It's Time For HD DVD To Rally The Troops

Another month has gone by, and Blu-ray has outsold HD DVD once again - this time by an almost 2 to 1 margin.

But what's really behind Blu-ray's recent dominance? Is it really the PS3? Is it really that more people have been converted to the Blu-ray format?

Well both those reasons certainly hold some weight, but the biggest reason HD DVD has been falling behind is because of the releases themselves. While Blu-ray studios have been throwing out releases left and right, many of them "day and date" with the standard release, the HD DVD studios have been lacking...with only a sprinkling of releases and not much on the horizon, either.

Blu-ray owners have reason to be excited, with titles like Casino Royale, Rocky Balboa, Eragon, The Pursuit Of Happyness, and Happy Feet all being due for release in March.

What do HD DVD owners have to look forward to in March? Happy Feet and Children Of Men. Those aren't just a couple of big releases...they're the only big releases for HD DVD, aside from a few smaller titles from the likes of small studios Ryko Distribution and DVD International.

Meanwhile, Blu-ray owners will not only be treated to the "day and date" titles listed above in March, but hot catalog titles such as Big Fish, Chicken Little, Finding Neverland and March Of The Penguins.

If HD DVD does indeed lose this format war, they will have no one to blame but themselves. Since before Christmas, they have offered next to nothing for their adopters to get excited about.

Sony Produces $600 Blu-ray Player

In an effort to bridge the price gap between Blu-ray and HD DVD hardward, Sony has just announced a cheaper $600 player which is due for release this summer.

The Sony BDP-S300 will offer 1080p resolution through an HDMI connection, and will support various video formats, including MPEG2, MPEG4, AVC and VC-1.

Up until now, most Blu-ray stand-alone players have cost $1000 and up. Most HD DVD players sell for under $500.