Can't Stomach Blu-Ray

[cultcross]

I own a grand total of 2 Blu-Rays. I bought a player at Xmas, and my rule is that I will only buy stuff on it that I want to be particularly visually stunning - ie the visuals are a major part of the package. To that end, I own Planet Earth and The Dark Knight. I won't be buying talking-head character dramas in high definition unless the price drops dramatically. The new Star Trek will be my 3rd Blu-Ray purchase. And should I win the lottery the remastered TOS (its damn pricey here for the blu-ray version)

 

[Rii]

I don't feel a need to buy all the movies and series I already have on DVD again in HD format.

I don't understand where this seemingly widespread belief that one must be willing to replace their DVD collection with Blu-Rays to purchase and make use of a Blu-Ray player comes from.

 

[Garrovick]

With my vision, blu-ray is non-existent. Just like my TV. To me, looking at it in the stores.

It's just brighter and dare I say it?

Bluer.

 

[Arrqh]

If you dont have a huge HDTV then don't bother with Blu-Ray. You need, what 40+ inches for it to even be a remote factor.

You can see the difference between a DVD and blu-ray on an HDTV much smaller than 40".

I think the 40" thing you're citing refers to where 1080p actually matters for an HDTV.

Even then, it's not necessarily true... because it is always going to depend on view distance.

 

[cultcross]

I don't feel a need to buy all the movies and series I already have on DVD again in HD format.

I don't understand where this seemingly widespread belief that one must be willing to replace their DVD collection with Blu-Rays to purchase and make use of a Blu-Ray player comes from.

The resistance comes I think from those who found themselves the proud owners of a rapidly obsolete and very large collection of VHS tapes a decade or so ago, facing the task of replacing them all with DVDs.
The reality here, however, is that DVD isn't going anywhere, at least not for a long time. Besides, unlike VHS, the new format is compatible with the old. You can play DVDs on a Blu-Ray player without any trouble, and its not a feature they're likely to block off. IT should really be thought of as an alternative format rather than a replacement one.

 

[cubbie]

I have an HD-DVD player and a blu-ray player (paid for the HD-DVD and got the blu-ray as a gift). Yes, I can notice a difference, but it's not that much for me to care, even on a 65 inc tv.

I had also gotten 1 year of netflix with blu-ray as a gift, but netflix decided to jack up the price of the blu-ray so I dropped that option. I had so many stutter problems with blu-ray rentals, I actually prefer the DVD's.

I do own a couple of blu-ray DVD's of recent movies that I really wanted, but overall, it's not something I would have gotten if I had to pay for it.

 

[BigFoot]

Don't like Blu-ray? Then don't buy it (movies and a player).

I personally absolutely love it which is why I have over 85 BD titles already.

 

[3superearthtrek]

only buy blu ray worthy movies.superhero movies,animated,nature and pixar like movies look unbelievable.(exp wall-e)I play them for people and they freak out.I have a 52 samsung 850(connected to an lg laptop,ps3 and a 360 elite).I max out the 120hz and it looks amazing.Its all worth it and I love my media machine.Im shopping for a terabite external drive right now to add to it.why not max out.you live once and its only money.it can be just ok or you can be like oh yaaa!

 

[3superearthtrek]

trust me theres a huge difference.ps3 is 400 and you can buy most pre-view blu rays for the same price as blurry dvds.stop being whiny and cheap and just make the switch,you wont regret it.

 

[Xevious]

I love the Sony displays I've seen at Best Buy with a Blue-Ray and DVD side by side comparison. The Blue-Ray picture looks clear of course, the DVD looks so fuzzy you can't even make out anybody's face.

 

[BigFoot]

^ I'm not trying to be anal about it, but it's actually Blu-ray, not Blue-ray (not the absence of an E).

Btw, if anyone is wondering, the official abbreviation for Blu-ray is actually BD (as in Blu-ray Disc), not BR.

 

[DanTheGrey]

For me right now, the upconverting works fine with our existing TV which has HD but is over 5 years old and is pre-HDMI so I have to go through a DVI interface. No point in going beyond that until after I upgrade the TV and that's not happening for a year or two. We'll see where Blu-Ray is then or if it's still niche.

That being said if I win one in a prize draw or something I'm not going to complain. I'm just not interested in paying a couple of hundred extra $$ for a player.

 

[Garrovick]

For me right now, the upconverting works fine with our existing TV which has HD but is over 5 years old and is pre-HDMI so I have to go through a DVI interface. No point in going beyond that until after I upgrade the TV and that's not happening for a year or two. We'll see where Blu-Ray is then or if it's still niche.

That being said if I win one in a prize draw or something I'm not going to complain. I'm just not interested in paying a couple of hundred extra $$ for a player.

I figure ten more years before Wal-Mart drops DVD like VHS.

 

[DanTheGrey]

For me right now, the upconverting works fine with our existing TV which has HD but is over 5 years old and is pre-HDMI so I have to go through a DVI interface. No point in going beyond that until after I upgrade the TV and that's not happening for a year or two. We'll see where Blu-Ray is then or if it's still niche.

That being said if I win one in a prize draw or something I'm not going to complain. I'm just not interested in paying a couple of hundred extra $$ for a player.

I figure ten more years before Wal-Mart drops DVD like VHS.

It's one thing for them to drop DVD, I'm just not 100% sold that BD is the 'next thing' and want to see some legs on it before I decide (and I only count from the end of the format wars in that time). It was probably 2 years into when DVD became common before I started looking at getting into it so I'm not usually rushing out as an early adopter.

 

[DBR]

The movies I have on BD look amazing. I 'm a bit surprised that some people can't tell the difference between DVD and Blu Ray.

The price of a Blu-Ray movie is the killer for me. A shitty, no frills DVD costs what a SuperMegaAwesome Edition DVD used to cost, and they bend you right over a barrel for the Blu-Ray version.

So in the past I would purchase pretty much any movie I wanted, to now where I only purchase a handful of movies a year, usually Blu-Ray; I have maybe 15 flicks in that format. I don't like feeling gouged.

 

[DanTheGrey]

I agree that the costs of DVD's and BD are just insane. I figure the studios are colluding to drive the price of reg DVD's up rather than lower the price of BD in order to narrow the gap. Prices on DVD were going down through the format wars, then suddenly there seems to be a premium except for first day out specials.

As for seeing a difference, I can see one between 720 and 1080, but it's not the same as going analog to 1080 or 420 to 1080. It's just not worth the premium to me for an incremental improvement. Upconverting player that goes up to 1080p with interlacing is doing a good enough job for me right now with the existing TV.

 

[Samurai8472]

My Sony upconverter works okay for me but blu-ray is tempting. Shame I can't play blu-ray dvd's on the upconverter.

 

[Scotty]

I love Blu-Ray and I'm buying all new releases on BD. I also just bought a new HD LED tv. Getting it this week. I can't wait. With the right equipment, the difference between DVD and BD is like VHS and DVD.

 

[Tombfyre]

sorry for absence...


I'm suprised i got such a response from my brief error filled rant

I current have a 42" Toshiba EDTV Plasma (720x480) that i'm going to replace with a new Sharpe Aquos LCD (46" 1080p) at some point when LED backlit TVs stop being a rip off. I also have a 32" Aquos that i use for my xbox 360.

While i can see the obvious difference between the two formats, I just find that i don't take any further enjoyment from the enhanced resolution... it just doesn't seem the same as playing a high res game in my mind.

Heres another gripe i have....

THE CASES!! Why on earth did they have to: 1) Make the cases blue and 2) make them small and tiny and way thinner than every other case i have.

Its like they plot to annoy consumers by making the cases different so they don't fit in well with their collections of films.

 

[BigFoot]

^ So you're telling us you're watching BDs on your EDTV (720x480) and you can't really tell much of a difference between DVD and BD? Well duh!