When I emailed them, this was the reply I got...

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Dear Valued Consumer,

Thank you for your e-mail.  We appreciate your interest in Sony Pictures Home Entertainment products.

To receive an exchange for the remastered Fifth Element Blu-ray disc, please return your Blu-ray disc (case not needed) to the following address:

SPHE Consumer Support
PO Box 157
Neenah, WI 54957
Attn: 766366

Please be sure to include your return address (no PO Boxes) and a copy of this email.  Your replacement will be shipped to you via Fed Ex Ground.  The disc will be sent out after July 17th.

Regards,

SPHE Consumer Affairs Team

I sent the disc, and in return I got a brand new copy factory sealed in the new packaging. The cover art is slightly darker and the gray banner at the bottom is now reflective.

Some other notes...

The back of the new version lists
- Seamless menu navigation (at the top instead of under special features)
- Full HD 1080 Logo
- Dolby True HD logo
- Region code A, B, C logos (original was region coded A)
- The new UPC is 043396-215207

Quoting Floorwalker:

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I'm leaning towards HD DVD.

From the poll I posted, it looks like the majority are.

Maybe the starting post is a nice read, but at some points it almost sounded like flamebait to me.
1. Size. Very weird that you choose this one first and spend a full page on it, since in the end what you say is that HD-DVD and BluRay are just equivalent. No one will choose HD-DVD over BluRay because HD-DVD has less space (unless maybe people thinking of ripping them to harddisk).
6. You actually admit not knowing which is cheaper, yet you use that as an argument.
8. It's not because some idiot(s) prefer BluRay because of better copy-protection, that these idiots are a reason to choose for HD-DVD.
9. As you say yourself, hugely subjective and not at all a valid reason. That's like saying "I prefer BluRay because I hate Microsoft".
10. Similar to 1: both are equivalent, so how can this be a reason pro HD-DVD ?

That's 5 out of your 11 reasons that IMHO are no reason PRO HD-DVD at all. So you could have written a shorter story with only 5 valid reasons and still made the point why you prefer HD-DVD .

Anyway, I'm a BluRay guy but that's only because I have a PS3 (and only have 4 titles). I don't really know which one will win. When looking at costs, HD-DVD is clearly in the lead and I have the impression that it will stay that way because BluRay simply uses more expensive technology. When looking at support, BluRay is in the lead, although this is something that can change overnight (look at the Paramount news e.g.). In all other aspects the differences are just insignificant for most of its users.
If I would be forced to choose one, I would however put my bets on HD-DVD because lower cost means better market penetration which ultimately will lead to wider acceptance by the studios.

Quoting Repter:

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If I would be forced to choose one, I would however put my bets on HD-DVD because lower cost means better market penetration which ultimately will lead to wider acceptance by the studios.

...and the buying public.

If BluRay is to have any chance other than in a small segment of techno weenies, they have to make their players and discs price competitive.

The general public is not going to fork over the existing price difference when they cannot see any difference in quality (and the general public cannot see any difference in quality).

BTW, I favor BluRay in this war, but I have serious doubts that they will win in the end.

The point is, it doesn't really matter what the studios want or do.  The buying public will either accept or reject HD, and they will do it almost exclusively based on perceived value.

Quoting Repter:

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Quoting hal9g:

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The point is, it doesn't really matter what the studios want or do.

Doh, if the studios choose one over the other, it is clear that the public will have to follow by simple lack of an alternative!

Unless the studios suddenly decided to stop DVD and only support one or the other Hi-Def format, then no the public won't have to support the new format.

Quoting hal9g:

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Laserdisc and DIVX were formats supported by the studios that the public rejected.

I supported laserdisc!

I could just never afford it until it was a dead format and I could get an LD player and discs off e-bay for a song. 

Quoting hal9g:

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That's my point.  It was a great technology for its time, but it was priced so high, ti was never accepted by the general public.

Was it the price?  I had hundreds of laser discs and until the studios realized (and it took several years) they could sell videotapes cheap and make more money than just by renting them, i could buy movies cheaper on LD then on tape.

The price advantage eventually went away but even while it was there people didn't care.  Tape was "good enough".  LD was obviously better to me and i showed it to many and they generally agreed, but tape was good enough for most of them.

When DVD came along it was just so obviously better than tape (and LD ) that it couldn't be ignored.  And by then the studios had learned they could make more money by selling cheap to direct to consumers instead of going thru Blockbusters and their ilk.