And the codecs don't matter so much because:
A) Codecs can be quite easily changed
B) Testers have found Blu-Ray has better PQ than HD-DVD
And even though MPEG-4 is fine, VC-9 has a lot of problems with its algorithms, downconversion, etc, that needs to be fixed before it's released.
And as for recent articles, here you go. Oh, and apparantly there are 13 big companies behind Blu-Ray. "No U.S. studio has committed to the HD DVD format yet" (From your article)
If HD-DVD they don't even have a player out at all I don't see how they can expect to serve both Japan and America by 2005. Maybe Japan, but America is stretching it. Blu-Ray already has players released in Japan.
Personally I'll have to sit out the buying of either system before one takes hold. And even then, as I've said, I doubt I'll purchase more than a dozen or so title. Really no use in it.