Remember Betamax? We barely do, either. Back in the 1980s, the format became obsolete after VHS overtook it in a cassette format war. Twenty years later, the DVD is giving way to two dueling high-definition formats: Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD. The war isn't just evident with standalone players; notebook vendors also have a stake in the outcome. Before you claim either format as your own, read this quick primer for an overview of the current HD landscape. After that, check out our five notebook recommendations.
 
While both formats offer outstanding quality, Blu-ray's tighter track pitch allows it to store more content on a dual-layer disc--50GB as opposed to HD-DVD's 30GB. Blu-ray also boasts a higher transfer rate: 54 Mbps versus 36.6 Mbps for HD-DVD. Largely for this reason, however, Blu-ray is significantly more expensive than HD-DVD. Although movies in both formats cost about $30, a standalone Blu-ray player can cost twice as much as one made for HD-DVD. And while Blu-ray has a higher capacity, its HD playback--nine hours--is only an hour longer than HD-DVD's.

 

Aside from differences in technology and price, availability will likely be the deciding factor in this format war. So far, Blu-ray is winning. The format, which was created by a consortium of nine companies, including Sony and Philips, has the support of eight major film studios: Buena Vista, Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Walt Disney, and Warner Brothers. The format is also backed by scads of corporations, including Apple, Blockbuster, Panasonic, and Samsung. The good news for HD-DVD enthusiasts is that Paramount, Universal, and Warner Brothers offer both formats, as does Netflix. HD-DVD, whose parent companies are Toshiba and NEC, also has the exclusive support of New Line Cinema, Microsoft, Sanyo, Intel, and HBO.

 

Luckily, notebook vendors are split down the middle; Dell and Sony support Blu-ray, Toshiba supports HD-DVD, and Acer and HP are behind both. Regardless of the format, however, if you plan on hooking your laptop up to your HDTV using an HDMI port, make sure that the notebook's supported resolution matches your TV's. If your 42-inch set supports 1080p, for instance, make sure your laptop does, too. For the best quality and choice of resolution, check out the high-definition notebooks from these five vendors.

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