buying with confidence...

[Sucker4BluRay]

isn't easy.

for example: going into a store, picking out a movie you love, and purchasing it can not be done (speaking personally) without thinking to your self "will this actually look good". i can't buy a single release without seeing a review first. i'm sure this has been discussed before, but i'm finding more and more titles looking no more better in quality than standard dvd. it seems companies aren't making any effort and looking for a quick buck. then there's the thought of wondering if they're going to release a magic, limited, ultimate collectors, super duper, enhanced version, like what they did with dvds. i think the best older film i've seen in hd is blade runner... looks amazing. now if it's possible to do it with a movie over 25 years old, why isn't possible to achieve this with movies less than half that age?

[BStecke]

Don't know what you've been buying, but all my discs (save Gangs of New York) are a marked improvement over DVD.

[Sucker4BluRay]

i had T2, sleepy hollow and escape from NY. the conversion was pathetic. these aren't the only titles.

[My_Two_Cents]

You might want to think about having your set calibrated (or your eyes checked ).

Seriously, what equipment do you have and how are they all connected?

[AaronSCH]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

You might want to think about having your set calibrated (or your eyes checked ).

Seriously, what equipment do you have and how are they all connected?

I agree. I can't think of a single title that I own that isn't an improvement over DVD. I rarely rent DVDs but I can always tell right away that it isn't high definition.

[SoCalTiger]

If you have a very high standard for PQ then, like you said, why not just do research first? Or if, like me, you Netflix 90% of all movies there is no real risk other than the monthly fee. There is also the PQ thread at AVSFORUM which many people appreciate. Also, the major new release blockbusters are more likely to have better PQ.

Aside from that, like someone else said, having your TV properly setup as well as having a decent HDTV makes all the difference as well. I certainly have watched HD content on a crappy, uncalibrated, improperly connected set and it didn't look any better than SD.

I have not been disappointed by the difference between BD and upconverted DVD yet.

[Yeha-Noha]

Hey, somebody's got HD-DUD confused with Blu-ray. We would have lost the format war if BDs were indistinguishable from up scaled DVDs. That's why the HD-DUD dudes lost, for that very same reason.

So someone who thinks this is true really needs to get their HDTV calibrated.

[Clark Kent]

The only pause I ever have when I'm browsing is whether a BD contains a lossless audio soundtrack. Unless it is a tv property I don't pick titles that I know will be double dipped eventually.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Sucker4BluRay

i had T2, sleepy hollow and escape from NY. the conversion was pathetic. these aren't the only titles.

T2 and Sleepy Hollow weren't the greatest transfers, and I've read that Escape From New York is pathetic.

[KJH6926]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

T2 and Sleepy Hollow weren't the greatest transfers, and I've read that Escape From New York is pathetic.

i thought sleepy hollow looked good...... it is one of my favorite movies.....

[Col. Zombie]

Originally Posted by Sucker4BluRay

isn't easy.

for example: going into a store, picking out a movie you love, and purchasing it can not be done (speaking personally) without thinking to your self "will this actually look good". i can't buy a single release without seeing a review first. i'm sure this has been discussed before, but i'm finding more and more titles looking no more better in quality than standard dvd. it seems companies aren't making any effort and looking for a quick buck. then there's the thought of wondering if they're going to release a magic, limited, ultimate collectors, super duper, enhanced version, like what they did with dvds. i think the best older film i've seen in hd is blade runner... looks amazing. now if it's possible to do it with a movie over 25 years old, why isn't possible to achieve this with movies less than half that age?

I understand where you are coming from...to a degree. While there is a marked difference between the majority of BDs and DVDs, I have noticed that some BDs just don't look that much better than their SD-DVD versions.

[KJH6926]

Originally Posted by AaronSCH

I agree. I can't think of a single title that I own that isn't an improvement over DVD. I rarely rent DVDs but I can always tell right away that it isn't high definition.

+1

[TheForce8686]

Originally Posted by KJH6926

+1

+2

[Sucker4BluRay]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Hey, somebody's got HD-DUD confused with Blu-ray. We would have lost the format war if BDs were indistinguishable from up scaled DVDs. That's why the HD-DUD dudes lost, for that very same reason.

So someone who thinks this is true really needs to get their HDTV calibrated.

i honestly have never watched a hd dvd in my life which i believe concludes that it's impossible for me to confuse the two. my system is also perfectly set up.

[Sucker4BluRay]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

T2 and Sleepy Hollow weren't the greatest transfers, and I've read that Escape From New York is pathetic.

escape from ny was so bad i had to play the dvd to get a better picture (slight exaggeration)

Originally Posted by KJH6926

i thought sleepy hollow looked good...... it is one of my favorite movies.....

it's one of my faves too (big burton fan here) but the transfer was no where near as good as it should have been, which goes back to my point about some companies not making an effort.

Originally Posted by Col.Zombie

I understand where you are coming from...to a degree. While there is a marked difference between the majority of BDs and DVDs, I have noticed that some BDs just don't look that much better than their SD-DVD versions.

see, this guy knows.

[Eternalnow]

Let's try to keep the fanboy-ism to a minimum here. Blu Ray isn't perfect, there are quite a few releases that are more or less sub-par in terms of PQ and AQ. Sure, almost all of the Blu Rays released so far are a step above the DVD, which is a good thing, but some of them are still so horrid looking that you really do have to wonder whether or not the studios are just lazy or what. As it has been stated to death over at the AVS forum, simply being better than DVD is not a good excuse, and is no indication of the true power of Blu Ray. The studios are never going to get the process perfected and there will always be the occasional shoddy disc.

While I am very happy with my Blu Ray purchases (aside from Gangs of New York and House of Flying Daggers, both of which are so minor a step above DVD), I am still able to tell when there are obvious flaws or general laziness on the part of the studio. I want to see Blu Ray fully utilized. There should be no doubt in the mind of any viewer as to the quality and superiority of Blu Ray. So with that in mind, a step above DVD is not really much, especially not worth the $400 + BD players and the $19.99 discs.

[nerdboyrockstar]

Considering the higher price tag, I think a little bit of research is in order before purchasing. I too take reviews into account and spend time looking for the best deal. With Blockbuster online and in-store availability for rental, my purchases will mostly consist of must-haves until prices go down.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Sucker4BluRay

see, this guy knows.

And people who disagree with you don't???


anyways, I just posted this earlier today, for what it's worth...

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=61628

just something to think about

[Scooby Blu]

I use the reviews as a general guide. I do want the best of the best. However, there are folks who like to gamble and think nothing of blowing money in Vegas or the Casinos. To them it is part of the game. An inherent part of the game or the gamble. That is their hobby. They love it and don't mind the loses they encounter. Although I like to proceed with caution there will be times when I will get burned. For me that is part of the game. People tell me all the time why would you spend this much on blu rays, speakers, HD-TV's ect. However, they are the same people who go to Vegas or the boats and drop hundreds if not thousands on their "hobby" and have nothing to show for it. To each his own. My quest for blu rays will continue unabated !

[Marine Mike]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Hey, somebody's got HD-DUD confused with Blu-ray. We would have lost the format war if BDs were indistinguishable from up scaled DVDs. That's why the HD-DUD dudes lost, for that very same reason.

So someone who thinks this is true really needs to get their HDTV calibrated.

I think that was pretty outlandish and not necessary.

I agree with the OP. I either rent the movie through Netflix first or read the latest review on it from Blu-Ray.com before I purchase the movie.

Granted if its a new release and its one that I want to own no matter what, then I will purchase it as I am confirming my movie collection to Blu-ray and couldn't justify a DVD purchase.

I have to agree with the Gangs of New York comment as at first I was a doubter and posted a lot trying to defend this title before seeing it stating that people were being too harsh and cannot have perfection. Please keep in mind that this was before I saw this and wanted to keep Blu-Ray's persona to the utmost.

With that in mind, I no longer see Blu-Ray as a whole, but studios that release them on a 50GB disc. If a studio releases a movie on a Blu-ray disc doesn't mean that they'll do an outstanding job just because its put on a Blu-Ray disc. Yes, it has the potential for a great encode as it has enough storage capacity, but if the studio doesn't handle it properly then it won't be up to the 'Blu-Ray Standard'.


Back to Gangs of New York, I felt like I was watching a DVD with great sound quality and it made me rethink Blu-Ray purchases.