Sony also has a less-than-stellar track record with format choices. It backed Betamax, an alternative to VHS that promised better picture quality but nonetheless couldn't find customers--sound familiar? The MiniDisc format, while beloved among bootleggers, never really caught on in the United States. Also, while UMDs--the PSP's proprietary movie discs--sold well at launch, poor pricing and a lack of consumer recordable discs have led to floundering sales.
Outlook: As we've stated for the premiere HD-DVD players, the best purchasing decision to make in the early days of this format war is to wait and see. Quite frankly, there's too much uncertainty of the outcome to recommend such a large investment in a player that could be obsolete in only a few years if either (or both) format goes down the tubes. Unless you're dead set on getting a player early on and money is no object, wait to see how the much cheaper PlayStation 3 stacks up before making your choice.
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
