HD DVD or Not HD DVD

I want a high definition DVD player. So, before I purchase one, I'm following the format war between Toshiba's HD DVD and Sony's Blu-ray with interest, as is "The New Yorker."

"Blu-ray’s technology, which allows you to pack fifty gigabytes of data on a disk, is theoretically superior to that of HD DVD, which manages thirty. But for most users the differences in quality will probably seem negligible—movies look extraordinarily good on both machines—and Toshiba is offering its products at cheaper prices.

"...The obvious solution to this impasse is negotiation. That’s what happened with the original DVD—in the nineteen-nineties, a consortium of companies pooled patents and adopted a single standard. Sony and Toshiba did talk last year, but there’s no sign that any kind of deal is in the works."

Here's my firm position: Somebody win already! Or we won't buy.

Or let the two formats merge into one format with a cup holder. I need more cup holders.