Hi-Def DVD: Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player and Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player
Toshiba and Sony
$499.99 and $999
www.toshiba.com, www.sony.com
Two hi-def DVD formats are waging war, and it’s too soon to recommend either one as far as which player to buy.
There’s two camps, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, and each has its supporters and detractors. Personally, I’m more in touch with viewing on-demand or pay-per-view HD movies or going the Netflix route, though no doubt movie collectors will wind up going with one hi-def DVD player or the other, or both.
In the meantime, Playstation 3 buyers get the ability to play Blu-ray movies from their game consoles automatically, and Xbox 360 owners can buy an add-on external HD-DVD player, saving from having to spend for a stand-alone player that might wind up standing alone if one format winds up winning over the other.
Two examples of stand-alone players are the Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player, and Sony’s BDP-S1 Blu-ray player. And for now, all I can say about either is they play hi-def DVD movies in their respective formats. Stay tuned.
— Joe Hutsko