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

It should not be forgotten that higher resolution video is not the only benefit of Blu Ray.

I am equally impressed with the ability of Blu Ray to have either uncompressed 5.1, or lossless 5.1 (TrueHD or Master Audio HD) audio. These audio formats beat the pants off of compressed DTS or Dolby, and add tremendously to the movie experience.

BTW, Playstation 3 will output these formats in PCM via HDMI, so any AVR that can handle multi channel digital input can give you great audio.

Also, one more footnote on PS3, the 40 gb model will not handle SACD.

I have a 55" rear projection LCD HDTV which is just 720P in native mode. 1080p has twice the pixels, and I look forward to the day I can upgrade to it.

Even so, once I saw my first HD DVD on my 720p display 1-1/2 years ago I decided then and there that I would *never* waste money buying another std-def DVD again. Since HD DVD went in the crapper I've gotten a PS3 for Blu-ray and my opinion hasn't changed. I rent only HD DVD and Blu-ray from Netflix and I'll rent a std-def DVD if it's the only way to see a film I really want to see, but I won't buy it.

What the other respondents say about 37" is also true; the difference in resolution becomes more evident with bigger screen sizes. With a 42" 1080p, you can't see the pixels unless you're less than a foot from the TV.

Only the 80gb and now defunct 60gb ps3 plays sacd's.

Those complaining about the cost of BD disks and players obviously haven't looked at them in a while. Blu-Ray players are currently available for $299. and under and will routinely be available after Thanksgiving for less than $200. I haven't paid more than $22. for any of the last 10 discs I've purchased at Amazon and Sam's Club. Sure, they'll be slightly more if you're buying the newest discs to hit the street - but that always applied to regular DVD too. Prices on all things Blu-Ray are continuing to drop significantly.

I also agree totally with "audionudge": "I am equally impressed with the ability of Blu Ray to have either uncompressed 5.1, or lossless 5.1 (TrueHD or Master Audio HD) audio. These audio formats beat the pants off of compressed DTS or Dolby, and add tremendously to the movie experience."

We get togther with 2-3 other couples on a Saturday night one or twice a month and watch concert video's on my 67" Samsung LED/DLP with Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver and Pioneer BDP-51 Blue Ray player and it's wonderful. Like being there, but without all the hassles!

But I do agree with the comments above that you probably won't benefit from this technology on a 37" screen unless you get extremely close. Good luck, whatever you decide.

@Macdadtexas stated: "OK, BluRay is better, but I don't see a big enough difference to change from DVD's....Anyone who has an AppleTV and has downloaded HD movies that I have talked to has the same impression that I do. The HD content looks so good off of the downloads, not as good as BluRay yet, that the logical next step in downloading to 1080p seems just on the horizon."

What you're stating here is not a difference between AppleTV HD movies and BluRay movies, but a difference in downloading HD movies either filmed originally in that format or CLEARLY a better DVD transfer to Blu-Ray/High-Def format that you're noticing. Blu-Ray is only visibly better when the content on the media is using its bandwidth and storage capabilities fully. What I mean by that is that cheap-ass publishing studios often times cut corners to not properly do a good transfer from DVD > Blu-Ray and sometimes the consumer is just better off buying a nice upconverter for their DVD collection, but even then you'll notice a BIG difference as it's one thing to upconvert a video and another to see a higher bitrate video with more "content" on a 780p or 1080p blu-ray title. Like another poster said, Blade Runner in 1080p (correct transfer to Blu-Ray) is absolutely beautiful compared to the DVD version.

Again, all of this is because awesome compression standards like H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10 or MPGE-4 AVC is pushing higher resolution video at better compression which allows it to be delivered either as a streamed product (ala AppleTV) or download via H.264 movies. I agree with you that disc based media will go the way of the CDs as MP3s and the iPOD did for audio, high-def content revenues will be downloaded or streamed through other means. Blu-Ray discs will remain, but the future is in delivery of content not retail.