BlueRay and HD DVD Suck
The next generation DVD players (known as Blue Ray and HD-DVD) both suck. Firstly, they are incompatable with each other. If you buy the wrong one its as good as a betamax video recorder.
However, there is a much worse problem, they are deliberately infected with DRM (Digital Restrictions Management). The best way to ensure that you don't fall foul of DRM, is to get your high definition video illegally, by downloading them from the internet. Its important to remember that the ones you download from the internet are not infected with DRM, and are therefore better quality.
The DRM on both BlueRay and HD-DVD will mean that you probably won't be able to watch high definition movies even though thats what you've paid for. Why? Its not good enough to have a high definition tv, and a high definition dvd player, oh no, that would be too easy. You have have to have the "right kind" of tv, and the "right kind" of cable. Get it wrong, and you will likely be left with image quality little better than ordinary DVD.
My advise is to ignore high def, and if you really want to watch a movie in high def, go the the cinema, or download a high def movie from the internet. Both Blue Ray and HD-DVD have both been cracked, so there are already better quality movies available on the net, than you can buy in the shops (i.e. DRM-free versions:-).
See also : DRM
Happy viewing.
PS. I am against piracy, if you want something, go buy it. However, you can't buy high-def movies. If you could buy them, then you would be allowed to play them on a device of your choosing, right?
PPS. I practice what I preach, I would prefer to download a movie than to buy one (due to the DRM), but I choose not to download them. Luckily for me, the BBC, and other stations broadcast such wonderful stuff, I have no need. High-def movies, where you can see individual hairs on an computer generated monster doesn't interest me. Believable, interesting characters and an interesting plot are what make movies appealing.