Can't Stomach Blu-Ray

[MPH]

Bought a BR players just after Christmas for quite a good price and love it. I still have all my DVD's and some of them look just as good as BR discs so I won't be upgrading all my DVD's just the odd ones that where poor quality on DVD to begin with.
I won't be buying and DVD's anymore though as I don't see the point, its like buying a VHS cassete today.

[Angel4576]

Hit and miss with older films in my experience.

Bought Days of Thunder and Top Gun, couldn't really tell much difference. By contrast, Zulu looks awesome, better than most news films that are being released onto Blu Ray. Picked up The Goonies a few weeks ago as well, and that was surprisingly good as well. I assumed that it would just be upscaled SD, but it looks better than that.

[Supreme Admiral]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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It is said that an HD widescreen TV noticeable resolution starts around 40 inches of TV size.

Paramount will undoubtedly release multiple versions of their films in Blu-ray. They always have.

DVD will be around for a long time. Blu-ray will eventually take over the format but maybe in 10-15 years.
FYI the largest VHS videotape distributor has officially stopped duplicating VHS tapes in December of 2008.
DVD was introduced in 1995 to the public.

You should be fine through 2020 with DVDs.

FYI there is another format that is expected to start broadcasting in 2015 or so:
Super Hi-Vision (SHV), also known as Ultra High Definition (UHD), Ultra High Definition Video (UHDV),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_H...finition_Video


Blu-ray players are backward compatible and will play DVDs. When your DVD player dies what will you do?

I have to stop you there from words out of your mouth about brand new technology that will start broadcasting in year of 2015. From what I read there, it's far more superior than HDTV, why bothering needing these super technology anyway? It will hurts our eyes even more than it is already. How can Super Hi-vision (SHV) would be better? We are already in digital technology now, why bothering needing to upgrading more advanced technology that is far superior than HDTV?

[Mike Farley]

Tombfyre wrote:

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I guess that for me it just comes down to to a couple of complaints.... one being that extra detail they are trying to sell me on, just doesn't add to my enjoyment of the film.

That's a fair argument. If it doesn't add value to you then it doesn't add value to you. Some people like hardback books, some are contnt with paperbacks.

And second, its very disillusioning to go and buy say.... TOS on DVD only to find out they only gave me the 4:3 version and 6 months later release the widescreen versions THE HAD (based on the HDDVD version on season 1).

TOS on Blu-ray is in 4:3. That's the way it was filmed and the only way it has been presented (same for TNG, DS9, and VGR). Not all HD material is widescreen.

Or how about many re-releases of films like say... Terminator 2.. which has mearly a fraction of the extra content the original dvd special edition had.

That's just Blu-ray copying the sales model of DVD. Sell it to 'em again. And again. And again. How many versions of ARMY OF DARKNESS have there been on DVD? And T2 was just re-released on Blu with most if not all of the special features from both previous DVD issues.

Its such a rip off to see all of these company's just slap their HD version of the film on a BD and put a $29-$40 price tag on it. These BD versions are higher res.. sure.. but they are the packaged and sold in the same manner as the cheap copy you find of a film that you find for 10.00 in the bargin bin.

So are the majority of DVDs these days.

How about this example... Boondock Saints. If anyone recalls the dvd release. The package was great. High quality and it felt like you really bought a great product. Money well spent (if you enjoyed the film). The blu-ray version.. is a disk in a case. No effort spent. More expensive.

Okay, how about my PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray set? All five of the classic Apes movies, in glorious HD, in a great looking set, amd including a nice hard cover book about the franchise. On Standard Def you get five keepcases in a cheap cardboard box.

[Aragorn]

Angel4576 wrote:

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Hit and miss with older films in my experience.

Bought Days of Thunder and Top Gun, couldn't really tell much difference. By contrast, Zulu looks awesome, better than most news films that are being released onto Blu Ray. Picked up The Goonies a few weeks ago as well, and that was surprisingly good as well. I assumed that it would just be upscaled SD, but it looks better than that.

It all depends on how much effort the studio is willing to put into it. Blade Runner looks awesome in Blu-ray even if it lacks the "pop" that the newer titles have.

On the other end, when Universal was backing HD-DVD, they were putting out random crap left and right that they didn't bother to upgrade, like Mobsters. Of all the titles they could've released, Mobsters?!?!?!?

[J. Allen]

Blu-ray looks great on my parents' 42" 720p TV. I'm wondering what it looks like on a 1080p, since 1080p TVs are coming down to the same price as 720p TVs (although they're still outrageously high!).

J.

[jefferiestubes8]

Supreme Admiral wrote:

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brand new technology that will start broadcasting in year of 2015.

plan to start broadcasting with it beginning in 2015 in Japan

New technology takes time to develop and bring the costs down.

The early adopters always pay top price.

Blu-ray background
Blu-Ray was first announced at the CEATEC exhibition in October 2000

The first Blu-Ray players were available to consumers in Japan, beginning in April 2003, costing approximately $3,800.

Sony's first Blu-ray player model BDP-S1 in U.S. cost on October 25, 2006 for Sony began to mass market their Blu-Ray player for approximately $699.

You can now purchase a Blu-ray player for under $200. in 2009. That is 8 years before it really took off from the first announcement and 9 years before the first Star Trek release on this consumer home video format.

Super Hi-vision (SHV) prototype system demonstrated in September 2003
demonstrated at Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan, the NAB 2006 and NAB 2007 conferences, Las Vegas, and at IBC 2006 and IBC 2008

from Wikipedia.

NHK hopes that devices capable of dispaying the 8K resolution images will be available on the market by 2020.

September 16, 2008
Super Hi-Vision Technology to Reach Consumers in 2020


If SHV was prototyped in 2003 and plans for initial broadcasts to start in 2015 you should plan accordingly for 2020.

[Kaijufan]

J. Allen wrote:

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Blu-ray looks great on my parents' 42" 720p TV. I'm wondering what it looks like on a 1080p, since 1080p TVs are coming down to the same price as 720p TVs (although they're still outrageously high!).

J.

I was able to get a pretty good quality 40" Toshiba 1080p TV for only about $700 from Newegg. I was surprised I was able to get such a good deal, I was wanting a 37" or 40" TV and I figured I would have to pay at least $100-200 more then I did.

[stoneroses]

I love Bluray

[J. Allen]

Kaijufan wrote:

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I was able to get a pretty good quality 40" Toshiba 1080p TV for only about $700 from Newegg. I was surprised I was able to get such a good deal, I was wanting a 37" or 40" TV and I figured I would have to pay at least $100-200 more then I did.

Nice. TigerDirect has a 42" 1080p Westinghouse for $500 right now.
I'm hoping that price drops by Christmas, because then I can get me a big TV and watch Star Trek in my bedroom on a huge screen like a theater!

J.

[Kaijufan]

J. Allen wrote:

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Nice. TigerDirect has a 42" 1080p Westinghouse for $500 right now.
I'm hoping that price drops by Christmas, because then I can get me a big TV and watch Star Trek in my bedroom on a huge screen like a theater!

J.

I don't know, according to this article the recession isn't hurting HDTV sales. I imagine we'll see some sales at Christmas time, but if sales of HDTVs continue the way they are I doubt they'll be any huge discounts.

[J. Allen]

Kaijufan wrote:

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I don't know, according to this article the recession isn't hurting HDTV sales. I imagine we'll see some sales at Christmas time, but if sales of HDTVs continue the way they are I doubt they'll be any huge discounts.

Well, put it this way: If that Westinghouse hits $400 anywhere between now and Christmas, then I will sell my computer if I have to, to get one.

J.

[Haggis and tatties]

I have been sitting with a PS3 since 2007, i got one free movie, Casino Royal with it on its launch and yes it look wonderful, but no way was i ever going to be buying BD movies off the shelf at that time for over £20 a pop, and since then its been used a a very nice DVD upscaler.

Then i got my hands on TOS on BD and WOW!!!!!!!, same with the BD Trek movie box set.

Now i still have no intention of double dipping all my present DVD collection onto BD format, but i will be buying the occasional BD movie/TV show that i think will benefit from HD....like the new Trek movie when its released on BD, that's a must purchase on BD.

[Rii]

I just read that the upcoming Blu-Ray release of LOTR will only include the theatrical cuts, a thinly veiled ploy on the studio's part to get folks to double, or more likely triple-dip on the films when the extended editions are released the following year. It'll probably work too. Fuckers.

[BigFoot]

^ Yeah, that's been known for a while now. It sucks, but hey whatcha gonna do. You can either double-dip, or wait for the EEs. I personally haven't decided what I'm gonna do. It depends on the price of the films I guess.