As HDTV gets popular, shopping for DVDs gets complicated

Mike Pearson, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 7, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More Movies

The electronics industry expects high definition televisions to rank among the most popular purchases this December. More than 3 million have already sold in the fourth quarter of 2006.

If you're shopping for DVDs for someone with HDTV, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You'll need a Blu-ray or HD DVD player (the two formats) for maximum picture quality. They aren't cheap, currently start at around $800, and not all electronics stores carry both types of machines. New models are expected in stores after Jan. 1.

• Blu-ray and HD DVD use different technology than current DVD players, so Blu-ray and HD DVD titles will not play in an existing machine. (Blu-ray will play in the Playstation 3 gaming system).

• Regular DVDs will play just fine on your high definition TV, but won't have the crispness or clarity of sound you'll get with an HD DVD or Blu-ray player.

• There are no DVD box sets devoted to either format at present, but several hundred individual titles are available.

Some studios, such as HBO, are releasing titles in both formats (The Sopranos, Season 6 Part 1). Other studios, such as Fox, have embraced Blu-ray exclusively (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, Kingdom of Heaven), while Miramax (Derailed) is backing HD DVD.

• HD DVD discs are slightly cheaper than Blu-ray because they can't store as much information. However, both formats cost roughly $25.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News