Should I pick up Blu-Ray in the near future ?

[GameUser-16-32-128]

Frankly, I don't care about Blue Ray as being the new format to see Movies. As a storage medium it is the way to go. Playing regular dvds with a dvd player that can upscale dvd movies on an hdtv looks wonderful. I think Blue Ray will go the way of the Beta and CED's unless they release this movie:

[VinnyT]

I'm still planning on getting a 360 and a Blu-Ray when I come into a real job again. I like the idea of it helping out old DVD's (and by old I mean the first string of DVD's when THAT format first came out) and I figure one day DVD will die, and Blu-Ray will become normal, then discs just may go down to $20 like everything else now.

This is coming from the perspective of someone who's been following this is retail for the last two years.

[Rassilon]

So you dont care about having an HD movie format? In that case, why even bother with an HDTV? DVDs looked fine on an SDTV (actually better than upscaled. You cant add information, and displaying something at its native resolution gives you the best picture).

Upscaled DVDs can look decent (given a good scaler), but blu-ray is SIGNIFICANTLY better.

[Rassilon]

I'm still planning on getting a 360 and a Blu-Ray when I come into a real job again. I like the idea of it helping out old DVD's (and by old I mean the first string of DVD's when THAT format first came out) and I figure one day DVD will die, and Blu-Ray will become normal, then discs just may go down to $20 like everything else now.

This is coming from the perspective of someone who's been following this is retail for the last two years.

I havent paid over $20 for any of the blu-ray movies i own (the bladerunner 5 disc suitcase special edition may have been more, but it was a gift)

[Zebbe]

???
Care to explain? Are you being sarcastic, or just ignorant?

Both. Just wait 'til you see the stuff from the future. It blows Blu-ray away and you will need to upgrade your collection once again so the movie companies get that money they say they lost due to file sharing.

[Melf]

Yeah, they're already pretty cheap, unless you go someplace like Borders. I saw T2 and Predator at Walmart yesterday for only $10. Of course, they were sold out.

[Rassilon]

right... I guess i shouldnt buy a computer either, since the stuff in the future will be so much better.

Blu-ray will be THE movie media for the foreseeable future. If you dont buy something because something else in the future might be better, you would never buy anything.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

So you dont care about having an HD movie format? In that case, why even bother with an HDTV? DVDs looked fine on an SDTV (actually better than upscaled. You cant add information, and displaying something at its native resolution gives you the best picture).

Upscaled DVDs can look decent (given a good scaler), but blu-ray is SIGNIFICANTLY better.

So that I can watch the Simpsons on HDTV. Will they still be around next year on Standard TV broadcast next year? Plus I got my HDTV for cheap when I moved here on my own a year and a half ago. Upscaled DVDs may look decent to the technophile geeks and experts out there, but to the average don't know everything about technology like my wife the difference is minimal.

[Rassilon]

Have you actually SEEN blu-ray? or are you just assuming that since upscaled DVDs look "good enough" that the difference is minimal?

If you dont notice a dramatic difference, either your TV is broken, or your eyes are.

And yes, simpsons will be likely be in standard def TV broadcast next year (is it in HD now? i havent watched the simpsons for years). The Digitial broadcast changeover is NOT changing to all HD broadcasts. The majority of the content will (sadly) still be SD as it is now, just in digital (vs analog) broadcast format.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

The jump from VHS to DVD was dramatic and obvious. The jump from DVD to Blue Ray does not provide any benefits other than higher resolution, which to be fair is a great reason to want that upgrade, but there is nothing else. Cool menus and new interactive layer? Wow! In reality people like me, my wife and millions of others just want to watch the stinking movie. Better sound? 5.1 Dolby or DTS is pretty much the best it's going to get.

[Rassilon]

5.1 Dolby or DTS is pretty much the best it's going to get.

so your ears are broken too? lol
The Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master LOSSLESS audio tracks on blu-ray are incredible.

The picture and sound quality are a bigger jump over DVD than DVD was over VHS.
If you dont care about quality, thats your own problem, but many people appreciate the obvious and noticeable improvements blu-ray gives us.

[Melf]

I also like not having movies like The Lord of the Rings take up three discs. Larger storage space FTW.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

I only care about big leaps of quality not slightly better enhancements which is what Blue Ray basically is. So now I have to listen to "True" Loss Less audio in my music and sound effects because Dolby 5.1, Dolby Stereo, and plain everyday sounds I hear everyday like the train rumbling by my apartment, birds chirping and the annoying neighbors who argue in the middle of the night isn't good enough? I definitely need a pair of robot ear implants to notice the difference then. How much high quality can you get with sound and music? I seriously think that these new decoders and music formats have hit their plateu. Hell even vinyl sounds better than CD! How can you argue that new technology like Blue Ray will be the best thing ever if people are still sticking to their DVDs and huge collections? There is no guarantee that every single movie will be converted into blue ray format from the previous one. There are still movies out there in VHS format that I still can't find on DVD! Now that blue ray is almost here (but not quite and still expensive), it's going to get worse. Not everyone has the technical know how on how to convert a vhs or beta tape of their favorite movie to blue ray. Maybe when prices are low and affordable in the future 5 years from now I'll get a blue-ray, but by that time they'll introduce another format that'll just make blue-ray obsolete. Right Zebbe?

[Iron Lizard]

Once again all the stuff is neat but requires me to buy a new TV and receiver to take advantage of it. Until I do I don't really care I would rather spend my money on gofast parts ,old video games, rent, and food. If I had money to throw around I wouldn't think twice. Burning DVD's is also pretty cool.

[Rassilon]

I only care about big leaps of quality not slightly better enhancements which is what Blue Ray basically is. So now I have to listen to "True" Loss Less audio in my music and sound effects because Dolby 5.1, Dolby Stereo, and plain everyday sounds I hear everyday like the train rumbling by my apartment, birds chirping and the annoying neighbors who argue in the middle of the night isn't good enough? I definitely need a pair of robot ear implants to notice the difference then. How much high quality can you get with sound and music? I seriously think that these new decoders and music formats have hit their plateu. Hell even vinyl sounds better than CD! How can you argue that new technology like Blue Ray will be the best thing ever if people are still sticking to their DVDs and huge collections? There is no guarantee that every single movie will be converted into blue ray format from the previous one. There are still movies out there in VHS format that I still can't find on DVD! Now that blue ray is almost here (but not quite and still expensive), it's going to get worse. Not everyone has the technical know how on how to convert a vhs or beta tape of their favorite movie to blue ray. Maybe when prices are low and affordable in the future 5 years from now I'll get a blue-ray, but by that time they'll introduce another format that'll just make blue-ray obsolete. Right Zebbe?

Then why do you have an HDTV? its only a "slightly better enhancement" over an old SD set.
I suppose you're happy with the stock earbuds that came with your iPod, and think that 128kbps mp3s are good enough too?

Your problem is that you are projecting your lack of interest/appreciation in better quality onto others (and it doesnt require any technical knowhow to notice and appreciate what blu-ray offers on a nice HDTV with a nice sound system).

PS: there is no point in converting a vhs tape to blu-ray, as you still have the (lack of) quality of the original source.