Is DVD Quality Good Enough?

[Professor Echo]

I won't reveal the username of the person who posted this nor the site where I found the post, but believe me it is a real post from a genuine forum on a site devoted to film history and preservation. I know I shouldn't be shocked by any opinions expressed anywhere on the internet, but reading this from an alleged cinephile at a place ostensibly dedicated to film as an art form, kind of threw me. I know I'm preaching to the choir here on Blu-ray.com, but all I can conclude about all this is that I hope I never get this old.
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Blu-Ray? No. I'm not buying yet another machine. Period. I am completely happy with DVD quality. If it happens that I can't get a title that I want in a physical format, so be it, I'll just keep my money and buy a book or something instead.

There are also many millions of people who don't buy a lot of physical media, who still have their DVD players, and who are not buying Blu-Ray players. But they might buy a few more DVD's, depending.

I think it has to do with age. Streaming is what younger people, to whom everything is disposable and who are not interested in commentary tracks, etc., do; Blu-Rays are for people who want to study the herringbone pattern on the detective's overcoat, or who want their CGI to look as good as it did the day it was programmed into the computer; DVD is for older people who like to have something in the house, especially titles that have a particular meaning for them.

Somehow I managed to survive without 8-tracks and laserdiscs, and I'll live without the Blu-Ray too.

[blurayisnice]

To answer your question: yes, I do believe DVD quality is good enough.

Of course, if I don't own a title on DVD yet, I will buy the blu-ray or UHD. But I am not going to upgrade all my DVDs.
I still buy and watch DVDs. DVDs are good.

And I don't think that person's opinion should necessarily be associated with age; I am 27 years old.

[hungrywives]

Well, guys, we've been found out. We all knew this day would come. Looks like it's time to shut down the site.

[dex14]

Originally Posted by hungrywives

Well, guys, we've been found out. We all knew this day would come. Looks like it's time to shut down the site.

betterthangoodenough.com

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I won't reveal the username of the person who posted this nor the site where I found the post, but believe me it is a real post from a genuine forum on a site devoted to film history and preservation. I know I shouldn't be shocked by any opinions expressed anywhere on the internet, but reading this from an alleged cinephile at a place ostensibly dedicated to film as an art form, kind of threw me. I know I'm preaching to the choir here on Blu-ray.com, but all I can conclude about all this is that I hope I never get this old.
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Just to use a quick example:

Casino Royale: DVD
Night scene, twisty road with mountains in background

PQ problems
Banding of sky, picture break up, visible artefacts, fluctuation between pixelation and crisper picture. Basically, the scene is a mess.

Blu-ray
Beautiful crisp image, mountains clearly visible, night sky with no banding or pixelation, greens and Blues rendered superbly, great detail.

Times this by 2,000 discs and that’s my answer.

You are always going to get silly people, collectors or not.


You had idiots protesting that Blu-Ray wouldn’t be much superior to DVD. That theory was blown away by my first disc, Apocalypto.

[CinemaScope]

A well done DVD looks really nice, which is just as well, as an awful lot of movies will never make the jump to Blu-ray. But a good Blu-ray looks really lovely, just like having your own pristine print...& of course a lot of TV series shot on tape won't look any better on Blu-ray. A real movie lover has both on the shelf.

[RossyG]

I’ve bought mostly Blu-rays and was a relatively early adopter and at some point intend to upgrade to 4K.

But I’ve a few things on DVD that haven’t been released in HD and when I watch them on DVD on my 42” plasma screen it’s surprising how good they look.

I can perfectly understand why some would be happy with DVD. I think DVD is good enough. It’s just that Blu-Ray is better and I like better.

But if HD hadn’t been invented, I’d have been happy with DVD. I always thought VHS was substandard and always hoped for something better(*), but with DVD I didn’t know or care if it could be improved upon until it was.

(*)Laserdiscs were available here in the UK but were as niche as Super-8 and weren’t an option for me in my younger days.

[Number 6]

Different strokes for different folks. I have a smart phone but I only use it to make and receive calls. I never text, play games, listen to music or watch movies on my smart phone. But I do use high end audio/video equipment and enjoy CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Ultra HD.

[BlueCotton]

I have a few friends that have large movie collections and feel the same way.. that DVDs are good enough and they refuse to upgrade and spend money on another format.

As the member above stated, different strokes. Some people don't really have the interest or even the eye for fine detail. High definition just isn't important to them. For me personally, I love blu-ray quality, and the cost to double dip and upgrade equipment is more than worth it to me.

I'm sure a lot of you relate when I say that I have a very personal feeling and strong love for the films that are my favorites. If there was some kind of magic to be on the sets themselves, I'd be there. So I certainly wish for the films and shows that bring me so much joy and satisfaction to be presented in the best form possible. The lifelike detail, along with great audio are very appreciated and enhance the experience. I'll take DVD over nothing, but bring on more blu-rays and 4K Ultra!

[Number 6]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Just to use a quick example:

Casino Royale: DVD
Night scene, twisty road with mountains in background

PQ problems
Banding of sky, picture break up, visible artefacts, fluctuation between pixelation and crisper picture. Basically, the scene is a mess.

Blu-ray
Beautiful crisp image, mountains clearly visible, night sky with no banding or pixelation, greens and Blues rendered superbly, great detail.

Times this by 2,000 discs and that’s my answer.

You are always going to get silly people, collectors or not.


You had idiots protesting that Blu-Ray wouldn’t be much superior to DVD. That theory was blown away by my first disc, Apocalypto.

Ever hear of the Garbage In/Garbage Out rule? The source material used to manufacture a DVD, Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD determines how well it looks. I suggest you look at the DVD version of "The Dirty Dozen" and the Blu-ray version. In many scenes the source material used was of poor quality and looks bad on both the DVD and the Blu-ray.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by RossyG

I’ve bought mostly Blu-rays and was a relatively early adopter and at some point intend to upgrade to 4K.

But I’ve a few things on DVD that haven’t been released in HD and when I watch them on DVD on my 42” plasma screen it’s surprising how good they look.

I can perfectly understand why some would be happy with DVD. I think DVD is good enough. It’s just that Blu-Ray is better and I like better.

But if HD hadn’t been invented, I’d have been happy with DVD. I always thought VHS was substandard and always hoped for something better(*), but with DVD I didn’t know or care if it could be improved upon until it was.

(*)Laserdiscs were available here in the UK but were as niche as Super-8 and weren’t an option for me in my younger days.

This says it all for me, though I also collected a few laserdiscs.

I agree with the philosophy of to each their own, but on a personal level I will never understand people being so vociferously opposed to something that is technologically better and would provide additional enjoyment, while incurring little or no additional cost or inconvenience. I've read similar posts here regarding going Region Free and outside of not wanting to spend the money for it, I have yet to see a good reason for people intentionally depriving themselves. The pride some folks take in settling for less as if it were a badge of honor just bewilders me. But once again, to each their own.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by blurayisnice

And I don't think that person's opinion should necessarily be associated with age; I am 27 years old.

The person who posted what I quoted is the one who originally brought up age and tried to use it as a way to solidify his contention, more or less indicating that he was opposed to new technology of any kind as opposed to "younger" people.

I am 62 years old and have a DVD collection in the thousands, but would rarely choose to watch a DVD over its Blu or 4K counterparts. I love film way too much and believe it always deserves the best presentation it can possibly have.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Number 6

Ever hear of the Garbage In/Garbage Out rule? The source material used to manufacture a DVD, Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD determines how well it looks. I suggest you look at the DVD version of "The Dirty Dozen" and the Blu-ray version. In many scenes the source material used was of poor quality and looks bad on both the DVD and the Blu-ray.

In my experience, the vast majority of my collection look far superior on Blu-ray, that’s good enough for me. Plus, Blu-Ray is good for projecting (also collect 4K discs now)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

The person who posted what I quoted is the one who originally brought up age and tried to use it as a way to solidify his contention, more or less indicating that he was opposed to new technology of any kind as opposed to "younger" people.

I am 62 years old and have a DVD collection in the thousands, but would rarely choose to watch a DVD over its Blu or 4K counterparts. I love film way too much and believe it always deserves the best presentation it can possibly have.

My take also.

[oddbox83]

Yes, DVD is "good enough" when no other choice exists. But I'd never in my right mind chose a DVD over a Blu-ray or 4K. I even tend to prefer HD streaming/download over DVD, despite being very much a physical media only person when it comes to film and TV.

There are also some (very) rare instances where I prefer DVD over Blu-ray. UFO is one - I just love the DVD restoration with it's beautiful grading which was lost with a sloppier HD scan. It helps that the PAL DVDs of that is about the best quality the format can manage in terms of resolution, as it's being fed be a very good remaster which converts to progressive 576p when upscaled.

[jess1581]

It really is just a matter of preference and contentment. I'm still of a mindset that Blu-ray is good enough for me. I still haven't plunged dollars for 4k gear and only reason I have some UHD's is because they contain a "remastered" blu ray with it that wasn't sold on it's own.

If opportunity knocks or my TV kicks the bucket(almost 10 years and still going strong) along with the player, then yeah a 4kTV is a no brainer along with a 4k player considering that's what is in stores. I'm just not rushing out to upgrade.

[jmilo61]

I don't have any data to back this up, but I bet there's a whole lot of users here on this site who feel exactly this way about UHD vs blu ray.

For me its relative. DVD is "good enough" for Dirty Work, I don't think I'll ever feel like I absolutely need to upgrade that further.

Blu ray is "good enough" for something like Children of the Corn.

But best believe I'm upgrading Alien, 2001, Apocalypse Now and the like anytime an upgrade comes out. No matter how minor it is.

[crissrudd4554]

I have no doubt that DVD quality is MORE than adequate for the average consumer. If it wasn’t it’d be obsolete by now. Blu-ray IMO is only for those who wanna get the very best out of their home viewing experience.

Speaking for myself even if I own a title on Blu-ray I still opt to keep my DVD because there may be things the DVD provides that the Blu-ray does not. For instance the Jaws Blu-ray includes the mono but I personally prefer the mono on the 2005 DVD. The 2004 Star Wars DVD set still remains as the whole time Empire of Dreams was released on physical. And so and so on....

[rdodolak]

That's like saying your EGA or VGA monitor is good enough. All of these formats have long been superseded by far superior technology and they were a product of their time. When's the last time the manufacturers manufactured a 720x480 television display... time to move on.

[Dbuck64]

For many of those to whom it is ‘good enough’ might come down to $. How many times have we purchased the next version of a movie? I have upgraded an awful lot of movies over the years. VHS,CED, laserdisc, dvd, blu, 4K……. Eventually people who are less than perfectionists might call it a day. I remember so long ago when I showed someone the first widescreen version of Star Wars and they were like, so? People ‘liked’ pan and scan, it filled their tv screen. If someone wants to stop at dvd, fine. Gives me someone to sell my old ones to.