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Hi-Def Decisions
August 08, 2007
Although competing formats have left the market cloudy and confusing, no matter which high-definition format you choose for your program, Blu-ray or HD-DVD, your winners are sure to get a crisp, clear picture.
By William Flanagn
Home theater products are a surefire hit with incentive winners, and smart planners make sure to have all the latest equipment in their lineup. In the past this has been an easy task. Planners simply needed to make sure their offerings included high-definition, flat-panel plasma or LCD TVs in a range of sizes, 5.1 or even 7.1 surround-sound speaker setups and a DVD player. But with the advent of high-definition DVD players in two competing formats, Blu-ray and HD-DVD, choosing this last item is not so easy anymore.
In one corner there is HD-DVD, which is backed by a number of manufacturers including Toshiba, LG and Thompson/ RCA and motion picture studios such as Paramount, Warner and Universal. In the other corner is Blu-ray, which counts Sony, Sharp, Panasonic and Philips, and, Sony Pictures, Disney and Lionsgate are among its studio supporters (Paramount and Warner support both).
So which format to offer in your catalog? The battle is similar to the VHS vs. Beta struggle in the past, in which, eventually, consumers voted with their wallets and VHS emerged the victor (despite being technologically inferior). In this instance, however, neither format has a clear technological edge and they both basically offer the same quality picture in true 1080p high definition. Pricing is also comparable. As far as most consumers are concerned, the only real difference is that the formats will not play each other's DVDs. So consumers who purchase one or the other format will have to be aware of that choice when they purchase DVDs. "It's still very new," says Ally Krichman, senior director of business alliances at Rymax Marketing Services. "I think people are really interested in it and they're doing their reading about it. But I don't know if they really understand the actual nuances and differences between both formats. I don't think anybody does, truthfully."
To alleviate the problem, some studios such as Paramount and Warner are releasing DVDs in both formats. Others, such as Sony Pictures, have a financial stake in the success of one over the other. Furthermore, LG manufactures a player that plays both formats at their highest quality level.
Still, the time to get serious about hi-def DVD players is now, and for one simple reason: prices are starting to come down. "I expect [these products] to be bigger in the future," says Krichman. "I think years ago when the DVD player first came out, they were probably around the same price point as these are now. A lot of consumers are used to paying $49.99 for a DVD player. When you step them up to $399 or $499, or even other players which are going for $999, it's a little weird to go from that entry-level, pocket-change kind of DVD player to another one. So I think a lot of people are also waiting to see if the prices do come down, and they really have in the past year."
For consumers, the best thing to do is to wait it out and see if the market chooses one format over the other. For incentive planners, it might be best to read up on the various formats and offer your people a wide selection of players to choose from. Take a look below at some of the players available direct from manufacturers and distributors.
 Toshiba
Toshiba offers three models in its lineup, which are all available from Rymax. The HD-A2 and the HD-A20 both produce true HD 1080p output. The HD-XA2, which is part of Toshiba's cinema series, is the one to choose for serious audiophiles and videophiles, since it can improve the quality of even regular DVDs.
HD-A2: $399
HD-A20: $499
HD-XA2: $799
www.rymaxinc.com
 LG BH100
If you must have a hi-definition player right now and are having trouble deciding which format is best for you, the LG BH100 takes the onus off by offering a player that plays both formats—a convenience you'll pay for. Keep in mind, however, that although this player can play discs in either format in 1080p, it does not support the interactive HDi features found on many HD-DVD discs, and it can't play CDs.
$1,199.99
www.crutchfield.com
 Sony BDPS1
Sony BDPS300
True videophiles will love either one of Sony's Blu-ray offerings. The BDPS300 can play Blu-ray discs in 1080p and at 24 frames per second, to reproduce films the way they were meant to be seen. The BDPS1 was Sony's first Blu-ray player on the market, and offers a huge array of connectivity features, including the ability to send HD signals through the component port for TVs without a DVI connection.
BDPS300: $599.99
BDPS1: $899.99
www.motivation.sony.com
 Microsoft Xbox 360
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
There's another way to get an HD-DVD player. Gamers with a Microsoft Xbox 360 console can buy a separate Xbox 360 HD DVD Player for $199.99. Buying both is similar in price to many stand-alone HD-DVD models, and you get a gaming console to boot. One downside: no HDMI connection. [The $499.99 Sony Playstation 3 has an integrated Blu-ray player.]
Xbox 360: $299.99
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player: $199.99
www.zanes.com
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