IAfter speaking a lot about high definition videos, we decided to see the current pricing of HD media. The store nearest to our hotel in Vegas was a Best Buy, so we decided to stop by and have a look at their HD selection of movies. It turns out that there was quite a varied amount of films available. HD DVD format videos were in the price range of 24.00 to 25.99 while Blu-ray discs were available for $29.99.

The chain of announcements at CES from both camps only show that the High Definition format war has only begun. Sorry Sony, but really, it is just too early for either side to begin claiming victory just yet. As of right now, it is still very much undecided.

Fox and Disney, two very influential studios, currently exclusively support Blu-ray. Their executives have made it clear on various occasions that they will only be camping on Blu-ray’s side, dealing a blow to HD DVD.

HD DVD, on the other hand, is being largely backed by the one and only Microsoft. There really is no need to go more in-depth regarding the influence Microsoft has in the IT world. Despite Microsoft’s influence, HD DVD will still be facing stiff competition. Blu-ray currently has Apple, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic all feverously backing it. Microsoft however will not be the only major company to back HD DVD. So far, it also has the support of Toshiba, HP, and Intel. Again, the war is still far from over.

LG Electronics definitely has a lot of potential with their multi-standard player. We’ll still have to wait and see, though, whether they are ever able to actually launch the product. Even if they are able to, however, the price is still pretty high, but then again, it’s not insanely ridiculous considering it is still in the price range of many Blu-ray players. At the moment, WB’s method which walks the line between both formats seems to be the most attractive one as it will greatly benefit both retailers and consumers alike.