PQ rated level to DVD - Blu-ray Forum

Maggot · 02-03-2010, 03:50 AM

I've read many Blu-ray reviews on this site, both users and reviewers. Now, maybe this question has been asked before at some point, but I've always wondered what PQ score constitutes holding onto a DVD over getting the Blu-ray? At what point on this site's 0-5 PQ scale does a Blu-ray transfer cease to be any better than the DVD? Or......is it even a .5-1 PQ score is still better then the DVD? Is DVD like a -1 and starting from 0 you have anything Blu-ray? Granted, we all have different ideas of what is what, but when I look at some bad reviews, I wonder. It's not a case of me thinking a certain movie is a 4 in PQ, while someone else may think it's a 3. No, rather......what I'm trying to say is, will the lowest possible, I assume a .5, on this site's scale still look better than any previous DVD release?

Lepidopterous · 02-03-2010, 03:54 AM

I believe a 0 is the best that movie could look on DVD. But in any case, I think the rating scale is more-so how true to the source is the PQ.

Gremal · 02-03-2010, 03:56 AM

That's actually a complicated question. In the early days of Blu-ray's rollout, DVD comparison factored more strongly in the rating of BDs because 1080p was very new. But as more BDs were released and a baseline, average and reference point was more firmly established, it became easier to gauge the quality of different 1080p content. Still, for any title released on BD for the first time, there is a place for comparison to DVD in the ratings.

LordCrumb · 02-03-2010, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I believe a 0 is the best that movie could look on DVD. But in any case, I think the rating scale is more-so how true to the source is the PQ.

thats how i figured the reviews where done. 0=DVD.

Maggot · 02-03-2010, 04:38 AM

Thanks! I just always wondered where DVD fit on the scale. I see bad PQ reviews for many of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies like Total Recall, Predator, Eraser........Bad PQ reviews for Lethal Weapon I & II, Bruce Almighty, The Fugative, along with "alarmingly" several others that I'd like to purchase and I wonder if they are worth it. Will they look better than the upconverted DVD? I think that's where my question originally came out of. Is regular DVD a "0"? For example, Total Recall, will the upconverted DVD actually equal or beat the Blu-ray transfer? Can that situation even occur? I guess I ask myself how much better do these films look on Blu-ray over how bad they still may look in general as they did on the previous DVD release? It's a concern of mine to see some fun films not getting decent transfers.

bttfiii · 02-03-2010, 04:43 AM

i wouldn't imagine any Blu Ray will look worse than an up-converted DVD for the same title

I have Mission Impossible (the first one) and it looks like crap on Blu Ray. I have not seen the DVD version so I can't comment but it definitely look worse than DVDs like Transformers

beefytwinkie · 02-03-2010, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I believe a 0 is the best that movie could look on DVD. But in any case, I think the rating scale is more-so how true to the source is the PQ.

I don't think that is true in all cases here. As an example take a look at the Paranormal Activities review. I brought it up in the Paranormal Activities thread but only one person answered so it makes me wonder even more. Just how exactly are the ratings decided upon? Does it depend on the reviewer?

Maggot · 02-03-2010, 05:11 AM

ya, see this is interesting. Although I have Mission Impossible on DVD and Blu-ray, I find the Blu-ray to be a lot better. That's not to say it still couldn't be a lot better, but for me the difference is there....no question.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bttfiii

i wouldn't imagine any Blu Ray will look worse than an up-converted DVD for the same title

I have Mission Impossible (the first one) and it looks like crap on Blu Ray. I have not seen the DVD version so I can't comment but it definitely look worse than DVDs like Transformers

Lepidopterous · 02-03-2010, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beefytwinkie

I don't think that is true in all cases here. As an example take a look at the Paranormal Activities review. I brought it up in the Paranormal Activities thread but only one person answered so it makes me wonder even more. Just how exactly are the ratings decided upon? Does it depend on the reviewer?

Blu-ray.com Review
High-Def Digest Review

Either the reviewer or the review site.

Maggot · 02-03-2010, 05:14 AM

I have the Superbit DVD of "The Patriot" and thought that was the bomb in PQ years ago until I bought the Blu-ray and even though I consider the Superbit to be a commendable effort, the Blu-ray now just walks all over it. But I wonder if a Superbit version of any film can actually look better, upconverted, than a low PQ score Blu-ray of any film?

Quote:

Originally Posted by beefytwinkie

I don't think that is true in all cases here. As an example take a look at the Paranormal Activities review. I brought it up in the Paranormal Activities thread but only one person answered so it makes me wonder even more. Just how exactly are the ratings decided upon? Does it depend on the reviewer?

YodasFootPowder · 02-03-2010, 06:19 AM

Although, I consider 0 being the equivalent to a DVD, I think the thing to consider is if it's worth paying to upgrade to a Blu-ray if it isn't much of an upgrade? Some people do still like the PQ of some Blu-rays that got bad reviews, but if I see a movie get like a 1.5 or less in the PQ dept I don't think it's worth the money and I'll just keep my DVD.

bttfiii · 02-03-2010, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YodasFootPowder

Although, I consider 0 being the equivalent to a DVD, I think the thing to consider is if it's worth paying to upgrade to a Blu-ray if it isn't much of an upgrade? Some people do still like the PQ of some Blu-rays that got bad reviews, but if I see a movie get like a 1.5 or less in the PQ dept I don't think it's worth the money and I'll just keep my DVD.

yes i agree...

VHS4Ever · 02-03-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggot

Thanks! I just always wondered where DVD fit on the scale. I see bad PQ reviews for many of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies like Total Recall, Predator, Eraser........Bad PQ reviews for Lethal Weapon I & II, Bruce Almighty, The Fugative, along with "alarmingly" several others that I'd like to purchase and I wonder if they are worth it. Will they look better than the upconverted DVD? I think that's where my question originally came out of. Is regular DVD a "0"? For example, Total Recall, will the upconverted DVD actually equal or beat the Blu-ray transfer? Can that situation even occur? I guess I ask myself how much better do these films look on Blu-ray over how bad they still may look in general as they did on the previous DVD release? It's a concern of mine to see some fun films not getting decent transfers.

Trust me, Predator blu -rau looks a whole lot better that a upconverted DVD. I have both and the blu-ray is better.

substance · 02-03-2010, 02:19 PM

those mentioned titles priced at what they deserve anyway(Usually $7.99 or $9.99) only a few dollars more than DVD counterparts. Next blackfriday and on (looking at how prices come down every year) they will be $4.99. I buy them because even that %20 improvement is enough for me. Some of those titles are available in HD DVD and they are way cheaper ($1-$3) I have Leathal Weapon I-II, Fugitive, MI-I-II-III any many more on HD.

surfdude12 · 02-03-2010, 02:24 PM

personally, i think 0-0.5 is equivalent to DVD. hence, an "average" blu-ray PQ = 2.5. but if you look at user reviews, you'll notice that even the arguable worst PQ blu-ray (robocop) has a user average of 3/5. something is off.

you'll see many reviewers/users that never give less than 3/5 for PQ. (3=sucks/DVD, 4=good, 5 =great). personally, i just think that's inflating and not making use of the 5 point scale.

Clark Kent · 02-03-2010, 02:30 PM

You should take a gander at the Picture Quality List, at the following link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1168342

An invaluable resource, because it tries to list all Blu-rays according to the strength of the picture quality. I believe the movies listed at the very bottom of the list in tier 5 would look the equivalent of dvd quality.

Grand Bob · 02-03-2010, 02:33 PM

There is a website called dvdbeaver that compares screenshots of various DVD editions to BD for selected movies.

DNinja · 02-03-2010, 02:53 PM

I don't rely too much on the number score. I rely more on what the reviewer says about the transfer. Some movies are just never going to earn a perfect score even if the studio did everything correct in creating the transfer.

If a movie is new to both DVD and Blu-Ray and I want the film, I always choose the Blu-Ray. I can't see myself ever buying a DVD again unless there is no Blu-Ray release planned.

If I am looking to replace a DVD I already own, it's not so simple. Blu-Ray picture quality is going to be better than DVD in almost every case, but if a Blu-Ray transfer was done incorrectly (too much DNR, EE, wrong aspect ratio, etc.) I usually just keep the DVD and wait for a better future release.

02-03-2010, 03:50 AM	#1
Maggot Blu-ray Guru Member since:Oct 2009 Location:United States 4K collection:638 Blu-ray collection:1340 DVD collection:49 Blu-ray reviews:81	PQ rated level to DVD I've read many Blu-ray reviews on this site, both users and reviewers. Now, maybe this question has been asked before at some point, but I've always wondered what PQ score constitutes holding onto a DVD over getting the Blu-ray? At what point on this site's 0-5 PQ scale does a Blu-ray transfer cease to be any better than the DVD? Or......is it even a .5-1 PQ score is still better then the DVD? Is DVD like a -1 and starting from 0 you have anything Blu-ray? Granted, we all have different ideas of what is what, but when I look at some bad reviews, I wonder. It's not a case of me thinking a certain movie is a 4 in PQ, while someone else may think it's a 3. No, rather......what I'm trying to say is, will the lowest possible, I assume a .5, on this site's scale still look better than any previous DVD release?

02-03-2010, 02:24 PM	#15
surfdude12 Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Club Loop Blu-ray collection:343 Blu-ray reviews:112 Trading Score:1	personally, i think 0-0.5 is equivalent to DVD. hence, an "average" blu-ray PQ = 2.5. but if you look at user reviews, you'll notice that even the arguable worst PQ blu-ray (robocop) has a user average of 3/5. something is off. you'll see many reviewers/users that never give less than 3/5 for PQ. (3=sucks/DVD, 4=good, 5 =great). personally, i just think that's inflating and not making use of the 5 point scale. Last edited by surfdude12; 02-03-2010 at 02:27 PM.

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02-03-2010, 03:54 AM	#2
Lepidopterous Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:DjMethod was here Blu-ray collection:696 Trading Score:2	I believe a 0 is the best that movie could look on DVD. But in any case, I think the rating scale is more-so how true to the source is the PQ.

02-03-2010, 03:56 AM	#3
Gremal Blu-ray Samurai Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Feb 2007 Location:Daddyland Home Theater Gallery:49 Blu-ray collection:184	That's actually a complicated question. In the early days of Blu-ray's rollout, DVD comparison factored more strongly in the rating of BDs because 1080p was very new. But as more BDs were released and a baseline, average and reference point was more firmly established, it became easier to gauge the quality of different 1080p content. Still, for any title released on BD for the first time, there is a place for comparison to DVD in the ratings.

02-03-2010, 04:38 AM	#5
Maggot Blu-ray Guru Member since:Oct 2009 Location:United States 4K collection:638 Blu-ray collection:1340 DVD collection:49 Blu-ray reviews:81	Thanks! I just always wondered where DVD fit on the scale. I see bad PQ reviews for many of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies like Total Recall, Predator, Eraser........Bad PQ reviews for Lethal Weapon I & II, Bruce Almighty, The Fugative, along with "alarmingly" several others that I'd like to purchase and I wonder if they are worth it. Will they look better than the upconverted DVD? I think that's where my question originally came out of. Is regular DVD a "0"? For example, Total Recall, will the upconverted DVD actually equal or beat the Blu-ray transfer? Can that situation even occur? I guess I ask myself how much better do these films look on Blu-ray over how bad they still may look in general as they did on the previous DVD release? It's a concern of mine to see some fun films not getting decent transfers.

02-03-2010, 04:43 AM	#6
bttfiii Senior Member Member since:Dec 2009 Blu-ray reviews:10	i wouldn't imagine any Blu Ray will look worse than an up-converted DVD for the same title I have Mission Impossible (the first one) and it looks like crap on Blu Ray. I have not seen the DVD version so I can't comment but it definitely look worse than DVDs like Transformers

02-03-2010, 06:19 AM	#11
YodasFootPowder Blu-ray Guru Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Twin Cities, MN Home Theater Gallery:40 4K collection:154 Blu-ray collection:565 Blu-ray reviews: 4 Trading Score:3	Although, I consider 0 being the equivalent to a DVD, I think the thing to consider is if it's worth paying to upgrade to a Blu-ray if it isn't much of an upgrade? Some people do still like the PQ of some Blu-rays that got bad reviews, but if I see a movie get like a 1.5 or less in the PQ dept I don't think it's worth the money and I'll just keep my DVD.

02-03-2010, 02:19 PM	#14
substance Senior Member Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Laguna Niguel, CA Home Theater Gallery:7 4K collection:338 Blu-ray collection:2232 DVD collection:19 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:1	those mentioned titles priced at what they deserve anyway(Usually $7.99 or $9.99) only a few dollars more than DVD counterparts. Next blackfriday and on (looking at how prices come down every year) they will be $4.99. I buy them because even that %20 improvement is enough for me. Some of those titles are available in HD DVD and they are way cheaper ($1-$3) I have Leathal Weapon I-II, Fugitive, MI-I-II-III any many more on HD.

02-03-2010, 02:30 PM	#16
Clark Kent Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Metropolis Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:184	You should take a gander at the Picture Quality List, at the following link: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1168342 An invaluable resource, because it tries to list all Blu-rays according to the strength of the picture quality. I believe the movies listed at the very bottom of the list in tier 5 would look the equivalent of dvd quality.

02-03-2010, 02:33 PM	#17
Grand Bob Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Seattle Area Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray reviews:1	There is a website called dvdbeaver that compares screenshots of various DVD editions to BD for selected movies.

02-03-2010, 02:53 PM	#18
DNinja Senior Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Location:Florida 4K collection:1610 Blu-ray collection:4784 DVD collection:176 Digital collection:20	I don't rely too much on the number score. I rely more on what the reviewer says about the transfer. Some movies are just never going to earn a perfect score even if the studio did everything correct in creating the transfer. If a movie is new to both DVD and Blu-Ray and I want the film, I always choose the Blu-Ray. I can't see myself ever buying a DVD again unless there is no Blu-Ray release planned. If I am looking to replace a DVD I already own, it's not so simple. Blu-Ray picture quality is going to be better than DVD in almost every case, but if a Blu-Ray transfer was done incorrectly (too much DNR, EE, wrong aspect ratio, etc.) I usually just keep the DVD and wait for a better future release.

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