The HD-A2 is already down to $356.99 at Amazon.com...
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HD-A2-...dp/B000IJV4BC/

But I would tend to agree that Blu-ray is starting to show signs of coming out on top. Check out http://www.thedvdwars.com This site scrapes info off of Amazon product pages, turning sales ranks into comparative charts.

There is also a good article in PC Magazine showing Blu-ray outselling HD DVD 2:1 this year (roughly). http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2104850,00.asp

There are still NO HD DVD burners available, while there are 5 or 6 models of Blu-ray burners (and they have been available for 9 months).

It isn't over until it's over... but so far it looks like Sony's sponsorship of Blu-ray, costly as it has been, is proving to be a deciding factor in the HD disc format war.

Tom

Not true! A quick search found this:

http://keyword.netscape.com/ns/boomf...ner-for-pcs%2F

The retail price of the XA2 is already 799 in a lot of authorized dealers and Amazon has it at 599. That player is barely a few months old and you can already get it at 400 dollars off.

The XA2 is the one to get. The A2 can’t even do 1080p.

This is a press release. Can you find this burner, or any HD DVD burners for sale?

Let me know.

Actually, Toshiba has shipped some high-end notebooks with HD DVD burners, but not in large quantities.

Tom

Wouldn't that negate your question right there?

Toshiba ships the A20 on April 4th which can be had for $450. It supports 1080p output as well. However the XA2 uses the REON VX processor and looks stellar upconverting DVDs and it offers more tweaks. If the best quality is demanded then the XA2 is the player to get. If 1080p is demanded then the A20 and if price is the prime motivator get the A2

Mike,
No... I was just mentioning that in the interest of full disclosure. The question is still valid - can you find any HD DVD burners for sale? Even if you have to buy a PC to get the burner? Can you find the aforementioned laptop?

There is a big difference between press releases and actual product on the store shelves. Blu-ray burners are shipping...
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...ners-RW-Drives

HD DVD burners are essentially unavailable. This despite the fact that HD DVD burners and blank media should be easier to manufacture, due to the lower storage density and the similarity to DVD.

Tom

Blu-ray was designed as a recording format first that later transmogrified into a playback medium.

HD DVD was just the opposite so it's understandable why the disparity exists. I'm thinking that we'll see more HD DVD recorders announced by Cedia 07.

The Amazon link that Tom Vaughan provided actually proved that it’s still being offered. No wonder Toshiba is claiming that HD-DVD players have a high attach rate. Instead of Blu-Ray having a lead of 3 to 1, it would have probably been a lot higher than 4 to 1 if Sony gave the same promotion for the PS3.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5
I wanted this thing badly when I first heard about it back in 2003.

2003 review
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/blu-ray/

Didn't Lucas, years ago, say he wouldn't release Star Wars on DVD until the high density blue laser discs came out? This was circa 1999 or so. If my memory is right, this technology has been on the drawing boards for years.

Then again, while in high school, I heard about SD DVD players in 1994 and they said it would be 3 years until they came out in America.

heath