What is this Blu-Ray vs HD DVD war all about?

You have probably heard over the past few days that Blu-Ray is being declared the winner of the format standard for High Definition DVD discs.  So what is this all about and what does it mean to you?

If you're a boomer, you'll remember the VHS vs. Betamax wars back in the 80's.  If you bought a Betamax format VCR, it basically meant that because very few movies were released in Betamax after VHS was declared the winner, you had to turn around and buy a VHS format VCR.

Well, this is basically the same only now the formats we are talking about are for High Definition discs which are a few steps up in resolution over a regular DVD.  There are 2 huge players in the battle.  Toshiba supports the HD-DVD format and Sony supports the Blu-Ray format.  Unlike the Betamax-VHS wars, it is difficult for the layman to understand the battle because they are both DVD based formats so they even look the same, but of course you need a Blu-Ray player for Blu-Ray or a HD-DVD player for HD-DVD. 

Naturally, each camp claims superior technology but it all comes down to who has the bigger marketing muscle and without going into the gory and incredibly expensive details, it looks as though Blu-Ray is about to be crowned the winner.

What does this mean for you?  Unless you are in an early adopter category, it's unlikely you have purchased either yet.  Even if you have bought a High Definition TV (LCD or Plasma) and sound system, your old DVD player will work just fine with the new TV although you would get higher quality audio/video if you have an HD player. 

Should you run out and buy a Blu-Ray?  Well, it looks pretty safe now, but I'm in no hurry for a couple of reasons.  First of all, these players are still fairly expensive and while the technology is a few years old, you know it will get even better and prices will come down.  Secondly and even more important is to look at how movies for home viewing are beginning to be distributed.  Streaming video to your TV through an HD cable or satellite box is now feasible for either rent or purchase and according to TechCrunch, Apple is expected to confirm next week at the MacWorld Expo a set of deals with Hollywood studios that will see movies being available for rent on iTunes.  Others will surely follow.

But if you can't wait to be a 100% HD early adopter, it looks as though a Blu-Ray DVD player needs to be your next purchase.