Confused by the predominance of the word DVD here...

[ufoclub1977]

Are people still buying DVD's? I'm seeing DVD in the title of so many threads... I understand if it's not available... but then you can usually find an HD DVD rip.... lol

[TheBaxter]

i think "DVD" is becoming a generic term for any CD-sized disk-based media. i generally refer to my BR disks as DVDs, unless i'm specifically distinguishing them from the actual DVD version of a film.

[DerLanghaarige]

Also most people still prefer DVDs over Blu Ray.

[Fievel]

Also most people still prefer DVDs over Blu Ray.

Not those with BluRay players.

[TonyWilson]

Also most people still prefer DVDs over Blu Ray.

Not those with BluRay players.

True but then that isn't most people. I can't wait to get a Blu Ray player and quality hdtv with surround sound of my own and I agree that most films look stunning but it's not the leap forward that DVD from video was and until we all get Digital HiDef downloads from superfast broadband I don't think hd will becdome the public standard in the way video and DVD were so I wouldn't sweat changing the terminology to be all encompassing.

[so sorry]

Are people still buying DVD's? I'm seeing DVD in the title of so many threads... I understand if it's not available... but then you can usually find an HD DVD rip.... lol

Yes people are still buying DVDs by the buttload. And they will continue to do so for the very forseeable future. The notion that we will all be streaming/downloading movies more than purchasing DVDs is really rediculous, being pushed on us by bloggers and tech heads. The truth is that WalMart probably sells more DVDs in a year then there are fish in the sea. Yes I'm exagerating, but do a little google search and check out the sales of dvds. Its staggering.

here's one source for example

Old Dogs sold 1.3 million copies. OLD DOGS. 1.3 MILLION COPIES. Suck that Netflix-streaming!

[TonyWilson]

That definitely the case at the moment SS, but in 10 years I think major metropolitan areas, all cities and the majority of towns will be able to download a hi def movie in under an hour (and providing studios start putting extras in with the digital downloads) DVD's and Blu Ray discs will become rather old hat.

[Peven]

That definitely the case at the moment SS, but in 10 years I think major metropolitan areas, all cities and the majority of towns will be able to download a hi def movie in under an hour (and providing studios start putting extras in with the digital downloads) DVD's and Blu Ray discs will become rather old hat.

jeebus you're a Struggling Background Artist

[Fievel]

True but then that isn't most people. I can't wait to get a Blu Ray player and quality hdtv with surround sound of my own and I agree that most films look stunning but it's not the leap forward that DVD from video was

It isn't, but it is. I have seen far too many DVDs exposed for the shitty digital transfer they truly have when "upconverted" on my PS3 to my 55" HDTV. Now whether that's the fault of the original transfer/authoring, my PS3's upscaling abilities, or my TV, I don't know.

Obviously the downloading/streaming option is going to be the final option (or maybe implants?), but I think at least a couple generations of humanity will have to die off before consumers don't demand a tangible product anymore.

WalMart being a DVD factory is the truth, and I blame their bargain bins that are filled to the rim with 90% shitty films and 10% films that had to be put in their by mistake. My mom grabbed an armful of those Christmas and to pull a "But Mom, I watch BluRays now!" would have been the ultimate asshoilsh thing to do.

[so sorry]

That definitely the case at the moment SS, but in 10 years I think major metropolitan areas, all cities and the majority of towns will be able to download a hi def movie in under an hour (and providing studios start putting extras in with the digital downloads) DVD's and Blu Ray discs will become rather old hat.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't say the technology to put DVDs in the grave didn't exist. But the fact that most consumers don't want to download (or even know how to download) movies remains. I think we here in the zone, being a bit technologically advanced sometimes forget that the VAST majority are more than happy to pop a disk in a player instead of downloading voodoo to their TVs. And I think the same goes for books vs. kindles and such.

Time will surely kill the DVD market, but its not going to be in my generation (IMO).

[Fried Gold]

DVDs are still the biggest seller and will be for some time. BRDs will probably catch up at some point, although by that time there may be more competition from viable alternatives.

DVD players had the advantage of being compatible with pretty much any television set. Blu-Ray requires the consumer to buy all sorts of other kit, so the overhead prevents many people from upgrading.

It isn't, but it is. I have seen far too many DVDs exposed for the shitty digital transfer they truly have when "upconverted" on my PS3 to my 55" HDTV. Now whether that's the fault of the original transfer/authoring, my PS3's upscaling abilities, or my TV, I don't know.

TonyWilson is correct. It actually is - DVD was a massive step up from VHS. Blu-Ray isn't as much of an advance on DVD (that's not to underestimate the qualities of Blu-Ray) And with regards to digital transfers, the same can certainly be said for Blu-Ray. Some of the studios/disc producers don't seem to really know how to handle it.

[King Of Nowhere]

It isn't, but it is. I have seen far too many DVDs exposed for the shitty digital transfer they truly have when "upconverted" on my PS3 to my 55" HDTV. Now whether that's the fault of the original transfer/authoring, my PS3's upscaling abilities, or my TV, I don't know.

It's not about shitty digital transfers (although some dvds do have them), it's just that dvds are in standard definition. Any sort of upscaling will be no match for an HD transfer.
It's a bit like ripping a tape to cd (or upconverting a 96kbps mp3 to 320kbps) The quality is only ever going to be as good as the original.

I'd also reccomend disabling your TV's fancy upscaling options (or set it to GAME mode if you have a samsung) as your ps3 is upconverting the signal & then your tv is trying to de-noise, "true contrast", "enhance black" & all that other shit on the top of it. It can lead to things looking a bit blurry & shite, like seeing trails of a persons head, or 1 dodgy pixel on the original transfer being enhanced to the level of distraction.

I remember SUPERBIT dvds from fox that had double the bitrate of normal dvd transfers (no special features though) Even those upscaled on your telly are a bit naff compared to a proper HD transfer. Very little chance of noise, but it's still 852(or 720)x 480 stretched out over your 1920x1080, 55inch screen.

If you think your dvds look bad, try using the wii to watch a youtube video on a 1080p screen.

[The Vicar]

Time will surely kill the DVD market, but its not going to be in my generation (IMO).

I look into the Technology Graveyard, where the bodies of 8-Tracks, audio cassettes, video cassettes & HD-DVDs lie,
and can't help but wonder if the end will come as swiftly DVDs as it did for them.
Left records off the list because they had a pretty decent run decades wise.

[Fried Gold]

It's not about shitty digital transfers (although some dvds do have them), it's just that dvds are in standard definition. Any sort of upscaling will be no match for an HD transfer.
It's a bit like ripping a tape to cd (or upconverting a 96kbps mp3 to 320kbps) The quality is only ever going to be as good as the original.

Ah yes, it's a lot like "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In many ways it's superior but will never be as recognized as the original.

[King Of Nowhere]

It's like a new pair of underwear.
At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.

[The Vicar]

It's not about shitty digital transfers (although some dvds do have them), it's just that dvds are in standard definition. Any sort of upscaling will be no match for an HD transfer.
It's a bit like ripping a tape to cd (or upconverting a 96kbps mp3 to 320kbps) The quality is only ever going to be as good as the original.

Ah yes, it's a lot like "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In many ways it's superior but will never be as recognized as the original.

That's good.

[minstrel]

It's like a new pair of underwear.
At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.

I thought that was Iron Man's armor, not underwear. Remember he said "The suit and I are one."

Did anyone ever say that about their underwear? "My Y-front Fruit of the Loom briefs and I are one."

"My ridiculous-looking plaid boxers and I are one."

"My thong and I are one." (Though this can be corrected with surgery.)

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Must people here just download anyway. This thread is full of hypocrits. Papa and many others, please leave.

[TheBaxter]

regarding downloading: i'm much more technologically inclined than the average person, and i definitely want my physical disk rather than a download. first of all, i have yet to see a streaming or DL film that compares to a true 1080p BR in picture quality. netflix's "HD" streams (and i have to put "HD" in quotes when i refer to netflix) don't even look as good as a regular DVD, let alone a bluray. HD material downloaded over the internet is usually overcompressed to the point where artifacts and noise become a distraction. someday, the internet will be able to handle the major increase in bandwidth that would be required to deliver all this content in true 1080p HD format, but it's a long way away. there are major network infrastructure upgrades that need to happen first.

even then, i will still prefer to have my physical disks. why? because i've had computers long enough to know one thing: hard drives crash. and they do it fairly often. i've already lost tons of music files in the past because of that. do i want to lose a whole library of films to a HD crash? sure, if you have some kind of itunes system where you have an account and can just re-download the film, you can get it back. but what happens if you have something like 200 films? how long, even with an upgraded broadband network, does it take to re-download all those films? i mean, i've got thousands of music files (most ripped from CDs, because i also like to keep my music formats physical). but music files are a lot smaller than HD films. you can set up a backup HD drive to protect yourself, but how many average joe consumers are gonna do that? if you've got the physical disk, it's not a concern. unless you have a fire or theft or something, you don't have that danger of losing your entire collection. and those things happen a lot less frequently than a HD crash. so that's why i'm sticking with physical media.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

[Peven]

It's like a new pair of underwear.
At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.

i'm thinking someone needs to change their underwear more often

[TheBaxter]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

what the hell is an HMV?

[Peven]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

people who illegally download movies aren't true film fans anyway, since as Bax points out even the quality of legit downloads sucks ass compared to dvd/blu-ray, and if you are a real fan of film you want to see things in the best quality possible the way the film-maker intended

[Peven]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

what the hell is an HMV?

Hummer Motor Vehicles?

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

what the hell is an HMV?

You know fully well that it's a chain of DVD stores. Denying it like the Holocaust again. See, this is why such stores are losing business. Because people like you excuse these downloading crimes and their effects, to Hell.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

people who illegally download movies aren't true film fans anyway, since as Bax points out even the quality of legit downloads sucks ass compared to dvd/blu-ray, and if you are a real fan of film you want to see things in the best quality possible the way the film-maker intended

But there's a lot of them. And they're right here, reading this thread right now. Shall I name names?

[TheBaxter]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

what the hell is an HMV?

You know fully well that it's a chain of DVD stores. Denying it like the Holocaust again. See, this is why such stores are losing business. Because people like you excuse these downloading crimes and their effects, to Hell.

wait... there's a DVD store called Holocaust Movies & Video? that's a pretty insensitive name for a company, IMO. they probably deserve to go out of business.

anyway, what does illegal downloading have to do with this topic anyway? you do realize there are a lot of ways to LEGALLY download movies nowadays, don't you?

[Peven]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

what the hell is an HMV?

You know fully well that it's a chain of DVD stores. Denying it like the Holocaust again. See, this is why such stores are losing business. Because people like you excuse these downloading crimes and their effects, to Hell.

wait... there's a DVD store called Holocaust Movies & Video? that's a pretty insensitive name for a company, IMO. they probably deserve to go out of business.

David Duke is the CEO...

[King Of Nowhere]

It's like a new pair of underwear.
At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.

I thought that was Iron Man's armor, not underwear. Remember he said "The suit and I are one."

Did anyone ever say that about their underwear? "My Y-front Fruit of the Loom briefs and I are one."

"My ridiculous-looking plaid boxers and I are one."

"My thong and I are one." (Though this can be corrected with surgery.)

It's like a new pair of underwear.
At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.

i'm thinking someone needs to change their underwear more often

Yes, and that person's name is Garth Algar.

Know your quotes!

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Saying stuff like that is like saying that the Holocaust never existed. I see Papalaz is quiet on this subject.

My arse.

HMV (his master's voice) went tits up because they were charging RRP. £19.99 for a new film that you can get off Amazon or Play for £12.99 at the most. Even places like ASDA sell dvds & albums for next to nothing. £6 for an album or £11.99 in HMV. iTunes already killed most physical music sales anyway. A lot of people don't have the time to go into a shop & hunt around for something, only to be let down by the price or the fact that it's out of stock. Ordering a DVD or album online takes about 10 seconds.

That brings me to the other problem with HMV. The prices on their website are the same as in store, so they're driving customers to the sites i mentioned before. They too so long to lower their prices that people just ignored them. If you go to google, click on the shopping tab & type in the name of a dvd you'll be lucky if HMV's site is on the first page of results.

[Fried Gold]

So... you deny that HMV going out of business has NOTHING to do with illegal downloading?

Not especially. When you can buy new release DVD from Amazon/Play/otheronlineretailer for half the price that HMV sells it for, then you're not going to go to HMV.

Also, HMV owns Waterstones. And I don't know anyone anymore who buys books from Waterstones, again, because they overcharge when compared to online retailers.

But the biggest reason for HMV going out of business is their failure to adopt the Dewey Decimal System for cataloguing their DVDs.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

DVD players had the advantage of being compatible with pretty much any television set. Blu-Ray requires the consumer to buy all sorts of other kit, so the overhead prevents many people from upgrading.

This is a misconception that manufacturers aren't trying to dispel. You can pull your DVD player out of your existing set-up and replace it with a Blu-ray player connected with the same cables. I would have no problem recommending to someone who needs to replace a DVD player to get the Blu-ray even if they don't have an HDTV. You can hook it up to your existing TV and it will still play your DVDs. Sure, Blu-ray through a composite cable on your old 20" TV isn't the same as on a 40" HD set with surround sound but you can do it.

[TheBaxter]

DVD players had the advantage of being compatible with pretty much any television set. Blu-Ray requires the consumer to buy all sorts of other kit, so the overhead prevents many people from upgrading.

This is a misconception that manufacturers aren't trying to dispel. You can pull your DVD player out of your existing set-up and replace it with a Blu-ray player connected with the same cables. I would have no problem recommending to someone who needs to replace a DVD player to get the Blu-ray even if they don't have an HDTV. You can hook it up to your existing TV and it will still play your DVDs. Sure, Blu-ray through a composite cable on your old 20" TV isn't the same as on a 40" HD set with surround sound but you can do it.

it's only worth doing if you're planning to upgrade to an HDTV in the near future though. otherwise, through old cables, it will look no better or worse than a DVD player. and when you can get a DVD player for $30 or $40, vs $100 or so for the cheapest BR player, it's a significant difference in price for features and picture quality you can't use. if you're not getting an HDTV for at least another year or so, you may as well stick with DVD. by the time you get the HDTV, BR players will have dropped in price and gone up in quality again, and you may even get one in a package with your TV. and you can use that old DVD player on your old TV still.

[justcheckin]

I have a Western Digital Media player and also my DVD system. I didn't buy into the blu ray/HD stuff because I saw the whole betamax/vhs thing happening and I just didn't want to waste the money. I think that my dvds play really nicely on my HD tv. Yes, there is a difference when you see the HD version of something but really, it doesn't matter that much in most films. I digitized my dvd collection and then sold them all on ebay. I don't download movies off the internet illegally and the movies that I have on my player were actually bought by myself at one time or other. I do have them backed up twice (once on the hard drive that plays on the media player and once on a backup hard drive). This takes up a lot less space in my living room.

One of the problems that I have had with iTunes is that I bought an HD movie and it does come with extras and formatted like a dvd when you play it through iTunes. The problem is that it comes with DRMs that don't allow you to put it or play it on anything but your iPod or your computer iTunes program. I can't extract the movie file and have my media player play it on my tv or even quicktime on my computer. iTunes has to be the controlling program. I looked into it and to extract the movie without the DRMs, I'd have to buy a program to remove them. The freeware available doesn't do that. I might as well buy the movie and rip the disk. I'm hoping that this changes in the future because I would like to not buy any more dvds. When people can buy a movie online and be able to output it on any player that they wish, then that is when DVDs will be on the way out. I'm not sure that there is a way to control pirating and have the technology move forward. I think this is what is holding back having everything digital on hard drives.

[theangiechrist]

you guys are killing me! I've survived the BETA tapes and a simple DVD is a godsend to me! DVD = whatever is new to me now. I don't care if it's Blu ray; it's all the same to me.

Blu-ray, OK, fine, sure. Great. But I'm not going to go and re-buy every damn flick I own just to see the pores on some actor's nose.
I bought a 60' HDTV and I ended up getting motion sick the first few days I had it. A 3-D movie messed my head up for hours and made me puke.

I'm wondering if the vinyl nostalgia that DJs make livings on will apply to VCR tapes end create a rebirth of the big old plastic way of life that made you be kind and rewind?

Not thinksing so, but you never know.

Sometimes technology is an anoyance. DVD is more than fine for me. But, regardless if it is DVD or Blu-ray, they are both gonna play a movie so I don't really distinguish the difference unnless it makes me puke LOL

[BuckyO'harre]

I'm somewhat surprised that no one has brought up the recently announced UltraViolet.

UltraViolet is a cloud-based digital rights management system, developed by DECE LLC, a consortium including Sony, Adobe Systems, Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Neustar, Intel and 50 plus other members. [1][2][3] Apple and Disney do not support this format.[4]

UltraViolet would create an online virtual library for each user. This would be used to allow sharing with other UltraViolet users, and transferring media to, or playing media on, an UltraViolet enabled device. An internet connection would be required for this. All other uses are restricted so it will not be possible to use the format on devices that do not support the service. A pricing model has not been mentioned yet.[5]

DECE has announced that beta testing of UltraViolet will start in Fall 2010.

UltraViolet Media

When you purchase UltraViolet media – as Blu-ray, DVD or Internet download – you get much more than just a single file or disc: You also get the enduring right to access your content on any UltraViolet device registered in your Household Account. You can also enjoy your UltraViolet entertainment via streaming through devices at home or on the go.


Where to Find UltraViolet Media

You’ll be able to find UltraViolet movies and TV shows as downloads from your favorite online stores, or access them via game consoles and smartphone or tablet apps. Offline, they’re available on Blu-rays or DVDs that come with UltraViolet from your favorite retailers. Get your media however you please, from the places you like to shop.


UltraViolet Household Account

All your UltraViolet content will be accessible online through your easily set up and managed free Household Account. It doesn’t require any credit card or other sensitive private information. Up to 6 family members – whether they’re around the house or out and about – can access your family media collection using customizable individual preferences. Your UltraViolet media collection is safe in one place, easily shared or filtered through parental controls. What could be easier or more convenient?



UltraViolet Devices

You’ll be able to download and play UltraViolet media on UltraViolet computers, tablets, game consoles, set top boxes, Blu-ray players, Internet TVs, smartphones and other mobile devices. A simple software upgrade may enable you to upgrade many devices you already own to be UltraViolet devices. Also, new devices are coming soon with UltraViolet capability pre-installed and ready-to-go: Watch for the UltraViolet logo when you shop. Remember, UltraViolet streaming access will allow you to use almost any type of device, so you can start right away.

[papalazeru]

I have a Western Digital Media player and also my DVD system. I didn't buy into the blu ray/HD stuff because I saw the whole betamax/vhs thing happening and I just didn't want to waste the money. I think that my dvds play really nicely on my HD tv. Yes, there is a difference when you see the HD version of something but really, it doesn't matter that much in most films. I digitized my dvd collection and then sold them all on ebay. I don't download movies off the internet illegally and the movies that I have on my player were actually bought by myself at one time or other. I do have them backed up twice (once on the hard drive that plays on the media player and once on a backup hard drive). This takes up a lot less space in my living room.

One of the problems that I have had with iTunes is that I bought an HD movie and it does come with extras and formatted like a dvd when you play it through iTunes. The problem is that it comes with DRMs that don't allow you to put it or play it on anything but your iPod or your computer iTunes program. I can't extract the movie file and have my media player play it on my tv or even quicktime on my computer. iTunes has to be the controlling program. I looked into it and to extract the movie without the DRMs, I'd have to buy a program to remove them. The freeware available doesn't do that. I might as well buy the movie and rip the disk. I'm hoping that this changes in the future because I would like to not buy any more dvds. When people can buy a movie online and be able to output it on any player that they wish, then that is when DVDs will be on the way out. I'm not sure that there is a way to control pirating and have the technology move forward. I think this is what is holding back having everything digital on hard drives.

All good points, especially when the files you bought will only work with one companies software.

The problem with this whole digital revolution is that noone is actually owning anything tangible. If, by some magic, there is another collapse and iTunes goes out of business, you have no legal recourse here, you were only allowed to use the media as long as they let you and could remove it without your consent (check the End User License Agreements).

It's shit, I want a tangible product in my hand that I know will work as long as I want to or as long as the player will hold out.

A DRM system as describe by Ultraviolet just above is exactly the same, you won't own the files and you will pay the same price or just under as someone buying a DVD. Avoid it as much as possible until they change the EULA's.

[DennisMM]

I'm not the film fan that many of y'all are. I used to see 80-100 movies in theater each year, but I burnt out. I'm also not a video fiend. I'm okay with DVDs. I spent enough time watching VHS tapes -- some of them really dodgy SLP releases -- that DVDs, even if not the best transfers, satisfy me. I own two reasonably priced DVD players, one a recorder/VHS dubber I've used to transfer stuff I have on VHS that's not otherwise available or for which I don't want to drop the coin. And you know what? The quality of most DVDs is just fine. I want to see the picture in focus, with good color. I want to hear the sound in the original format, not artificially separated into surround. I'm happy lots of discs offer that option.

I probably won't buy a Blu-Ray player until a couple of things happen. First, the typical BR disc has to be cheaper. Right now, it's prohibitively expensive for many people to upgrade to BR, as it was to move from VHS to DVD. Second, BR recorders have to be reasonably priced, with a dub option for those of us who want to transfer over old home video. Also, I doubt I'll move to BR until I get a much nicer TV. DVDs look okay on my crappy 27" CRT boob tube, but I don't want to put money into tech that won't look any better. I'll probably have the better TV first, then the BR recorder.

Until discs are not readily available, I won't be downloading much, legally or illegally. I like a physical format. I like looking at the packaging, at the liner notes that used to come with some CDs and came with most LPs. Just because something is made up of a vast number of 1s and 0s, that doesn't mean it can't have some grounding in physical reality. I like books, too, and comics and other magazines. I like letters and greeting cards, though I rarely send them. I want my life to be physical for as long as it can be, even if that means my apartment remains terribly cluttered.

This has nothing to do with the original subject. People call discs DVDs because a majority (I've no idea how large) still buys DVDs rather than BR discs. Remember when advertisements called video tape VHS? Now they say "video," if the title is available at all. The language adapts until it has to change. When all you can buy is BR, they'll probably just call them "discs."

[ufoclub1977]

Also most people still prefer DVDs over Blu Ray.

Didn't blu-ray sales now exceed DVD? Ah, no, not close yet, but they are increasing sales exponentially since the price has dropped (average of 30% movie sales now?). Even grocery stores now have blu-ray for sale! No one I know prefers a DVD to blu-ray! That's kind of like preferring VHS to DVD.

Here's the facts:

VHS = 333x480
Laserdisc = 425x480
DVD = 720x480
Blu-ray/HD cinema = 1920x1080
35mm film (what is projected in the movie theater) = organically more than blu-ray, but the perceived resolution is about the same.

[Spandau Belly]

I used to buy a lot of movies when I was younger, but I realized I was never watching half of them. These days I buy maybe three movies a year and routinely sell off stuff I don't watch. The few movies I buy, I do buy on bluray because, yes, they looks nicer.

When they mainstream some iPod device where I can just download all my movies and have them all stored on a chip in some machine, that will be all the better. Cleaner shelves. It's all about cleaner shelves.

For now, I prefer to just rent. It's cheaper and keeps my shelves free of clutter. And the places where I rent carry most of their stock in DVD.

With VHS to DVD, sure the picture and sound quality was more than twice as good, but the real advantage was widescreen. That made a big difference in the movie viewing experience seeing as half the frame wasn't chopped off. But DVD to bluray, the advantage isn't really as big to me. With a pan and scan version a dude was literally taken out of the shot and widescreen put him back in, then bluray just lets you count his eyebrow hairs. Big whoop.

[Fried Gold]

Also most people still prefer DVDs over Blu Ray.

Didn't blu-ray sales now exceed DVD? Ah, no, not close yet, but they are increasing sales exponentially since the price has dropped (average of 30% movie sales now?). Even grocery stores now have blu-ray for sale! No one I know prefers a DVD to blu-ray! That's kind of like preferring VHS to DVD.

BRD sales aren't rising exponentially (for one thing, there aren't enough titles yet for that to happen) but BRD player sales are now selling close to "exponentially" well.

BRD rentals haven't taken off as well yet (especially in the US, where movie streaming has eaten into it) and, even with a BRD player, people are still buying DVDs and largely aren't replacing films they already own (which is why a lot of studios are releasing double packs now including both types of disc).

Here's the facts:

VHS = 333x480
Laserdisc = 425x480
DVD = 720x480
Blu-ray/HD cinema = 1920x1080
35mm film (what is projected in the movie theater) = organically more than blu-ray, but the perceived resolution is about the same.

PAL DVDs = 720×576

[ufoclub1977]

But DVD to bluray, the advantage isn't really as big to me. With a pan and scan version a dude was literally taken out of the shot and widescreen put him back in, then bluray just lets you count his eyebrow hairs. Big whoop.

There's finally a format that can look like what you see on the movie screen at the cinema... that's not a bid deal?

[TheBaxter]

But DVD to bluray, the advantage isn't really as big to me. With a pan and scan version a dude was literally taken out of the shot and widescreen put him back in, then bluray just lets you count his eyebrow hairs. Big whoop.

There's finally a format that can look like what you see on the movie screen at the cinema... that's not a bid deal?

not unless you have an actual movie screen at home. don't get me wrong, i love BR, i only buy BR, i only rent BR unless a movie is not available in BR, but i also recognize that in a lot of home setups, the actual difference in quality can be hard to perceive unless you have a really large screen or you sit very close to the TV.

[ufoclub1977]

But DVD to bluray, the advantage isn't really as big to me. With a pan and scan version a dude was literally taken out of the shot and widescreen put him back in, then bluray just lets you count his eyebrow hairs. Big whoop.

There's finally a format that can look like what you see on the movie screen at the cinema... that's not a bid deal?

not unless you have an actual movie screen at home. don't get me wrong, i love BR, i only buy BR, i only rent BR unless a movie is not available in BR, but i also recognize that in a lot of home setups, the actual difference in quality can be hard to perceive unless you have a really large screen or you sit very close to the TV.

In my experience (I work with video on large and small monitors), this statement is false: "the actual difference in quality can be hard to perceive unless you have a really large screen or you sit very close to the TV."

But maybe people are sitting an entire room away from a small tv? In that instance I could see the point of vague clarity.

Even on laptop, I can easily tell the difference between 1920x1080 and 720x480. On-set of video productions, the small HD monitor is easily better than an SD down conversion on the same size monitor. It's dramatically different.

For example, I watched pretty much 3/4ths of the modern Battlestar Galactica series on borrowed DVD, switching to rented blu-ray for that last 4th or so. On the same tv. The difference was dramatic. For one thing you saw how the effects were not as good as you thought, but the colors, tone, and details were smooth and rich. It's like it opened up within clearer air.

[TheBaxter]

well, first of all, you said yourself you work in video, so you're going to be more aware of and attuned to the differences. the average viewer isn't going to notice the same things you do.

secondly, as for laptops and computers, it will be more noticable because you're only inches from the screen, instead of feet, and because the pixels on the monitor are so much smaller that they appear sharper, especially close up. they have to be in order to make on-screen text look smooth and not cause eyestrain and such. i watch HD trailers on my computer, and they look sharper and clearer on a computer than when i watch the same trailers on my tv. you're always going to notice more detail in those circumstances.

anyway, your experience is your experience, but i don't think it's typical. i had the exact opposite experience to the one you described with BR. i have a 52" HDTV and i'm sitting about 12' away from it. i put in Creepshow 2 on DVD the other night (and that is hardly a paragon of great video quality on its own) and was actually surprised at how little difference i noticed between this and the HD shows i normally watch on TV. i'm sure if i was sitting closer, like 8' or so, the difference would be more obvious. but beyond a certain screen-size/viewing-distance ratio, the differences become minimal and eventually go away altogether. and i can tell you that i'm much more anal about video quality and tech stuff than almost anyone else i know, in my family, friends, coworkers or anywhere. so if the difference is minimal to me, it's practically non-existent for them. just as an example, my parents have an HD set, and the last time they switched their cable companies, the installer forgot to set the cable box to output HD, so they were watching everything in 480p. and they did so happily for weeks, never noticing the change, until i came over one week and thought the picture didn't look so sharp and finally switched the box back to HD for them. they would have never noticed if i hadn't seen it. and i suspect more people are like that then you may realize. most people don't even bother to adjust their tv settings, even though the typical tv is not properly adjusted for home viewing straight out of the box. if people don't notice or don't care about the difference between a poorly adjusted vs a correctly adjusted tv, how do you really expect them to notice the difference between HD and SD? it's just not realistic to expect from the general population.

[Spandau Belly]

My television setup and experience have been the exact same as Baxter's. People come over, they notice the television is big, that's it. I can appreciate the difference in quality between standard def and HD, but don't really care that much. Once I start watching the movie and get into the characters and the story, it doesn't really matter whether the image is really clear or ultra clear. I grew up on VHS and was perfectly capable of becoming interested in movies then. And I think most people are like this to an even greater extent. If they're watching something they like, they don't care what it looks like.

[ufoclub1977]

Well regardless of people not being able to tell the difference (this is similar I think to people not being aware of the difference between stereo and mono if both are coming out of two speakers?), SD is going extinct. DVD will soon be the lone medium for SD resolution. Live tv, movies, shows, home videos shot by consumers... it will all be HD.

And seriously, I would challenge you to watch the same scene from Lord of the Rings movie on blu-ray and then DVD back to back.

[Hermanator X]

Well regardless of people not being able to tell the difference (this is similar I think to people not being aware of the difference between stereo and mono if both are coming out of two speakers?), SD is going extinct. DVD will soon be the lone medium for SD resolution. Live tv, movies, shows, home videos shot by consumers... it will all be HD.

And seriously, I would challenge you to watch the same scene from Lord of the Rings movie on blu-ray and then DVD back to back.

A lot of the scenes from Lord of the Rings arent available to watch on Blu Ray though.

[Peven]

I can't believe what i am reading here!!!!











Bax has parents??

[DerLanghaarige]

SD is going extinct. DVD will soon be the lone medium for SD resolution. Live tv, movies, shows, home videos shot by consumers... it will all be HD.

Nobody will deny that, but until HD is the one, only or at least most widespread way to watch something, most people won't really care.
It's especially apparent in countries outside of the USA. Here in Germany, HD is still a pretty small niche product.The Hardware is available, but it doesn't look like it's becoming the TV standard soon. We only got a handful of HD Channels, that are not just Pay TV only (which is another thing that never really established itself over here), but also not available for everybody, thanks to the refusal of several digital cable providers, to show them all. A few years ago some major free TV channels started to air their program in HD, but quickly stopped. Recently they started trying again, but it doesn't seem to be the priority. Shit, most major channels over here just started one or two years ago, to seriously show their program in widescreen! (Strange enough: The same channels that were one of the first to produce and air shows in widescreen, back in the early to mid 90's, belong to the last who jump on the HD train!)
I think we can all agree that HD is the way to go, but until it's fully established, Blu-Ray might already be dead again and we will then have another medium, that really justifies the jump from DVD, to whatever these geeks came up with now.

Also I recently noticed, that if you REALLY wanna convince someone that HD is awesome, you just have to show him a cartoon! Seriously, even with brand new major motion picture productions, it's often pretty difficult to tell a breathtaking difference between HD and SD, but after I recently saw some clips of remastered Disney classics, current CGI productions and even TV shows like THE VENTURE BROS or SYM-BIONIC TITAN,I finally get what the fanboys are bragging about. I'm still not planning to get a Blu-Ray player, but yeah, animation looks awesome in HD!

[Spandau Belly]

And seriously, I would challenge you to watch the same scene from Lord of the Rings movie on blu-ray and then DVD back to back.

You would win that challenge. I saw the first LOTR movie once in the cinemas and that was enough. Man, those hobbits are annoying little buggers.