It has been said that Microsoft backed HDDVD to create a stalemate in the HD format war to better their online Movie and television show distribution on Xbox Live. If that is true, it is a pretty smart idea.

• Create a stalemate between HDDVD and BluRay.

• People are scared to commit to a new format because of the stalemate.

• People buy more movies online to get their HD movie fix while things sort out.

I haven’t bought one HD movie on Xbox live or any other downloadable movie service. The option sounds perfect for me, but I have a huge problem with it. The same problem I had with iTunes and why Ive never bought an iPod to use as a full time music player (I do own an iPhone, but I use a Creative player for my music listening). My problem is when you buy a movie online, you are tied to whatever service you used to purchase that movie.

If you buy a movie on itunes, you have to use an ipod, itunes on your PC or apple TV to view the movie. If you buy on Xbox live, you will always have to have an Xbox 360. Same with Amazon Unboxed, you have to use Amazons player to view the movies. If I buy a movie, I want to be able to play that movie whenever I want for an unlimited amount of time. if 15 years from now I want to watch Transformers, I don’t want to have to go get the Xbox 360 out of the closet to watch it, or load up iTunes. What if the formats we see today fall from grace? DO you really think iTunes is going to be the number 1 online movie distributer 15 years from now? it may be a situation where iTunes is the format no one uses, and maybe theres a new MP3/Video player everyone is using. what good would a movie I buy today be to me then? Id have to buy it again and again, with almost every new product that takes the lead from now on.

The record industry is finally starting to get the picture, offering DRM free music at most of the major online music stores. Until the Movie industry catches on and do the same, Im not going to purchase any movies from any online stores. A rental maybe but not a purchase.

Tv shows I think are a little different. If I buy a TV how online, I know I’m not going to want to keep a catalog of them, I’ll only want to watch them once or twice and forget about them. Even though I still think paying for TV shows make little sense if the show is on TV for free unless you are able to download them early etc .

But for right now, no one is getting money from me for movies until they remove the DRM.