Blu-Ray: What's the difference? How much better than DVD? Is it worth buying?

[christopherave]

is Blu Ray gonna die out, or will it be around for another 20 years?, cuz i got a HDTV and wanna get one, but dont know if it will be worth it

 

[crazy ebw]

It's worth it. Trust.

 

[fraij da 5 11]

Originally Posted by ChristopherAve

is Blu Ray gonna die out, or will it be around for another 20 years?, cuz i got a HDTV and wanna get one, but dont know if it will be worth it

20 years? Highly doubt it... as technology moves foward it gains momentum and picks up speed as far as what can be developed... DVD has beenaround for like 13-14 years now? I guarantee there will be a new and better format within the next 10 years... but BR will continue beyond that as DVD hastoday...

But buying something now and having it for the next 5-10 years is gonna be worth it anyways... especially with prices dropping

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Originally Posted by Crank Lucas

Originally Posted by shatterkneesinc

Originally Posted by Crank Lucas

arent ps3 like 299 now? im not even a playstation fan but Ill throwin in the extra 100 for it, plus Im hearing ps3 blu ray player is the better of them all

if you can find the 40gb models
or you can use ebay and get cashback thru live.com

I think ill be good with a 40gb model, because I probably wont even play it that much I believe the 40gb is discontinued though correct?

yes the 40gb is discontinued but some sellers might still have it. I think 40gb is better anyway because you can always upgrade the hard drive andthe upgrade is cheaper. I just swapped out the hard drive in my external hard drive and upgrade to 160gb to my ps3 and replace the 80gb hard drive in the ps3back to my external hard drive.

 

[memphisboi55]

bns1201 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

blu ray >>>>>>>> HD DVD

hush that nonsense. they both looked the goddang same.



hush that nonsense, still salty that ur toshiba isnt gettin any play? its not all about the looks...its about the sound/extras and blu-ray>>>>>>>>>hd-dvd overall


but *## does it matter...

actually my toshiba hd dvd player gets lots of play sir.

i have plenty of hd dvd movies, actually just watched i am legend last night on it.

 

[shaunjon]

If you wanna see the difference between standard and blu ray dvd's go to best buy. Me and my girl were standing there looking at the little demonstrationdvd they play on their hdtv's and there is a big difference. But like everyone else said, you gotta get a hdtv to get the results. That's why im tryingto upgrade from my 26 in. 720p to a 32 in. 1080p

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Originally Posted by ShaunJon

If you wanna see the difference between standard and blu ray dvd's go to best buy. Me and my girl were standing there looking at the little demonstration dvd they play on their hdtv's and there is a big difference. But like everyone else said, you gotta get a hdtv to get the results. That's why im trying to upgrade from my 26 in. 720p to a 32 in. 1080p

hmm a 32in 1080p..
I dont recommend that because 32in is way too small for you to experience 1080p in all its glory. 720p will suit you just fine.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I just ordered Apocalpyto on Blu Ray, for those who have seen it, what were your thoughts? I also preordered Passion of Christ on blu ray, coming out inFebruary.

 

[crazy ebw]

Originally Posted by shatterkneesinc

Originally Posted by ShaunJon

If you wanna see the difference between standard and blu ray dvd's go to best buy. Me and my girl were standing there looking at the little demonstration dvd they play on their hdtv's and there is a big difference. But like everyone else said, you gotta get a hdtv to get the results. That's why im trying to upgrade from my 26 in. 720p to a 32 in. 1080p

hmm a 32in 1080p..
I dont recommend that because 32in is way too small for you to experience 1080p in all its glory. 720p will suit you just fine.

Yes it's def not worth it unless you really get a deal on it or you just HAVE to have it...

 

[food4thgt]

Just droppin some knowledge...

First off..Blu-Ray way >>> HD DVD..but doesnt mean you should throw out the HD DVD i would get a box that plays both

LG has one that plays both blu-ray and hd dvd..

You will get the most out of your blu-ray player with a TV that is 1080p, 120hz, and a decent contrast ratio of maybe 40,000 or more.

The important part is the hdmi cable you use make sure to get the one the best suits your tv..

 

[crazy ebw]

I can't believe people are even talking about HD DVD in this thread.

The format is dead. It's not worth investing in unless you already have it or can get it for dirt cheap. (Like those Borders deals

)

 

[fraij da 5 11]

Originally Posted by Food4Thgt

Just droppin some knowledge...

First off..Blu-Ray way >>> HD DVD..but doesnt mean you should throw out the HD DVD i would get a box that plays both

LG has one that plays both blu-ray and hd dvd..

You will get the most out of your blu-ray player with a TV that is 1080p, 120hz, and a decent contrast ratio of maybe 40,000 or more.

The important part is the hdmi cable you use make sure to get the one the best suits your tv..

Im not sure if you actually know what you're talking about...

Contrast ratio as a # itself isnt at all a good way to shop around... There is no standard for measuring it so 20,000 on a Samsung vs a Sony could actually beconsiderably (keen eye) different...

And there really isnt one HDMI cable that suits a TV more than another... not sure what youre getting at there...


EDIT

I meant like the different HDMI cables for TVs.. Like a HDMI cable that can support a 120hz TV doesn't necessarily need to be used on a TV of 60 hz..
120hz HDMI cables is a gimmick... any properly functioning HDMI will support a 120hz TV... Plasmas have been running on faster processors for awhile now... why do you think 120hz cables surfaced AFTER LCD started throwing the 120hz processor at you?

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Originally Posted by Food4Thgt

Just droppin some knowledge...

First off..Blu-Ray way >>> HD DVD..but doesnt mean you should throw out the HD DVD i would get a box that plays both

LG has one that plays both blu-ray and hd dvd..

You will get the most out of your blu-ray player with a TV that is 1080p, 120hz, and a decent contrast ratio of maybe 40,000 or more.

The important part is the hdmi cable you use make sure to get the one the best suits your tv..

you sound like a saleman who has no idea what he is tlaking about

 

[reigndrop]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

For those wondering, I got my BD's in HK, where they don't have to follow the 'US release date schedule'... as soon as the retailers get their shipment, they hit the shelves.

and regarding a previous post, yes, the Iron Man in BD is fantastic... pretty much all the new blockbuster releases have a pristine HD transfer... other notable 'showcase' BDs include the Pirates of the Caribbean set and Casino Royale...

and for the video tech-heads in here, when they remaster old films, do they scan them in 4k, then downscale them to 1080p? just wondering...

Hong Kong?

[h1]Pirates Prey on Blu-Ray DVD Format[/h1] [h3]By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER[/h3]

• Article
• Comments

HONG KONG -- Movie pirates are going after Blu-ray, using a technological twist that makes their illicit copies both cheap to make and tough for consumers to spot.

Pirates are taking advantage of the fact that many viewers can't tell the difference between Hollywood's new high-definition, higher-priced Blu-ray movie format and a bootleg format -- called AVCHD -- that's a grade lower: AVCHD uses 720 horizontal lines of resolution instead of Blu-ray's 1,080, but still offers a sharper picture than an ordinary DVD on high-definition television sets.

View Full Image
[img]http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AS970_BLURAY_D_20081116172347.jpg[/img]
Geoffrey A. Fowler/The Wall Street Journal
Pirated Blu-ray disks seized by Chinese authorities.

[img]http://s.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif[/img]

The movies are pulled off Blu-ray discs using easily available software. Because of the lower resolution, they can be put on ordinary blank DVDs instead of more costly blank Blu-ray discs. That makes them quite profitable for pirates to make, warns the Motion Picture Association, the industry group that battles piracy on behalf of the studios owned by Walt Disney Co., Viacom Inc., Sony Corp., News Corp., Time Warner Inc., and General Electric Co.

"We are concerned and are assigning priority to this issue," said Mike Ellis, the Asia-Pacific managing director for the MPA.

Some eBay Inc. merchants are warning customers to look out for counterfeit Blu-ray discs, or ordinary DVDs passed off as Blu-rays. One tip-off: Real Blu-ray discs attract fingerprints more easily than the pirated discs.

The industry took notice last month when authorities raided a big stash of the new pirated discs in China, which is often at the leading edge of piracy trends. Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen last month unearthed a pirated warehouse collection with 800 of the discs, with titles ranging from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" to "Transformers." The pirates had packaged them in Blu-ray's recognizable blue boxes, including holograms to try to make them look like the real thing.

"Pirated DVDs from this region...have been exported all over the world in the last few years. These syndicates are very quick to spot market opportunities," said Mr. Ellis.

The MPA estimates that within the next six months the high-definition discs could account for 10% of $224 million that its member companies lose from piracy in China. While a legitimate Blu-ray discs costs about $30, a pirated Chinese disc goes for as little as $7.

The new piracy threat comes as the industry tries to push Blu-ray to compensate for softening sales of regular DVDs. Entertainment companies hope consumers will upgrade their libraries to the newer discs. In the four weeks ended Oct. 26, Blu-ray discs accounted for 6% of the home-video market, according to Nielsen VideoScan. Retailers and electronics companies recently cut prices on Blu-ray players to spur adoption.

The pirate discs haven't yet appeared outside of Asia. But the industry worries they could find a market in places with lower penetration of broadband Internet access. In those markets, downloading high-definition video files -- legitimate or illegitimate -- can be lengthy and cumbersome.

"When we created the specifications for Blu-ray, we were very serious about trying to stem the tide of pirate discs regardless of where they were in the world," said Andy Parsons, a senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics Inc.'s Home Entertainment Group and the U.S. chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association Promotions Committee.

The association built two layers of copyright protection into their discs. One layer unique to Blu-ray, called BD+, checks to make sure that the disc isn't being played somewhere it shouldn't be. "To make a pirated Blu-ray disc is pretty difficult," said Mr. Parsons.

Pirates use software to pull high-definition video off Blu-ray discs. One software company, Slysoft Inc., claims to have cracked Blu-ray's protection software last year and sells a program to extract Blu-ray movies called AnyDVD HD for the equivalent of about $100. Slysoft said in a statement in March that it enabled "backup security copies of Blu-ray discs." The U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act bans DVD copying, but Slysoft has said its software is legal in Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean nation where it is based.

Mr. Parsons said he was aware of Slysoft's claim but declined to comment on it. Slysoft didn't respond to requests for comment.

The technical protections built into Blu-ray can be changed by encoding a software update onto new Blu-ray discs. But those updates, too, will be cracked, said Peer van Heuen, head of SlySoft's high-definition technologies, in an earlier press release. "The worst-case scenario then is our boss locks us up with only bread and water in the company dungeon for three months until we are successful again," he said.
-James T. Areddy in Shanghai contributed to this article.
Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at [email protected]



http://online.wsj.com/art...SB122688367525432273.html

Edit: for those of you purchasing Blu-Ray movies on ebay, I'd watch it.

 

[wearinthefourfive]

People in here don't understand, the battle between blu-ray and HD-DVD came down to gamers and porn. Usually whoever the porn business backs comes out on top. And plus, every PS3 comes with a built in blu-ray player while you had to purchase a HD-DVD player on top of your XBOX 360...It's quite simple really.

 

[food4thgt]

I meant like the different HDMI cables for TVs.. Like a HDMI cable that can support a 120hz TV doesn't necessarily need to be used on a TV of 60 hz..

 

[agthekid]

I'm fine with my xbox 360.

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Originally Posted by Food4Thgt

I meant like the different HDMI cables for TVs.. Like a HDMI cable that can support a 120hz TV doesn't necessarily need to be used on a TV of 60 hz..

the hertz for a television is limited to the screen panels and video processors
hdmi only transfer data to the TV
Plasma screens have 480hz but does that mean they are better than LCDs with 120hz?

 

[pinoy805jays]

would blu ray players be worth it on a 720p lcd? and does it play regular dvds and upconvert them?

 

[crazy ebw]

Originally Posted by WearinTheFourFive

People in here don't understand, the battle between blu-ray and HD-DVD came down to gamers and porn. Usually whoever the porn business backs comes out on top. And plus, every PS3 comes with a built in blu-ray player while you had to purchase a HD-DVD player on top of your XBOX 360...It's quite simple really.

People don't pay for Porn anymore.

 

[food4thgt]

Now I didnt know that...IMO an LCD at 120hz are better than any plasma that you can show me. at 480 hz ..

 

[food4thgt]

Originally Posted by piNoy805jAys

would blu ray players be worth it on a 720p lcd? and does it play regular dvds and upconvert them?

Yes its fine...and Most do upconvert not sure if all do ..

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Damn no more deals on Ebay for me then.

 

[shaunjon]

Originally Posted by Crazy EBW

Originally Posted by shatterkneesinc

Originally Posted by ShaunJon

If you wanna see the difference between standard and blu ray dvd's go to best buy. Me and my girl were standing there looking at the little demonstration dvd they play on their hdtv's and there is a big difference. But like everyone else said, you gotta get a hdtv to get the results. That's why im trying to upgrade from my 26 in. 720p to a 32 in. 1080p

hmm a 32in 1080p..
I dont recommend that because 32in is way too small for you to experience 1080p in all its glory. 720p will suit you just fine.

Yes it's def not worth it unless you really get a deal on it or you just HAVE to have it...

what would be a good size to get then?

 

[bns1201]

damn ive spent nearly 300 on blu's in the past month...and december is gonna be killer...

jingle all the way
home alone
wanted
Shawshank redemption

and thats just this tuesday

lost and dark knight are killin me


good thing i got a hefty discount on godfather and the best discount of all on Cars