DVDs -- How And Why You Should Switch To BluRay
Yep, it's time to make the switch to BluRay. You should buy a BluRay player and/or start buying movies on BluRay instead of regular DVDs wherever it makes sense. If you've got an HD capable TV and a BluRay player, you should also consider replacing some of your favorite movies with BluRay versions. Here's how and why.
You own a regular TV -- Buy a BluRay player today and in the future buy only BluRay titles. BluRay players are now very cheap ($200 is common). It seems like an additional expense but every time you buy a regular DVD when a BluRay version is available for a similar price, you're actually wasting money. It's like buying 8 track tapes when you KNOW you're gonna get a CD player eventually. A BluRay player can let you watch all your regular DVDs and any BluRay DVDs you buy. You won't see any difference on a regular TV, but when you eventually upgrade to an LCD or plasma that's HD-ready, you'll have a library of titles ready to go.
You own an HD-ready TV, either a plasma or LCD -- Why don't you own a BluRay player? The better brands "upscale" the regular DVDs you already own, making them look better than they are. No, they don't look as good as actual BluRay titles, but it does make a difference. Plus, you should only be buying BluRay titles from now on. The difference is that significant, just like it was when you jumped from VHS to DVD or cassette to compact disc.
Replacing the DVDs you already own with BluRay -- Any title you truly love and want to watch over and over again is worth buying on BluRay no matter how much more expensive it is. But in general, I'd say unless a movie is absolutely one of your big favorites, there's no need to replace all your regular DVDs with BluRay. You can watch all those movies and if you have an HD-ready TV, the BluRay player will make them look even better than they do. And naturally, comedies and documentaries and TV shows (especially older ones) don't necessarily need the pizazz of BluRay. Of course, if we're talking a sci-fi spectacle like 2001: A Space Odyssey or a landmark film like The Godfather, those are cases where it will be worth your while to upgrade right away. And you can always re-gift your regular DVD copies to someone because they're great movies and a friend will be glad to own them. But for most of your library, I'd wait until the BluRay versions were really cheap (prices better come down at some point) or not bother at all. Your regular DVDs look great. It just doesn't make any sense to keep buying them from now on.
Buying new DVDs on BluRay or regular DVD -- In general, I'd just stop buying regular DVDs. Buy a movie you want on BluRay, especially when the price is about the same on BluRay, which is quite common when you're comparing special edition DVDs to BluRay versions of new releases. If the regular DVD version is, say, $20 and the BluRay is $40, just don't buy it. Unless it's some incredibly elaborate special effects extravaganza you're dying to get, there's no reason to shell out significantly more bucks for BluRay. If you really can't bear to wait, maybe it's one of the few movies worth shelling out for. But why not just Netflix it and wait? Dont encourage them to think that BluRay can be an excuse to permanently raise prices on DVDs. But again, don't waste your money on regular DVDs any more. If it's an obscure flick that's never been available on DVD and isn't put out on BluRay, sure, make an exception. Otherwise, hold off.
So buy a BluRay player and start building your BluRay library, even if you don't own an HD-ready plasma or LCD TV. And if you do, the format war is over, so what are you waiting for? Here are some recent BluRay releases and whether they make sense to buy compared to the cost of a regular DVD.
The Dark Knight ($35.99 on BluRay versus $34.98 for regular DVD special edition; Warner Bros.) Sure, you can buy a single disc regular DVD edition for $28.98 but I'm going to compare the standard DVDs loaded with extras to the BluRay since if you're enough of a fan to buy the movie, you probably want all the bells and whistles. So in this case, there is only $1 in difference in the cost. And this movie looks stunning on BluRay -- a real demo disc for when your friends come over, whether you're showing off your new TV or your sound system. Finally, when there's no price difference, you'd be foolish to buy a regular DVD. This is exactly why you need to buy a BluRay player now, whatever home entertainment system you have. You can enjoy the movie right away and then be wowed once you upgrade your system.
Tommy Boy ($29.99 on BluRay versus $12.98 for regular DVD; Paramount) -- Okay, an extra 17 dollars is a huge premium, especially when you're talking about a low-budget comedy that won't gain a huge benefit from being seen on BluRay. If you own it already, I don't see the need to upgrade. Naturally, if it's on your all-time favorite list, any movie is worth getting.
The Cheetah Girls One World ($34.99 versus $29.99 on regular DVD; Disney) -- Okay, the price difference is a minimal $5. On the other hand, there's no need for super great picture or sound on the titles your kids watch, is there? Maybe not, but why buy a regular DVD when BluRay is available and has a few extra bonus features they'll love to check out. When the price is about the same, you should go BluRay, even for kids' stuff.
The Man Who Fell To Earth ($39.95 versus $39.95 for regular DVD; Criterion) -- Criterion always sets the gold standard for special edition DVDs. Here we have one of their first BluRay releases, only to discover that it costs exactly the same amount as their regular Criterion release. One big difference: the regular Criterion edition came with a copy of the book the movie is based on. Otherwise the editions are identical and I imagine the extras will be identical when possible as well. Since the movie matters to me more than the extras, I'm especially glad the price is the same. This BluRay also comes in a flimsier cardboard slipcover, which is either another cost-saving measure or an eco-friendly change. But quality control does't get better than Criterion, so it's great news to see them determined to release BluRay titles at the same price point as their regular DVDs.
Hot Rod ($29.98 versus $19.98 for regular DVD; Paramount) -- Another low-budget comedy and not a very successful one, despite Andy Samberg's appeal. Is there any reason the BluRay version should cost $10 more? Nope. So wait until the price comes down. But you're itching to own it and wonder whether you should pay $20 for a regular DVD? In general, just go cold turkey. If the price is too high to buy on BluRay, don't buy it at all. That's the only way to let the studios know that you're not willing to pay a premium for the pleasure of buying movies on BluRay. They should see BluRay as a reason to keep you buying titles, not as an excuse to raise prices. Remember, DVDs were better and cheaper than VHS and that market took off. CDs were almost always more expensive than cassettes and for a while it worked but when a cheaper alternative came along (digital tracks) the market collapsed. Lower BluRay prices and be glad people aren't just watching these movies for free online!
Into The Wild ($29.99 versus $35.98 for the special edition regular DVD; Paramount) -- Here's a terrific surprise. The BluRay edition is $6 LESS than the regular DVD special edition and contains all the same bonus features. It's the same price as the regular single disc DVD. It's an acclaimed film that's beautfully shot and looks great on DVD. Just on principal, we should all buy this title to encourage them into pricing BluRays like this.
Lost Complete Fourth Season ($96.99 versus $59.99 for regular DVD; ABC/Disney) -- And here's the exact opposite of Into The Wild, a DVD set that is dramatically more expensive than the regular DVD for absolutely no good reason. (A few modest exclusive extras certainly aren't worth $36.) On top of it, both sets are the same price as previous season sets despite having fewer episodes. Sure, the series looks even more smashing on BluRay than regular DVD -- this is Lost, and not some set-bound sitcom. But this massive price hike is unconscionable. Watch the episodes online and wait for a much lower price point before adding it to your library. Even if the show's a favorite, the gap in prices make this one you should resist. UPDATE: the Suggested Retail Price for this set was lowered soon after it came out to $69.99. That's only $10 more than the $59.99 for the regular DVDs and since this is an entire season as opposed to just one movie, that's a very competitive price. Still, it was a dumb move to put it out even for a week at such a higher SRP. People see that in their heads and get the fixed idea that BluRay will be much more expensive than regular DVDs. Of course what YOU should be looking at are the sale prices and when it comes to that, BluRay is quickly matching regular DVDs. See my update below for more info. And thanks to Jeff Kleist of The Digital Bits for alerting me to this price change.
Ray Charles Live at Montreaux 1997 ($24.98 versus $14.98 on regular DVD; Eagle Rock) -- Okay, Ray Charles is a giant but this show comes at the tail end of his illustrious career. It's a fine concert, if not a legendary one for such a riveting, iconic figure. Ten dollars more is a big increase for the BluRay version, especially since it's a low-cost price point to begin with. I'm generally avoiding comparing sale prices, but in this case I'd point out that buying it on sale reduces the difference to just over $5. Still, no need to encourage smaller companies to hike their prices just like the big ones. They should provide better value and gain market share on the big boys that way.
Ghost ($29.99 versus $12.99 on regular DVD; Paramount) -- Maybe this is your favorite romantic movie and you won't mind ponying up. But again, there's no reason a movie almost 20 years old should cost more than twice as much on BluRay as it does on regular DVD.
Death Race ($39.98 versus $29.98 on regular DVD; Universal) -- This is an action flick and so it'll pop on BluRay. And if you're a Jason Statham fan, at least you can tell yourself the extra money is worth the free digital copy the BluRay version offers so you can watch it on your computer or portable device. Still, a 30% increase in price is hard to justify in general.
Death Proof and PLANET TERROR ($29.95 each versus $14.95 on regular DVD; Dimension/Genius) -- Two very fun B movies (though I still wish they'd offer the original theatrical version with these movies as shorter double features). And they look and sound great on BluRay. But twice the price? No way, unless female stunt artists are a source of joy for you.
Old School ($29.99 versus $14.99 for regular DVD; DreamWorks) -- A very funny comedy that isn't going to really improve dramatically on BluRay. And twice the price keeps this off your list unless Vince Vaughn is unmissable. In that case you probably own it already on regular DVD and there's no need to upgrade.
Other recent BluRay releases: The Truman Show ($29.99; Paramount); Event Horizon ($29.99; Paramount); The Women (2008 remake) ($35.99; New Line); Tori Amos Live at Montreaux ($24.98; Eagle Rock); Days Of Thunder ($29.99; Paramount); The Heartbreak Kid ($29.99; DreamWorks); The Strat Pack Live In Concert ($24.98; Eagle Rock); Last Holiday ($29.99; Paramount); and Coach Carter ($29.99; Paramount).
So there you see it. On new releases, sometimes you can pay even less for BuRay and often it's within $5. When it's a big spectacle, that makes BluRay well worth it. On reissues of classic movies, the bigger the flick and the more special effects, the more likely it's worth it. And whether it's a comedy, a TV show or a classic western, unless the title is among your absolute favorite, there's no need to shell out 30% or even 100% more just for the pleasure of BluRay. But do buy a player today, slow down or stop your regular DVD purchases, buy new releases when they make financial sense and carefully upgrade your catalog. BluRay is a major leap ahead and you shouldn't spend any more money on regular DVDs if you can help it.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Okay, so tons of comments on this post. I first put it up on Friday and today the New York Times has an article talking about BluRay's fuzzy future. They're right and wrong -- I don't expect it to supplant regular DVD completely or even wholly. But with DVD sales slowing (it's a mature format), if they can keep sales steady by introducing improvements like BluRay then that'll be a success. But the NYT is wrong in thinking of BluRay as a whole new format. It's not. You can buy a very modestly priced BluRay player today ($150 and dropping) and watch all your regular DVDs on it. You don't need to get rid of them and buy BluRay the way you did when you switched from VHS to DVD. Here are some responses to the most frequent comments.
1. HOW DARE YOU! THERE'S A RECESSION -- Yes, we're in a recession. But people will still review new automobiles and fancy restaurants and vacation getaways. That's not offensive. Someone will buy a new car this year, even if most people will hold off if they can. People like to read reviews of wildly expensive restaurants even if they never plan to eat there. And DVDs are hardly a luxury item a la yachts and caviar. If you're a family of four, a $22 DVD is a great bargain compared to going to the movies. During the Depression of the 1930s, people went to movies more often than they ever have before or since. But did the fact of the Depression mean movie critics at the time were insensitive cretins for even talking about films? Of course not.
2. NEW FORMAT X IS JUST ON THE HORIZON -- A new format or technology is ALWAYS on the horizon. If you follow that logic, you must be watching a 12 inch black and white TV while listening to your Edison cylindars. I am VERY cautious about embracing a new format. I've actively campaigned against almost every new format in entertainment you can think of, from VHS and laser disc (too expensive and bulky) to Divx and MP3s. (Hate 'em.) The ONLY two formats I've embraced in the last 25 years are CDs and DVDs. And whatever new formats arise in years to come, I'll enjoy the library of CDs and DVDs I have now for the rest of my life, just like some people still enjoy their LPs. New technologies don't mean old technologies become "useless." I'll still enjoy my hardcover book even if you only read on a Kindle.
3. HI-DEF DOWNLOADING IS CLEARLY GONNA STOMP ON DVDS -- I do agree that streaming and downloading movies will be the dominant way people rent movies quite soon. But for many technological and legal reasons, hi-def downloading is years away from being the dominant way to buy movies, even if we do overcome efforts by telecos/cable/internet companies to charge people onerous fees for using a lot of bandwidth. And certainly, worldwide, hi-def downloading is absurd to consider as dominating in giant markets like China, India, Indonesia and Africa for decades to come. Even the US won't be capable of getting it available to a majority of users for a good decade. And so what if it does become dominant and you decide come 2015 that you never want to buy a DVD again? The library you have will still be useful. And if you only rent, the modest $150 you spent to get a BluRay player so you could rent BluRay from Netflix (for an extra $1) or borrow from your local library will surely have been worth it by then.
4. BLURAY IS TOO EXPENSIVE -- I compared the suggested retail price because sale prices vary so much from store to store and even week to week. But when you check out the sale price of new releases, BluRay and regular DVDs are almost neck and neck. The Dark Knight, for example, costs only $1 more on BluRay than regular DVD at Amazon. And it's not a new format -- you don't need two players and you can always buy or rent anything on regular DVD that's a lot cheaper or only available that way.
5. BLU RAY WON'T LAST -- Even if it doesn't, your player can still play regular DVDs and I'm confident that just as you can still buy a turntable you'll be able to buy a cheap DVD player than can play regular and BluRay DVDs for years to come. Again, regular DVDs are the dominant worldwide medium by far and certainly won't fade away in the next decade. Twenty years is quite a good run for any format. LPs lasted about 40 years, 78s even longer but of course as technology improves so does the pace of change. But again, the library you build will be positive and enjoyable for years to come, combining regular DVD and BluRay DVDs, whether or not most of us are watching 3-D holograms via an implant come 2025.
6. I'M SHILLING FOR MANUFATURERS AND MUST HAVE BEEN PAID TO WRITE SUCH A DUMB COLUMN -- Of course, I wasn't paid a penny by anyone to write this column. In fact, I spent years excoriating them for the absurd format war they engaged in between BluRay and HD-DVD. I modestly preferred HD-DVD but called for a pox on both their houses for going to market with both. I'm perfectly happy with my regular DVDs and if the studios thought they could jack up prices via BluRay they've been proven very wrong. This is the make or break year for BluRay and they're reducing prices very fast. IF you own a HD-ready plasma or LCD screen or plan to buy one in the next five years and IF you're already buying DVDs and IF the title you want is available on BluRay for about the same price, I recommend you buy it on Bluray. Does that sound like some crazy, 'oh my gosh BluRay is AWESOME' plug to you? To have this option available to you, you'll have to shell out a modest $150 for a DVD player that plays regular and Bluray DVDs. But hey, even if you're just renting from Netflix, a BluRay player makes sense. If the worst case scenario happens and the studios abandon BluRay in five years, you'll STILL be able to watch and buy regular DVDs using your player and enjoy the superior quality of BluRay for the titles they did release. And I'll bet anyone any amount they want to suggest that DVDs in both or either format will absolutely be around in 2015. To suggest they'll disappear completely is silly. And AGAIN, if they did, so what? You can still enjoy the library you've built for the rest of your life, just like your books and CDs.
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Blu Ray produces the most awesome video I have ever seen - in a home situation. And DVD's do look better when played through a Blu Ray player on a flat screen display. Those who say they do not see the difference between Blu Ray and DVD are blind or they have a set-up issue. So... if you NEED a new player it is wise to move up to a Blu Ray and yes you should buy Blu Ray disks in the future. This would be a wise choice because Blu Ray will - hopefully - replace DVD. And even if you don't buy a lot of disks you will always want the the Blu Ray disk when they are available. This is something you can live without, but if you do buy a lot of movies it is a VERY wise investment.
Having said that I know that it is overwhelming to have to change everything every few years. I have owed Betamax, VHS, Laser Disk, DVD and now Blu Ray. I still watch films from all the formats I still have. For me it is about the film itself not the format. There are still movies I watch that never made it to DVD so I watch a Laser Disk or a tape.
What I really want is to pay a flat fee and receive on demand all the movies ever made. I am tried of collecting I just want to watch movies!
Sure. Go ahead. Buy more frivolous and useless stuff. Buy it soon so you can get a few years out of it before you must toss it to the trashcan.
Thanks! Yeah, this whole concept is bunk - I agree.
Hie George, Thx for reading. Since BluRay isn't a wholesale format change and any DVDs you own can be played on that player, I thought the modest upgrade of a BLuRay player was worth it. Aviatrice, I have most every CD I've bought in my library since 1983. Why would I toss them in a trashcan? Do you own any books? Or is it evil to have books when I could go to the library and find them for free? Maybe you think the arts are frivolous and useless, but I think they make life worth living.
Hilarious! People DO NOT LISTEN TO MICHAEL GLITZ! He has no clue and doesn't even read the regular round of tech hardware sites. Blu-Ray was pronounced dead in '08 and will be replaced by OLED discs by January 2010. Every penny you spend for a BR disc now is just thrown away, and your BR discs won't play on anything else. Besides, movies from now on will be directly streamed to your device, and they'll no longer be a need to buy YET ANOTHER disc player.
SO SAVE YOUR MONEY, AND LOOK SMART IN 13 MONTHS. YOU'LL THANK YOURSELF -- AND YOUR WALLET -- LATER.
Ummm... OLED is coming, yes, but it's primarily a display technology. It's a bit like saying "Here, have an LCD disk".
Blu-Ray is the laser technology that allows you to put around 50gb of data onto a single disk. Improvements can boost that (in the lab) up to a whopping 250gb, so I'm not sure it's going away any time soon.
Likewise, 1080p (the current standard) requires some pretty heavy equipment-- increasing the resolution will require yet more equipment upgrades and replacements, and if the switchover from standard-def to hi-def is any indication, it'll be 5 years before all of the television networks finish switching over to HD.
I've seen two types of articles proclaiming the death of Blu-Ray (post HD-DVD collapse): The Samsung interview where they said OLED was the next big thing, and Microsoft-type articles where they believe that downloadable/streamable content is the way of the future.
OLED may indeed replace LCD/Plasma, but I don't think we've got the bandwidth for large-scale HD movie downloads "soon", and I don't think Blu-Ray is going away before the Playstation 4 ships.
Zridling, I've seen the OLED screen and it looks stunning. But as jeg says, it's a format like plasma and LCD. It's appearance on the horizon wouldn't stop me from buying a plasma or LCD screen today since they'll be good for 10+ years and it'll be a long time before the price comes down to make it competitive. The argument about not buying any movies on DVD or BR because we'll be streaming everything is a fine one. Though, like jeg, even though Netflix starts streaming movies and downloads get quicker, I believe that will be primarily a way of renting titles as opposed to replacing the act of owning a movie in whatever format, at least for decades to come. Perhaps in the distant future we'll all just be able to accessa any and every movie, TV show, album, book etc immediately and from anywhere in the world. That wouldn't stop me from buying, say, the Bon Iver CD today or the new Roberto Bolano book or whatever. I'm very wary of jumping on new toys and don't do so until the smoke has cleared.
I'm on the fence about it: Since we already have the ultimate technology in data storage available to us (although movies are not yet commercially available thereon), namely solid-state, why buy a soon-to-be-obsolescent technology/medium?
Bought a BluRay player from Walmart this morning. The advice here convinced me to pull the trigger. Got The Dark Knight and the picture is stunning. Words of advice: save yourself a second trip and make sure to include a Hmdi cable too.
Don't buy HDMI cables from mainstream retailers. The pricing is hallucinatory. Go to monoprice.com. Please.
Glad to hear you're happy and hope you'll only supoort the BluRay titles that are about the same price as the regular DVDs. And yes, everyone, an HDMI cable should not cost more than $30. Anything more is a rip-off and walk away from any sales person who tries to tell you about the better image you'll get from a $100 cable, or whatever.
YES--I'll upgrade to yet another technology, collect movies, concerts, etc. for that new technology just to watch it soon become obsolete and then be told to fork out big cash for the next entertainment technological upgrade. No thanks!
I assume therefore that you listen to your music on wax cylinders, and use an acoustic modem coupled to your DECWriter for your internet usage? Or maybe you're one of those fancy ADM-3A users?
That would be silly, yes? Progress happens, but the nice thing is, YOU can choose when to upgrade.
This is my biggest beef with DRM-- I can bypass macrovision on my VHS collection, and CSS was broken a long time ago for DVD, and of course, audio CD's don't *have* DRM... Therefore, I can archive all of those formats in digital form, and never have to "upgrade" them again until there's a Really Good Reason.
Of course, that's why the music and movie industry loves DRM, and hates people like me. Oh well.
JEG,
Have you EVER listened to an old Edison Phonograph?
Don't knock these things...
We are in a Depression buddy, best not to buy what you don't need.
i can't recall the last time i rented a video/dvd from blockbuster or any of the stores. i also don't download vids off the net - though i do watch the free ones at various sites (HULU, for example).
but i rarely go without seeing current/recent flicks - FOR FREE. here's what i do:
i reserve them at the local LIBRARY. FREE. you just get "in line" by reserving all the latest DVDs, just like reserving a book. sometimes it can take awhile if the movie is popular, but eventually you get the notice that the DVD has arrived, you drive/walk over to the library branch in your neighborhood, and voila - you have your DVD.
it's also a good way to catch up films you might have missed. over the past five years i've lived in two different states (my home state and another state i visited for a few years) and i've done this in both places. depends on the budget for the library, but i will say the state i visited for a few years had an enormous budget and a much larger and current selection of DVDs than my home state (local county) library. however, i can't complain since my home state's selection isn't all that much lacking.
who pays to see videos?
Great. Charity, I have family and friends who use the library too. They also provide books on audio CDs and soon I'll bet they have BluRay DVds available. When they do, that $150 for a new player that can play either type might seem like a good idea. Of course, if EVERYONE used their local library like this, the waiting list would become horrendous :)
Buy Bluray discs? No thanks, I'll go with Netflix. They do streaming too and it's not too bad.
The problem with HD downloads is that most ISP's are instituting caps on how much you can data you can get per month. Hopefully if DLing catches on these caps will be revised or removed.
I am so pleased to be reading all of this good sense in my fellow man. Thank you all. Maybe there is some hope after all. There is zero chance I will buy another soon-to-be-antiquated moving-parts "technology". I believe that all media will be following the lead of harddrives-flashdrives - solid state tech, no moving parts. Moving parts breakdown. This is the #1 problem. It's just like with the internal-combustion engine. That has been an antiquated tech for a very long time now. Electricity has been the Here&Now for just as long. It's about planned obsolescence. It's about the need for these tech manufacturers to recoup their development expenses and hold progress to a relative crawl so they can maximize profits. I'm sure we could be driving hover-cars at this point - no doubt the tech is there - but our progress is being purposefully limited - controlled for the sake of Dollars. It's not about true tech for them but profits. So we will never be truly functioning in step with the current science. This is called technological oppression. We are their willing slaves.
Hey guys, thx for reading. If you rent from Netlix, they offer BluRay titles for $1 more and if you've got the home entertainment system already, it's well worth it. LaFrog, as for , say, audio, a CD has much better sound quality than an MP3. I'll rip my CDs so they're available that way on my iPod or whatever, but most of the time I listen to regular CDs. I'm not Neil Young or an audiophile (i've got a very modest system) but until DRM is gone for all digital purchases and I can do what I want with the music I legally buy, I'm sticking with CDs. I've been building a library since 1983 and CDs I bought back then still play and sound great, so where's this constant obsolescence everyone keeps talking about?
Blue Ray is not just for movies. Computer geeks look for large storage for backup, larger databases or so. The problem is the old problem Sony has (remember Beta video tapes), With portable hard drives or ssd, Blue Ray has a long way to go. The $200 just doesn't cut when you get 500 GB for $125 compared to 50 GB for $50 in Blue Ray. Besides the enormous cost of a Blue Ray burner of up to $400. I am sorry it doesn't cut it. It is Sony's Vista. The Geeks are waiting for something much better. As for movies, have you noticed there is a recession out there: the new deals may sound attractive for somebody who makes a good income and has not lost his job. I am sorry $34 for a Blue Ray disk. Somebody is trying to rip us off,
Hey in 3 years I can put that Bluray player in the garage with my useless DVD player and other out of date electronics that were over priced and now useless because technology moved beyond it. Are you a salesman for BestBuy or something? Let me know when a BluRay player is down below 50 dollars, but spending 200 for something that will be obsolete in a few years is not practical. Besides I am using that money to buy things I need like food. But thanks for the heads up.
LOL, yeah those "unnecessary" items like food are just a little more important to me in this current economy than spending $300.00 on a Blu-Ray player that will be obsolete in 3-5 yrs. In my world I have to stretch $35.00 into 2 to 2 1/2 weeks of food, you do the math.
I have CDs that are 25 years old. Is that obsolete yet? I'll have them until I die. (Ditto, the 78s I own which I play on a Victrola.) What's all the talk about a recession? If you're looking for a value, buying one good movie is a much wiser choice than actually going to the movies ($12 per person to watch a movie once, plus popcorn etc.) If you have to choose between eating and buying a book or a CD or DVD every few months, then maybe a column about DVDs isn't worth your time. But regular DVDs and BluRays will look and play just fine for the next 30 years, regardless of what online or other formats the industry tries to foist on us. SACD and HD-CDs didn't supplant CDs. BluRay players will be $99 by the end of the year and probably $50 the year after that. Every major studio is flooding the market with BuRay titles. If you're poor, you can get them from your local library for free. If you're actually buying a movie on DVD and they're the same price, I recommend the BluRay because it looks so much better. Since the players are backward compatible, it's not like choosing btwn Betamax and VHS, is it?
Buy movies? How many times am I going to watch the things. Twice maybe, then it can gather dust or get donated to something or other.
Mr. Glitz, I wonder about something. What will come after Blue Ray? Technology continually changes. Home electronics are always about 2 years, from its rollout, to being obsolete, at least according "so called experts" like you. There is always "something new" on the market. Where does the madness stop, Mr. Glitz? Manufacturers like Sony et al, have the buying public over a barrel. This much is obvious! In my opinion, there is one thing going on with Blue Ray, just like happened with cassette decks verses eight track stereo players (in cars, for example; years ago). The evolution is dictated by the greed for more money (profits) by corporations. Second, it's driven by "real technological" advances. But, "greed" is still the major determinant of the "roll out" of the product! Not all technological advances "truly" enhance our viewing or listening experience. The difference in the sound quality of 8-track, to cassette, to CD is basically minimal to this reader (and music fan). Yes, the sound quality difference of CD's is the most noticeable. But, the cost of the various decks to play such media on is the pain in the tush (to put it lightly). Not to mention financial pain of the virtual "throw away your record, tape collection" and upgrade to the new tech - media standards mode (of the world today). Tell the truth, Mr. Glitz. Which one of the manufacturers promoting Blue Ray's superior quality PAID you to write this article championing this new, must have technology?
Not only wasn't I paid by a manufacturer, I wasn't paid by Huffington either. The articles posted on Huffington by columnists are all written for free. I've owned CDs since 1983. That format hasnt been outdated or thrown on the trash heap. I own books and don't plan to switch over to e-Books as a substitute for them, ever. (I also own 78s and LPs but that's a different story.) I have a library of DVDs. I expect to have them and watch them for the rest of my life. Except for 8-track, every format you mentioned can be enjoyed at a modest price. Cassette decks, Victrolas (like the one in my bedroom), turntables, VCRs (though VHS sucks) and so on are all readily available. No investment in any of these formats need be considered a waste and smart people won't buy and rebuy stuff in every new format when there's no need. It will be easily a decade or more before downloading becomes a dominant way of renting or buying movies for tons of technological reasons. If like me you rent or take out DVDs from your library or own some, a BluRay player that can play all those DVDs PLUS a BluRay title, is a safe investment. Even if BluRay flounders and dies in ten years, your player will still be able to play them and regular DVDs.
Just to confirm, this article is an intended joke, yes?
Gotta be a joke. I know I laughed.
Yep, a movie is offered in two versions for the same price and even non-techie guys like me can see one version is vastly superior and he suggests that the version that looks a lot better is probably the better choice (especially when they're the same price) and it's a joke. Listened to a lot of 8-tracks lately? DVDs and BluRay are a great format for watching films.
It's cheap, it is only $200, you say. Spoken like a rich yuppie. Now, I love red salmon caviar and lobster but I am afraid I am on a Whatburger budget, you elitist fool.
I'm on a very modest budget too. That's why I don't own a Kindle and a $3000 plasma TV and whatever. I supoose any talk about buying a movie on DVD is elitist under your logic. I'd hardly compare a DVD for $25 to red salmon caviar -- which I've never even heard of, you elitist :) -- since a movie on DVD is a much wiser purchase for a family of four than actually going to the movies. Plus, you can borrow movies from your local library or rent them. If you think $200 is the height of extravagance, I don't know what to say.
I recently ( three weeks ago) bought HD-TV to replace a twenty year-old TV. There is an extra charge from the cable company for an HD box monthly that is more than $ 60.00 a year for the HD box, and no, I can't buy the box. So I cancelled HBO, Showtime, STARZ and TMC.
I hear you loud and clear gemcandoo6,
For years and years, folks have been complaining about the rising cost of cable.
.And now we have to either buy a hd tv or a box to convert..those conversion boxes used to be really expensive by Panasonic.
That's what I'm talking about but I really guess it depends on what you like to do for recreation.
Yes, I watch movies but I was never into being the first one on the block to own the latest whatever.
Some guys are, just as some guys like and will buy sports cars.
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