Conclusions

We still don’t know which format will be DVD’s successor. All we know is that still a fierce fight between the two standard, but on the storage size Blu-Ray has a better advantage over HD-DVD, while on the cost side HD-DVD is the winner, as HD DVD discs are cheaper to manufacture.

As we saw, Blu-Ray discs have a higher storage capacity than HD-DVD, even though Blu-Ray discs are more expensive. A single-layer Blu-Ray disc can hold up to 25 GB while the same disc using HD-DVD technology can store only 15 GB. A dual-layer Blu-Ray discs can store up to 54 GB, while the same disc using HD-DVD technology can store only up to 30 GB.

We are facing today the same infamous war between VHS and Betamax we’ve seen happening during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Which leads us to an interesting fact: Sony doesn’t want “adult” movies on Blu-Ray format, the same restriction Betamax format had, and some critics say that this restriction was one of the reasons of Betamax’s demise. But since Sony isn't alone at the Blu-Ray consortium, we will see "adult" movies for this format as well, but it seems that producers at this industry prefer HD-DVD format over Blu-Ray.

In terms of compatibility, both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will be capable of playing CDs and DVDs, but it won’t be possible to read a Blu-Ray disc on a HD-DVD player and vice-versa (it is technically possible to create a player that can read both formats, but it will probably cost almost twice, as it will need two separated circuits inside the unit, one for each technology).

For now DVD discs continue to be a good choice for the average Joe. If you are not a technology freak, wait until to see who will win this battle: Blu-Ray, HD-DVD or none of them.

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