bear with me. I know this is probably not the right forum
for this question, but I don't really want to waste time
signing up for another forum just to ask one simple
question.

Right now, HD-DVDs offer "dual-format" discs -- usually
offering the content in HD on one side, and standard
480p on the other side. My question is; does anyone
know if Blu-Ray does, or will be doing the same thing in
the future?

The reason I ask is because I'm planning on ordering a
new laptop (Dell's XPS M1530). One optional upgrade for
the laptop is a Blu-Ray Reader/Writer for a whopping
$500 extra. Unfortunately there is no option for a Blu-Ray
reader only.

I have a Blu-Ray player at home, and therefore, most -- if
not all -- future movie purchases will be in BR format so
you can probably see my concern here. I'd really like to
avoid that extra $500, but movies are like oxygen to me
when I'm on a business trip.

If Blu-Ray is my only option, how long do you think until
the price drops significantly?

http://cgi.ebay.com/LG-BLUE-RAY-HD-...

If you can't fix it, blow it up and deny that you saw anything.

Not sure what you're getting at...

It's a laptop.

I suppose I could install that blu-ray disk drive on my home
PC and use HD AnyDVD to rip it to DVD, or video file, and
transfer it to the laptop, but I'm not sure what affect that will
have on quality. Plus it just seems like a lot of work.

my point was I googled and found a BR reader for the PC. You might find a laptop version. Or (won't help while on flights though) Get an external case, install the BR reader into it and connect up via USB2 to laptop in hotel room

If you can't fix it, blow it up and deny that you saw anything.

"does anyone know if Blu-Ray does, or will be doing the same thing in the future?"

The question is really, are the movie studios/distributors going to release the discs that way. With the Blue Ray capable of holding so much data, I would be surprised if they didn't.

I doubt it. I just read that Blu ray requires a different
manufacturing process and facilities and require much
smaller/finer 'pits' on the Disc. I don't know if it's possible
to produce two different physical attributes on on the
same disc.

HD-DVD is still an actual 'DVD' and is manufactured using
the same facilities producing the same physical attributes
as a regular DVD.

Darn

I've been looking at an HP laptop that has hardware
similar to the XPS, but gives an option for just a BR reader,
as opposed to BR-RW, for just $150 more. I may get this
instead. Damn Dell and their pricing scams.