So there’s a big “format” debate in the post-DVD world, and I think I may have stumbled on the ultimate solution.

Sony’s PS3 comes with a Blu-Ray DVD player, and the Xbox 360 has a $199 add-on player that allows you to play HD-DVD movies on your high definition screens. So who will win the format war? Sony lost years ago in the VHS vs. Beta-max debate, for history’s sake. And both of the format’s stand-alone players (with no game console) are priced out of the average person’s price range – for now. Probably nearing $1,000 to play a disc with a super hi-res copy of the movie and a few extras.

The solution? Download your movie directly in HD. Forget either disc format. Forget discs.

Tonight I’ll be watching Poseidon, my first digital download HD movie – downloaded in 720p on my 360’s hard drive. 4.5 gigs, took a couple hours to download … and once the service expands to offer every release, offers even higher quality at faster speeds, I just can’t imagine why I would rent another disc again.

This is going to make discs a thing of the past. Full review after the show.

JG