Originally posted by: skyman8081I wish that Blu-ray would win, because of its technical superiority. But I think that HD-DVD will win for it technological inferiority.
I don't think the downfall of Beta (which is what I assume you're alluding to) really applies in this case. Beta's superiority--superior image quality--was overshadowed by its shorter recording time, which was far more important to the average user than a few extra lines of resolution. In the case of BluRay and HD-DVD, the technical differences will be irrelevant or unimportant to the majority of mass-market buyers. Only enthusiasts will understand the technical differences and the average buyer will think they both look fantastic.
This is a battle that will be won with software, and studio support is overwhelmingly in BluRay's corner. Sony is doing a bad job, but most other studios have announced A-list titles. Even Warner has said they'll release the exact same titles for BluRay as they have planned for HD-DVD. Universal is the only major holdout left and it's far more likely they'll cave and release BluRay titles than Disney, Miramax, Fox, Lion's Gate, etc. caving and supporting HD-DVD.
People who buy HD-DVD at launch because they don't know any better will be extremely disappointed when they can't get half the titles they want, can't output hi-res audio across all seven channels, and can't output true 1080p due to limitations in Toshiba's HD-DVD players.