Blu-ray format... Do you like it compared to DVD?


Before I get to my questions.
I would like you to know this is our first ventcher into boob tube home entertainment.

We have just replaced our Sony tv with a new Panasonic 37 inch LCD.
Prior to the purchase we were given a used Sony 6 channel surround with "small cube speakers" and a subwoofer, which B.T.W. passes my wife's approval.
A few days ago I mounted the speakers and had it up and running using our Sony tv.

That evening we watched a movie and the both of us enjoyed the added feature of the surround sound in our home.

The both of us are not complete strangers to home theater, we have watched movies in friends home.

Through out our marriage the both of us have never really been interested in spending hours on end in front of a tv.

I recall once having a bumber sticker many years ago that read..."Shoot Your T.V."

Anyway, here we are now.

Last night we watched two dvds on the new Panasonic tv.
Blue planet documentary and a movie called Layer Cake.
The dvds were recommended and lent to us for the weekend.

We enjoyed both of them ,however we were going to spread the time for watching the dvds for Friday and Saturday night, didn't happen, however I borrowed more.

My question to those of you that own a Blu-ray player, how do you like this format compared to standard dvd?

Which brand of player are you using also would it be worth buying into this format at this time?

The current dvd player we are using now is on short term loan.

Basically I would like to experience what this highly rated Consumer Report Panasonic tv can do.


stiltskin

Showing 4 responses by shadorne

If you have a 1080P TV = 1920 x 1080 pixels then there is no question that Blu-ray quality is better. Get Planet Earth by the BBC in HD and prepare to be gobsmacked!
OK, BluRay is better, but I don't see a big enough difference to change from DVD's, especially since I see BluRay as the 8-track of this decade. It's a stop gap.

Have you seen Blade Runner in BD compared to DVD? I mean it is like night and day. Same for Harry Potter. Same for Pirates of the Caribbean. I agree there is the odd movie where there is no improvement and I would not suggest to replace an entire DVD collection but it makes sense to be buying BD rather than DVD these days, IMHO
FWIW - A $250 BD player can play DVD's too....just because you own one does not mean you are forced to buy every $35 release that comes out. I use common sense. I only buy movies that I really want - the others I wait until they show up on TV. Besides taking the family to a movie is even more expenisve!

FWIW: HALF the movie experience is sound - if you can't achieve the dynamic loud surround sound in a movie theatre then you will be missing half of it. IN that sense it is better to go to the movies if you don't have a high end HT (of similar quality to high end two channel).
"Has anyone noticed that 720p TVs seem to look slightly better on hi def TV
and regular DVD? "

It is an issue of pixels. If you have a TV with 1920 x 1080 pixels then it will
display HD 1080P as perfectly as possibly. If you have a different number of
pixels then it must interpolate and it will create blurring.

The reason many people find DVD's look better is that they may have a native
pixel resolution better suited to it - such as an EDTV. I find EDTV works very
well
with cable HD TV (which for me is all at 720P, so far) and DVD's - perhaps
even
better than a full 1920 x 1080 TV with the 720P signal or an upconverted
DVD,
however, neither are as good with a full 1080p signal from a BD disc when
playing to the proper 1920 x 1080 pixel TV!

I hope this clears up why people have different opinions...a lot of it has to do
with the pixels and how they match the source signal....