This month, our feature story is on the conflict between the two main high definition DVD contenders – HD-DVD and Blu-ray. To anyone who witnessed the all-out fight between the VHS and Betamax videotape formats in the eighties, it seems almost incomprehensible that the same sort of thing could happen again. As we know, ultimately there can only be one winner and before that happens, both contenders are likely to lose huge amounts of money. Probably, the successful contender will be the one with the lowest licence fees rather than technical superiority.

Not that it really matters to the consumer since both opposing systems are a quantum jump over existing DVDs. Most people will sit on the sidelines for several years until competition drives the entry price for high-definition DVDs down to comfortable levels. That will probably happen very quickly too, as China and the rest of Asia ramp up manufacturing.

To my mind though, there is a cloud over both systems because I believe that most people will never want or even recognise high-definition video pictures when they see them. For a start, you need a high-definition screen or projector. In a typical lounge room with a TV viewing distance of say two to three metres, the screen size or projected image will need to be at least 50 inches (1.27 metres) diagonal before you can tell the difference between a standard definition and a high-definition signal. If the screen is any smaller or the viewing distance greater, high-definition signals will be wasted.

In my experience too, even where a high-definition signal is being shown and can be seen to be better, many people just cannot recognise the difference, even if their eye-sight is OK. Worse still, they may even prefer the standard definition picture, particularly on plasma displays, because it may be brighter and more contrasty.

Many people will be led up the garden path too, buying standard definition plasma or LCD TVs which are "HD ready" because they have an HDMI socket. Well, the HDMI socket means the TV set will be "compatible" with high-definition signals, meaning that it will display a picture. But that picture ain’t gonna be high definition – it will be good old standard definition, just the same as for normal DVDs. So when those people eventually plug in their brand new HD-DVD or Blu-ray player to their "HD-ready TV", guess what – the picture will be exactly the same! Bewdy!

Ultimately, I think the real driver for high-definition DVDs could be high-tech video games. In this situation, the player sits very close to the screen and will definitely be able to discern the improvements from high-definition video.

But for your average viewer watching a rental video over a pizza, high-definition video will be a non-event.

Leo Simpson