche groups. I don't think there's a whole lot of overlap between the two. I doubt that the Hollywood movie industry can have it both ways - 'have their cake and eat it too' kind of thing. Which of those two primary groups are they targeting right now? (Whichever brings in the most $$$ I suspect). - Just my random thoughts for the morning ..... - :-)

A_Klingon *nods nods* what I meant was BR is kinda the all in one format great for movies great for storage the price is not exstream presay ,but in the end the one that can spam the most will win and its hard to tell whos wining both formats are nearly the same right now and neither can out price/preform each other enough to amke the masses jump ship,I like BR's potential but meh HDVD is doing to much right to be ignored.

Zippy: I'll consider the purchase of a blu ray burner for computer data-storage IF : a) It isn't too riddled with mandatory DRM b) The burner itself isn't too expensive c) The blank discs aren't too expensive d) They are in good supply in local retail stores e) It becomes apparent to me that Blu-ray is here to stay. (I believe it is.) f) <optional but preferred> - the burner comes bundled with decent Blu-ray burning software, and/or Nero Burning Rom doesn't get too greedy with *their* Prices. Other Than That: For the moment, the Hollywood Movie Industry can keep their Blu-ray movie discs and the hardware industry can keep their set-top Blu-ray players, until I feel a *whole* lot more comfortable about the format in general. Smaller high-def monitors, in my opinion, MUST become available at reasonable prices before Blu-ray movie discs have a hope of becoming mass-market-mainstream. (My observations on this pleasant evening). :-)

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on hughjars' initial post in this thread... >>> [01] I wish the marketing idiots would get off of this cretinous idea that 'we' want 'interactivity' in our movies. [02] I want better movies from people skilled at the craft of engaging and provoking my imagination. [03] I want memorable movies that make me think and/or resonate with me. [04] I don't want a never ending diet of superficial cr@p that is stupifyingly worthless and instantly forgetable....<<< I couldn't agree more with everything you have said, if you paid me, hughjars. [01] I want "interactivity" in my movies about as much as I want stomach cramps. When I watch a movie, I don't *want* to make choices - I don't *want* to choose a different angle - I don't *want* to choose among different endings - I don't *want* active links to dumb, self-serving websites; what I *want* is: To be entertained. Period. That's what I will have plunked my money down for - a movie that entertains me. God knows most of us work hard for a living - there's enough misery in this world as it is without our Blu-ray players PAUSING, while we pick up our remote controls and have to make stupid, unnecessary choices. If I want interactivity, I'll log on to the Weeb, fer chrissakes. My message to Hollywood here is - junk the interactivity please, and just DO what I will have paid you to do - sell me a decent, entertaining movie and be done with it. [02] I too want intelligent movies made by gifted actors/actresses/story writers. The current crop of just-released trash at my local video emporium not only gives me stomach cramps, but the runs too, and have all the imagination and focus of three-turtles-on-a-leash. [03] I love(!) brilliant movies that give me pause for thought ('Shindler's List' comes to mind), not stupid blood-&-gore B-Horror Flicks or bang-bang-blow 'em up cop chases. [04] 'Stupifyingly Worthless' is a very appropriate phrase to define most of what Hollywood spews out these days, yes. The 'Extras', for the most part, are nothing less than excess baggage on a par with all the extra free DRM included on the disc, and about as welcome. In fact, I'd be willing to toss in an extra buck or two if Hollywood will kindly make a version with the extras pre-stripped off for me! (Who needs the aggravation?) All of the above applies to reg'lar DVD and whatever hi-def format wins out. (More pleasant ruminations from me on this pleasant evening). <gg>

A_Klingon well sicne a good bit of Drives are being made with hardware copy protection ,DRM should only come into play with DRM'd dsics,in other words leave "my" data ALONE. prices come down after awhile in 5 years there will be no diffrance in BR/HDVD price so meh I still see HDVD doing things a bit more coherently than BR is still catching up with itself....probably because of sony trying to weigh it down with needless crap.