Bluray confused

[moo6]

I know they last longer and hold more stuff, but I never end up watching the extra stuff so what else is BR good for with people like me. I am total lost on this entire thing.

[Stubblecat]

Ooh. Big topic.

I'll just try to dumb it down to the bare essentials:

Blu-Ray is NOT for you if:

- You do not own a HD 1080p television
- You do not have a fairly decent audio surround system as part of your DVD watching setup. I'm not talking the super-duper 7.1 surround, but at least a good 5.1 unit. One with HDMI inputs is preferred.

Blu-Ray might be for you if:

- You have both an HD 1080p TV and a good audio set up.
- You feel that many DVDs seem to be lacking somewhat on your system. This is usually what I refer to as the picture appearing 'soft'.


DVD as a format is pretty darned great, and even I (who have only recently dipped his toes into the BD world) wouldn't recommend everyone run out and upgrade.

But if you're already thinking of buying that new TV, or getting a PS3? Then definitely weigh the options.
There's a good simple FAQ here -> Blu-ray.com - Blu-ray Movies, Players, Recorders, Media and Software

I now own about 10 BD titles, and with every new disc I'm totally amazed at the depth and clarity that I've seen in these films.

What you have to remember is that movies on DVD have been compressed to fit the maximum 8.5 GB that a dual-layer disc can handle.
That means that the picture and audio are not completely what was meant to be seen.
BD discs hold 25 GB on a single layer and 50 GB on a dual-layer. This way, the video and audio are completely uncompressed.

Confusing? A little, sure.

It's still a new medium, so I advise anyone with doubts to just sit back and watch where the technology goes. Your existnig DVDs aren't going anywhere.

[Todd]

If you don't have a decent sized HD 1080p TV...and I'm talking over at MINIMUM 35"....BluRay isn't worth the time or money for you.

If you are intrested in HD...here are your priorities. Maximize your DVD collection first. this means get the most out of the format that it offers.

Step 1...5.1 Digital Sound. Get a receiver that is capable of outputting and decoding Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 signals. Use either Coaxial or Fiber Optics for sound. Make sure the unit HDMI 1.3 compliant input/outputs. You don't need this yet, but it future proofs the product. This should start to blow the socks off people.

Set up your room proper, meaning mount your rear speakers and create that 'theatre' experience. Front speakers on either side of the TV, center in the middle and subwoofer somewhere in the room. (Behind the TV is great).

This should hold most newcomers over for quite a while.

Step 2...get yourself a decent TV. Now is the time for big TVs. Get that 35" plus screen, and make sure it is 1080p. Save up that money, do it right. Also make sure you have HDMI 1.3 inputs, again you are future proofing.

For now, use an S-Video for your connection, and you'll be amazed by the picture quality. NOW you are making the most of the DVD format. You don't HAVE to go further if you don't want to.

Step 3...Now its time for BluRay. Find your player and use the HDMI 1.3 connections for both audio and video. This will blow you away, for certain.

For me, it hasn't even been a year since I've had my TV and I'm enjoying DVD more than I ever did on my 31" tube.

[opinionatedfan]

I am so glad that someone asked the question because I've been wondering what all the excitement was about Blu-ray. From what I've read in those two excellent, detailed posts I can definitely wait on this technology. I don't have all the fancy TVs or surround sound or even a real home theater system so this would certainly be a waste of money at this time.

[AKmaro1]

The only things I would add to Todd's post would be to buy a set of Component cables instead of S-video, that's where you have 3 separate cables for video, separating into red, blue, and green. Those are the best you can do for analog TV, and they're not that expensive. I'm using a set of Monster Cable standard ones on my 27" Toshiba, and it looks fantastic!

While holding out for a 1080p set is the best way to go, by no means is a 720p set a slouch. I recently watched The Golden Compass on my buddies 50" (720p) Samsung Plasma w/ PS3, and it looked amazing, sure the high end is great, but 720p is good too.

And make sure your Blu-ray player is at least profile 2.0 compliant. That will give you BD-live, and an Ethernet port w/ internet access for easier firmware updates in the future. Also a little known fact, Blu-ray players can output in 480i standard video as well. Now that's like using a Ferrari in New York City traffic, it can't stretch it's legs, but you could still use the neat interactivity Blu-ray offers without having an HDTV.

[Todd]

Good point on the component. I have SVideo for my Satelllite, I completely forgot about the Component. THAT will blow your mind on DVD.

Not only do you want BR Profile 2.0, but you also want the player to pass a DTS MA soundtrack.

[Obiwan176]

Blu-ray can be for people who can display 720P too. Not just 1080P. That is where I would disagree with what has been said. I have a 37" HDTV that only does 720P and BD looks stunning on it just like AKmaro1 said. It is a massive improvement over DVD. And I would add that there are NO upconvert DVD players out there that can hold a candle to true HD via BD.

One thing people need to realize is that when DVD came out it was finally using a standard TVs capabilities. With HD it does not get any bettre than what HD offers. We will not see any further upgrades for decades due to the fact the HD sets are just now becoming mainstream. Analog tvs were around for a long time and never had the potential tapped until DVD came out. BD is a sound investment.

[moo6]

Thanks for all the extra infos there everyone. I am still thinking about getting HD but the PS3 will happen for sure if I can get my hands on a decent one local. I will still look over all you suggested though, thanks for dumbing it down for me a tad. :D

[Cavalier]

Just for the record... imo, you don't need a 1080p tele to have a gorgeous picture. I went and got a HD-dvd player for $80 right before they went under and my Mitsu is 1080i... looks just as good as 1080p demos I've seen in the Sony stores.

And I'm a blu-ray supporter! I just couldn't... wait... lol

I mean really - it was a steal of a deal.