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[plagiarize]

personally, i dont think theres any sense in getting this damn thing until we figure out who the "winner" is in the technology war. how pissed woudl you be if you payed this much money for an add-on just to find out 6 months later that blue-ray has won the war? its happened many times...i mean..wishful thinking or w/e, but still..id rather buy a shitty game than face that disappointment

this war is not being won in six months. HD-DVD is clearly ahead right now... it's still very early though.

the fact is, while HD-DVD might fail, I'll be getting a PS3 at some point. then all bases are covered. I'll always still be able to play the HD-DVD's i bought on the HD-DVD drive, so for $200 I'm gold, however the war turns out down the road (and we're likely looking at at least a year before there's anyone with a clear advantage).

i'm happy to pay $200 now, and get on the HD video bandwagon rather than waiting to see how the dust settles.

 

[EMBee99]

I'll be buying this thing when it comes down a bit in price...I currently have the A1 and LOVE the PQ (esp. Batman Begins and Riddick) and would recommend it to ANYONE with an affinity for films and Xbox. I just can't justify having two of those players around my apartment.

 

[Raistlin]

IMO, while $200 seems like a good price ... I just don't see the point due to the gimped audio.

I'd rather just save up the extra to get a real HD-DVD player.

 

[Drugs for Sale]

what's the situation on streaming 720p video ( h264, etc.) to the 360 using Media Center?

 

[maximum360]

IMO, while $200 seems like a good price ... I just don't see the point due to the gimped audio.

I'd rather just save up the extra to get a real HD-DVD player.

The problem is that most HD DVD or Blu Ray players are in beta stage at best (read numerous bugs, issues, and high prices for the next year or so). The better alternative is to get the HD DVD add-on and a PS3. In a couple years after everything gets sorted out and hopefully a hybrid player is available I'll bite.

 

[darkks85]

What's an extra $200? It's better than spending $1000 for a standalone Blu Ray player

Why would you spend $1000 on a shitty Samsung player when you can get a better player with the PS3 for $500?

 

[Frankfurter]

Why would you spend $1000 on a shitty Samsung player when you can get a better player with the PS3 for $500?

Well, the problem is that many people just can't get the PS3 anytime soon

 

[Dr_Cogent]

I won't be getting it. The format war needs to be won before I invest in a platform.

 

[Francias Castiglione]

Battlestar Galactica being released on HD-DVD is basically the key to my purchase.

 

[plagiarize]

I won't be getting it. The format war needs to be won before I invest in a platform.

so you don't have a DVD burner?

 

[s3tb4cK]

yeah, im jsut saying i can wait until the war is won..some people will spend 200 even before the "dust settles" as someone put it..but i wont enjoy your pretty pictures for now.

and it is a steal. btw

 

[Warm Machine]

Battlestar Galactica being released on HD-DVD is basically the key to my purchase.

I hope to god that happens soon even though the show is pretty grainy looking.

 

[Raistlin]

The problem is that most HD DVD or Blu Ray players are in beta stage at best (read numerous bugs, issues, and high prices for the next year or so). The better alternative is to get the HD DVD add-on and a PS3. In a couple years after everything gets sorted out and hopefully a hybrid player is available I'll bite.

I agree to an extent.

For BluRay, I will be using my PS3 since it comes built-in. In the case of HD-DVD, the gen 2 units seem pretty tight and should not have major bug issues (we hope).

My point simply being ... if someone really wants an HD-DVD player, there should be several quality options within the next 6-12 months.

To me, it just doesn't make sense to pay $200 right now, only to want to purchase a dedicated unit within a year. I (personally) would rather wait.

 

[Raistlin]

so you don't have a DVD burner?

Huh?

 

[bill0527]

I agree to an extent.

For BluRay, I will be using my PS3 since it comes built-in. In the case of HD-DVD, the gen 2 units seem pretty tight and should not have major bug issues (we hope).

My point simply being ... if someone really wants an HD-DVD player, there should be several quality options within the next 6-12 months.

To me, it just doesn't make sense to pay $200 right now, only to want to purchase a dedicated unit within a year. I (personally) would rather wait.

In my case though, I only have a 1080i component-only TV and a 4 year old DD 5.1 setup.

I cannot take advantage of HDMI, 1080p, or any of the new audio codecs and won't be able to until I do a serious overhaul of my home theater setup - which won't be happening for a couple of years. In the meantime, I'll jump on the bandwagon now for a cheap price and then upgrade to a better player when I upgrade everything else.

 

[Truelize]

What is gimped about the audio? Does it not have a digital output?? Optical preferably.

Does this player upscale DVDs at all?

No HDMI output???



If it has digital audio and upscales dvds then I'm set. $200 is chump change for what is offered (IMO).

I've read a bit about what the player offers but I'm not too knowledgeable on it yet so I'm just asking questions.

 

[ConsumerSquare]

I just compared the blu-ray and hd-dvd libraries, and blu-ray really appeals to me much more. Which sucks since $200 for a true hi-def video source that isn't videogames is pretty tempting.

I haven't ruled it out.

 

[ghostmind]

What is gimped about the audio? Does it not have a digital output?? Optical preferably.

Does this player upscale DVDs at all?

No HDMI output???



If it has digital audio and upscales dvds then I'm set. $200 is chump change for what is offered (IMO).

I've read a bit about what the player offers but I'm not too knowledgeable on it yet so I'm just asking questions.

Optical via the same optical connection already present on the 360... just no audio via HDMI and/or analog out, which is what some of the complaining is about...

Upscale only via VGA cable...

 

[Pristine_Condition]

HD-DVD is clearly ahead right now...

Uh, no.

How could you possibly say "clearly ahead"? That's a silly statement. Nothing could be less clear.

Besides a few early impressions of first-wave titles, HD DVD has nothing in the way of good news. Exclusive Blu-ray studios aren't jumping ship as doom-sayers predicted; HD DVD player sales are still slow at best.

Blu-ray caught up with the second wave of titles over a month ago. It's all determined by the quality of the source print, and even single-layer MPEG2 titles have proven to look great if encoded well from a good print. Blu-ray titles often sound better too, if that's important to you. And the first 50GB titles are hitting store shelves.

If anything, they almost perfectly even at this point in terms of good looking and good sounding titles. But Blu-ray's better studio support is kicking in, and by Christmas, when tons of titles are due to hit, that wider support will be obvious.

Your stance that HD DVD is "clearly ahead" is a freaking joke.

People say Microsoft squandered it's lead with 360. I don't really agree. I think 360 has done as good as could be expected given the fact that it's still a young brand compared to it's competition. I think it's a good machine and has a good future. (Halo--that's all you have to say right there.) Now, if you want to see an example of a lead totally squandered, look at HD DVD.

HD DVD's main two points were the early lead and cost. It was going to come out a year earlier, and they failed to do that. HD DVD's second point was it was supposed to be cheaper, and it's not. HD DVD and Blu-ray titles cost virtually the same, and in terms of hardware, if you want a standalone HD DVD player with 1080p and audio features equal to the Blu-ray players out there, guess what? It costs you $1000. Just like Blu-ray.

HD DVD is in trouble. PCs are it's only hope at this point, and that might be in trouble now as well. They are really falling behind on introducing recordable drives to Blu-ray.

 

[DCX]

In my case though, I only have a 1080i component-only TV and a 4 year old DD 5.1 setup.

I cannot take advantage of HDMI, 1080p, or any of the new audio codecs and won't be able to until I do a serious overhaul of my home theater setup - which won't be happening for a couple of years. In the meantime, I'll jump on the bandwagon now for a cheap price and then upgrade to a better player when I upgrade everything else.

QFT I have a 720P set and my receiver does 5.1 with PL II. I am not in the market yet for an upgrade.

DCX

 

[Raistlin]

In my case though, I only have a 1080i component-only TV and a 4 year old DD 5.1 setup.

I cannot take advantage of HDMI, 1080p, or any of the new audio codecs and won't be able to until I do a serious overhaul of my home theater setup - which won't be happening for a couple of years. In the meantime, I'll jump on the bandwagon now for a cheap price and then upgrade to a better player when I upgrade everything else.

Dedicated HD-DVD players decode the new high-res audio formats ... and then output them over 5.1 analog.

So on a 'real' HD-DVD, you would still be able to get improved sound. That is my main beef with this unit.

 

[Raistlin]

QFT I have a 720P set and my receiver does 5.1 with PL II. I am not in the market yet for an upgrade.

DCX

And with you as well ... if your receiver has a 5.1 analog input ... you CAN take advantage of the new audio formats on a dedicated HD-DVD player.

However, this unit does not do 5.1 analog out.

 

[bill0527]

Uh, no.

How could you possibly say "clearly ahead"? That's a silly statement. Nothing could be less clear.

Besides a few early impressions of first-wave titles, HD DVD has nothing in the way of good news. Exclusive Blu-ray studios aren't jumping ship as doom-sayers predicted; HD DVD player sales are still slow at best.

Blu-ray caught up with the second wave of titles over a month ago. It's all determined by the quality of the source print, and even single-layer MPEG2 titles have proven to look great if encoded well from a good print. Blu-ray titles often sound better too, if that's important to you. And the first 50GB titles are hitting store shelves.

If anything, they almost perfectly even at this point in terms of good looking and good sounding titles. But Blu-ray's better studio support is kicking in, and by Christmas, when tons of titles are due to hit, that wider support will be obvious.

Your stance that HD DVD is "clearly ahead" is a freaking joke.

People say Microsoft squandered it's lead with 360. I don't really agree. I think 360 has done as good as could be expected given the fact that it's still a young brand compared to it's competition. I think it's a good machine and has a good future. (Halo--that's all you have to say right there.) Now, if you want to see an example of a lead totally squandered, look at HD DVD.

HD DVD's main two points were the early lead and cost. It was going to come out a year earlier, and they failed to do that. HD DVD's second point was it was supposed to be cheaper, and it's not. HD DVD and Blu-ray titles cost virtually the same, and in terms of hardware, if you want a standalone HD DVD player with 1080p and audio features equal to the Blu-ray players out there, guess what? It costs you $1000. Just like Blu-ray.

HD DVD is in trouble. PCs are it's only hope at this point, and that might be in trouble now as well. They are really falling behind on introducing recordable drives to Blu-ray.

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

I'm no expert, but I do read the AVS forums occasionally and the IGN Home Theater Board. Both of those boards are full of experts, engineers, people that work in the industry, and just general enthusiasts...

I have never seen anybody on any of these forums even come remotely close to making the same claims about Blu-Ray that you just made.

Most, if not everyone that populates these forums are almost all in total agreement that HD-DVD is way ahead right now. That's not to say that Blu-Ray can't.. or won't, catch up to it, but reality, as it exists today, is that HD-DVD is ahead in terms of cost, quality, and the amount of movies currently available.

 

[DCX]

And with you as well ... if your receiver has a 5.1 analog input ... you CAN take advantage of the new audio formats on a dedicated HD-DVD player.

However, this unit does not do 5.1 analog out.

Dude, i do not have the capacity of doing more than 5.1. I don't have the space or the permission ( aesthetically, 5.1 is hard to get away with when you have a family and your home theater resides in your living room ) so 6.1, 7.1, 7.2 or whatever else isn't going to do a damn thing for me. A new version of PL II would, but not worth an upgrade yet. My HDTV is 720P so the best i can get out of it is 1080i. I don't see myself spending 500-800 bucks on a HD DVD player or a BluRay player for that matter, if all i need really is the higher resolution, well let me rephrase...all i can get out of it RIGHT NOW, is the higher HD res.


DCX

 

[Oni Jazar]

I'm not going to agree with Pristine 100% but AVS definitely has a lot of BD hate lead by Amir. Bottom line most people even there seem to agree on is that it's too early to tell right now and by early next year there will be a much better indicator for the format victor.

Dude, i do not have the capacity of doing more than 5.1

The point isn't more then 5.1. The point is 5.1 lossless that the players can decode to any receiver's 5.1 analog audio inputs. It's a very common input on a receiver.

 

[LJ11]

I'm not going to agree with Pristine 100% but AVS definitely has a lot of BD hate lead by Amir. Bottom line most people even there seem to agree on is that it's too early to tell right now and by early next year there will be a much better indicator for the format victor.

I have to agree with you with regards to AVS. Many members are still objective, but their opinions are often stifled by the rampant fervor of BluRay/HDDVD defenders. Every discussion on the board results in some sort of flame war, and it's heightened by the presence of MS/Sony plants.

 

[AlanHemberger]

I'll be getting this on release day. I can't remember if I posted in this thread already.

Anyways, does it upscale DVD's?

And is there a solid release date yet?

 

[LJ11]

I'll be getting this on release day. I can't remember if I posted in this thread already.

Anyways, does it upscale DVD's?

And is there a solid release date yet?

Your 360 already upscales DVD's through VGA.

 

[aparisi2274]

No HDMI + no analog audio outs = no sale.

I saw this in action at the Digital Life Expo, and it looked absolutely stunning. I know that the no hdmi hurts it, but I am telling you, it really does put out a stunning picture... and for $200, who wouldnt want to get it.

 

[Chet Blevins]

Vista allows you to copy your HD-DVD's to your HD and stream it to X360. That is pretty sweet if HD-DVD takes off, just hook up the drive to your PC and fill up your HD's for a streaming media center.

 

[Petrarca]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

I'm no expert, but I do read the AVS forums occasionally and the IGN Home Theater Board. Both of those boards are full of experts, engineers, people that work in the industry, and just general enthusiasts...

I have never seen anybody on any of these forums even come remotely close to making the same claims about Blu-Ray that you just made.

Most, if not everyone that populates these forums are almost all in total agreement that HD-DVD is way ahead right now. That's not to say that Blu-Ray can't.. or won't, catch up to it, but reality, as it exists today, is that HD-DVD is ahead in terms of cost, quality, and the amount of movies currently available.

HD-DVD current install base is 50,000 in North America. That's relatively small to be considered as 'way ahead'

Blu-Ray is more popular in other part of the world, such as Japan and Europe. So HD-DVD may not have as big of a lead as you think.

 

[LJ11]

Vista allows you to copy your HD-DVD's to your HD and stream it to X360. That is pretty sweet if HD-DVD takes off, just hook up the drive to your PC and fill up your HD's for a streaming media center.

I don't think that's possible. That would be a ****ing mess for movie studios.

 

[Fusebox]

Why would you spend $1000 on a shitty Samsung player when you can get a better player with the PS3 for $500?

I must have missed that Samsung v Sony head-to-head blu-ray showdown, link?

Oh nvm, ur banned... :lol

 

[Chichikov]

Blu-ray caught up with the second wave of titles over a month ago. It's all determined by the quality of the source print, and even single-layer MPEG2 titles have proven to look great if encoded well from a good print. Blu-ray titles often sound better too, if that's important to you. And the first 50GB titles are hitting store shelves.

Not to start yet another front on the format war here, but have you seen a single layer MPEG-2 BD that doesn’t look like an artifacted eyesore?
What title was it?

 

[Frankfurter]

HD-DVD current install base is 50,000 in North America. That's relatively small to be considered as 'way ahead'

Blu-Ray is more popular in other part of the world, such as Japan and Europe. So HD-DVD may not have as big of a lead as you think.

Yeah, the lead in Europe for Blu-Ray is huge. Oh wait..., it hasn't even been released yet over here.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

I have to agree with you with regards to AVS. Many members are still objective, but their opinions are often stifled by the rampant fervor of BluRay/HDDVD defenders. Every discussion on the board results in some sort of flame war, and it's heightened by the presence of MS/Sony plants.

Amir is a Microsoft employee. He leads the HD DVD crusade at AVS. He often posts the most ridiculous hyperbole to support his opinions. It's sad that anybody listens to his crap and doesn't see through it as PR FUD, but there are a lot of fools out there.

AVS is full of fanboys, just like any other open forum.

Look at what HighDefDigest and other less fanboyish sites and reviewers have said recently about Blu-ray, and you'll quickly see that HD DVD is not "clearly ahead" by any real stretch.

 

[Chet Blevins]

I don't think that's possible. That would be a ****ing mess for movie studios.

It is part of MS's backig of HD-DVD, you can make ONE copy of the movie to your copy of vista and that's it. Part of the DRM ties it to your OS, you can't copy it or transfer it, you can just watch or stream it.

 

[LJ11]

It is part of MS's backig of HD-DVD, you can make ONE copy of the movie to your copy of vista and that's it. Part of the DRM ties it to your OS, you can't copy it or transfer it, you can just watch or stream it.

If that model is actually in place, no one will ever need to buy HD-DVD's. Just rent them from Netflix, rip them, and stream to your 360 or whatever media extender you're using.

 

[Petrarca]

Yeah, the lead in Europe for Blu-Ray is huge. Oh wait..., it hasn't even been released yet over here.

hmm, could be my mistake, but during my frequent visits at avsforums, I'd seen talks about BR players in Italy and Germany already

 

[Cold-Steel]

I wonder why people still argue this stuff.

Blu-ray and HD-DVD are both DOA.

Major retailers aren't seeing anything sales-wise from either format that justifies the push to next-gen DVD.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Not to start yet another front on the format war here, but have you seen a single layer MPEG-2 BD that doesn’t look like an artifacted eyesore?
What title was it?

"Tears of the Sun" (Sony) is probably considered one of the best right now for single-layer MPEG2. My friend has it. It is a good reference title, and on par with anything on HD DVD in any codec.

Here's a bit of HighDefDigest's review:

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture


Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents 'Tears of the Sun' in 2.40:1 widescreen and 1080p video, as per usual on Blu-ray. However, while the format has suffered its share of critical slings and arrows ever since its launch earlier this summer (and I've been among some of the most vocal), I can honestly say this is the first transfer I've seen on the format that has totally and unequivocally blew me away. Maybe it is just because my expectations were unfairly lowered these past weeks, but I really thought this is among the best high-def I've yet seen, and frame-per-frame, it is certainly an equal with anything I've yet reviewed on HD DVD.

'Tears of the Sun' already looked great on standard DVD, so I was not surprised that the source material was pristine. I spotted approximately one single white speckle during the film's entire 121-minute runtime -- that's about as good as it gets. Blacks are dead-on and contrast excellent, with the image always perfectly balanced -- whites never bloomed and even the darkest scenes boast terrific shadow delineation. Colors are wonderfully saturated, from the lush greens of the jungle to the deep, midnight blues of the nighttime scenes. Fleshtones, too, are a perfect shade of orange, and thankfully not overpumped. And if that isn't enough, detail is exquisite, with the presentation never looking anything less than three-dimensional throughout. 'Tears of the Sun' is full of close-ups of grizzled military men, and you could spend hours just freeze-framing images and counting every last follicle of stubble on Bruce Willis' five o'clock shadow. Even a friend who popped over unannounced, and who is about as tech-saavy as my grandmother, couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that is one #@$&! kick-ass picture!" Score a big one for Blu-ray.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/tearsofthesun.html

 

[Frankfurter]

hmm, could be my mistake, but during my frequent visits at avsforums, I'd seen talks about BR players in Italy and Germany already

Probably imported them from somewhere else. HD DVD and Blu Ray both launch around the end of November or the beginning of December (around that time the X360 HD DVD addon will launch for 189€, the Toshiba HD DVD Player for 499€ or 599€ and the (Pioneer, Panasonic, don't remember anymore) Blu Ray Player for ... 1499€ [that's atleast the prices for Germany, could be slightly different in other european countries]).

 

[Moonwalker]

Amir is a Microsoft employee. He leads the HD DVD crusade at AVS. He often posts the most ridiculous hyperbole to support his opinions. It's sad that anybody listens to his crap and doesn't see through it as PR FUD, but there are a lot of fools out there.

AVS is full of fanboys, just like any other open forum.

Look at what HighDefDigest and other less fanboyish sites and reviewers have said recently about Blu-ray, and you'll quickly see that HD DVD is not "clearly ahead" by any real stretch.

The bluray situation is improving, but I still see many reviews put the hd-dvd versions ahead in quality. Also looking at sales ranking hd-dvd software and hardware is selling far better currently. We've all seen that next gen codecs can deliver better quality than mpeg2 and that's what is pissing off enthusiasts, the fact that the bluray camp seem very bullish on pushing forward with mpeg2. If every bluray title came out on vc-1/avc and on a 50gb disc, the war would be over. But mpeg2 even with 50gb isn't cutting it and really the bluray camp are really wasting the potential of the format just because of their stubborn attitude to codecs.

 

[neojubei]

Battlestar Galactica being released on HD-DVD is basically the key to my purchase.

you cannot be serious? first smallville and now BSG? oh man. i still cannot get hd-dvd if i am buying a ps3.

 

[AgentOtaku]

for more comparisions of Bluray and HD-DVD title quality

check out www.dvdtown.com and www.dvdtalk.com

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

The bluray situation is improving, but I still see many reviews put the hd-dvd versions ahead in quality. Also looking at sales ranking hd-dvd software and hardware is selling far better currently. We've all seen that next gen codecs can deliver better quality than mpeg2 and that's what is pissing off enthusiasts, the fact that the bluray camp seem very bullish on pushing forward with mpeg2. If every bluray title came out on vc-1/avc and on a 50gb disc, the war would be over. But mpeg2 even with 50gb isn't cutting it and really the bluray camp are really wasting the potential of the format just because of their stubborn attitude to codecs.

Don't confuse Sony with the others. It's Sony and their insistance of MPEG2

 

[Moonwalker]

"Tears of the Sun" (Sony) is probably considered one of the best right now for single-layer MPEG2. My friend has it. It is a good reference title, and on par with anything on HD DVD in any codec.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/tearsofthesun.html

Tears is the exception not the rule. Anyone who has worked with codecs knows that there is always a case where even a weaker codec can shine because the source material doesn't have scenes which cause the codec to struggle. A better codec delivers better high quality consistently across various sources. mpeg2 can look great, but there are quite a few situations where mpeg2 can come undone. What do you expect from a 10 year old codec though. Next gen codecs improve efficiency but also have many algorithms in place to cover difficult scenes without massive loss of quality.

Like i said, the bluray camp is wasting the potential of the format, vc-1/avc are in the specs they should be using them on every release imo.

 

[Fusebox]

for more comparisions of Bluray and HD-DVD title quality

check out www.dvdtown.com

Good link.

From there....

"The big question is how does the HD-DVD release and Blu-Ray title compare? I could not find any great noticeable differences between the two high definition formats and "Mission Impossible III" looks absolutely wonderful, though the Blu-Ray uses the heavily maligned MPEG 2 code and the HD-DVD uses the better received VC-1 codec. If I spent a ton of time and had two equal televisions running side-by-side, I may find some visual differences, but I tend to think they are too close in quality that the casual viewer would easily spot the variance between the two formats."

I doubt I'll notice any difference between HD and Blu-Ray, and if they're both superior to DVD then I couldn't really care which format I end up with.

 

[Dracos]

Even Office Depot is selling the base model, second gen Toshiba HD-DVD players for $389 now. The extra $200 might be worth it to get a standalone player with the proper audio outs, as long as your receiver has HDMI in.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

The bluray situation is improving, but I still see many reviews put the hd-dvd versions ahead in quality. Also looking at sales ranking hd-dvd software and hardware is selling far better currently. We've all seen that next gen codecs can deliver better quality than mpeg2 and that's what is pissing off enthusiasts, the fact that the bluray camp seem very bullish on pushing forward with mpeg2. If every bluray title came out on vc-1/avc and on a 50gb disc, the war would be over. But mpeg2 even with 50gb isn't cutting it and really the bluray camp are really wasting the potential of the format just because of their stubborn attitude to codecs.

You are making a lot of general statements not backed up by facts. Name some recent reviews. Provide some links.

Look at non-fanboy reviews of even single layer MPEG2 Blu-ray titles with HD DVD counterparts, and you'll see the results are often the same.

Check out this one:

I previously reviewed two of Paramount's first wave of Blu-ray launch titles, 'Four Brothers' and 'U2 Rattle and Hum,' and found that those transfers looked slightly smoother than their HD DVD counterparts, if also a bit softer. Nothing spectacularly noticeable, but present nonetheless to the discerning eye. However, 'Sky Captain' for me is more on par with the results of my HD DVD versus Blu-ray comparisons of Warner's titles. Namely, I can't tell a dime's worth of difference between the two formats on this one.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/skycaptain.html

There has been a lot of FUD in AV circles, mostly from the AVS Forum camp and lots of Euro/UK sites that were bitter that they had to wait for Blu-ray. As more and more reviews come down, it's plain that there really isn't that much of a difference with single-layer Blu-ray titles vs. dual-layer HD DVD titles, even with the different codecs, and Blu-ray is just now hitting it's dual-layer stride, which will close the gap further and perhaps pull ahead in terms of extras and audio.

Really, read some Blu-ray reviews from mid-September forward...

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews.html

...you'll find the HD DVD camp, much like George Bush in Iraq, celebrated their "Mission Accomplished" way too soon.