So I’m planning to take the HD plunge soon, and as such have been trying to figure out which format to go with (first, at least). Now I don’t yet have an HDTV per se, so I’m planning to just hook up the player to my 24″ computer monitor (capable of displaying better than 1080p video). My home theater tv is a 480p widescreen projector (Infocus IN72) which DVDs look amazing on, and I don’t plan to get another projector until I can afford a 108op one. So it looks like I’ll be stuck watching HD movies on my computer monitor, or in low-res through the projector (which can downconvert 1080p video).

Still, I’m tired of not being able to grow my movie collection without knowing that for a few dollars more I could get a version that isn’t practically obsolete. If I could play it.

So HD or blu-ray? Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DVD player has gotten as low as $100 recently, and their current entry-level HD DVD player is still under $300. Problem is, I can’t justify spending that much on a player that can’t do better than 1080i. My monitor and next TV will almost certainly be 1080p, so I want a player that can do justice to the hardware. True, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on is a great way to play 1080p HD DVDs…but I don’t have an Xbox 360, and I don’t really want one.

Which brings us to the blu-ray side, where there’s really only one option: the PlayStation 3. Until recently, I hadn’t been planning to get one because I don’t play games that much anymore and $500-$600 was way too much to spend on a movie player, even one that does support 1080p playback. But then two things happened: I saw the screenshots for the upcoming Gran Turismo 5, and Sony released a $400 version of the PS3. Suddenly, I had a reason to get a PS3 for gaming as well as blu-ray playback, and it got to about the price point I think it’s worth for me.

As far as which format is likely to “win,” it doesn’t look like that’s going to be decided for a long while, if ever. Blu-ray seems to have the most market share right now, thanks in large part to the PS3, but brand-name HD DVD players can sometimes be found on sale for as little as $100 (again, not 1080p capable) which is helping them catch up. Both formats have widespread support, and are about evenly matched when it comes to exclusive releases (Universal & HD DVD vs. Sony Pictures & Blu-ray). They’re also about even in terms of technical features, in my opinion. As a high-definition video hobbyist, I like the fact that PC blu-ray burners are already readily available (though still too expensive) and the discs typically hold more data (dual layer blu-ray discs can store 50GB, compared to a dual layer HD DVD’s 30GB). As a transitional medium, however, HD DVD has the advantage in that some producers burn a standard DVD version on the opposite side of the disc, allowing you to go ahead and buy HD DVDs even if you don’t have a player yet (or play them in your laptop, etc.). Unfortunately, many HD DVD releases do not take advantage of this option.

So, in conclusion, I think I’m going with blu-ray for now. I’m sure if Universal is still, ironically (given their name), only supporting HD DVD in a year or so, I’ll probably have to get an HD DVD player too (apparently the HD version of Hot Fuzz is amazing). But for now Sony’s diabolical plan for blu-ray ubiquity has succeeded in my case. Planet Earth on blu-ray, here I come!