Bluray - worth it?

Grapple · Post by **Grapple** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:06 pm

I've seen Bluray a few times, but it only really matters if you're watching it with a newish film with sharp footage. Given that, looking at Transformers for example, is it really worth the freakin' 350 dollar investment to get a sharper picture? Is the image THAT much better? Opinions please.

Ackula · Post by **Ackula** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:29 pm

In my experience the difference is very minute, and you must have the proper equipment to even see that minute difference. When I say a minute difference I am directly comparing Blu-Ray to DVD playing on an HD Plasma TV with HDMI connections running on 1080i resolution with an upconverted DVD player broadcasting in upconverted HD, which is what I currently have. I can see very little difference in watching standard DVDs on this setup, as opposed to my friends similar setup with Blu-Ray.

I think the following list taken from another article puts it best in pointing out the reasons most consumers prefer DVD at this point.

* They barely see the audio/video improvement
* They already own a DVD player
* DVD Players are much cheaper to buy
* DVDs are 30% to 40% cheaper than Blu-ray disks
* Video stores have considerably more DVDs for rental
* While this one may seem odd, the fact that DVDs are easier to copy also plays in favor of the old poorly protected format

Those reasons are pretty much my own as well.

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:01 pm

Personally I'd say no. You can still get a DVD player and the DVDs themselves for cheaper. I won't make the switch until the standard format dies and Bluray is cheaper.

There's not enough of a picture quality difference for me. Especially with my ~10 year old tv that I watch them on.

That and I can get double and triple-pack sets at walmart for $9-15.

Jaynz · Post by **Jaynz** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:13 pm

Grapple wrote:I've seen Bluray a few times, but it only really matters if you're watching it with a newish film with sharp footage. Given that, looking at Transformers for example, is it really worth the freakin' 350 dollar investment to get a sharper picture? Is the image THAT much better? Opinions please.

For just one movie? Absolutely not. The image is sharper, to be sure, but it's not enough to warrant a BluRay player for it. Now, if your DVD player's already given out, on the other hand, that's another matter...

The other issue is that there's not a whole lot on BluRay yet that takes advantage of the hi-def format, really. I like Blazing Saddles as much as anyone, but is it really a movie that needed to go hi-def over DVD? Not really. Of course, legendary sci-fi films such as Star Wars, Wrath of Khan, etc, aren't available yet, making it even iffier.

If you're really set on getting a BluRay player, though, I really do recommend getting a PS3 instead. Its about the same price, is one of the better players on the market, and is also a PS3.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:03 am

Yes and no.

It's worth it if you're getting a PS3 anyway and you buy recently made movies on Bluray.

If you have an HDTV and an upconverting player, most movies are not worth repurchasing on Bluray.

It's not currently worth purchasing as a standalone player.

Individual Bluray discs are not worth buying unless they are on sale. For me, even as a young male with ample disposable income, paying $25-$30 for a movie is too much. They need to get the disc prices down to be competitive with DVD if they want the format to survive.

As has already been pointed out, DVD still has a ton going for it and even with HD-DVD knocked out of the picture, Bluray is still facing an uphill battle.