When was the last time you watched a movie on a standard video cassette tape (aka VHS)? Chances are it's been a while, and when you did, you probably realized how spoiled DVDs have made you. Can you imagine a time in the near future when you'll feel the same way about DVDs? That time may come sooner than you realize; the technology is officially upon us!

This week (Wednesday to be exact) the first HD-DVD players were released in America with a handful of HD-DVD movies (four to be exact). As the name suggests, HD-DVD players play movies in "high definition," delivering a picture (and sound) quality that far exceeds anything you've ever seen before (even HD television programming). Of course you need an HDTV to enjoy this new generation of DVD, and HDTV sales lately have been going through the roof (standard TVs are expected to be phased out within 3 years).

So what makes these high definition DVD players so much better than standard DVDs? The picture quality is the most noticeable difference. Basically, when you're watching a DVD, The picture is being displayed across 480 horizontal lines across the television screen (even if you're watching them on an HDTV). With HD-DVDs, the picture is being displayed across 1,080 vertical lives on an HDTV, which translates to over 4 times as many pixels as standard DVDs. The difference is quite noticeable, as you'll be able to see every pore on Tom Cruise's nose and every blade of grass across the rolling hills of Middle-Earth. HD-DVDs can also store a lot more data on a disc, meaning movie companies can cram a ton of special features on one disc. Theoretically all of the content on one Lord of the Rings Extended Edition 4-disc set can fit onto one HD-DVD disc. HD-DVD players can also play your old DVD discs, even though they still won't look as good as the custom HD-DVDs will.

Unfortunately not everything here is all cherries and roses. I'd like to tell you that HD-DVDs are the follow-up to DVDs the same way that DVDs were the follow-up to VHSs and life is simple as that. Sadly that's not the case this time around. There will be a competing format to HD-DVDs, called Blu-Ray players. Blu-Ray, just like HD-DVD, is a new wave of high-definition movie players, and also plays movies on 12 cm discs (both formats can also play standard DVD discs). All the features mentioned above also apply to Blu-Ray players, and it will be on the market next month. The difference is that Blu-Ray discs can hold a LOT more data than HD-DVD discs, but the players and movies will also cost more and it will be more difficult for movie studios to jump from developing movies on DVD to Blu-Ray (going from DVD to HD-DVD isn't that much of a change for movie companies, meaning production costs are a lot cheaper). Sony is the company that's backing Blu-Ray (the upcoming PlayStation 3 will even play Blu-Ray movies), while Toshiba is the company backing HD-DVD.

To complicate matters, the major movie studios are divided on which format to support. A few studios, liker Warner Bros., will put out their movies for both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Disney (and therefore Disney owned studios like Miramax and Touchstone), on the other hand, will support Blu-Ray exclusively, while Universal and Paramount are pledging most of their support to HD-DVD. So yeah, go ahead and say it: that really sucks. At the time you probably won't be able to buy just one format (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) and see all of your favorite high-definition movies. Overall Blu-Ray probably has the better movie studio support, coupled with PlayStation 3 playability. But the bottom line is that these two hi-def movie formats are competing against each other the same way PlayStation and X-Box compete against each other, and no one wants that for their movie watching. Then there's the issue of price...

Just how much can you expect to pay for an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player? The first, cheaper models of HD-DVD are $499. The first Blu-Ray models will be $1,000 and up. Yup, you read those numbers correctly. Now in all fairness DVD players actually cost more when they first released, and you can walk into Wal-Mart and get one now for less than $30. And I know some of you are thinking: "Blu-Ray players will be over $1000? Just how much is the PlayStation 3 (which again plays Blu-Ray movies) gonna cost?" And that's a very good question. The PlayStation 3 will arrive this November, about six months after the launch of Blu-Ray movie players, and Sony hasn't announced anything yet on the price-point for the PS3. There's no question that Sony will have to lose serious cash on each PS3 it sells to remain competitive with the X-Box 360, and speculation ranges anywhere from $500 to over $1000. I would be surprised if the PlayStation 3 will be only $500. $600-$700 sounds more reasonable to me.

Of course this wouldn't be the RUnderground if I didn't offer up my cold-hard personal opinions and insights into the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray issue. Which format should you buy? Neither right now. Hopefully within the next couple of years, one format will emerge victorious over the other and all movie studios will pledge their support to that format. Which format that will be is impossible to say right now. Blu-Ray overall has better support, but HD-DVD has a much more attractive price point for consumers. Also in a couple of years both formats should be MUCH cheaper, so I'd be satisfied with watching regular ol' DVDs for the time being.