Topic: Will you be replacing all your DVDs with Blu-rays?

[Achim]

This is basically where I am at as well. Though I must say I seriously considered when I saw a $200 Blu-Ray player at Walmart.... but then I thought why bother hooking up something like that to a 20in standard TV. Would I even see a difference in my case? 

You could get a PS3. It's not much more than $200 and does play games as well (maybe Brittany would enjoy that...?).

Anyway, doing a sequential conversion is no problem. While the increase in quality will be minimal when looking at a 20" SD screen, it would be more comforting for one's wallet if you get the player first and then upgrade to the TV later.

But Pete, in all seriousness, similar to Jimmy, you are mainly watching a genres and films where Blu-ray are still sparse and the quality improvement will be minimal. Also TV series don't necessarily profit that much from the color Blu, with few exceptions maybe. I would really say that you don't have to upgrade at this point.

[DJ Doena]

Though I have to say, yesterday evening I had a kind of a revelation. I watched a Smallville DVD on my new telly (I love that word! ) and when I got up to get something I came "to close" (within 5 feet) of it and I could see all the artefacts in the picture which only began to fade when I went back to the couch (which is approx. 10ft away).

When I watched my first Blu-ray on it, I basically had my nose in the screen and couldn't see any flaws in the pictures.

Still I'm not going to replace all my DVDs, I couldn't afford it if I wanted to. I watch most of my TV shows on my Computer in the bedroom anyway.

[RossRoy]

I don't plan to replace all my DVD with Blu, but there are some things I do want in Blu eventually: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek (2009), Transformers...

I'm already drooling at the thought of Transformers on Blu on a big Telly (love that word too, K!)

[Najemikon]

Though I have to say, yesterday evening I had a kind of a revelation. I watched a Smallville DVD on my new telly (I love that word! ) and when I got up to get something I came "to close" (within 5 feet) of it and I could see all the artefacts in the picture which only began to fade when I went back to the couch (which is approx. 10ft away).

When I watched my first Blu-ray on it, I basically had my nose in the screen and couldn't see any flaws in the pictures.

Still I'm not going to replace all my DVDs, I couldn't afford it if I wanted to. I watch most of my TV shows on my Computer in the bedroom anyway.

Karsten, what are you using to play the DVDs? Neither my original DVD player or the new Blu-Ray player were up to scratch (though the BR was clearly better than the old player). I bought a cheap upscaling DVD player (Onkyo, £50, last year) and the jump in quality was huge. Worth considering.

[RossRoy]

Karsten, what are you using to play the DVDs? Neither my original DVD player or the new Blu-Ray player were up to scratch (though the BR was clearly better than the old player). I bought a cheap upscaling DVD player (Onkyo, £50, last year) and the jump in quality was huge. Worth considering.

I read back in the heat of things that HD DVD player were spectacular with upscaling.. and players can probably be found quite cheap these days

[DJ Doena]

Karsten, what are you using to play the DVDs? Neither my original DVD player or the new Blu-Ray player were up to scratch (though the BR was clearly better than the old player). I bought a cheap upscaling DVD player (Onkyo, £50, last year) and the jump in quality was huge. Worth considering.

This one: http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Blu-ray+Recorders+%26+Players/Blu-ray+Players/DMP-BD60/Overview/2235944/index.html

[Rogmeister]

I don't know if Pete would want the PS3 alternative...I know he has a Wii and he might not want another gaming system.  I don't plan to get another system (despite the prodding of my nephew) either.  I think before Pete goes Blu-ray, he should invest in a new TV...perhaps go the way Frank did in the Weird Al Yankovic song "Frank's 2000-Inch TV"... 

[RossRoy]

Weird Al Yankovic song "Frank's 2000-Inch TV"... 

I love that song! Well, like pretty much anything Weird Al Yankovic does!

[Tom]

I'm still holding strong with my original resolution to not upgrade DVDs to Blu-ray. Only buying new stuff on Blu. Though there often are temptations. I probably will replace some DVDs of movies I really like but have a really bad DVD transfer at some point.

[Critter]

I have two blu ray DVD players in this house and I still do not own one blu ray. I am hoping to start getting some sometime after Christmas though. I mainly want animated films on blu-ray, live-action ones sometimes look a bit creepy to me when they are that clear.

[Jimmy]

Jimmy I'm not sure  I understand what you mean by "Released on DVD-R".  Do you mean the copyright owners burn their own DVD's and sell them instead of making a deal with a company that "prints" dvd's ?

I know that I've answered yesterday but I've forgot something. This isn't only the small label like Something Weird Video who do it this way, but some big one also...

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)
MGM appears to be following in Warners' tracks, beginning their own "burn on demand" DVD-R disc series for library product they are unwilling to release on regular DVD. Readers have sent links to titles already listed on Amazon: Trapeze (December 15) and Return to Paradise (December 29). There are about a dozen others also on Amazon now, including The Group, Rich in Love, Dreamchild and Two for the Seesaw. What's going on? I've seen no publicitiy on this whatsoever. How do I review them? The last time I saw the fine Gary Cooper/ James A. Michener film Return to Paradise was on a poor quality VHS tape. A publicity announcement is out about a Warners-MGM video on demand downloading service, but I've yet not seen anything about these DVD-R discs.

Warner Brothers
Warner Archive

[MEJHarrison]

There is a very small percentage of my DVD collection that I'd love to upgrade to Blu-ray.  Things like Amélie, Moulin Rouge, Die Hard 4 (unrated).  For the most part, I've already upgraded most of the title that were important to me.  Others may someday get upgraded if I find them for an amazing price.

With that said, the other 99% of my DVD collection will remain DVD.  For me it mainly comes down to budgeting.  I have X dollars to spend on movies and Y time to watch them (I'm one of the weird ones without a massive unwatched pile).  I can spend that time and money on something I already own and I've already seen (perhaps multiple times).  Or I can spend that time and money on something I've never had the pleasure of enjoying before.  Most of the time the new material will win hands down.

It looks like I've upgraded about 21 or so out of 1100+.  And quite a few of those were free with a player, gifts or just bargains I couldn't pass up (like getting The Matrix Collection on HD DVD for $20).  Besides the Matrix movies, the ones I've intentionally upgraded were Band of Brother (amazing price), Bourne movies (close-out HD DVD prices), Die Hard 1-3 (one of my favorite series), The Fifth Element, Harry Potter movies and V for Vendetta.

[Achim]

I don't know if Pete would want the PS3 alternative...I know he has a Wii and he might not want another gaming system.

What do you mean? He has a Wii yes. He would now be a gaming system. Not "another".

I don't plan to get another system (despite the prodding of my nephew) either.  I think before Pete goes Blu-ray, he should invest in a new TV...perhaps go the way Frank did in the Weird Al Yankovic song "Frank's 2000-Inch TV"... 

I agree here though, to some part. If he buys a new TV he should also buy an upscaling player, otherwise the bigger screen will make things worse. SD looks terrible on screens 42" and up.

As a gaming system the PS3 or XBOX260 are very different to the Wii. You would need to know what kind of games you will play before deciding that way. The PS3 is a great Blu-ray player and media center though. It also plays MP3 or displays pictures stored on the hard drive or streamed from a computer.

[addicted2dvd]

I don't know if Pete would want the PS3 alternative...I know he has a Wii and he might not want another gaming system.

What do you mean? He has a Wii yes. He would now be a gaming system. Not "another".

Besides... it is Britt that has the Wii... not me. Trying to get me killed... like I was trying to claim her game system? 

[Achim]

Besides... it is Britt that has the Wii... not me. Trying to get me killed... like I was trying to claim her game system?