Fixing the global economy sounds like a good time, but I have blu-rays to watch.

So my 1080p blu-ray that is 2.35:1 aspect ratio is really only ~820p? Is that right?

I could use one of these babies!

It is quite depressing to come on here and see headlines similar to "Comcast Adds 13 HD Channels In Anywhere But Houston". I mean everyday it seems some other city is getting upgrades and Houston is left on the backburner. And now we have the Weather Channel. I guess it's something. Well, I hope the post above is correct and there is more to come after the switch, but I'm dangerously close to switching providers before then.

In my opinion, they can throw out all bonus features and even the trailers. Use as much of that 50GB for the movie and soundtrack as possible. Use as little compression as you have to and put that other crap on a disc you can get with a mail-in-rebate, postage due package. Wow, wasn't aware I felt so strongly about bonus featuers...

Manufacturers' greed?
Remember the losses Toshiba took on their players for the prices we were seeing?
Think about it this way...
The cheapest BD-ROM will run you ~$130...add to that a video processor, audio processor and just a few other things you're getting really close to the $298 magnavox at walmart.
As people buy more and more of the players component prices will go down and player prices will follow. Same as with DVD.

FYI, I didn't have to try very hard to find a BD-ROM in the $130-$170 range or a 2X burner, while slow, that can be had for less than $300.

Nfinity,
Don't be ridiculous. Do you honestly think Toshiba was planning on sustaining a business that lost almost $1B in 2007? You think if HD DVD had won the prices would not have come up at all? If you answered yes to any of these questions you are a complete moron with the logical abilities equal to that of a spoon.
I suppose in your little world, if HD DVD had won, Toshiba would have sent everyone in the world a free player. They would continue taking those losses just so we could all be happy and enjoy high def movies at home.
Wake up and welcome to the real world buddy. It's time to understand how it works here. It's time to quit bemoaning the loss of your preferred format.
I'm sick and tired of your silly posts.

"Blu-ray has a lot of grandfathers. A lot of people call it a Sony standard but by our estimates Sony doesn't even have 30 percent of the IP," Doherty said. The top four IP holders are likely Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer and Warner."

from
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9874317-1.html?tag=recentPosts

So, before you go spouting off some crap that you heard from a guy you knew that knows someone who loaded boxes into trucks near a Best Buy get your facts straight. You're not going to be able to impeach Blu ray and reinstate HD DVD no matter how much you wish you could. Either live with it or stay SD...those are your choices.

Moises,
You definitely stop selling things that make you money if that same shelf space can be filled with something that will make you more money per unit. That's truly how business works.

Blu-ray and HD DVD discs probably have similar impacts on Walmart's business, but I'm almost certain the blu-ray players are more profitable for the retailer. If you're only going to support one player, don't confuse the public with two types of movies that are incompatible.

That makes perfect business sense to me.