Now that the format war is over, this article is being preserved for historical reasons.  The major producers of Blu-ray players are:

The above searches will help you find the latest models to buy, and of course, you'll want a few Blu-Ray movies  to play on your new player.

Blu-ray Vs. HD DVD

Over the past year, there has been a flurry of excitement over two new technologies that have the potential to change home entertainment on a scale not felt since the development of the first compact discs. The Blu-ray  and HD DVD high-definition disc systems are the hands-down bet to change the industry in the coming years. Blu-ray and HD DVD systems may make all the "high-definition-in-every-home" talk a reality in the second half of the decade. Then again, for those who remember the Betamax vs. VHS battles of the past, choosing between two nearly identical formats may bring on a sense of deja vu. All of this competition may be pointless anyway as a format with even more storage capability, Optware's HVD, is on the Far Eastern horizon. Also on the horizon are possible Blu-ray and HD DVD compliant players from LG, Pioneer, and Samsung, which could render the so-called format wars obsolete.  Which format will win the race? Will either prove as successful as the DVD format?  Or will a combo player  save the day? No one can be certain, but here is some information on the formats to help you decide.

HD DVD
  • High Definition DVDs were developed by Toshiba, the creators of the incredibly successful DVD format.
  • They're priced slightly cheaper than Blu-ray discs but suffer in the storage department, 15GB in a single storage layer.
  • No blank media yet available.
  • Uses an Advanced Access Content System for data encryption.
  • Features a 0.6mm protective layer over media content.
  • Studio support:
    • Exclusive: Universal, Weinstein
    • Joint: Warner Brothers, Paramount, New Line Cinema, HBO

Blu-ray
  • Blu-ray discs were developed by Sony.
  • More expensive, but also capable of more data storage, 25GB in each single layer. That means more room for extras.
  • Already offers blank media  and PC burners  are already making the move to Blu-ray compatibility.
  • Uses custom-designed BD+ encryption system in addition to the Advanced Access Content System.
  • Protective layer is only 0.2mm thick and discs are more delicate than HD DVD and DVD.
  • Studio support:
    • Exclusive: 20th Century Fox, Lions Gate, Disney, Sony Pictures, Miramax
    • Joint: Warner Brothers, Paramount, New Line Cinema, HBO

Playing Devices

Since the two technologies are so new, thus far very few players have been released. However, more are in the works. Here are the devices available in each respective format ...

HD DVD Players

There are only a handful of HD DVD players currently available on the market. Most of them are produced by Toshiba, inventors of HD DVD technology ...

Despite the relatively cheap $500 price tag, the reviews for the HD-A1 haven't been stellar. Still, it does provide beautiful high definition picture and at the moment, can play more titles than its Blu-ray counterparts. If you've got to jump in the pool before it's full without going broke, the HD-A1 may help.

The HD-XA1 is the high-end version of the HD-A1 and is a very similar device. The device costs $800, more than the HD-A1, but less than any Blu-ray player. It features a motorized front panel, a backlit remote control and an RS-232C port. Other than that, it's exactly like the HD-A1.

Blu-ray Players

Thus far, there are two Blu-ray players commercially available in the United States. However, some more models will be hitting the market come September.

Sony's first stand-alone Blu-ray player, Sony BDP-S1  is twice as expensive as its HD DVD counterpart and has less titles currently available, but its ability to easily port higher resolution via the HDMI jack. Give it time, and Sony will catch up and then pass Toshiba with available titles.

The Samsung BD-P1000  costs the same as its Sony counterpart and has most of the same features and a similar (though not identical) interface. However, there is one big issue with the Samsung BD-P1000: it doesn't look HD. A problem with the user-inaccessible video noise reduction setting causes the error and won't be fixed until September.

Because of the limited availability and the lack of titles (each format currently has less than 50), it'd probably be wise to look before you leap and not jump into the format war too soon.

Hybrid Players

LG has put their hybrid Blu-ray HD DVD player on the market.  If the player and others like it succeed it could make the format war irrelevant, though it is still too early to tell.

LG's first hybrid player can display both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs in full HD.

Burners

Thus far, Toshiba has been wary of releasing any HD DVD burning technology because of the possible piracy implications. A few companies, including Sony themselves, have released Blu-ray disc burners to mixed reviews. I-O Data's USB Blu-ray burner  has received the most positive reviews, but it comes with a hefty $1,000 price tag.

Format War Woes

  • Things have gotten worse for both the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Apparently, blue laser diodes, which are used in both Blu-ray and HD DVD, are suffering a shortage that could slow disc reader production until 2007, said sources at Nachia, the company that produces the diodes.
  • In an unfortunate turn of events, it seems Sony's first Blu-ray drives will not be able to play Blu-ray movies, said new tech blog CrunchGear. Apparently, because no computers can currently decipher HDCP (one of Blu-ray's copy protection tools), Blu-ray discs cannot be played. HD DVD will not be without its problems either, as HDMI standard is very rare on PCs.
  • As mentioned above, because of an incorrent video noise reduction setting, the Samsung BD-P1000 does not play Blu-ray discs in high definition. The error will not be fixed until September.will not be fixed until September.