AfterTek

It’s between HD DVD’s and Blu-ray both offering great features to consumers – but who will come out on top after the holidays are over? Which one will consumers prefer the most? No matter which one you choose you will be improving the way you watch TV.

For now, the picture quality difference between the formats is close to unnoticeable. In fact, unless you’re using a brand-new TV with high-def inputs, you may have trouble noticing any difference from your current DVDs. What the decision really comes down to is what specific movies you want to watch with your new player. Each of the major studios has taken a side, and won’t release a title in the other format.

It’s important to note that every studio continues to release titles in the standard DVD format as well, so there’s no immediate pressure to get one of the new players. But if you want to watch Sony’s “Spider-Man 3″ or Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” in high-definition, you’re going to have to go with Blu-ray. Conversely, HD versions of movies from DreamWorks or Universal like “Shrek the Third” or “Transformers” are only available in the HD DVD format.

Blu-ray players cost more than HD DVD machines, with prices starting at around $400. Meanwhile, HD DVD supporter Toshiba’s HD-A2 model sells for $250. Even video game consoles are joining the high-definition format fight. Sony’s PlayStation 3 (starting at $399) supports Blu-ray movies out of the box, and the Microsoft Xbox 360, starting at $279, can play HD DVD movies with a $200 attachment.