Unfortunately, the studios are just about evenly divided between the two formats. So, most of us who are basically screwed because we would have to buy two different players to play all of the movies we want. I'll give you a good example of what I mean. As it stands now, Indiana Jones equals HD-DVD and Star Wars equals Blu-Ray. Fox hasn't comitted to Blu-Ray yet, but I feel pretty confident they will since they joined their board, panel, or whatever it is called (the same thing Disney joined).
I don't know about most of you, but the extra video and audio quality will not be worth the high cost for me. I know movies will look and sound better, but the quality difference had better be better than the difference between VHS and current DVD. I will not buy into either format until a reliable player comes along that can play DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray. It is too bad that all of the studios just didn't get behind one format and force the other one to either cooperate or disband. I think there is room for both formats as long as they are cooperating instead of competing. Some movies won't need the space Blu-Ray offers and some will. Blu-Ray would also be great for TV shows.
Who knows, this format war may kill both formats and we will have to wait for the one that comes out after that.
Patrick