Blu-ray 4K Under Consideration by BDA

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I guess the smartest thing to do is to convert our DVDs or BDs into digital files, such as AVC, and store them on a hard drive or USB. So long as we have computers, there will always be softwares that can play them. I think digital files are much more future-proof than formats since formats seems to change very often and become obsolete.

why? If I don't dust off my commodore 64 I can't play my oldest computer games, I have a lot of programs from DOS and earlier versions of windows that don't work anymore in the latest version of windows. I can still easily buy a record player or (combo)VHS player if I want. And even though BD has been out so long there are some people that still only rely on DVD. Honestly I see it way more likely that an application developer will decide "I will drop mpeg-2 since it is used so little" then it will be to find a "DVD" player in the future.

[Petyr_Baelish]

I can't imagine my movies looking any better on a 55" screen. And no I never thought that about DVD.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by MrHT

If 4K isn't really much of a benefit, why do they want to replace BDs? That's what concerns me.

since not all movies fall in that category. before 2000 (give or take a few years) movies were on film and more or less everything was on film. As computers became more powerful CG, DI and cameras started popping up in the film business, if a movie is 100% film and the film negative is in good shape then it can easily be scanned at a higher resolution (assuming it was not done that way originaly), if there is just a DI then it needs a bit a work, CG is harder and a digital 2k camera is impossibe*

*Though personally I feal that professional high quality equipment can do a better job of upscaling than what is possible at home so there might be an advantage to get something that is originally 2k upscaled by a studio and retouched and buy the 4k version instead of upscaling 2k at home.

Because you don't have to worry about buying and then rebuying movies due to format changing.

why? let's take a simple example, someone buys a film from Vudu (I picked them since they offer the best quality and their model is the easiest for the example) in SD and then the person wants the HD or HDX or, to fit this discussion one day in the future UHD or UHDX. won't that person need to re-buy the film the same way they would need to re-buy on BD a film they had on DVD because they want 1080p or re-buy in 4x the film they have now on BD? no matter the medium the formats will always change. And actually with digital streaming/DL it is even worst, since you might buy a movie in one format (like let's say Vudu) and then when you change device that device might have gone with a different format (like iTunes) or you might have bought a film in the best that itunes has to offer and because the device now also has VUDU you decide to go with Vudu HDX.

[img eL]

D VHS came out because at the time there was not enough space on optical media. Now there is already a new recordable blu ray disc format BDXL that has been out for over 2 years able to hold 128GB of data & with the new HEVC/h.265 codec able to cut down on more space with the same quailty as today. Blu ray came out at first as a recordable format before 2006.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by img eL

D VHS came out because at the time there was not enough space on optical media. Now there is already a new recordable blu ray disc format BDXL that has been out for over 2 years able to hold 128GB of data & with the new HEVC/h.265 codec able to cut down on more space with the same quailty as today. Blu ray came out at first as a recordable format before 2006.

agree, though there is a big difference between writable disks and replication. my point was simple that talk of new formats (on aficionados forums) always starts off long before the new format hits the street and that there can always be some pseudo formats that don't go anywhere.

[img eL]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

agree, though there is a big difference between writable disks and replication. my point was simple that talk of new formats (on aficionados forums) always starts off long before the new format hits the street and that there can always be some pseudo formats that don't go anywhere.

True, but BDXL is not one of those pseudo formats. It's real as you know & has been out for two years. BDXL is everywhere in Japan, BDXL has been in home bluray players for the past two years, even DVR's & PC drives that are also available in the U.S.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

why? If I don't dust off my commodore 64 I can't play my oldest computer games, I have a lot of programs from DOS and earlier versions of windows that don't work anymore in the latest version of windows. I can still easily buy a record player or (combo)VHS player if I want. And even though BD has been out so long there are some people that still only rely on DVD. Honestly I see it way more likely that an application developer will decide "I will drop mpeg-2 since it is used so little" then it will be to find a "DVD" player in the future.

That doesn't make sense. A computer game is ONE software. A video file is a file that can play on MANY MANY softwares. And even if some softwares have newer versions that won't play older video files, then there will always be other free softwares you can download that can play that file.

[img eL]

So MrHT why did you upgrade to blu ray? You didn't have too, DVD's were'nt obsolete, you can still buy current movies on DVD & all blu ray players play DVD's

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by img eL

So MrHT why did you upgrade to blu ray? You didn't have too, DVD's were'nt obsolete, you can still buy current movies on DVD & all blu ray players play DVD's

I think DVDs are obsolete. If they aren't yet, it will only be a matter of time before they are.

All I want is to own a bunch of movies and be able to still watch them 50 years from now.

If I knew without a shadow of a doubt that DVD will never become obsolete, I would've never upgraded to Blu-ray. What I fear most is that I will own 100s of movies and shows and will be stuck one day with no player to play them on.

[pentatonic]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I think DVDs are obsolete. If they aren't yet, it will only be a matter of time before they are.

All I want is to own a bunch of movies and be able to still watch them 50 years from now.

If I knew without a shadow of a doubt that DVD will never become obsolete, I would've never upgraded to Blu-ray. What I fear most is that I will own 100s of movies and shows and will be stuck one day with no player to play them on.

You can't stop technology, it just is and for me is welcome, but as long as there's demand for a certain format reader, they will make them (i.e. vinyl, CDs, VHS etc.) If it wasn't for tech advances we'd still be watching crappy VHS. If that scares you then don't purchase, just rent, but often times the price of admission is similar anyways with BD prices lower than ever, sometimes even cheaper than its DVD counterpart.

[img eL]

You will be able to play CD's, DVD's, BD's for the rest of your life. So if you want new Optical player's to be made you should champion new Optical Disc formats

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by pentatonic

You can't stop technology, it just is and for me is welcome, but as long as there's demand for a certain format reader, they will make them (i.e. vinyl, CDs, VHS etc.) If it wasn't for tech advances we'd still be watching crappy VHS. If that scares you then don't purchase, just rent, but often times the price of admission is similar anyways with BD prices lower than ever, sometimes even cheaper than its DVD counterpart.

But that's the thing. VHS quality was garbage. DVD is acceptable. And Blu-ray is excellent. Why replace a format like BD? The quality is excellent and doesn't need replacement, especially since the average consumer doesn't own a huge TV to experience the benefit of 4K. Makes no sense. BD should be here to stay for several decades and need not be replaced!

[pentatonic]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But that's the thing. VHS quality was garbage. DVD is acceptable. And Blu-ray is excellent. Why replace a format like BD? The quality is excellent and doesn't need replacement, especially since the average consumer doesn't own a huge TV to experience the benefit of 4K. Makes no sense. BD should be here to stay for several decades and need not be replaced!

While that holds true for you, there are more and more pj setups and TVs are getting bigger all the time, and most if not all the people I know always upgrade for bigger usually. And with 4K will also come other advances. Plus they will surely make 4K players backward compatible to CD and DVD so if you like owning it assures you will have access to a player for even longer IMO

[img eL]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But that's the thing. VHS quality was garbage. DVD is acceptable. And Blu-ray is excellent. Why replace a format like BD? The quality is excellent and doesn't need replacement, especially since the average consumer doesn't own a huge TV to experience the benefit of 4K. Makes no sense. BD should be here to stay for several decades and need not be replaced!

So what about the consumers that have 4K TV sets & 4K projectors that want 4K blu ray?

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But that's the thing. VHS quality was garbage. DVD is acceptable. And Blu-ray is excellent. Why replace a format like BD? The quality is excellent and doesn't need replacement, especially since the average consumer doesn't own a huge TV to experience the benefit of 4K. Makes no sense. BD should be here to stay for several decades and need not be replaced!

I foresee that, 4K is going to be another DVD-Audio, SACD, D-VHS, and laserdisc. They were all niche markets! These technologies never became mainstream because, the technology was catered specifically to the upper class, who could afford the investment. So therefore, I don't think blu-ray have nothing to worry about, as far as competition is concern because it's affordable. $25,000.00 for a 4K UHDTV, and I don't how how much the native 4K movies are going to cost--probably an arm, leg and a foot as well. Blu-ray is not going anywhere soon, not in the lest, so I'm not going to worry about it at all. We'll cross that bridge, when it comes, and it will not be difficult!

[Canada]

Aren't there already 3 or 4 (75 or 100 gig) layer Blu ray disks I thought I had heard that Pioneer had already done this, or was Pioneer just working on it?

4K is going to be a niche market for a while but I assume in the next 8 to 10 years a lot of us on this forum will have or will be saving for 4K technology assuming 4K has become affordable for most people by that point. Since we have lossless technology for audio already we won't see any better audio.

[img eL]

Originally Posted by Canada

Aren't there already 3 or 4 (75 or 100 gig) layer Blu ray disks I thought I had heard that Pioneer had already done this, or was Pioneer just working on it?

Yes there called BDXL 100GB & 128GB

[Canada]

Originally Posted by Petyr_Baelish

I can't imagine my movies looking any better on a 55" screen. And no I never thought that about DVD.

Most 4K TV's are 70, 80 inches or larger.

[img eL]

Originally Posted by slimdude

I foresee that, 4K is going to be another DVD-Audio, SACD, D-VHS, and laserdisc. They were all niche markets! These technologies never became mainstream because, the technology was catered specifically to the upper class citizens, who could afford to invest in them. So therefore, I don't think blu-ray have nothing to worry about, as far as competition is concern because it's affordable. $25,000.00 for a 4K UHDTV, and no telling how much the native 4K movies are going to cost-probably an arm, leg and foot as well. Blu-ray is not going anywhere soon, not in the lest, so I'm not going to worry about it at all.

At this moment you can find a Sony 4K projector for $16,000 & $5500 for Sharp's 32" 4K monitor

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But that's the thing. VHS quality was garbage. DVD is acceptable. And Blu-ray is excellent. Why replace a format like BD? The quality is excellent and doesn't need replacement, especially since the average consumer doesn't own a huge TV to experience the benefit of 4K. Makes no sense. BD should be here to stay for several decades and need not be replaced!

I was at a similar place to you, I just stopped worrying so much. Bluray will be watchable through new ps4 as will dvd so both formats will be playable for a decent amount of time. Even if the ps4 is a complete flop it will still play those discs and should last at least 5-6 years in terms of life cycle.
What I was more concerned about is theat streaming would replace bluray quality. Instead of better we go the opposite. Still a slight concern but I think blurays will still be playable ten years from now