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PrintMore Bang for Your Buck: High Def Decision
It's been called the VHS versus Beta fiasco all over again. Only the stars of this sequel are DVDs. If you like to watch movies at home, be prepared for two new formats. In tonight's More Bang Your Buck, we found these systems may look the same, but they don't play the same.
WSVN -- From records to iPods, bulky portables to slick cellphones, technology is always evolving. Now, the newest coming attractions will affect the way we watch movies at home.
Christian Ouzbet: "Right now there is a competition between Blu-ray and HD-DVD."
But this isn't any ordinary cometition. At stake are billions of blockbuster dollars and control of the home box office.
Christian Ouzbet: "We don't know which way it's going to go right now. It's kind of close."
With HD, consumers get an improved picture with improved sound. With Blu-ray, we still get the improved picture, only it comes with more features, more data, and it costs more money.
Christian Ouzbet: "You're going to pay a premium price for it as this time"
The premium price is about $1,000 for Samsung's Blu-ray player, which is twice as much as Toshiba's HD system.
Also keep in mind there are currently more HD movies available, but both machines can play old DVDs.
Christian Ouzbet: "You're not going to lose your DVD collection."
That's a relief to film fanatic Rafael Rodriguez. He loves to bring the silver screen to his TV screen.
Only for now, he plans to wait before upgrading his entertainment system.
Rafael Rodriguez: "Let it settle down, let the dust settle. Let them sort their corporate war out and figure it out, and then I'll jump ship."
And that may be the best advice. Most experts suggest waiting to see which format will finish on top before taking an expensive risk you could regret.
Rafael Rodriguez: "As a consumer, I don't want to be a guinea pig."
If you're looking for something multi-functional, Sony's new Playstation 3 will play Blu-ray, while the X-Box 360 will play HD-DVDs.
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