Futureproof.

1. futureproof

Not obsolete in the future

-Urban Dictionary

I originally was going to use a definition from PC Magazine but this one from Urban Dictionary is much more succinct, not to mention Steph Chien approved. So what does it mean to be futureproof during the transition to HD? Has digital media reached a satisfactory level of clarity and mass produce-ability that the movies we buy and the home videos we shoot will not be replaced by something flashier in a few years? That is the hope. But then, weren't we promised all that with DVDs? While yes, the Cruel Intentions on Blu-ray probably looks better than the DVD version that I bought from Best Buy 8 years ago, the fact that not only are DVDs compatible with HD-DVD/Blu-ray players, upscaling should make the transition into the new smoother by smoothing the lower-res DVDs on your HD display.* So no, your ultimate HD choices will most certainly not be the last home theater choice you'll make, but to ensure that your choices stay futureproof through the next couple of years, it is imperative to make educated choices.

While I'm here...

Having dual formats is bad for the market, but more interestingly it's bad for you! I acknowledge having a competing, cheaper, format has pushed Sony and Blu-ray player makers to lower its price. However, in the long run it is still counterproductive to the overall adoption of HD in homes. People don't like choices, it makes them uneasy. It takes Alex and me half an hour to decide between A&J or Chilis, an hour if one of us is in the mood for KFC. The need to eat(not the arrival at a satisfactory decision) is often what ends up compelling us to make a choice. When faced with two seemingly similar choices in HD, people can put off that decision for a much longer time. While it's relatively safe to say HD-DVD's existence as a viable mainstream format is in its waning months (god-forbid years), the longer it sits on its deathbed, the longer people will hold off and be apprehensive about taking that plunge into HD (and the Blu). HD-DVD has posed some competition for the Blu-ray camp and caused some price pressures,but its definitive achievement of 2007 will be to have delayed wider HD adoption for at least one more holiday season.

PS: Please don't be angry Albert, I still want to watch Serenity on HD-DVD. <3 style="font-style: italic;">

*that was an awkwardly worded sentence, I'll explain more about upscaling, or you can wikipedia it