Should I get a Blu-ray player? - Blu-ray Forum

Kearney · 07-31-2007, 01:36 PM

I have a 30" Samsung HDTV bought November last year and capable of no better than 1080i. It's a SlimFit CRT (yes, a glass picture tube like mom's old-school picture tube SDTV, only it's widescreen, not quite as deep as mom's tube, got a flat front, and can do HD). I'm unlikely to buy a new TV set for at least another couple of years. If I do it will probably be a flat panel and thus able to be bigger, but given the armoire the TV will have to be in, it won't be bigger than 36".

I'm trying to figure out whether it's worthwhile, presuming I stick with the TV I have, for me to buy a Blu-ray player (either standalone or PS3), or stick with my upconverting HDMI-output DVD player.

On the plus side, I've been blown away by the HD programming I pick up on my broadcast antenna, especially when it's 1080i and fully 16:9. It's been especially instructive to click back and forth between the same program airing on SD over to an HD signal and back, especially when it's a PBS show, since they often air an SD signal with letterboxing, allowing me to zoom in on it to fill the widescreen, thus allowing for a nice A/B comparison.

While my upconverting DVD player looks good, I've been able to pause on DVDs, even visually lush ones like LOTR, and see what I at least think of as grain and artifacts.

And it feels foolish for me to be buying any more SD DVDs.

On the minus side, it takes effort to find grain and artifacts, and most DVDs look very good to me on my setup. I was able to easily see the difference between upconverted DVDs and HD disks at Best Buy -- but that was when they were played on TVs of mammoth proportions.

Also, since I can only get 1080i, I won't be getting 100% of my money's worth, either from the player, or from the movies.

What do you guys think?

elwaylite · 07-31-2007, 01:46 PM

You will notice a difference in PQ for sure. The BR movies look very nice, especially the new releases as they are doing a great job.

Since you seem to be on a budget, Id keep an eye on the 60 gig ps3 prices and try and catch one before they are gone, or maybe look for an after thanksgiving deal.

The reason I recommend a ps3 is you get more bang for your buck(wireless,media player). Its also future proof for the most part being that most of its video handling is software and not hardware. This means you dont have the need to replace an already great BR/up converting player and can save your money for your next tv which should be 1080p.

Id recommend finding a friend with a player or watch some demos in store to get an idea of the PQ. My tv is only 720p and BR's blow away SD DVD's.

You could also check and see if anyone around you rents ps3's, maybe you could rent it and watch some movies.

whippersnapper · 07-31-2007, 02:03 PM

Definitely. We have a 34" Sony "cathode ray tube" HDTV up in our master bedroom and last month we bought a BDP-S300 to replace the old DVD we had there. And the difference in picture quality definitely showed us that the BR player was a worth while investment.

By the way, I agree with elwaylite's post above. We bought the S300 before the PS3 price drop was announced. Had we known about the PS3 price drop, we would have bought another PS3 (we have a PS3 as our BD player in our family room and have been tickled pink with it).

CptGreedle · 07-31-2007, 02:06 PM

the difference between i and p is often overlooked by many. Yes it is there, and many of use videophiles can see it on lots of films and such. However the quality you will get out of a BD is far better than anything a DVD could ever give you, even if it is up-sampled.
While some would recommend a PS3, (as I would too normally), I heard there may be issues with it running BD on 1080i. In that case, any of the other BD players on the market should work fine.
If you compare side-by-side a DVD and a BD, there is no comparison. The DVD is softer, even blurry at times. There is lack of detail and crispness, while the BD has more storage space for more features, more interactivity, better quality, etc.
I still buy DVD's myself, since I doubt some of the titles I get will ever come out on BD, or if they do it will be a while. That and I don't have to have everything in 1080, I still enjoy my old DVD movies on my HDTV.
But if I can get it on BD, it would be my first choice.

elwaylite · 07-31-2007, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

While some would recommend a PS3, (as I would too normally), I heard there may be issues with it running BD on 1080i.

Not sure if I understand you, mine runs 1080i fine.

Kearney · 07-31-2007, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whippersnapper

Definitely. We have a 34" Sony "cathode ray tube" HDTV up in our master bedroom and last month we bought a BDP-S300 to replace the old DVD we had there. And the difference in picture quality definitely showed us that the BR player was a worth while investment.

By the way, I agree with elwaylite's post above. We bought the S300 before the PS3 price drop was announced. Had we known about the PS3 price drop, we would have bought another PS3 (we have a PS3 as our BD player in our family room and have been tickled pink with it).

Was your old DVD player upconverting? HDMI? I fear the high quality of my DVD player and the small size and relatively low capability of the TV combine to mean that I won't get much benefit from trading up to Blu-ray...

elwaylite · 07-31-2007, 03:41 PM

There is not an upconverting dvd player on earth that can match the pq of BR on an HDTV.

I had a sony 75h upconvert
Samsung BDP1000 BR player that upconverted
Now the PS3. While the PS3 upconverts well, its not close to the detail of a BR. The guys that claim "upconverts to near HD quality" are full of it.

Iceman_II · 07-31-2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

While some would recommend a PS3, (as I would too normally), I heard there may be issues with it running BD on 1080i.

Mine runs fine in 1080i as well...

I won't enter into the counter PS3 bashing chastisements I have been part of in other threads with self proclaimed "videophile" elitists - All I ask is that you please don't bad mouth the PS3 with rumor and inuendo... If you have one, and find problems, fine, let us all know. But don't just blindly repeat FUD propogated by the forces of evil over on AVS

Xerious · 07-31-2007, 04:13 PM

I'm getting a standalone come christmas when they have those holiday sales... PS3 is great, but i want something specifically for movie watching... so i say GO FOR IT!!!

scragham · 07-31-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kearney

Was your old DVD player upconverting? HDMI? I fear the high quality of my DVD player and the small size and relatively low capability of the TV combine to mean that I won't get much benefit from trading up to Blu-ray...

upconverted DVDs do not hold a candle to true HD media.

on my 50" 480p/1080i panny, i've tested this - played casino royale SD on my fairly nice upconverting DVD player split screen with casino royale BD on my PS3. there is no comparison. likewise with pirates.

even on a 30" tv, you will be able to tell the difference between SD and BD. you just wouldn't be able to tell the difference between 720p/1080i and 1080p is all.

as someone above mentioned, if you're in a region/country where blockbusters rents ps3s, you may want to rent one and a movie or two to test it out in real life conditions. i'm pretty certain you'll be convinced.

07-31-2007, 01:36 PM	#1
Kearney New Member Member since:Jul 2007 Blu-ray reviews:2	Should I get a Blu-ray player? I have a 30" Samsung HDTV bought November last year and capable of no better than 1080i. It's a SlimFit CRT (yes, a glass picture tube like mom's old-school picture tube SDTV, only it's widescreen, not quite as deep as mom's tube, got a flat front, and can do HD). I'm unlikely to buy a new TV set for at least another couple of years. If I do it will probably be a flat panel and thus able to be bigger, but given the armoire the TV will have to be in, it won't be bigger than 36". I'm trying to figure out whether it's worthwhile, presuming I stick with the TV I have, for me to buy a Blu-ray player (either standalone or PS3), or stick with my upconverting HDMI-output DVD player. On the plus side, I've been blown away by the HD programming I pick up on my broadcast antenna, especially when it's 1080i and fully 16:9. It's been especially instructive to click back and forth between the same program airing on SD over to an HD signal and back, especially when it's a PBS show, since they often air an SD signal with letterboxing, allowing me to zoom in on it to fill the widescreen, thus allowing for a nice A/B comparison. While my upconverting DVD player looks good, I've been able to pause on DVDs, even visually lush ones like LOTR, and see what I at least think of as grain and artifacts. And it feels foolish for me to be buying any more SD DVDs. On the minus side, it takes effort to find grain and artifacts, and most DVDs look very good to me on my setup. I was able to easily see the difference between upconverted DVDs and HD disks at Best Buy -- but that was when they were played on TVs of mammoth proportions. Also, since I can only get 1080i, I won't be getting 100% of my money's worth, either from the player, or from the movies. What do you guys think?

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07-31-2007, 01:46 PM	#2
elwaylite Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2007	You will notice a difference in PQ for sure. The BR movies look very nice, especially the new releases as they are doing a great job. Since you seem to be on a budget, Id keep an eye on the 60 gig ps3 prices and try and catch one before they are gone, or maybe look for an after thanksgiving deal. The reason I recommend a ps3 is you get more bang for your buck(wireless,media player). Its also future proof for the most part being that most of its video handling is software and not hardware. This means you dont have the need to replace an already great BR/up converting player and can save your money for your next tv which should be 1080p. Id recommend finding a friend with a player or watch some demos in store to get an idea of the PQ. My tv is only 720p and BR's blow away SD DVD's. You could also check and see if anyone around you rents ps3's, maybe you could rent it and watch some movies.

07-31-2007, 02:03 PM	#3
whippersnapper Special Member Member since:Jan 2007	Definitely. We have a 34" Sony "cathode ray tube" HDTV up in our master bedroom and last month we bought a BDP-S300 to replace the old DVD we had there. And the difference in picture quality definitely showed us that the BR player was a worth while investment. By the way, I agree with elwaylite's post above. We bought the S300 before the PS3 price drop was announced. Had we known about the PS3 price drop, we would have bought another PS3 (we have a PS3 as our BD player in our family room and have been tickled pink with it).

07-31-2007, 02:06 PM	#4
CptGreedle Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Sworn super-hero now services Atlanta (and suburbs). Blu-ray collection:128 Blu-ray reviews:5	the difference between i and p is often overlooked by many. Yes it is there, and many of use videophiles can see it on lots of films and such. However the quality you will get out of a BD is far better than anything a DVD could ever give you, even if it is up-sampled. While some would recommend a PS3, (as I would too normally), I heard there may be issues with it running BD on 1080i. In that case, any of the other BD players on the market should work fine. If you compare side-by-side a DVD and a BD, there is no comparison. The DVD is softer, even blurry at times. There is lack of detail and crispness, while the BD has more storage space for more features, more interactivity, better quality, etc. I still buy DVD's myself, since I doubt some of the titles I get will ever come out on BD, or if they do it will be a while. That and I don't have to have everything in 1080, I still enjoy my old DVD movies on my HDTV. But if I can get it on BD, it would be my first choice.

07-31-2007, 03:41 PM	#7
elwaylite Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2007	There is not an upconverting dvd player on earth that can match the pq of BR on an HDTV. I had a sony 75h upconvert Samsung BDP1000 BR player that upconverted Now the PS3. While the PS3 upconverts well, its not close to the detail of a BR. The guys that claim "upconverts to near HD quality" are full of it.

07-31-2007, 04:13 PM	#9
Xerious Special Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Washington, DC Blu-ray collection:238 Blu-ray reviews:4	I'm getting a standalone come christmas when they have those holiday sales... PS3 is great, but i want something specifically for movie watching... so i say GO FOR IT!!!

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