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Just bought my first blu ray. Am somewhat doubtful of its worth since you have to pay a premium. I shall see.

I get blu ray when possible, DVD if blu ray is not available (and not likely to come out anytime soon).

That said, it only really makes a difference when you have a good HD tv, and if it's large enough that you can spot the difference in resolution.

Also, it's usually a good idea to check online review of blu ray releases of your favorite movies - some companies just want to make a quick buck and put no effort in cleaning up the quality.

When it's properly done, it can be amazing, e.g. the LotR movies, Once Upon A Time In The West, or Lawrence Of Arabia.

With my current TV's, the biggest difference I note is in the sound quality.  I get blu-rays (only) when I buy and when I rent most of the time, DVDs where there aren't blu-rays to rent or if I don't have time to watch and need to burn them to watch later. Heh.

I've still got a CRT TV.  No reason to get a Blu Ray until I can afford to replace the TV.

I only have a handful of Blu-Rays for a couple of movies I truly adore;  so much streaming in Hulu, Netflix and Vudu is in HD anyway.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 27, 2013, 10:18:47 AM
I only have a handful of Blu-Rays for a couple of movies I truly adore;  so much streaming in Hulu, Netflix and Vudu is in HD anyway.

Seriously.  Hell, even YouTube can and does stream 1080p.  There was a little talk a while ago of Blu Ray killing DVDs, but I think we're more likely to see streaming kill both.

Quote from: DontSayBanana on January 27, 2013, 10:21:49 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 27, 2013, 10:18:47 AM
I only have a handful of Blu-Rays for a couple of movies I truly adore;  so much streaming in Hulu, Netflix and Vudu is in HD anyway.

Seriously.  Hell, even YouTube can and does stream 1080p.  There was a little talk a while ago of Blu Ray killing DVDs, but I think we're more likely to see streaming kill both.

Yeah, and now with HD downloadable content for phones and tablets, the concept of portability is shoving Blu-Ray out the window as well.

I think it'll take a while for streaming to totally get rid of physical media.  Of the 130 or so Blu Rays I own, I think fewer than 20 are available on Netflix Instant Watch--Last of the Mohicans, Planet of the Apes, and most if not all of my Universal monster movies are the only ones that immediately come to mind.  And of course movies fall off of Instant Watch all the time, which is really annoying when you've putting off watching something for whatever reason, finally sit down to enjoy it, and it's not there anymore.

Also for whatever it's worth Netflix doesn't put extras and such on their streaming service--why, I'm not sure, I guess it's not in the rights package that they contracted for.

Quote from: Tyr on January 27, 2013, 01:28:47 AM
Just bought my first blu ray. Am somewhat doubtful of its worth since you have to pay a premium. I shall see.

I thought the same until I watched one. No comparison.

I've yet to see a bluray film, maybe I'll skip till the next generation.

Quote from: mongers on January 27, 2013, 01:41:40 PM
I've yet to see a bluray film, maybe I'll skip till the next generation.

Nah, stick with the projectors and reels. ;)

The only blurays I have were gifts.  The HDness doesn't really matter to me.

Quote from: Syt on January 27, 2013, 01:48:14 AM
When it's properly done, it can be amazing, e.g. the LotR movies, Once Upon A Time In The West, or Lawrence Of Arabia.

Aww, why did you have to go and say that, I've been perfectly happy with my dvd copy... :glare:

Blu Ray & HD TV is in the living room, still Old School TVs & DVD players in bedrooms, so whenever possible try to buy combo packs...

I don't have a Blu-Ray player mainly because I don't have an HD TV.

I also don't buy movies anymore, 30$ is way expensive.

I mostly don't buy discs. I have a few bluray movies though.

Quote from: Tyr on January 27, 2013, 01:28:47 AM
Just bought my first blu ray. Am somewhat doubtful of its worth since you have to pay a premium. I shall see.

I buy only blu ray, and usually buy them when they are on special so I don't have to pay a premium, except for 3D.

On rent, blu ray is preferred, but the quantity is limited, so I'll rent a DVD in worst case scenario, and if the movie is really good, I'll buy it later on Blu Ray.

I do see a difference in the image, not only in the sound.  Lots more details when you pay attention.

My problem with the digital media is the lack of physical ownership. I like actually having a nice little colourful case and a disc in my hand, actually owning the media in question (sure sure, technically and legally thats not the case but in practice it is).
Digital media....theres not much difference to pirating apart from the lesser legal risk and slight feeling of doing the right thing.

QuoteI buy only blu ray, and usually buy them when they are on special so I don't have to pay a premium, except for 3D.

Even there though blu ray does tend to be more expensive. i.e. this one I bought was on special for 1500 (i.e. the standard price back home....pfff Japan) whereas the DVDs on special were 1000.
I figured thoguh since it was a modern action film (Die Hard 4.0. Not seen it yet), it might be worth it, and I was curious to investigate.

Assuming it's properly authored, I prefer blu-rays over dvds. The bigger the screen, the better one can see the difference, especially if you like to sit close to the screen. No more overscan in 1080p as well and  you don't need a huge tv to spot that as well.
The sound is also much better than dvd (no more Dolby digital compression for music), a point lost by many but then dubs and post-syncs are bad for the ears. It sounds so much better even for classics recorded in mono.
One does not even need a pricey home cinema sound system to hear the difference. Again, assuming you're used to hear music on something else than crappy mp3s or streaming.
Blu-rays are not that expensive nowadays and decreased pretty quickly actually. I'm sure Comte Largent and other old-timers remember Laserdiscs and their insane prices (Japanese import ? That was like 150 euros on the Virgin Megastore Champs-Elysées for Episode I).
1080p streaming is not the same as Bluray 1080p anyways but for the unwashed masses it will do.
Point is, blu-ray is geared towards the cinephile. Incidentally, CGI crap fests looks even faker on it thanks to the increased resolution ;)

Quote from: Duque de Bragança on January 28, 2013, 08:50:38 AM
Assuming it's properly authored, I prefer blu-rays over dvds. The bigger the screen, the better one can see the difference, especially if you like to sit close to the screen. No more overscan in 1080p as well and  you don't need a huge tv to spot that as well.
The sound is also much better than dvd (no more Dolby digital compression for music), a point lost by many but then dubs and post-syncs are bad for the ears. It sounds so much better even for classics recorded in mono.
One does not even need a pricey home cinema sound system to hear the difference. Again, assuming you're used to hear music on something else than crappy mp3s or streaming.
Blu-rays are not that expensive nowadays and decreased pretty quickly actually. I'm sure Comte Largent and other old-timers remember Laserdiscs and their insane prices (Japanese import ? That was like 150 euros on the Virgin Megastore Champs-Elysées for Episode I).
1080p streaming is not the same as Bluray 1080p anyways but for the unwashed masses it will do.
Point is, blu-ray is geared towards the cinephile. Incidentally, CGI crap fests looks even faker on it thanks to the increased resolution ;)

Thanks for the heads up, makes sense to a neo-luddite like me. :cheers:

Quote from: Duque de Bragança on January 28, 2013, 08:50:38 AM
1080p streaming is not the same as Bluray 1080p anyways but for the unwashed masses it will do.

You nailed it. I hear a lot of people saying they're just streaming/watching 1080p on YouTube, but the fact is... the image quality is nothing compared with Blu Ray. People who think otherwise are just severely deluding themselves.

I also agree that screen size is very important to watch good Blu Ray. Get the biggest TV you can. In particular to someone like me, who if alone tried to watch standing right next to the screen. Full immersion.  :)

I can no longer buy DVDs, only Blu Rays (unless it's a present, as many people around here stick to DVD). And come ON, the price is not an issue unless you like to buy brand new stuff. Blu Ray falls to the exact same price as DVDs over time. Heck, I bought the LoTR trilogy (Extended Edition) in Blu-Ray for £39.99 on Amazon.uk (free shipping), which is less than every single LoTR DVD cost me.

No one is noticing the difference between 1080p stream vs a 1080p bluray on a ~24 inches monitor.

You are like audio snobs. :rolleyes:

I never got around to getting a blu ray, and now with netflixs and on demand pay per view movies from our TV provider I dont think I will ever buy physical media anyway.