Blu-ray Rules For Buying

[space2001]

I thought I would start this post to see how you guys buy your blu-rays.

Main point behind this is to see what the studio's should be releasing catalog or new releases.

For me Rules that I go by:
If it's a new release automatic buy on blu-ray(has to be a movie I like).
TV shows right now I will still purchase on DVD(replay value vs cost to me not worth it yet until they come down in price)

Catalog titles are tricky, since I own close to 600 dvds.

For me Any movie I replace will be ones that where not done properly on DVD. Non-anamorphic or really bad quality encodes(Armageddon, True Lies or any fullscreen ones). There will be the occasional blockbuster movie I may pick up(Matrix for example, Star wars for sure)Only if the encodes are worthwhile anyways.


so for me I think the studios should concentrate on good movies that where not done properly on DVD, and release every new title on Blu-ray.

[Grisle]

I feel rather lucky since I never really amassed a collection of DVDs. Pretty much my rule is everything must be Blu! Why buy a TV series on DVD when you'll just find yourself in the same predicament of wondering whether you should double dip on BD? I can see where your coming from so I like your rules for your position...I just can't stand buying a DVD any longer.

[Sylin]

Rule #1 - Never pay more than $20 for a movie, ever. Even better if it's $15 or $10. (Amazon BOGO, Tower.com, eBay, trade on this forum, etc.)

Rule #2 - Add every Blu-ray movie to my Amazon.com Wish List, and pick them up in order of interest. (Some I will never buy, but I like to keep my options open. See Rule #3.)

Rule #3 - Blind buy at least 1 movie every month, provided it does not conflict with Rules #1 or #2.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

For me, most new movies I will buy on BD. The only notable exceptions for now are new movies that are sequels to older movies, and the previous films aren't available on BD yet. If I have the previous ones on DVD, I'll just buy the new one that way, too, and wait until later on to get them on BD (if they are movies that I even feel the need to upgrade).

I have yet to buy any TV series on Blu-Ray. Some series that I collect, like Smallville, I am still buying on DVD for the same reason as stated above with movie sequels. Only the last season or two have been released on BD, and I already have the rest of the series on DVD. I doubt that I see myself upgrading this unless the whole series comes out on BD at a really, really good low price (which is doubtful).

When/if a TV series that I want to start collecting comes out on BD and DVD at the same time, depending on the cost, I'll probably go with the BD.

Actually, there's going to be a series that I will be collecting on BD eventually whenver it comes out. I'm a bit of a cartoon nerd. I have collected many cartoons from my childhood on DVD. A particular childhood favorite of mine is 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe' (hence the 'Eternia' in my screen name).

From 2002 to 2004, a new version of the show ran on Cartoon Network. The first of 3 volumes (that in all will make up the whole series) comes out next month on DVD. I do plan to get it on DVD, just to be a DVD completist since I have all of the previous incarnations of He-Man on DVD already. However, they are eventually (though a date hasn't been set yet) supposed to start releasing it on Blu-Ray as well, and being the huge fan I am, I plan to get the series on BD as well. From what I hear, it's supposed to look awesome in Hi-Def (a guy that works for BCI, the company putting out the discs, frequently posts at a he-man fan forum that I frequent, and he has seen the Hi-Def masters and was saying how awesome they look). Though it was cropped to 4:3 for TV airing, the show was made to be 16:9, and that is the ratio that both the DVD and BD releases will be in, so I am really looking forward to it.


Getting back on track here... as for older 'catalog' movie releases, buying them on BD depends on how much I really like the movie (esspecially if I already have it on DVD), how good or bad the DVD transfer was (if I already have it), and what the price of the BD release is. Unless it's something that I REALLY want in Hi-Def (or something that I never got around to getting on DVD, but would really like to own), I'm more inclined to hold out for a sale or bogo before buying them.

I have well over 800 DVDs (it might even be past 900 now... I haven't really taken a count in a while), plus my BDs on top of that. But, I've been getting more selective on what I buy, and so I am even more selective on what movies I 'double dip' on than I used to be (as I do own more than 1 edition of the same movies in a few cases on DVD). Though admitedly my big vice for a while were the TV season boxed sets. So many were coming out that it was hard to keep up and was getting quite costly. I've completed most of the older TV Shows that I was collecting, and I am more selective on other older shows that I start collecting now. Most of the shows I collect are ones that are still currently running, so it means that things don't get expensive until around fall when everything starts to get released from the previous season. Right now overall things have been slow this month and will likely continue to be for the next couple of months, which if fine by me.

[jk1138]

I will but all new movies on Blu even if they are a few year old and I have them ie Harry Potter, and will get older movies on blu if the are special effect driven i.e. Termanator. I do not buy many TV series as once i see them i do not usually watch them again, but some loke Lost, and eventually Heoes and Star Trek i will get on Blu. As for older movies that are just plain old movies, it will depend on how much, if at all they will look better, and what is the cost of them. Do I need It's a Wonderful Life on BD? The answer is YES, if it is a better quality and then there is the issue of extras, the BD can hold so much more, if it does, that is to say the studio adds more to it, I will buy.
All that said, i have bought movies on Blu I have on DVD that did not fit the rules I stated, so it is in the studios best intrest to release everythin they can on BD because there anr many more sucker like me out there.


On a side note, Now with BD I never want to see another 2 disc set, where they can fit everythin onto 1 disc. I got AVP and they had both versions on the same disc with extras. I also got Lost season 3, why does there need to be 6 discs, that is the same number that is with the DVD release. just a personal rant.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

You are still going to see multiple disc sets for a few reasons:

-In cases of TV season sets, like Lost, you are getting the same show now in Hi-Definition. The Hi-Def versions of the episodes take up a lot more gigabites than the DVD versions of the show. As a result, you aren't going to have an entire season of Lost on 1 or 2 discs. They could fit them all on 1 or 2 discs if they made them all in DVD quality but on a BD disc, but that would defeat the purpose of having them in Hi-Def.

-People want the perception of getting what they pay for. If people are buying a season set for $40 to $60 or more, they will feel ripped off if there is only 1 or 2 discs in the box. So, even if they could condense the series onto fewer discs with little to no quality loss, they still have to make the consumer feel like they are getting something for their money.

-Even with movies... depending on the length of the movie(and therefore amount of space it takes up) and the amount of features that will be included, and if those features will also be in Hi-Def, we will likely still be seeing 2 disc movie sets from time to time. I do hope they are few and far between, as I don't think the average movie is going to take up an entire BD disc, but it depends on what all is being included.

[gixxerk3]

A good thing to keep in mind as you are upgrading is sell the standards to Newbury Comics, FYE, etc so the upgrade to blu doesnt cost as much.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by space2001

I thought I would start this post to see how you guys buy your blu-rays.

Main point behind this is to see what the studio's should be releasing catalog or new releases.

For me Rules that I go by:
If it's a new release automatic buy on blu-ray(has to be a movie I like).
TV shows right now I will still purchase on DVD(replay value vs cost to me not worth it yet until they come down in price)

Catalog titles are tricky, since I own close to 600 dvds.

For me Any movie I replace will be ones that where not done properly on DVD. Non-anamorphic or really bad quality encodes(Armageddon, True Lies or any fullscreen ones). There will be the occasional blockbuster movie I may pick up(Matrix for example, Star wars for sure)Only if the encodes are worthwhile anyways.


so for me I think the studios should concentrate on good movies that where not done properly on DVD, and release every new title on Blu-ray.

1) I will purchase new releases no Blu... if I would be willing to purchase it on Standard DVD, I purchase it on Blu.

2) I agree, I can't justify re-purchasing T.V. series, but new ones like "weeds" that I didn't have on standard DVD are going for only $25-$30 for a season, so I'll buy it on blu, but Sopranos... NOPE... got it on standard, and even if I didn't, I wouldn't buy 7 box sets of it (part one/two of six) on Blu for 4 times the price of standard (the earlier seasons can be had for CHEAP)

3) I have between 1,000 and 1,100 Standard DVDs, but I have replaced some with Blu-Ray.... The Shining, Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Blade Runner, 2001, The Patriot, The Last Waltz, Unforgiven, Reservoir Dogs, among others... They're great, they're "must-upgrade" titles.

4) I'm not going to purchase Total Recall on Blu.... I have it on Standard, and I'm told the transfer isn't that great..... and I'm not that into the movie, but Predator and Commando will be "Must Upgrades" when they come out.