I recently purchased an HD television, and like most HDTV owners I’m rather desperate for as much HD content as I can lay my hands on. With prices dropping so rapidly on plasma and LCD displays, and market forecasts for the next two years looking the way they do, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the number of HDTV’s owned jumps to 80% or more by the end of 2008. What is it right now? Something like 23% or so? Now (as in 2007) is definitely the time to buy. Like many others, I’ve put it off for quite a long time now, but it became clear to me that the world was finally moving in that direction and actually making some real progress, hence why I finally gave in and stopped waiting. Television channels left and right are switching to HD, HD media such as BD and HD-DVD are picking up steam, players are actually out and dropping in price quickly with many new models already one the way. All that is really left is to wrap up this stupid format war, and perhaps lower the prices on HD media, which I’m sure will happen as more and more titles become available. Amazon.com already has a great deal by the way. 10% off all HD movie purchases for a full year. This deal is even open to Canadians, with no taxes or duty applicable, just shipping. Compared to buying HD movies at Futureshop or Best Buy, it is a really great deal. Averages out to about $24 per disc (Canadian dollars), not all that much more than a DVD costs.

Sure, I’m not crazy about supporting any technology that involves any type of copy protection which hurts fair use, but as I’m sure anyone with a 42-inch screen and up will tell you, DVD has got to go. Just like VHS, it’s day is close to done. Besides, all forms of copy protection have holes, and it’s only a matter of time until some smart fellow finds them and breaks Blu-Ray and/or HD-DVD wide open. It is inevitable. Between the two, meaning the format war versus supporting DRM technologies, I much prefer the later. I can’t even begin to describe how annoying it is to constantly see advertisements for movies I want to watch that are on Blu-Ray only (I have the Xbox 360 HD-DVD accessory). I just don’t want to have to buy two players for two formats. I’m all for buying movies in HD, don’t mind it at all, but this format war is extremely frustrating, so much so that I’ve even stopped buying movies altogether for the time being (part of which had to do with the muslix64 story as well).

They can keep their crippled formats and stick em up their asses.