26 replies to this topic

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

Currently I live the conflicted life of a movie buff who owns a standard DVD player and a standard-def TV. The TV is a 36" Trinitron and it was free, so I've been in no rush to replace it, even though I know I'd get my money's worth out of a larger hi-def flat screen. I can easily envision staying with my current TV for at least another year or two, although if a great deal on 50" or larger flat screen pops up I'd make an immediate move, but that's not something I'm banking on.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a Blu-Ray DVD player, however, mostly to enjoy the streaming features and multiple file-playing capability, even if the improved picture provided by Blu-Ray DVDs won't be noticeable on my standard-def TV. I have an extensive collection of conventional DVDs, and every time I add to it I feel like I'm still buying Beta tapes in the early '80s. I have to make the switch at some point, right? I'd rather be buying Blu-Ray discs. Blu-Ray players aren't really that expensive anymore, anyway, so it feels like a no-brainer to buy one. Big deal.

But here's the thing: by the time I get a big flat screen TV, say, a year or two from now, will DVDs (Blu-Ray or otherwise) be on the wane completely? At some point cinephiles are going to go discless and everything will be stored digitally, right? So am I already on the back end of the curve, especially since I won't enjoy the increased picture quality of a Blu-Ray player until I get a hi-def TV (which could be a while)? Is it better just to wait and see what movie-playing tech is available when I actually buy a new TV?

Or am I overthinking this?

[Greg Blosser]

You're overthinking it but get a blu-ray now anyway. Like you said, they're cheap. And at least you'll be buying blu-ray movies which will still look great once you make the jump to an HD flat screen. DVDs will look like crap, so you might as well stop buying them now.

As for the future of media distribution, cross that bridge when you come to it.

Currently I live the conflicted life of a movie buff who owns a standard DVD player and a standard-def TV. The TV is a 36" Trinitron and it was free, so I've been in no rush to replace it, even though I know I'd get my money's worth out of a larger hi-def flat screen. I can easily envision staying with my current TV for at least another year or two, although if a great deal on 50" or larger flat screen pops up I'd make an immediate move, but that's not something I'm banking on.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a Blu-Ray DVD player, however, mostly to enjoy the streaming features and multiple file-playing capability, even if the improved picture provided by Blu-Ray DVDs won't be noticeable on my standard-def TV. I have an extensive collection of conventional DVDs, and every time I add to it I feel like I'm still buying Beta tapes in the early '80s. I have to make the switch at some point, right? I'd rather be buying Blu-Ray discs. Blu-Ray players aren't really that expensive anymore, anyway, so it feels like a no-brainer to buy one. Big deal.

But here's the thing: by the time I get a big flat screen TV, say, a year or two from now, will DVDs (Blu-Ray or otherwise) be on the wane completely? At some point cinephiles are going to go discless and everything will be stored digitally, right? So am I already on the back end of the curve, especially since I won't enjoy the increased picture quality of a Blu-Ray player until I get a hi-def TV (which could be a while)? Is it better just to wait and see what movie-playing tech is available when I actually buy a new TV?

Or am I overthinking this?

[Blacken]

DVD->Blu-Ray is nice to have, but, IMO, isn't the quality jump that VHS->DVD was. Unless you sit right on top of the screen or have freakishly good attention to detail (and I don't mean "there's a shoe on the ground in the background" detail, I mean "counting pixels" detail), you are unlikely to notice a major difference going from DVD to Blu-Ray. It is definitely a step up, and the picture is generally just sharper, but it's not the biggest thing in the world.

Personally, I wouldn't own a Blu-Ray player if I hadn't bought a PS3. DVDs are OK, and I get most stuff through Netflix anyway.

Edited by Blacken, 28 November 2011 - 04:05 PM.

[AlNipper49]

My thinking:



1. They're cheap
2. The technology isn't going anywhere, especially for a movie-phile like you who will always buy a version
3. There are some cool features like Netflix streaming that you may reap immediate utility

[loshjott]

I'm in the market for one both to upgrade the video quality (I have an HDTV) and to give my household another streaming device. I'm getting a wifi enabled Blu-Ray player for the big TV so I can move the Roku to the TV in the bedroom and have two TV-sized streaming devices.

[johnmd20]

DVD->Blu-Ray is nice to have, but, IMO, isn't the quality jump that VHS->DVD was. Unless you sit right on top of the screen or have freakishly good attention to detail (and I don't mean "there's a shoe on the ground in the background" detail, I mean "counting pixels" detail), you are unlikely to notice a major difference going from DVD to Blu-Ray. It is definitely a step up, and the picture is generally just sharper, but it's not the biggest thing in the world.

The blu ray picture is better and it's noticeable but not so amazing you can't do without it versus a DVD. You are going overboard saying "you have to be able to count pixels" but your point is a good one. The sound, however, is phenomenally better if you have a good surround sound system.(7.1)

[HangingW/ScottCooper]

The cycle of technology is 10-15 years. One thing I would check is to see if your current TV has an HDMI port - that's how most Blu Players connect. I would also recommend buying Blu Ray combo backs for movies going forward. It's becoming more and more common for the combo packs to include both the Blu Ray and DVD version.

This Holiday season you're going start to see $100 Blu Ray players that may even be Wifi enabled. However, if you're banking on that being better than a Wii or other wifi enabled device for streaming, you will probably be disappointed.

Having said all that, I paid $1400 for a 42 inch TV 5 years ago, you can get 42 inch TVs now for less than half that. I also spent $400 for my first Blu Ray player and again, now the price for much better Blu Ray players is less than half that as well.

If it isn't a huge financial burden for you, I highly recommend it. It's well worth the price for the increase in the quality of your entertainment system.

[JohntheBaptist]

DVD->Blu-Ray is nice to have, but, IMO, isn't the quality jump that VHS->DVD was. Unless you sit right on top of the screen or have freakishly good attention to detail (and I don't mean "there's a shoe on the ground in the background" detail, I mean "counting pixels" detail), you are unlikely to notice a major difference going from DVD to Blu-Ray. It is definitely a step up, and the picture is generally just sharper, but it's not the biggest thing in the world.

Personally, I wouldn't own a Blu-Ray player if I hadn't bought a PS3. DVDs are OK, and I get most stuff through Netflix anyway.

Wow, to each his own but I could not disagree more. Blu-ray may actually have spoiled me forever--it isn't really just specifically about picture clarity for me but the integrity of the colors, brightness, all that stuff. I don't even know Rip and I would be shocked if he was "unlikely to notice a major difference going from DVD to Blu-ray."

I upgraded to the HDtv and a blu-ray about five months ago. Have netflix through my PS3, and I'm still so addicted to constantly watching/ re-watching movies on the HD thru a blu-ray player that I rarely use anything else. "The Searchers" this weekend was like a fucking religious experience.

My two cents. You're a movie buff, wait out the technological stampedes elsewhere I'd say, this is worth it.

[jon abbey]

I think it depends on how big your set is. I have a 46" Sony HDTV, and honestly don't notice much visual difference between DVDs and Blu-Rays, and I'm generally hypersensitive to that kind of thing. To be fair, my taste is more towards Criterions and foreign films than it is Hollywood product, so maybe it's generally more obvious in the latter. I think if your set is 50+ inches, it becomes a more noticeable difference.

[Hendu for Kutch]

I think it depends on how big your set is. I have a 46" Sony HDTV, and honestly don't notice much visual difference between DVDs and Blu-Rays, and I'm generally hypersensitive to that kind of thing. To be fair, my taste is more towards Criterions and foreign films than it is Hollywood product, so maybe it's generally more obvious in the latter. I think if your set is 50+ inches, it becomes a more noticeable difference.

Ya, size makes all the difference. I've got a 100" projector screen in my basement. DVD's still look good being upscaled, but the blu-ray movies look absolutely fantastic. I've got the first two seasons of Lost on DVD and the rest on Blu-Ray, and any time I've done a series re-watch, going from Season 2 on DVD to Season 3 on Blu-Ray is like watching a whole new show.

[JimBoSox9]

My .2 cents:

1. An upgrade from DVD to Bly-Ray is a nice, cool quality bump.

2. In a year or two, with a little bit of thought and effort into the setup, it will not be hard to get most content you want via the web, in one form or another.

1+2 = Upgrading to Blu-Ray is definitely money that is not a long-term investment, but if you're a big movie guy and that's how you want to spend your entertainment dollar, the price point is low enough that you should go ahead and do it.

[jodyreeddudley78]

I think it depends on how big your set is. I have a 46" Sony HDTV, and honestly don't notice much visual difference between DVDs and Blu-Rays, and I'm generally hypersensitive to that kind of thing. To be fair, my taste is more towards Criterions and foreign films than it is Hollywood product, so maybe it's generally more obvious in the latter. I think if your set is 50+ inches, it becomes a more noticeable difference.

I think this is the best point. Yes, Blu-Ray looks/sounds better, but it is only truly noticeable on the newer films. Especially the special effects driven films. For example, I have Fight Club on DVD. Someone bought it for me on Blu-Ray as a gift not knowing that I already had it. The actual film quality is nearly identical. The biggest difference is in the available amount of features on the disc and through the internet. That is really about it. If you really dive into the additional material, then it is worth the jump. Just make sure your tv has the HDMI connection.

[smastroyin]

The problem with comparing Blu-Rays directly to their DVD counterparts is that there are a lot of cruddy transfers.

It is important to understand that Blu-Ray players also improve the quality of DVD picture. So if you are comparing a DVD to Blu on the same player, you have that bias, as most Blu now upscale and at minimum are all progressive scan.

For my part, I thought DVDs, even on my crappy little 24" CRT, looked better from the first day I popped one into my PS3. This is largely I assume due to the difference between 480i and 480p. When I went to an HD set, even at 40", I can definitely see the differences. But again, it is in large part due to hardware. Someone with a really nice progressive scan DVD player will have as good a picture as a Blu-Ray player for all DVDs and the difference between that picture and a Blu Ray is not a huge leap. Someone with a crappy old DVD player from the Clinton presidency will see a larger difference.

Some points:

- Make sure whatever player you have does upscaling. I think they all do now, but you never know. This will make your entire DVD collection look better, particularly when you go to an HD set.
- When deciding whether to upgrade your back catalog, it is worth it to check out some reviews to make sure the transfer is decent. I presume this will be less of a problem going forward. Still, some movies will benefit more than others (I agree that Fight Club doesn't look much different. I have other movies that the difference is large (Batman Begins as an example)).
- You like movies, so it's really important to remember the Blu-Ray also has better sound, and actually on good equipment I believe the sound is a bigger step change than the video (that said, I don't have said equipment and am only speaking from a second-hand perspective).
- I have a good streaming set-up and it has not changed my consumption of movies that I really like. What it has done is made it less likely I'll pick up some shitty movie in the bargain bin. For movies I really like, I want the extras and the full ability to manipulate the frame. I suppose streaming will catch up with this at some point but it's not there yet.

[MannysDestination]

Wait until the next generation of gaming consoles come out (next 12-24 months). They'll all have blu-ray and they'll have internet connectivity so you can gain online content access in the same move. An alternative is to buy a current Playstation 3 (used just fine), which has online streaming access and blu-ray today.

Anyone who says they are the same is full of shit or needs glasses (or doesn't have their HD set up correctly). There is an enormous difference on any HD TV.

Edited by MannysDestination, 28 November 2011 - 06:16 PM.

[LoweTek]

I think this is the best point. Yes, Blu-Ray looks/sounds better, but it is only truly noticeable on the newer films. Especially the special effects driven films. For example, I have Fight Club on DVD. Someone bought it for me on Blu-Ray as a gift not knowing that I already had it. The actual film quality is nearly identical. The biggest difference is in the available amount of features on the disc and through the internet. That is really about it. If you really dive into the additional material, then it is worth the jump. Just make sure your tv has the HDMI connection.

Hey JRD, long time no see. I bolded your last senetence. It's important here.

We're all missing an important fact in Rip's opening statement. He does not have an HDTV and does not intend to get one anytime soon. The best connection to his Trinitron is S-Video, certainly no HDMI. I don't know, but do the newer BRs even have S-Video (or composite) output? He will see no picture improvement regardless of media through an S-Video or composite connection. So Smas, he has nothing to upscale to...

I think he's wasting his money unless he also gets an HDTV. I agree with those saying a good BR is very noticably better than a DVD but DVDs look better in their own right when played on a BR to an HDTV. If the BR media has features such as those JRD mentions or if Rip can actually use any on-line features the BR player might have it could be worth it to him. But until he upgrades to an HDTV, picture quality won't be one of the advantages.

[jon abbey]

Anyone who says they are the same is full of shit or needs glasses (or doesn't have their HD set up correctly). There is an enormous difference on any HD TV.

Not the same, but as the far more reasoned post directly above yours points out, upscaling closes the gap quite a bit, at least on my set.

[smastroyin]

Hey JRD, long time no see. I bolded your last senetence. It's important here.

We're all missing an important fact in Rip's opening statement. He does not have an HDTV and does not intend to get one anytime soon. The best connection to his Trinitron is S-Video, certainly no HDMI. I don't know, but do the newer BRs even have S-Video (or composite) output? He will see no picture improvement regardless of media through an S-Video or composite connection. So Smas, he has nothing to upscale to...

I think he's wasting his money unless he also gets an HDTV. I agree with those saying a good BR is very noticably better than a DVD but DVDs look better in their own right when played on a BR to an HDTV. If the BR media has features such as those JRD mentions or if Rip can actually use any on-line features the BR player might have it could be worth it to him. But until he upgrades to an HDTV, picture quality won't be one of the advantages.

Yeah but he knows all of this. His question is whether he should buy a Blu-Ray player now so that he can start accumulating Blu Ray discs instead of dropping money into DVDs that he will later want to convert...and secondarily, whether buying Blu-Ray disc is even worth anything because maybe there will be no physical media by the time he converts to a set-up that can do HD well.

To the first part, I should have added that most Blu-Ray discs come with a DVD version as well nowadays, so it's probably worth accumulating them as you can use the DVD today anyway. I assume this is to get media sales to people like Rip who haven't upgraded yet but are thinking about it, and I don't think the practice will go on very much longer, but I could be wrong.

The second point I addressed, but to me it's worth noting again. For things I care about, I'm thrilled to have Blu-Ray at home even if I can stream an HD version. The only thing streaming has changed in my physical media consumption is that before streaming there was a non-zero chance I would buy something like Weird Science if Target put it in front my face at the right time.

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

Yeah but he knows all of this. His question is whether he should buy a Blu-Ray player now so that he can start accumulating Blu Ray discs instead of dropping money into DVDs that he will later want to convert...and secondarily, whether buying Blu-Ray disc is even worth anything because maybe there will be no physical media by the time he converts to a set-up that can do HD well.

That's pretty much it. I think I can justify the purchase now, because between various streaming sources (Netflix, mlb.tv, etc) and the ability to play a digital files (home videos of the kids, etc) on top of the upgrade to Blu-Ray, it's probably worth it. But if I don't end up buying an HDTV until two -- or even three -- years from now, I suspect by then the typical home media center will be run solely by a computer. And if so, I'd feel better about dumping all my cash into building the best system possible at that point, rather than having wasted money on a Blu-Ray player whose primary benefit (outstanding picture) I never got to enjoy.

I'm sure I'm overthinking it, but this is what technology does to us.

Edit: When I do make the jump to HDTV, I'm going big. 50" minimum, from there I'll go up to whatever's feasible in terms of price point and being able to fit in my living room. Picture quality (or lack thereof) is going to be more easily spotted, I imagine.

Edited by The Allented Mr Ripley, 28 November 2011 - 08:33 PM.

[Hendu for Kutch]

I think this is the best point. Yes, Blu-Ray looks/sounds better, but it is only truly noticeable on the newer films. Especially the special effects driven films. For example, I have Fight Club on DVD. Someone bought it for me on Blu-Ray as a gift not knowing that I already had it. The actual film quality is nearly identical.

I know it doesn't really matter here since picture upgrade isn't a consideration for Ripley, but I disagree with this. It's not about the age of the film, it's about the quality and effort put into the transfer. I picked up the Wizard of Oz on Blu-Ray and it looks amazing. Just flawless and vibrant and way better than anything I'd ever seen. There are a lot of crappy transfers out there (highdefdigest.com is a great place to read reviews on video/audio quality). But there are also movies that look intentionally gritty that don't really benefit from the improvement. Movies like 28 Days Later, Blair Witch Project, and (I'm guessing by what you've said) Fight Club. The new War of the Worlds is another example, although the audio on that Blu-Ray just about knocked the tiles off my ceiling.

[LoweTek]

When I do make the jump to HDTV, I'm going big. 50" minimum, from there I'll go up to whatever's feasible in terms of price point and being able to fit in my living room. Picture quality (or lack thereof) is going to be more easily spotted, I imagine.

You should offer a piece of artwork in trade for an HDTV. You can take bids in inches.

[AlNipper49]

<br />That's pretty much it. I think I can justify the purchase now, because between various streaming sources (Netflix, mlb.tv, etc) and the ability to play a digital files (home videos of the kids, etc) on top of the upgrade to Blu-Ray, it's probably worth it. But if I don't end up buying an HDTV until two -- or even three -- years from now, I suspect by then the typical home media center will be run solely by a computer. And if so, I'd feel better about dumping all my cash into building the best system possible at that point, rather than having wasted money on a Blu-Ray player whose primary benefit (outstanding picture) I never got to enjoy.<br /><br />I'm sure I'm overthinking it, but this is what technology does to us.<br /><br />Edit: When I do make the jump to HDTV, I'm going big. 50&quot; minimum, from there I'll go up to whatever's feasible in terms of price point and being able to fit in my living room. Picture quality (or lack thereof) is going to be more easily spotted, I imagine.<br />

I think you're over-thinking it. I spend all my A/V budget on digital storage and there is still the occasional need for a DVD/Blu-Ray player. The movie you really want to see perfectly, the aunt who buys the kid a DVD for Christmas, the piece of shit DVD that comes with every Imaginext toy, etc.

[Nick Kaufman]

I don't understand the logic of keeping the standard def tv because you got it for free. Unless money is an object, the no brainer is to get an HDTV now. That would give you a shot of getting some money off the standard tv by finding a buyer on Craigslist. This is a tough proposition now, it would be impossible in a couple of years time.

Moreover, if you re thinking that a home theater will be run by computers in a couple of years time, why don't you get a blue ray drive or burner for the computer? It would be marginally cheaper than a player, it would allow you to hook up your computer to your TV now and perhaps you can use it for computer back up a couple of times.

[24JoshuaPoint]

Is there much difference with any of the Blu-Ray players out there? I just want something to stream from my computer really. I would buy a PS3 or similar but it's a bit more $$ and i'm not much of a gamer any more. Amazon has a bunch of different BR models for under or around $80 bucks.

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

Just ordered one online, my wife will give it to me for Christmas.

The added bonus is that it will likely hasten the purchase of an HDTV.

[Montana Fan]

Like you I had the 36" Trinitron for the last decade. Finally upgraded to. 55" Phillips earlier this year. Picked it up for 999 at Costco. While it probably isn't what the high tech gamers would go for, the sports watching and GoT viewing experience is incredible. You will love the difference. If you're a Costco guy, they had a 55" Vizio for 899 when I was in there last Sunday.

[smastroyin]

Just ordered one online, my wife will give it to me for Christmas.

The added bonus is that it will likely hasten the purchase of an HDTV.

I was going to say this but didn't want to dissuade your purchase. I got my PS3 in August of 2007 and had a new TV that Christmas even though until I got the PS3 I had little interest in spending the money.

[RSN Diaspora]

You can take bids in inches.

Makes sense, since his mom charges in inches.