Remember when all the PAL claimed NTSC was screwed-up. Now the shoe is on the other foot. :) :)

It certainly looks that the FILM side of BD and HD DVD have decided that disc "movies" should be 24fps. This has three negatives:

1) in the USA the really big deal is BD and HD DVD shown at 72fps or 120fps. These numbers are chosen based on 24. Both BD and HD DVD must output 24p -- plus the display must support 72fps and 120fps. Do EURO displays support 60fps, 72fps, and 120fps OR 50fps and 100fps? If only 60fps, 72fps, and 120fps then the players will only need 24. Good luck waiting for 25p.

2) A question about BD and HD DVD when video is mixed with film. What happens to 50i video? This suggests that 25p will be supported eventually.

3) What happens to prosumer 25p video?

The fact Toshiba understood the need for 25p is a good sign. But, if no patch has come after a year -- then who knows when. And, BD has no 25p spec. Which means even if 1 or 2 BD players will play 25p, you can't count on ALL players doing so.

Moreover, it's possible cheap the burning software will reject 25p.

Yes, you may be "hosed" unless you slow 25p down to 24p.

I wouldn't worry about the viewing devices - their European models (like the new Pioneer Kuro line) are compatible with both 25fps and 24fps formats (their multiple of 25/50 being 100 Hz, and that for 24 - 72 Hz).

However, 25p not being listed in the BD specification is more of a nasty surprise. Well - I guess the multitude of formats the new XDCAM EX cam will offer can be of much greater importance to European customers than anyone else!

I wouldn't sweat too much over BD not supporting 25p, it's a doodle to convert 25p to 24p and the other way around as well. It came as pleasant surprise to one of my mates when they had to playout a 24p HDCAM SR tape, the deck didn't even blink, just played it out as 50i (well 25PsF to be technically correct).
As for mixing 24p and 50i on the one timeline, no a problem either, just converted a TVC for streaming that was done this way, shot on 35mm at 24fps, supers were added at 50i. Bit of pain having to de-interlace the "video" supers to get back to 25p but the original looked just fine when broadcast.
Of course a staggering amount of film was shot at 25fps, in PAL countries probably more of it than will ever be shot at 24fps. Back then it was just easier on the telecine I think, today we shoot at 24fps, probably saves a little on stock costs.

Spot, did you find some time for the promised experiment - the result would be invaluable to me...

it plays 25p; whether it's converting to 24p or actually 25p is beyond my ability to ascertain right now. I only burned a 3 minute loop.
When I get a massive project off my plate, I'll take a deeper look at it. It's not of importance to me, so it's gonna have to sit at the far back of the bus for a while.

Thanks anyway - appreciated!