Betamax vs. VHS, Redux - Good news, everybody! By next Christmas you can throw out your entire DVD collection because Hollywood is poised to launch high-definition discs by the end of 2005. Expect the first titles to be "special-effects packed movies aimed toward affluent men," such as next summer's Spielbergian blockbuster War of the Worlds as well as Doom and Batman Begins.

Bad news, everybody! The Toshiba-based "HD-DVD" technology won't be compatible with the "Blu-Ray" hi-def discs from Sony that arrive in 2006. What's an early adopter to do?