Warner, HD DVD and DVD Combo, Available now, $39.99; reviewed on 26-inch screen with HDMI connection
The romantic comedy Rumor Has It, a modern-day riff of sorts on Mike Nichols' classic The Graduate, may seem like a strange movie for Warner to use for the debut of its HD DVD/DVD combo disc, but watching both versions of the film (there's one on each side of the disc) makes the difference between HD DVD and DVD crystal clear. There are no fancy action sequences to show off here, but what the HD DVD format does enhance brilliantly are skin tones, facial lines and the different shades of blond highlights in star Jennifer Aniston's tresses. And is that gray in Mark Ruffalo's hair? In addition to the improved picture, the ease of the HD DVD menus, which slide up sleekly while the movie is playing, make standard DVD menus feel clunky. It's easy to see why it could be handy to have a combo disc—one side for the home theater system and another for a laptop on the road.