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Blu-Ray just not "catching on"

Babaganoosh said:
3) There's nowhere near the infrastructure, bandwidth, etc. in place to allow for anything like 1080p downloads.
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There's nowhere near the infrastructure or bandwidth for 720p downloads either if everyone were to start doing it, nevermind 1080p.

Anyone who thinks the immediate future is in video downloads doesn't know what they're talking about given the ISPs capping bandwidth and the idiotic DRM restrictions, neither of which look like they'll go away anytime soon. Maybe in 10 years or so when everyone and their grandmother has a fat internet pipe (yeah right), but I don't see downloads restricted to the device you downloaded them to (PC, DVR, iPod, whatever) catching on unless the electronics companies radically change how they approach this.
 
Besides, I'd rather have physical copies of the movies I buy. It gives you a sense of ownership that downloading can't.
 
Skyhaunter said:
Besides, I'd rather have physical copies of the movies I buy. It gives you a sense of ownership that downloading can't.
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And it always helps to have a ready-made backup.

Which is why I still keep my CDs I've bought, even though I have ripped them all onto my iPod and never use them anymore.
 
PKerr said:
Now before anyone starts attacking with the whole Xbox 360/HD-DVD PS3/Blu-ray stuff hear me out.
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Nobody needs to, Pkerr. You're like clockwork.

Anyhow, I don't think Blu-ray is this huge big deal. Maybe there's something wrong with my eyes, but I just don't think it's all that much better - even on my pretty HDTV. Maybe it looks a little more vibrant, I dunno.

I have a couple of Blu-ray discs - Black Hawk Down, Casino Royale, Apocalypto (I know, I know), Shooter & Die Hard 4 - and they all look nice. But it's really no big deal, I'm not that impressed that I feel I must buy every DVD I own again on Blu-ray.
 
I think Blue-Ray's problem is the price of the Discs themselves. People in this day and economy just arent gonna pay 30-40 bucks for a Movie...Even if it is HD. I can see 20.00 bucks as a decent price.
The other thing is I have Transformers on both BR and HD-dvd. Honestly it looks better/sharper on HD-dvd. That and it seems that evey BR I rent or buy has about 6-8 previews imbedded into the beginning of the movie and I can never seem to bypass them other than having to keep clicking chapter forward and that is anoying...
 
Having to shell out big bucks for a big high-def tv to get the most out of your player doesn't help either.

If Sony were thinking they'd be plugging BR's storage capacity as well. I'm sure a lot of people would find buying complete tv seasons on 2 disks rather than giant 4-6 dvd bricks a plus.

For awhile I was considering buying a blu-ray burner for my computer just for data storage backups. But external hdd's are getting so cleap I may just shelve that plan.
 
I think Disney is doing a smart thing by doing a "future proof" release of Beauty and the Beast, where the package comes with both the DVD and the Blu-Ray for about 10 bucks more.
 
I don't have the latest, greatest HD-TV, but on my HD LCD TV I can see the difference between high def and standard def like night and day. To show off HD, I had an upconverted DVD and a Blu-Ray movie playing the same scene at the same time and switched them back and forth and it was pretty obvious to everyone watching.

I also have an HD-DVD player and have bought several cheap titles. Just because HD-DVD lost doesn't mean the hardware suddenly stopped working.

Maybe everyone is expecting the great picture "pop" you get with the more recent movies, but a lot of older titles just aren't going to do that.

I don't think it's the price of the Blu-Ray player and discs as much as it is getting the HD-TV. When DVDs first came out, a plain brand name player that didn't do anything (not even fast forward or reverse) was $400-500. And the movies started at $25.

Of course, had HD-DVD come out ahead, the current numbers would be "great," right? :lol:
 
I wish that I could say I was surprised. DVD has established itself and people have pretty much replaced their video collections fully. Why change so quickly? Plus the cost is still so high. Perhaps when the prices come down on the players and the disks themselves we'll have better sales. Plus the economy isn't really that great at the moment.
 
DontFeedPhil said:
I think Blue-Ray's problem is the price of the Discs themselves. People in this day and economy just arent gonna pay 30-40 bucks for a Movie...Even if it is HD.
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Most Blu-Ray's I've seen, at least those for regular theatrical films and the like, don't cost quite that much. More like $20-25.
 
Well the points I hear here, soem are utter rubbish.

One the difference of what VHS displayed (the data not how you tv handles it) and DVD while dramatic is not as significant as the difference between DVD and 1080i.

Now the stickler for that is that you might have a HDTV (if you do) that either isn't large enough or not 1080i to allow you to actually see the difference.

For example my 50 inch 1080i running a standard film DVD looks okay, but sowing a blue ray 1080i form of that same film is a huge difference.

But showing that same film on my 35 inch 720 doesn't have near the jump in viewable quality.

The I don't want to replace my library of DVD's. Well, sorry not a valid point since I do believe that every blueray does allow playback of standard DVD. So you don't have to replace a single thing (Something VHS and DVD didn't allow for just one machine).

The high cost of the media. Sorry, but when DVD's first came out they ran they ran roughly the same price (and were in comparison easier and cheaper to produce). Most of the 4 major rental outlets Walmart, Amazon, Target and BEst Buy tend to have their film prices at 24-29 for a new title. Of course box sets are higher, typically 69-79. But remember for the first several years of DVD box sets of shows typically ran 89-100 dollars (and again were cheaper to produce).

Now the argument that it is more expensive due to the fact that you do need a different type of TV is absolutely valid. And while they have dropped considerable over the last four years they still aren't cheap.

So you do have the immediate start up cost of a blueray player 200-500. An HDTV from 400 to several thousands of dollars.

Then you have the subjective argument of the consumer being happy with what they currently have, now that is also (since its subjective) completely justifiable. Just because something is better doesn't mean I need or want it.

ANd for myself one of the largest pluses of DVD verses VHS was the difference size of the media.

Just in trek go from having every TOS, TNG, first 4 seasons of DS9 (at the time) store bought copies of those episode. Thats over 350 video tapes just for Trek, and imagine being able to put all episodes of Trek on two shelves of a video cabinet. And thats just Trek, when you consider that I had about 500 other video tapes (off the tv) of different shows, and several hundred films, my wall space was completely taken over by video tape. NOw with DVD Just a few Video cabinets hold all of that and more.

While PlayRay packaging is even smaller, its not a huge difference.

And I currently have two HDTV and the only player I have is the one on the Playstation. I probably wont get a player until after Christmas. But I do by a few titles, and do plan on getting a player by itself.
 
I haven't yet bought an HDTV. No point if you're not going to get a good one. But before I do that I need to get a new laptop. And before I do that I need to wait until my bank balance builds up again....paying my mother's property taxes drained it. And flying lessons are delaying that rebuild a bit.
 
Babaganoosh said:
Caleuche said:
Edit: Plus why get Blu-ray at all when downloading film/tv programmes to your television in the same way as to your ipod is the next logical step?
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Three things:

1) Blu-Ray is the best there is, right now. If you keep waiting for the next big thing, you're never gonna get anywhere.

2) You really want to deal with all that DRM bullshit that is inherent in downloading?

3) There's nowhere near the infrastructure, bandwidth, etc. in place to allow for anything like 1080p downloads.
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Agreed..i love my Blu-ray...Just got NATIONAL TREASURE and it was awesom in blueray

Rob
 
Okay... so there are two majore reasons why I haven't adopted blu-ray yet.

1. I don't like the media, its still susceptible to scratches. Why didn't they spend their time/money develop an SD style chip that is rugged and can take some serious abuse before it becomes faulty.

2. Price per disk is still too high. If they were the same price as DVD I would so make the jump to blu-ray, but until then I'll slum it with my thousand plus DVD collection.
 
PKerr said:
Now before anyone starts attacking with the whole Xbox 360/HD-DVD PS3/Blu-ray stuff hear me out.

I heard on the radio that Blu-ray is not catching fire like they thought it would after HD-DVD went away.
In fact the market is struggle so much that analyst predict you can pick up a player for $199.00 by Christmas time.

That said some co-workers and I were discussing it and mostly agree.

"We are not ready to got out and start replacing our current DVD collection to technology that may have a new rival in a few months for all we know."

I found a pretty good article on it if anyone is interested.

I agree with pretty much the whole thing with the exception that there is a minute difference between Blu-Ray and DVD.

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure: /...failing-in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time/


Discuss.
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We just finished converting to DVD a few years ago. VHSes were the norm for twenty years before that. I bloody well don't want to have to run out and buy a new Blu-Ray player set, and then a Super-HD DVD set, a few years from now, and not be able to play Blu-Ray discs on my current DVD player, etc....

We don't want to have to change formats every five minutes and if that bothers them, they'll just have to deal.
 
BoxWhatBox said:
1. I don't like the media, its still susceptible to scratches. Why didn't they spend their time/money develop an SD style chip that is rugged and can take some serious abuse before it becomes faulty.
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I'd also like to know why nobody seems interested in doing that.

I mean, I've never had a single problem with discs getting scratches (except with my Xbox 360, which despite being unmoved and on a very stable surface, chews every game I own to buggery and for no apparent reason), but something more hardy would be nice.
 
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