Which Is the Future High Definition Disc?

I know that this topic has been certainly discussed elsewhere, but now that I've got my new high definition television up and running, I'm going to add my opinion to the others.

Like many out there, I've been following the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD format war. While it doesn't have the same intensity that the plus/minus wars did for DVD recordable discs, the future of optical media is at stake. Still, like what happened last time, drives that can deal with both formats hopefully will save the day.

For the time being, I don't expect too many users to jump on the high definition playback bandwagon. This is because, I don't think the average (non-videophile) user will simply see the need.

Now while my new TV is "only" a 26" model, I'm betting that most users, secondary to price will be getting that size, or the next step up, 32". At these sizes, I can tell you after watching multiple discs, the regular DVD's look absolutely fine from a normal viewing distance, and substantially better than they ever looked on my old 20" tube TV. That being the case, the case for a next generation disc format, in the middle of a format war, becomes a really hard sell.

My current setup includes a standard DVD player. A progressive scan, or upconverting player would be theoretically better, but it's hard to improve on satisfaction. I have my player connected to the set via the component video jacks- they transmit the video in the three component colors, and is reportedly better than S-video (which divides it into two), and composite video (which is just one wire). I haven't had a chance to experiment, but that may be a key to a good picture in this situation.

For years, DVD's have been marketed as digital goodness, and perfect picture and audio compared to videotape. Now users will make the connection that they have the digital TV to go with the disc. It's going to take a big marketing campaign to convince users otherwise at this point, and to invest in new players.

There is also a large user base for DVD's. Many folks have them installed in their cars. DVD's are played on computers, including notebooks. Not to mention those portable players that pop up on airplanes and on trains. None of these devices will play these new discs ( with the exception of a few notebooks), and users will not to replace all of their devices just for a few more lines of resolution.

Sure, DVD's put out 480 lines of resolution, and the HD sets display 720 or 1080, depending on the standard. I think in the end, most users won't realize this, and will be satisfied with the current discs. This time, they may have created a product that is theoretically better, but the real need simply doesn't exist. At least that's how it looks from where I'm sitting on my sofa.