Last time in Format War 101, I talked about the exceptional video and audio Blu Ray and HD DVD both offer. In addition, I covered interactive features that the new formats make possible. Lastly, I discussed features like copyright protection and digital rights management (DRM), features that are very attractive to publishers.

This time in Format War 201, we'll do a brief history of the two formats, and look at the relationships the two sides have forged with content providers.

Numbers just released by web metrics site compete.com show that more Netflix users make HD DVD their format of preference when given the choice.

During the summer months of June, July and August, Netflix averaged 14 million visitors per month. The overall percentage of those visitors viewing Blu Ray and HD DVD titles amounts to less than one percent, averaging about 50,000 visitors a month who bothered to set their format preference. Of that number, Blu Ray averaged 10 percent, or 5000 visitors a month who chose Blu Ray as their format preference. HD DVD averaged just under 19,000 visitors a month, 12,000 of whom selected HD DVD as their preferred disc format. In other words, of the people viewing the HD DVD genre on Netflix, 63% converted their format preference to HD DVD, compared to Blu Ray's 10% conversion. In all honesty this sort of thing can't be given too much weight. All the numbers measured were the total Netflix visits, how many of them viewed the Blu Ray and HD DVD genres, and how many of those converted their preferences to that format.

It's not the end of the Format War by any stretch. It does show loyalty, and certainly HD DVD owners appear to have been won over by their format, while the numbers are less inspiring for Blu Ray. Blu Ray sales have been flat, and HD DVD has had a good month following the Paramount/Dreamworks announcement.

I do think that these numbers show the Playstation 3 effect: Lots of Blu Ray players out there that people bought without Blu Ray being their primary motivation. Perhaps the fickleness of that considerable percentage of Blu Ray owners is beginning to show.

EngadgetHD is the first to report something we all suspected. Blu Ray players are not ready for BD+ DRM.

Fox has released it's first two Blu Ray titles after a long hiatus from releasing anything for the platform. Fox's The Day After Tomorrow and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer both use Blu Ray's proprietary BD+ DRM. According to the article, players will likely be unable to play the titles without a firmware update. The Samsung BD-P1000 was reported as being able to play the new discs after a long delay, but the newer Samsung BD-P1200 was unable to play the discs at all, giving a firmware update necessary screen on both discs. There is at this time no firmware available for the BD-P1200 to remedy this situation. It is unknown at this time how players from other manufacturers will fare with these titles. Both Disney and Fox claim BD+ as one of the pillars of their preference of Blu Ray over competing HD DVD. I doubt the Blu Ray consumer would agree at this point.

I imagine this is just the first of many reports on how Blu Ray's unfinished specification is negatively affecting Blu Ray player owners as BD+ and BD-J begin to be implemented in disc releases.

Electronics retailer Best Buy is now making buying a new Toshiba HD DVD player a little sweeter deal.

Toshiba already offers buyers of a new HD DVD player five free HD DVDs from a short list of fifteen titles. Now Best Buy is adding to that number. Buyers who purchase a Toshiba HD-A30 receive an additional four HD DVD titles from Best Buy at purchase, upping the total number of free discs to nine. Toshiba HD-A2 buyers at Best Buy are treated to two HD DVD titles at purchase. Best Buy also offers Blu Ray buyers an incentive to purchase. They receive five free titles from a list of eighteen at purchase.

Best Buy has always given the impression of slanting Blu Ray as far as display space and endcaps are concerned. It's nice to see them offering an HD DVD incentive of their own, and letting their customers make their own decision.