# [2008] Is Blu-Ray dying?



## RonB (Dec 27, 2008)

I had just talked my wife into getting a blu-ray player when she mentioned it to our son. He said that blu-ray was on the way out because sales are lagging. Soooo my wife changed her mind and no blu-ray for Christmas.
I figured I'd get the right answer here, or at least enough answers that I could choose the one I like.  
Thanx,
Ron


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 27, 2008)

*Blue Ray Won.  The Other H. D. Competitor Lost.*




RonB said:


> I had just talked my wife into getting a blu-ray player when she mentioned it to our son. He said that blu-ray was on the way out because sales are lagging. Soooo my wife changed her mind and no blu-ray for Christmas.
> I figured I'd get the right answer here, or at least enough answers that I could choose the one I like.


Shux, Blue Ray & some other competing format were locked in a Betamax-VHS battle for marketplace supremacy & Blue Ray won. 

It's the other HD-DVD format that's not only dying but virtually dead -- although if you still have it & it works, no reason not to keep on using it with the old-format disks you already have.

Meanwhile, VHS really is dead.  The 1 remaining VHS warehouse has shipped its final truckloads. 

That doesn't stop us from taping shows off TV via VHS as long as our creaky old equipment keeps on working, nor from watching old movies via old VHS tapes as long as they'll keep on spooling. 

Format changes & format wars just keep on going.  Rita Rudner's gag about CDs has been overtaken by events.  (That's OK.  She's got plenty of new jokes.) 

When CD recordings were well established but still relatively newfangled, she said, "I'll buy a CD player if they promise that's the _last thing_ they'll ever invent."

"Those people walking along the street mumbling to themselves," she said, "are the ones who bought the 8-track players." 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Makai Guy (Dec 27, 2008)

I think Alan has it pegged.  It's HD-DVD that's dead, as Blu-Ray is the one that has gained consumer acceptance.  

Or maybe your son meant that standard DVD is dying.  As more and more people purchase HDTVs, regular DVDs don't cut it any more - plain old over-the-air commercial broadcasts are now in higher definition than standard DVDs.  It is Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) that will give you the best image possible on your HD set.  And most Blu-Ray players are capable of up-converting your old DVDs to synthesize additional detail.

HD-DVD is on death's door, and will be followed by standard DVD, but I think it's a bit premature to announce DVD's demise.


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## Keitht (Dec 27, 2008)

I have seen reports that although Blu-ray won the battle of the formats, actual sales figures for both players/recorders and recorded media have been much slower than expected.  That may explain rumours of Blu-ray dying.


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## caribbeansun (Dec 27, 2008)

Indeed, that is what's been talked about.  It took too long to resolve the HD/Blu-ray issue which resulted in fewer titles being produced in the new format.  Contributing issues are the significant usage of DVD's and the high cost of Blu-ray discs vs DVD's.  Having said that the players have come down in price considerably and I have noticed a lot of new titles in Blu-ray over the holidays.

Kind of hard for me to see it going away at this point.


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## DebBrown (Dec 27, 2008)

My kids also think blu-ray is going away.  We had the same discussion when my DVD player died on Christmas day.  I just bought a cheapie replacement online.  There were may choices for DVD players under $50.  For someone who only watches the occasional movie, it was an easy choice.

Deb


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## timeos2 (Dec 27, 2008)

*Only change is certain*



caribbeansun said:


> Indeed, that is what's been talked about.  It took too long to resolve the HD/Blu-ray issue which resulted in fewer titles being produced in the new format.  Contributing issues are the significant usage of DVD's and the high cost of Blu-ray discs vs DVD's.  Having said that the players have come down in price considerably and I have noticed a lot of new titles in Blu-ray over the holidays.
> 
> Kind of hard for me to see it going away at this point.



The real issue, as it always is, are the changes on the horizon. There is already BlueRay V2 and V3 in the works. So today's Blueray may be tomorrows VHS - the pace of improvement never stops. CD & DVD, as well as cassettes before them and vinyl before that, formats have been an exception as, especially CD's, have hung in for the long haul. DVD a much shorter span but still far above average. Blueray seems to be on track as more of an 8 track short lived "standard" than a cd type. Time will tell.


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## MOXJO7282 (Dec 27, 2008)

To me Blu-Ray is well worth the extra money, especially now that prices have come down.  Watching a BD on a Sony XBR LCD is as good as it gets.

It is true that the technology is evolving because I bought my BD player less than a year ago, and already had to update the firmware.(free downloaded from web or DVD sent by Sony)


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 27, 2008)

*Format Wars Began Way Before BetaMax & V. H. S.*

Format wars got rolling even before 8-track tapes & stereo tape cassettes battled for supremacy. 

When the old needle-in-groove record industry got ready to move beyond those scratchy old 78-rpm disks, Columbia brought out 33⅓-rpm LPs with conventional center holes while RCA brought out competing 7-inch 45-rpm disks with large center holes.  Later RCA brought out an "ep" (Extended Play) version of their 7-inch 45-rpm disks.  Even so, the 12-inch LPs eventually won out as the standard format for record albums, although the 7-inch 45-rpm records hung on as a convenient format for juke box singles. 

In the early days of acoustic recording (i.e., no microphones, no amplifiers, just sound powered recording needles & vibration-powered hand-cranked gramophone playback), there was a format war between hill & dale (i.e, up & down stylus vibrations in the record groove) on the 1 hand & conventional side to side stylus vibrations on the other hand. 

I suppose the earliest record format war was between Edison cylinders on the 1 hand & flat disks on the other hand. 

It's always something. 

And, as Stevie Wonder put it, _Just Because A Record's Got A Groove Doesn't Mean It's In The Groove_. 

So far, at least, the competing home entertainment formats have slugged it out in the marketplace & we've (mostly) been spared from having the winners & losers dictated by the national & international bureaucrats. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## KCI (Dec 27, 2008)

It's true that Blu-ray won the battle, but sales have been bad. People are finding that the the better picture isn't worth the much higher cost. Here's an article from www.afterdawn.com .
 KCI's Wingman


Blu-ray player sales are falling
 Despite Blu-ray's victory over rival format HD DVD, it seems Blu-ray player sales are falling or seeing little to no growth in various markets. 

The latest figures, according to the NPD Group, show that Blu-ray standalone players sales (excluding the PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray PC drives) have mostly decreased since the beginning of 2008, or seen no growth. Sales dropped 40 percent in the US from January to February and saw only a 2 percent increase from February to March. 

The numbers don't seem to make sense though. HD DVD died out in February, yet sales have sputtered. One likely reason is price. Blu-ray players were selling for an average of $400 USD during March while just 3 months earlier in the holiday season they were selling for closer to $320 USD. An even better reason, according to NPD, is that standard definition DVD is "good enough" for the average consumer and that the upgraded video, audio and features just aren't worth the premium in price, at least not yet. 

To back up their analysis, NPD cites that upconverting DVD player sales have increased 5 percent year over year so far compared to standard DVD player sales which have dropped 40 percent in the same period.


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## bogey21 (Dec 27, 2008)

DebBrown said:


> We had the same discussion when my DVD player died on Christmas day.  I just bought a cheapie replacement online.  There were may choices for DVD players under $50.  For someone who only watches the occasional movie, it was an easy choice.
> 
> Deb



I agree 100% with the above sentiments.  I just bought a DVD for $30.  It plays what I want to watch, and content I like for $30 easily overwhelms spending hundreds for pretty pictures.

George


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## Fisch (Dec 27, 2008)

KCI said:


> The latest figures, according to the NPD Group, show that Blu-ray standalone players sales (excluding the PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray PC drives) have mostly decreased since the beginning of 2008, or seen no growth. Sales dropped 40 percent in the US from January to February and saw only a 2 percent increase from February to March.
> .




Playstation 3 should be factored into Blu-Ray sales figures.  There are a bunch of people that are/were buying PS3's just for the fact that they get a Blu-Ray player, and the game system was only secondary.
As with any new format, the Home Theater people buy first.  At some point prices will drop and most people will than convert to that format.  Once the players are around $150.00 or less saeles will go like they did for DVD when they came out.  Most people did not switch from VHS or Laser Disc for several years.


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## timeos2 (Dec 27, 2008)

*No big deal. Who knows why.*



bogey21 said:


> I agree 100% with the above sentiments.  I just bought a DVD for $30.  It plays what I want to watch, and content I like for $30 easily overwhelms spending hundreds for pretty pictures.
> 
> George



I have always been a techno/gadget junkie. First with a Norelco in dash cassette (no 8 track for me!) with BETA & then BETA HiFi (still use a professional BETA deck & my 1000+ BETA tapes), cell phones, latest laptops, DUAL turntables, Fisher then Kenwood receivers, C-Band roof mounted satellite dish (still works!), Direct TV, satellite radio  - CD's, the big old 12" LaserDisks & then DVD's when my wife was saying "what do you need that for?" back in those days. Yet the whole HDTV/Blue Ray thing has left me cold. No desire at all to run out and buy a 52" 1080p TV nor a $300 Blue Ray player. Sure I like them when I see them but the cost/satisfaction ratio just isn't there for some reason.  If and when my Sony or Toshiba big tube tv's die or my DVD recorder gives up the ghost I'll certainly spring for whatever is the current "must have" then. But for now HDTV on my old monsters looks MUCH better than the old analog version, DVD's look great, cost little and Blue Ray wouldn't add much except cost to the equation.  No longer qualified as total techno freak I guess - but give me the latest Palm Smart Phone, GPS or newest high end CPU and look out!


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## mas (Dec 27, 2008)

I don't think Blue Ray is dying.  However, with all the format changes and the current cost, I think I'll be sitting on the side lines until the player are in at the $100 range.  

I bought an HD-DVD player when Toshiba announced they were dropping the format.  It cost me $80 with shipping and I got 7 HD dvd titles with the purchase.  Those alone are worth the $80 and the player can up convert all my current std dvds.  

I will admit playing an HD-DVD on my 47" LG TV is quite stunning compared to std dvds, but I'm somewhat of a cheap skate (part of my TUGger training  ), not only is the blue ray player expensive, but the blue ray titles are still $30-$50!  As I said, when the players come down to $100 price range, maybe then I'll retire my Toshiba HD and rent a view blue ray titles.  Until then, there's plenty of HD format stuff around to keep me satisfied.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 27, 2008)

*Give Me That Old-Tyme Technology.*




KCI said:


> People are finding that the the better picture isn't worth the much higher cost.


I'm in no rush to spring for Blue Ray, or even HDTV for that matter. 

The TV sets keeping on getting better & better, but the programs don't get any better.

Some technologies that won the format battles ended up losing the marketplace wars. 

As I recall, there were various competing formats for digital audio tapes & mini-discs & I don't know what-all.  If those are still even around, they've certainly become niche items that are hard to find even at Radio Shack. 

Meanwhile, some consumer market losers are winners in the professional & industrial sphere.  BetaMax got whupped good & sound in the home videocassette market, but professional videographers & video editors -- those who haven't gone all-digital anyway -- still use BetaCam. 

Shux, for all I know, there may still be some video studios out there still using leftover U-matic 3/4-inch video cassette technology. 

My home entertainment technology dilemma is what to do with my 33 feet or so of 33⅓-rpm vinyl LPs & my 5 feet of so of 45-rpm singles & my 4 bushels or so of stereo tape cassettes.  I hardly ever play any of those, even though I have the equipment & it all still works.  I doubt I'll live long enough to digitize it all, even if I knew how & had the equipment & (most important) had the time & the inclination. 

BTW:  You know why they installed a clock in the Leaning Tower Of Pisa ?  

They figure _What's Good's The Inclination If You Haven't Got The Time ?_ 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Kozman (Dec 27, 2008)

I have an upconvert dvd player that converts regular definition dvd's to 'near' hi def on my 1080P flat screen.  It plays all my existing dvd's at near hi def and I'm not 'feeding the blu-ray pig'.  To each their own, but to me it's not worth the added cost of BR.


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## Icarus (Dec 27, 2008)

From all the stories I've read , BD isn't dead, but the entire model of buying or renting physical media is expected to change over time to downloads or streaming media instead of purchasing physical media. When the media reports on those stories, they use sensational headlines, just like they do with any news story. (WW3 might start tonight. Details at 11.)

BD players are still relatively expensive, but they did win the format wars with HD-DVD. BD is everywhere now, and all new releases are released on DVD and BD.

There's really no reason for the physical media to be any more expensive than DVD, but the studios charge more for BD media because they can. (OK, maybe it costs them slightly more to produce BD media, but the difference isn't all that much compared to the prices they are charging.) But by doing so, they are also shooting themselves in the foot. Look up pricing on "The Dark Night" on Amazon to see the difference. DVD wide-screen edition, single disk, $14.99. BD version, which includes a digital copy you can put on your computer and BD Live features is $23.99, which is reduced from  a street price of $29.99. Sure, the extra features are nice, but if you don't want them, you still pay for them.

If anybody really thinks there's little quality difference, just try watching Planet Earth BD on a good quality, large screen 1080p native display. If you can't see a difference with that, stick with your old Amana or RCA console TV from the 50s. 

-David


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## DebBrown (Dec 27, 2008)

Icarus said:


> If anybody really thinks there's little quality difference, just try watching Planet Earth BD on a good quality, large screen 1080p native display. If you can't see a difference with that, stick with your old Amana or RCA console TV from the 50s.
> 
> -David



I surely believe that there is a difference in picture quality.  I just don't care.  Watching a movie at home does not have to be an artistic experience for me.  It's just a movie.   

I'm evidently not the target market for Blu-ray.  LOL!  I rarely watch TV and prefer a good book any day.

Deb


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## Miss Marty (Dec 27, 2008)

*What is Blu-ray?*

*
Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD),*

 is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson). 

The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than *five* times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to *25GB* on a single-layer disc and *50GB* on a dual-layer disc. 
This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codes will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.


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## Miss Marty (Dec 27, 2008)

*Blu-ray*

*FAQ*

http://www.blu-ray.com/faq/


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## Miss Marty (Dec 27, 2008)

*Blu-ray*

*
Anyone use their Blu-ray Disc DVD Player to view SD/JPEG Photos*

Magnavox NB500MG9 can play BD-Video, BD-RE and BD-R, CDs 
& JPEG photos. The convenient *SD* card slot on the NB500MG9 
allows easy viewing of hi-def videos and photos on your HDTV


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## pwrshift (Dec 28, 2008)

I recently got a Samsung LN40A750R1FXZC 40" widescreen for my bedroom and it came with a BluRay DVD player, delivery and installation, for about $1600. It has a shiny screen to give it a very high contrast ratio I think is 50,000 to 1, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a bunch of other high end features like Wiselink Pro with contents library such as recipes, art displays, etc. where you can also add your own content like JPG photos with music using a USB thingy. At times I find the shiny screen reflections annoying and didn't think LCD TV's had that, but he convinced me it nets a better picture.

The installer explained something I didn't know ... that you only need HDMI cables for BluRay dvd's to the TV as they are in 1080p but the cable HD service is only 1080i (in my area at least) so you get the same quality with composite cables as with HDMI cables. He also said HDMI cable would not improve the quality of the regular DVD players.

I had them set up my Bose DVD-CD player with speakers, the Cable PVR, the Samsung BluRay, and a DVD recorder. He used HDMI only for the BluRay and it upconverts regular DVD's too and shows a better picture. I definitely can see a difference in quality between the BluRay disk and the cable broadcast quality and surprised that 1080p makes that much of a difference over 1080i. It was a complicated setup and I'm glad they included it in the price. Overall, I'm very pleased except the price difference on BluRay disks forced me back to Blockbuster to rent instead of buy.

I've read that BluRay may have a short life compared to VHS and regualr DVD's with the advent of being able to download HD movies in the near future - but I don't know if they'd be in 1080p. 

Brian


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## Icarus (Dec 28, 2008)

pwrshift said:


> The installer explained something I didn't know ... that you only need HDMI cables for BluRay dvd's to the TV as they are in 1080p but the cable HD service is only 1080i (in my area at least) so you get the same quality with composite cables as with HDMI cables. He also said HDMI cable would not improve the quality of the regular DVD players.



That's nonsense, sort of. You want to use dvi or hdmi out if the devices support it in order to keep the signals in the digital domain. If you use component cables you are doing an extra and unnecessary d->a and a->d conversion because component cables carry analog signals. You will also need one or more separate cables for the audio connection. Also, some newer devices may downconvert the signal when you use an analog component video cable because they aren't capable of doing the necessary dance required to verify that the device on the other end of the cable is just a display device, and they might have to downconvert the signal on certain programs.

The "sort of" part is because you may not notice much difference. But if it were me, I'd be using HDMI where I could because it's a single cable instead of effectively 5 cables. (The component connection is 3 cables + 2 cables for audio. HDMI is a single cable for video + audio.)

BTW, I'm assuming you meant "component video" cables and not a composite video cable.

The cable itself will not "improve" the quality, but you should be using the right cables for the job at hand to avoid a loss of quality.

The cables themselves are inexpensive. Buy them from a place like monoprice.com

-David


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## Icarus (Dec 28, 2008)

Icarus said:


> Look up pricing on "The Dark Night" on Amazon to see the difference. DVD wide-screen edition, single disk, $14.99. BD version, which includes a digital copy you can put on your computer and BD Live features is $23.99



It's already down to $21.99

I finally opened my copy of The Dark Night BD and put the digital copy DVD into my laptop. itunes noticed it and asked for the code, verified it, and transferred a copy into my itunes library. Interesting.

One of these days I suppose I will actually watch it. 

I bought it for my daughter, but found out she already had it, so I kept it.

-David


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## maddaug (Dec 28, 2008)

We just bought the Sony Blu-ray and I gotta say with the HD tv and with a good sound system it is quite impressive. Of course after I bought the blu-ray we decided to upgrade our receiver becuase it had no hdmi ports. 
We can really tell a difference in sound also. Keep in mind it's the action, animated or scenic movies that are stunning. The color and crispness tells all.

We don't go to the movies and wait out for the movie releases. I like the comfort of my own home and we just have a better quality pic. I am also not one to run out and by movies. I think the Bd discs are too high and they will come down in price as the players have too.  
If you are happy with your set-up great. No need to buy just because it's out there.


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## Keitht (Dec 28, 2008)

The Sony hard drive DVD recorder I have uprates the image from conventional DVDs and from standard broadcast to somewhere nearer HD quality.  No idea how it's done but the difference in image quality on broadcast TV is clearly visible.  
Until BluRay prices come down a long way, I'll happily stay at this half-way house.


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## Miss Marty (Dec 28, 2008)

*Sony Laptop with Blu-ray Disc Player $799.99*

Sony offers a 15.4 laptop computer
Intel Centrino Processor Technology 
Blu-ray Disc player, Intel Wireless-N


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## Miss Marty (Dec 28, 2008)

*Playstation 3 for $399.99*

Anyone own the
*80* GB Playstation 3 with..
Built in Blu-ray Disc player


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## Kal (Dec 28, 2008)

Currently the best price I've seen on a Sony Blu-ray player is $225 and the non-Sony player at $176.

The fact that sales are off on Blu-rays is probably indicative of the entire electronics industry and not isolated to Blu-rays.  In this dire economy discretionary purchases are really a luxury.


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## Icarus (Dec 28, 2008)

Marty Giggard said:


> Anyone own the
> *80* GB Playstation 3 with..
> Built in Blu-ray Disc player



I have the entry level PS3, and I use it as my BD/DVD player in my bedroom. You buy the $20 BD remote for it, and it works great. The remote is bluetooth, so a standard IR or RF universal remote won't work with the PS3. It comes with a bluetooth game controller, and while you can use that, the optional BD remote is easier to use, since it has the typical buttons and controls for a dvd player.

The hard drives are apparently user replaceable on the PS3. I haven't bothered. No need. I suppose if you want to load it up with games, music, movies, etc, that might be a reasonable thing to do.

-David


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## RonB (Dec 28, 2008)

Geeze - thanks all for the replies. There is more info here than I needed. I think I'm still going to look at the sales though ~ Ron


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## Wonka (Dec 28, 2008)

*Better Quality (I couldn't tell), $1 more for Netflix Blueray*

I received an inexpensive Samsung Blueray DVD player for Christmas.  We watched our first Blueray DVD yesterday (Eagle Eye from Netflix).  Honestly, I didn't notice much difference in the picture quality. 

And, I was a little "miffed" that Netflix charges an additional dollar each month if request Blueray DVD's.


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## TomCayman (Dec 28, 2008)

I just got a 42" Toshiba 1080p 120hz LCD and the entry level Sony BluRay, which was about $250.

Santa brought 2 BD discs (Iron Man and Batman Begins), and I have to say that the whole experience (including Dolby HD sound) is far, far superior to anything else I've seen on a home set up.

Add to that the upconverting ability of BD players and the SRT (also improves picture on lower res inputs) on the top Toshiba TVs, and the novelty hasn't worn off yet at all.

Yes, BD is expensive... relatively, but a few points :
- $250 for what is still a new tech item (BD player) is nothing compared to what other new tech gadgets cost when they first came out (ipod, CD player, DVD player etc).
- BD players can be connected to an internet switch via ethernet and have firmware and BD live automatically upgraded..gives some future proofing.
- 1080p TVs are coming down in price, and with the current economy are only going to drop further...soon be able to get a 1080pm 42" for <$1000.

The one thing left to drop further is the price of the discs, but as digital copies (itunes) etc become more prevalent, market pressure will increase on BD disc prices, as otherwise people will get more and more savvy and simply hook up their digital media to their TV... you can already get a media server from HP for about $500 that can hold a whole lot of data... and Apple is all over this technology... when time (and funds) allow, I'm looking at the Apple option for my own place.


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## grupp (Feb 18, 2009)

*HD DVD not totally dead yet*

Just happened to stumble across this tread today. I recently set up a home theater in my basement and was looking to upgrade my DVD player.,  I found an ad on Craigslist for a top of the line Toshiba HD DVD player that came with 38 HD DVD movies for $250. It also upconverts standard DVD's. Thought I would take a chance on it since included some very good movies. 

My projector screen is 120 inches and the picture from the HD DVD is incredible. Obviously, there won't be any new movies coming out in HD DVD, but there are several hundred titles available and can be bought for about the price of renting a DVD. Amazon has a lot of HD DVD titles for $5 with free shipping. This should get me through a couple of years and by then hopefully the price of blu-rays will come down. 

Gary


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## calgarygary (Feb 18, 2009)

As has been said before, the only thing that is certain is change.  I was the first person I knew that owned a vhs machine (the remote was connected by a wire) and it set me back a fortune.  The first movie I bought (Spielberg's Close Encounters) would get me 4 Blue Ray movies.  I later upgrade by adding LD and have a small collection of LP sized (for you younger folks - really really big) Disney movies that I can no longer watch.  Of course my dvd collection could keep my family fed for a year if I put that money to better use.  I think I'll pass on Blue Ray and see which goes first - me or the dvd player.


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## Troopers (Feb 18, 2009)

TomCayman said:


> The one thing left to drop further is the price of the discs, but as digital copies (itunes) etc become more prevalent, market pressure will increase on BD disc prices, as otherwise people will get more and more savvy and simply hook up their digital media to their TV... you can already get a media server from HP for about $500 that can hold a whole lot of data... and Apple is all over this technology... when time (and funds) allow, I'm looking at the Apple option for my own place.



The Popcorn Hour works great with a media server.


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## falmouth3 (Feb 19, 2009)

calgarygary said:


> I was the first person I knew that owned a vhs machine (the remote was connected by a wire) and it set me back a fortune.



We had one of those!  Static electricity through the wire blew up our first VHS but it was covered and we got it replaced.  The store closed the deal by throwing in 5 blank VHS tapes.  They were selling for $20 each, as I recall.  

Sue


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 19, 2009)

I am what is called an "early adopter".  I bought my first HDTV over 9 years ago.   I bought a Toshiba HD DVD player and am very happy with its ability to improve regular DVD pictures.

I will not buy Blu-Ray until discs come way down in price AND hardware compatibility issues regarding sound are resolved.  There are many issues with people being able to actually get the superior sound promised by Blu-ray.  These are hardware issues and it can be very complicated.  If I am laying out the buck I want the whole package and that means better sound quality. Sound is just as important as video quality.

Streaming videos from Netflix on my XBOX 360 look very good.  The HD videos even better.  Sound, however, is an issue.  If they improve the sound quality for streaming videos I may never make the switch to Blu-ray.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 19, 2009)

*What's That You Say?  Speak Up!*




pgnewarkboy said:


> Sound is just as important as video quality.


Sure, I'm Old Folks with documented (partial) hearing loss.  But the source of my difficulty in hearing what they're saying on DVD movies isn't all in my own ears.  

I have no trouble following the dialogue on broadcast TV shows.  No trouble at the movie theaters.  Hardly any trouble with old VHS tapes.  Plenty of trouble trying to follow some of the DVD movies.  Shux, The Chief Of Staff has the same trouble too sometimes, & she has way less hearing loss than I have.  (She never spent all those years playing horn 1 row in front of a dozen trumpet players.) 

I think the combination of cheap built-in audio in the TV set plus low-fo audio tracks on the DVD movies makes for hard-to-hear movie viewing experiences. 

If this keeps up, I'll need to switch on the closed captioning.  Then I'll miss the on-screen action while trying to read what they're saying.  It's always something. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 19, 2009)

*Be Not The 1st By Whom The New Are Tried, Nor Yet The Last To Lay The Old Aside.*




calgarygary said:


> I was the first person I knew that owned a vhs machine (the remote was connected by a wire) and it set me back a fortune.


Before going with VHS, we jumped into another format way too early -- sprang for BetaMax & the Sears & Zenith Betamax clones. 

Somewhere around here -- down in our basement _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ -- I think there are still a couple of the old Beta-video machines & a cardboard carton of Betamax cassettes, some home-recorded & some commercial studio movies. 

We weren't the 1st on our block to spring for that stuff, but even so we learned our lesson about committing too early to the latest wrinkle in home entertainment technology. 

We skipped the whole 8-track tape fiasco, but we overcompensated for that by going way overboard on stereo audio cassette tapes, which are now obsolete in their own right. 

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 19, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Sure, I'm Old Folks with documented (partial) hearing loss.  But the source of my difficulty in hearing what they're saying on DVD movies isn't all in my own ears.
> 
> I have no trouble following the dialogue on broadcast TV shows.  No trouble at the movie theaters.  Hardly any trouble with old VHS tapes.  Plenty of trouble trying to follow some of the DVD movies.  Shux, The Chief Of Staff has the same trouble too sometimes, & she has way less hearing loss than I have.  (She never spent all those years playing horn 1 row in front of a dozen trumpet players.)
> 
> ...





Don't know why you have trouble with audio on DVD.  I don't think its the DVD's but probably has something to do with your system.  On your DVD player check the audio settings.  Some players have an enhancement mode that might help.  If you are using your TV audio check your settings in the TV menu.  It may be a bass/treble setting or a loudness setting.  You might want to switch to getting a 5.1 system.  Definitive Technology makes a nice 5.1 system at a pretty good price.


----------



## calgarygary (Feb 19, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Before going with VHS, we jumped into another format way too early -- sprang for BetaMax & the Sears & Zenith Betamax clones.
> 
> Somewhere around here -- down in our basement _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ -- I think there are still a couple of the old Beta-video machines & a cardboard carton of Betamax cassettes, some home-recorded & some commercial studio movies.
> 
> ...



8 Track you say, wouldn't be interested in my obsolete quad 8 track player would you?  Never to late to change your mind about 8 track.:hysterical:


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## pedro47 (Feb 19, 2009)

Will this Blue Ray issue means that in the near future all timeshare resorts, hotele.motels and homes will need to upgrade to a Blue Ray machine to view DVD's?.


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## PigsDad (Feb 19, 2009)

pedro47 said:


> Will this Blue Ray issue means that in the near future all timeshare resorts, hotele.motels and homes will need to upgrade to a Blue Ray machine to view DVD's?.



If guest want to view _Blu-Ray_ disks, then yes, there will need to be a _Blu-Ray_ player.  DVDs will always be playable on a DVD player, as well as a Blu-Ray player.

Kurt


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## JeffW (Feb 19, 2009)

Onviously every media format will be superceded at some point in time.  What you need to look at is longevity.  In that respect:

- 8 track was a poor choice over cassette
- Beta was a poor choice over VHS
- LD (and CED) were poor choices over DVD
- HD-DVD will likely be a poor choice over Blue-Ray

- Cassettes were smaller, had much better quality, and were much more reliable that 8 tracks.  Cassettes were the portable hi-fi medium of choice during high school (70's-80's), and my 2002 Toyota came with a cassette deck (and CD changer) as standard.  That's a good 20 years, maybe 30.

- While DVD's quickly superceded VHS for playback quality, unless you have a DVR, it's still the best way to time-shift record programs.  (I know there are VHS-DVD recorder machines out there, but do people use them to say record CSI weekly?).  For better or worse I still have a lot of VHS tables, mostly irreplaceable material.

- (12") albums obviously have been superceded by CD's, but I wouldn't call anyone who has a significant album collection "not a visionary".  They were around forever, and worked pretty well.  Going from analog vinyl to digital (plastic?) was a logical progression.  I'm sure almost all of us replaced our most popular albums with CD versions.

- The Pioneer LaserDisc, and then the RCA videodisc (actually used a stylus like an album!) one could say were stopgap measures, filling that void for better video quality that VHS (prerecorded only) before DVD's were introduced.  I'd assume at some point the developers of DVD's looked at the LaserDisc, and asked, "How can we make this smaller and better?"

- I can't feel sorry for anyone who bought HD-DVD.  It came out basically at the same time as Blue Ray, and it seemed like from the beginning it was always "this is another VHS-Beta war."  It was a gamble to invest in either before the market resolved itself to one format.

- One could be tempted to lump in "Sirius vs XM" in this comparison, but (from what I know) I don't think there competition is (was) based so much on technical differences, but rather content.  I think the majority of customers are ones that have satellite radios in their cars.  I didn't "pick XM" as my provider; rather I bought an Acura, which includes an XM radio as standard.  If I bought a Mazda, it would have been Sirius.  It's interesting that despite the companies merging, I haven't heard any talk of just having ONE satellite transmission.  Instead I think any cost savings is likely the result of combining programming, and multiplexing it on both services (already done with a lot of their channels now).

Jeff


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## pwrshift (Feb 20, 2009)

A friend gave me a DVD of 5 nominated Academy Award movies that were apparently sent to people voting on the best movie category ... I played them on an LCD hotel via my computer and the picture was terrific, probably not blu-ray quality but very good.  How did they get 5 movies on one disk... my friend said she downloaded them from some internet site and the largest movie was only 800 kb...yet the pic wonderful.  How is that done?


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 20, 2009)

*MP4 ?*




pwrshift said:


> How is that done?


I think there's some kind of compressed-file form of digital video -- mp4 or some such -- that makes it possible to cram lots more recording time onto 1 disk than standard DVD video. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 3, 2009)

*Betamax Videos Are Out Of Here.*




AwayWeGo said:


> Somewhere around here -- down in our basement _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ -- I think there are still a couple of the old Beta-video machines & a cardboard carton of Betamax cassettes, some home-recorded & some commercial studio movies.


Today The Chief Of Staff took a bunch of _junque_ to a local charity resale store that accepts everything.  In the mix were ~200 old Beta video cassettes dredged up out of the _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ for final disposal.  

And now that the Betamax videos are out of here, can the equally obsolete VHS tapes be far behind ? 

Next up*:*  dealing with our huge overload of stereo cassette tapes that nobody around here listens to any more -- also, dealing with 30+ feet of old 33⅓ rpm LP records, most of them still perfectly good. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## laurac260 (Dec 4, 2009)

*I heard a rumor...*

and I can't substantiate it because I have no idea where it came from.  But the rumor I heard is that the technology to replace blue-ray has already been developed.  I used to tell my husband that, I bet there are shelves and shelves somewhere of "new technology" computers, DVD players, et al just sitting  there waiting for us gullible consumers to snatch up the here and now.  Once we buy what is "here and now", the mfgrs then flood the market with the lastest and greatest.  Sometimes I think I might be right on this one.  

At any rate, the "rumor" is enough to keep me from rushing out and buying.  I don't even have HD Dvd players, so by the time my "regular" dvd players crap out, I think we will know the answer as to whether blue ray has staying power or not.  I'm going to wait this one out.


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## laurac260 (Dec 4, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Today The Chief Of Staff took a bunch of _junque_ to a local charity resale store that accepts everything.  In the mix were ~200 old Beta video cassettes dredged up out of the _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ for final disposal.
> 
> And now that the Betamax videos are out of here, can the equally obsolete VHS tapes be far behind ?
> 
> ...



We had a garage sale recently.  Amongst our stuff was outdoor furniture, a wheelchair, clothes, pictures, lots of stuff.  And, a big box full of kids VHS tapes.  

What went first?  The VHS tapes.  People walked out with handfuls of them!


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## pgnewarkboy (Dec 4, 2009)

*I might buy blu-ray for 50 bucks*

I wouldn't spend more then 50 bucks for a blu-ray player because I think the optical disk and other physical media are on their way out.  I can stream great looking HD movies from Netflix, Zune, and see them on HBO, Starz etc.

I recently integrated my xbox 360 into my home computer system and watch home movies and listen to recorded music from my main home theater set up.  No CDs, or DVD's required.  Everything looks and sounds great.  I back up everything regularly into the cloud through carbonite.com so I don't have to worry about crashes on my PC.


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## Talent312 (Dec 4, 2009)

Not so fast, my fine feathered-friend.
The better blu-ray players give regular DVD's a fresh new, almost HD look on a HD-TV.  Thus, avoiding the need for those of us with shelves full of titles like "Lord of the Rings," "Shrek," etc., to replace or trash our DVD collection.  Although I will admit that "Blade Runner" must be seen in blu-ray.


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## joestein (Dec 4, 2009)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I wouldn't spend more then 50 bucks for a blu-ray player because I think the optical disk and other physical media are on their way out.  I can stream great looking HD movies from Netflix, Zune, and see them on HBO, Starz etc.
> 
> I recently integrated my xbox 360 into my home computer system and watch home movies and listen to recorded music from my main home theater set up.  No CDs, or DVD's required.  Everything looks and sounds great.  I back up everything regularly into the cloud through carbonite.com so I don't have to worry about crashes on my PC.



First, the movies that are streamed from Netflix are not HD in any way.  Quite often the quality is not even upto SD.  It depends on how the connection is going.

Second, HD TV from dish or cable is at most 1080i, depending on the delivery system, the quaility is not always there.  My brother recently changed his provider of cable and the difference in the same HD channels is night and day.

The question is there any difference between 1080i and 1080p in quality - not really sure.  Blu-ray movies are 1080p.

Blu-ray is talking off this holiday seanson.  I already had a PS3 in my bedroom, but i just bought an LG BD-370 for the living room for $137 that came with 3 free movies.  There are many players out there for $100, almost all name brands can be had under $150.  The movies are starting to come down in price and they are smartly making dual packages with a DVD included.  I expect 2010 will be a banner year for Blu-ray.

Joe


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## PGtime (Dec 4, 2009)

*Blu-ray*

Who knows, maybe BD's are on their way out.  But I don't think that will happen until a "better mousetrap" makes its debut.  Where else can you get 1080p resolution _plus_ true lossless (i.e. uncompressed) sound (DTS-HD Master  & Dobly TrueHD)?  The Blu-ray format is head and shoulders above DVD in both sound & picture quality.

BTW, I'll be the 1st to admit I am almost always an early adopter of new technology, as audio / video is a hobby of mine for over 25 years.  I have long since trashed almost all of my VHS tapes AND DVD's (only kept those that are irreplaceable).  Lest you think I'm rich or a spend thrift (I'm neither), getting rid of older formats is relatively easy if you do it early enough (i.e. before everyone sees the writing on the wall).  There have always been (and hopefully always will be) stores that buy and sell the various medias used.  Nowadays, Movie Stop is a great place to buy used BD's.

Just my $.02

Paul


----------



## dioxide45 (Dec 4, 2009)

If you are always waiting for the next new technology to come out before you buy anything, you would still be watching an old B&W television. There will always be something bigger and better around the corner.


----------



## Elan (Dec 4, 2009)

dioxide45 said:


> If you are always waiting for the next new technology to come out before you buy anything, you would still be watching an old B&W television. There will always be something bigger and better around the corner.



  Exactly!  And since BD players (with networking) are about $100 right now, there's no good reason to not purchase one.


----------



## dioxide45 (Dec 4, 2009)

Our dilemma, we just upgraded to BluRay, do we eliminate the old VHS machine that is currently connected to our system? I guess it will go, we will still likely hold on to our DVDR that we have as it is still good for saving TV shows we want to retain.


----------



## jlwquilter (Dec 4, 2009)

dioxide45 said:


> Our dilemma, we just upgraded to BluRay, do we eliminate the old VHS machine that is currently connected to our system? I guess it will go, we will still likely hold on to our DVDR that we have as it is still good for saving TV shows we want to retain.



We kept, and have connected, our VHS player as well as the Sony PS3. We didn't at the beginning (which was Father's Day last year) but a few months later I got the yen to watch a movie that we only had on VHS. I am too cheap to buy something new when I have something old that works great. So hook it up DH did. Both players work fine and it's easy to switch between them and watching regular (or DVDR) TV. Switching involves simply choosing the correct input choice off of the menu displayed on the TV. Big deal - have to do that to use the PS3 already anyway.

Our "issue" is lack of space. We didn't buy an entertainment center and use an old desk we had. No space. So the VHS is balanced on top of the PS3 (or is it the other way around?) which looks crappy but it works.


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## janej (Dec 4, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Today The Chief Of Staff took a bunch of _junque_ to a local charity resale store that accepts everything.  In the mix were ~200 old Beta video cassettes dredged up out of the _Museum Of Obsolete Technology_ for final disposal.
> 
> And now that the Betamax videos are out of here, can the equally obsolete VHS tapes be far behind ?
> 
> ...


Alan, 

Will you share the contact information of the local charity resale store?  We live in the same area.  We just received our first big screen HDTV.  Need to get rid of our old entertainment center and all the tapes/DVDs inside to make room for the bigger TV.  

Thanks,

Jane


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## easyrider (Dec 4, 2009)

Marty Giggard said:


> Anyone own the
> *80* GB Playstation 3 with..
> Built in Blu-ray Disc player



We have the PS3 160 gb and have watched blue ray with it. Since I do not have a regular blue ray player I can't say if  the ps3 has a better or equal picture as these other players. The picture is amazinging watching blue ray on ps3 compared to our regular dvd player. We play games mostly on our ps3 and have our ps3  conected to the internet.


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## laurac260 (Dec 4, 2009)

dioxide45 said:


> If you are always waiting for the next new technology to come out before you buy anything, you would still be watching an old B&W television. There will always be something bigger and better around the corner.



That's a bit of a stretch, but I guess I get your point.  But I know plenty of people who went out and bought that first generation DVD player, you know, the one with 10 inch "discs", that went the way of the dinosaur in about 10 minutes.   My rule is, I never buy anything when it first comes out.  Not cars, not DVD players, operating systems, nothing.  The price is always way too high, and they still haven't been road tested by the average consumer.   Let someone else be the guinea pig, I'll pass.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 4, 2009)

*Unique Thrift Store, On Gallows Road In Merrifield VA.*




janej said:


> Will you share the contact information of the local charity resale store?


Its name is _Unique Thrift Store_ -- the humongous thrift store on Gallows Road between Lee Highway & Arlington Boulevard, in that large shopping center next to Luther Jackson School.   

The loading dock for donations is down a short driveway, next to the main walk-in entrance. 

On request, the staff person at the dock will hand you a (blank) donation receipt. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 4, 2009)

*Be Not The 1st By Whom The New Are Tried, Nor Yet The Last To Lay The Old Aside.*




laurac260 said:


> I never buy anything when it first comes out.


Me neither -- most of the time. 

But when the Dodge minivan people came out with Stow & Go, I didn't waste much time going for a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT equipped with Stow & Go -- the earliest model year on which that option was available. 

Even so, I didn't trot on down to the friendly neighborhood Dodge Boys.  I went eBay all the way -- bought a former New Orleans airport rental minivan with 18*,*000 miles on it via eBay from an independent dealer in Orlando FL. 

We flew Air Tran to MCO, picked up the minivan from the dealer (who met us at MCO), stayed 1 night in a PriceLine motel, checked in next day for a week at our outstanding Orlando timeshare, then drove home in the not-new Grand Caravan SXT.  

That was in November 2004.  

A 2005 model bought used in 2004 -- who'd a-thunk ?

Meanwhile, the parent car company, which was hanging by a thread from going bankrupt, got bailed out & went bankrupt anyway, & got taken over by the government.  So much for Stow & Go, eh ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## janej (Dec 4, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Its name is _Unique Thrift Store_ -- the humongous thrift store on Gallows Road between Lee Highway & Arlington Boulevard, in that large shopping center next to Luther Jackson School.
> 
> The loading dock for donations is down a short driveway, next to the main walk-in entrance.
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot, Alan!  I know that place.  We go to the Asian grocery store in the same plaza all the time.  But never checked out the Unique warehouse store there.


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## pgnewarkboy (Dec 4, 2009)

*I'm Just Sayin*

I know, all about the sound and the 1080P.  Yup, probably better.  Yet, all the major players have seen the future, and it is in the cloud.  That is why Google, Microsoft, and Apple, and Panasonic, and Sony, and LG, and Verizon, and Comcast,  - are into streaming from the net.  When you buy a flat screen today you get streaming capability. Same for a game console.  Same for a Blu-Ray player! 

Netflix HD looks great on my FIOS Broadband.  Maybe its not 1080 P but it looks great and is much more convenient then fooling with a disc.  If I want to own a movie I can download it on my XBOX 360 in HD or onto my PC.  Then back it up into the cloud and have it no matter what machine I get next.

However, I have 50 bucks to burn and am still willing to buy a blu-ray player for that - at least today.


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## Transit (Dec 4, 2009)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I know, all about the sound and the 1080P.  Yup, probably better.  Yet, all the major players have seen the future, and it is in the cloud.  That is why Google, Microsoft, and Apple, and Panasonic, and Sony, and LG, and Verizon, and Comcast,  - are into streaming from the net.  When you buy a flat screen today you get streaming capability. Same for a game console.  Same for a Blu-Ray player!
> 
> Netflix HD looks great on my FIOS Broadband.  Maybe its not 1080 P but it looks great and is much more convenient then fooling with a disc.  If I want to own a movie I can download it on my XBOX 360 in HD or onto my PC.  Then back it up into the cloud and have it no matter what machine I get next.
> 
> However, I have 50 bucks to burn and am still willing to buy a blu-ray player for that - at least today.



I agree with you post but I haven't seen Blu-ray dive down to the 50 bucks zone yet.If you have please share.


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## DaveNV (Dec 4, 2009)

Transit said:


> I agree with you post but I haven't seen Blu-ray dive down to the 50 bucks zone yet.If you have please share.



Cheapest I've seen for a player was a Black Friday deal at Costco for $99.  That was for either a Sony or Samsung - can't recall which brand.  Since I already own a Sony, I'm set for now.  I didn't get one of these, but I was tempted.

Dave


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## pwrshift (Dec 4, 2009)

I stored hundreds of media in my home library room and decided to redecorate.  I had 18 large boxes of LP's, and 12 boxes of old VHS tapes I recorded off tv programs for future viewing (which I seldom did).  Some of those old VHS tapes were so old I remember them costing me $30 or so.  For the cleanup -- I went through each and every one of them to read the content pulled off about 20 that I wanted to keep and perhaps transfer to DVD, but it broke my heart to have to throw out perhaps 500 of those formerly blank VHS tapes.  Also threw out hundreds of cassettes I recorded for playing music in my car -- spend hours and hours doing it over the years, and not they're in the garbage.  Ouch.  

I just can't part with my LP's yet so packed them up and put them in boxes downstairs -- several were classics (like the Stone's zipper) -- maybe I could get rich on Ebay with some of them -- like all my old Playboy's.  I also kept the prerecorded VHS tapes (ie. Disney) for some reason, knowing they can't be copied.  I guess I have a problem throwing things out -- I still have every camera I ever owned (hello Ebay?) along with my grandfather's really old camera that has a roll-out bellows on it, etc.

So, today, being able to buy a blank DVD for about 25 cents is quite amazing...and the quality considerably better than any tape or LP.  But, it's just not as easy to record a movie or show onto a DVD as it was on a VHS recorder - or to erase it.  I guess that's where the PVR's came in from the cable company -- which I also love as I can stop any program when the pnone rings and continue later ... or store movies in 1080i that I can watch later (if ever).  I find I'm not copying them to DVD but that lessens the quality.  I, for one, can see a diff between 1080i and 1080p.

So I moved into getting a great Canon HDV camcorder with the thought of making my own 1080p movies...only to find out that's not so easy...and certainly not cheap.  In addition, it takes a very long time to record a BluRay disk (and doubt they can be copied even on your computer).  So I didn't upgrade my computer to making BluRay disks and wonder what's the point of movie taking in HD if you can only watch it on your TV from the camcorder via HDMI cable to your TV?

Having said that, when I do connnect the HD camcorder to the 1080p TV it is unbelieveably good - every bit as good as a bluray movie but a lot more personal...but no sound effects, titles, editing, authoring, etc.  So now I make my home movies in SD widescreen format on DVD (which look better on a BluRay player btw) but with titles, music, etc., and long for the day when I can make my own HD movies.  

I don't think technology will be that patient.  BluRay will die as it can't be copied easily IMO.  No doubt this HD camcorder is one for my collection ... but it's fun.  Life has trade-offs.

Brian


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## PGtime (Dec 5, 2009)

*Blu-ray cheap & new technology*

pgnewarkboy,
The cheapest I saw (advertisement) was for $78 at Walmart on Black Friday, so it's getting close to your range.  I have no doubt that it will get there soon enough.

BTW, speaking of technology and the inevitable drop in prices...  Back in the 1980's I worked at an electronics store (right up my alley, due to my interest in audio/video).  The owner had a sales contest that I won.  The prize was for the top of the line Boston Acoustics tower speakers.  A decent speaker, however, I already had a pair of Vandersteen 2C's (much better & I still have them!).  Anyway, I negotiated with the owner to allow me to pick something else.  I picked the top of the line Canon hifi VHS.  At the time, the cost was over $1000.00, with a retail of over $1200.00.  Two notes about this:
1.  That machine lasted well over 25 years; the only repair was for a belt that cost me $25, including labor, when it was 15 years old.
2.  In the past, new technology was actually built much better.  The new VHS, DVD, etc. machines can be had for about as much as I paid for the repair.  I'm not sure that new technology being built better is still true, as the prices tend to drop faster than before.  

Paul


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## pgnewarkboy (Dec 5, 2009)

PGtime said:


> pgnewarkboy,
> The cheapest I saw (advertisement) was for $78 at Walmart on Black Friday, so it's getting close to your range.  I have no doubt that it will get there soon enough.
> 
> BTW, speaking of technology and the inevitable drop in prices...  Back in the 1980's I worked at an electronics store (right up my alley, due to my interest in audio/video).  The owner had a sales contest that I won.  The prize was for the top of the line Boston Acoustics tower speakers.  A decent speaker, however, I already had a pair of Vandersteen 2C's (much better & I still have them!).  Anyway, I negotiated with the owner to allow me to pick something else.  I picked the top of the line Canon hifi VHS.  At the time, the cost was over $1000.00, with a retail of over $1200.00.  Two notes about this:
> ...



I think that quality is most products is taking a never ending nosedive.  Perhaps it is because everything is being built in China.


----------



## easyrider (Dec 5, 2009)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I know, all about the sound and the 1080P.  Yup, probably better.  Yet, all the major players have seen the future, and it is in the cloud.  That is why Google, Microsoft, and Apple, and Panasonic, and Sony, and LG, and Verizon, and Comcast,  - are into streaming from the net.  When you buy a flat screen today you get streaming capability. Same for a game console.  Same for a Blu-Ray player!
> 
> Netflix HD looks great on my FIOS Broadband.  Maybe its not 1080 P but it looks great and is much more convenient then fooling with a disc.  If I want to own a movie I can download it on my XBOX 360 in HD or onto my PC.  Then back it up into the cloud and have it no matter what machine I get next.
> 
> However, I have 50 bucks to burn and am still willing to buy a blu-ray player for that - at least today.



I think your right. All of our dvd players and game systems will eventually be replaced by computers and all of the software relaced with cloud computing. Im thinking about investing in this technology as it could be the next big winner.


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## Transit (Dec 5, 2009)

PS3 or mid level Blu-ray.It's a tough choice since we already have an Xbox 360. The PS3 isn't that much more than a mid level Blu-ray player.I have to think about this a bit more.


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## pgnewarkboy (Dec 6, 2009)

*Sony's New Online Strategy per N.Y. Times*

Sony the inventor and major backer of blu-ray has, as I posted earlier, seen the future.  It is online.  This article confirms my thesis.

" Sony’s chief executive, Howard Stringer, has a grand idea: an all-in-one online network that pipes Sony’s films, music, games and other content to its TVs, Walkmans and PlayStation game machines.

Skip to next paragraph 

Hauryoshi Yamaguchi/Bloomberg News
Howard Stringer, Sony's chief executive, says a new online service, will link the company's digital content and its hardware. "


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## hvacrsteve (Dec 6, 2009)

*Blu ray versus streaming*

I think that we will all be streaming sooner than we think, the issue is bandwidth, it is steadily getting better.

I just streamed a HD movie last night!

I could not believe the quality!

Most are not that good, but my Blu ray player, I love, I actually
have three of them.
Two of them stream movies as well.

It is so easy to stream if you have a fast connection.

I can start streaming faster than getting up, putting in a new disc and waiting for the movies to start!

A few more years and thats what we will all be doing!


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## PClapham (Dec 6, 2009)

This is getting to my precise question-how to tell if a Bluray player will also stream?  What brands and what to look for on package to know this?  I want to buy one for my son for Christmas!.
Thanks
Anita


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## Transit (Dec 6, 2009)

New Xboxes can now stream 1080p through Zune movies.I guessing other capable players will follow shortly.


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## carl2591 (Dec 6, 2009)

Icarus said:


> It's already down to $21.99
> 
> I finally opened my copy of The Dark Night BD and put the digital copy DVD into my laptop. itunes noticed it and asked for the code, verified it, and transferred a copy into my itunes library. Interesting.
> 
> ...





So what happens if you put the dvd in a regular DVD player or another computer with DVD player.. does it play like normal or because the code was used on one machine it not able to be used for another machine,, computer or dvd player.. ??  more questions about the Digital Copy ..


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## DaveNV (Dec 6, 2009)

carl2591 said:


> So what happens if you put the dvd in a regular DVD player or another computer with DVD player.. does it play like normal or because the code was used on one machine it not able to be used for another machine,, computer or dvd player.. ??  more questions about the Digital Copy ..



The code can only be used once.  After that, it won't let you do anything with it.  So be careful which computer you put it on.  You don't get a second chance.

Dave


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## PClapham (Dec 7, 2009)

But is there a bluray player that can also stream?  Therefore useful both for playing dvds and streaming Netflix.  If so, what is the brand and how to identify it?

Anita


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## Talent312 (Dec 7, 2009)

PClapham said:


> But is there a bluray player that can also stream?  Therefore useful both for playing dvds and streaming Netflix.  If so, what is the brand and how to identify it?



There are several blu-ray players on the market that can do this.  You'll see it listed on the specs or side of the box. We just picked up a Samsung BD-P1600 for $150 that can stream Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora and other media sources. But frankly, my DW prefers to visit "the video store" and bring 'em home.


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## PClapham (Dec 7, 2009)

Thanks!

Anita


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## Brett (Dec 8, 2009)

RonB said:


> I had just talked my wife into getting a blu-ray player when she mentioned it to our son. He said that blu-ray was on the way out because sales are lagging. Soooo my wife changed her mind and no blu-ray for Christmas.
> I figured I'd get the right answer here, or at least enough answers that I could choose the one I like.
> Thanx,
> Ron




old thread -  but I think the DVD war is now over 

Blu-ray poised to take lead as best viewing format
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120703811.html


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## Transit (Dec 8, 2009)

I went with the new slim PS3.The new size is impressive it looks like a regular dvd player. I got lucky the Bestbuy I went to had some left over from Black Friday that came bundled with 2 games for 299.00.The deal they had this week also included 15% off 2 accessories and you get a 25$ gift card.


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## Elan (Dec 12, 2009)

Is $78 (with free shipping) for a Blu Ray player cheap enough for y'all?  

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-NB53...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1260637728&sr=1-1


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## Transit (Dec 12, 2009)

Walmart has a Magnavox for 78 also.We may see that 50 bucks price sooner than I thought.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 12, 2009)

*Knocking The Loss Leader.*




Transit said:


> Walmart has a Magnavox for 78 also.


The Walmart guy at their store near Cocoa Beach FL bad-mouthed the $78 Manavox blu-ray players when we were there on Friday.  

They make a high-pitch whine while operating, the guy said, & lots of customers who bought that model brought them back. 

His lips were moving when he said that, however. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## pgnewarkboy (Dec 13, 2009)

I expect to see some fifty dollar blu ray players for after Christmas sales.  The 78 dollar Motorola players were stacked very high at the Wal Mart nearest to me.  Of course, Motorola hasn't been Motorola for many years and the name is just a memory.  At this point Motorola is just an off-brand with an old line name.  Still,  I don't sense that blu ray players are the hot gift item this Christmas.  Even Crutchfield, who ain't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, is selling name brand players  for 129.


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## dioxide45 (Dec 13, 2009)

We picked up a Sonly BD player yesterday. On sale for $200 ($50 off at Best Buy). Sure not the deal of the century, but we were able to talk them down on the Sony receiver we also bought (made them feel guilty for not delivering our new TV when promised), and also talked down on the end of line last item in the store Klipsch HD Theater speaker set. So we didn't feel so bad paying the $200 for the BD player. Also if the price goes down in 30 days (after Christmas) we can go in and they will match the new price.

It never hurts to talk to them about price just like you would when buying a car, they want to make a sale just as much as a car or TS salesman. They still made money and we got almost 25% off retail for the entire deal. For the set we paid what we would have paid for the all in one home theater system that we were looking at, but that would have performed far worse than the individual components we bought.


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## carl2591 (Dec 15, 2009)

We picked up a Samsung BD-P1590 at sams club for $128.00 this model will stream netflix, pandora, and utube and up convert regular dvds and play teh blue ray disks as well.


this one does not have the wireless built in but you can get one for like 50 bucks.. I will most likely go with wire as it faster and more stable.

reviews are mixed online some love it some hate it etc..


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## dioxide45 (Dec 15, 2009)

carl2591 said:


> We picked up a Samsung BD-P1590 at sams club for $128.00 this model will stream netflix, pandora, and utube and up convert regular dvds and play teh blue ray disks as well.
> 
> 
> this one does not have the wireless built in but you can get one for like 50 bucks.. I will most likely go with wire as it faster and more stable.
> ...



We will be going with the wire on ours also. With a DirecTV box and BluRay, I think the wired LAN is more reliable. I also think either our wireless router is busted or our new neighbor has something (cordless phone or wireless router) that is messing up our signal. I have the router less than 20' away with nothing blocking it and can't connect. I am using a power-line Ethernet connection as I type and it is far more reliable. The only problem is getting the PS3 that is in the other room on the LAN. I think I may need to get another power-line adapter for in there. I would also like a decent (small) network ink jet printer. Nothing fancy, just B&W is needed, but everything these days is wireless.


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## JeffW (Dec 15, 2009)

carl2591 said:


> ...reviews are mixed online some love it some hate it etc..




I'll be curious to hear how you make up.  I started doing investigation on a streaming BD player, my father wanted me to research them for a possible Christmas gift.  At first I looked at the Sony N460, generally okay reviews, but some complaints (mainly, that Netflix streaming took until Nov to go live).  It's a pricey machine, typically $200+.  Was looking for cheaper alternatives, and saw the 1590.  However, reviews of that in general seem much worse (but as you said, some love it, some hate it).  Suggested to my father he go with the Sony: my other brother is getting the same model (free with a Sony HD tv purchase), so they can compare issues, plus overall reviews seem better.

Supposedly the N460 is available at wholesale clubs for about $180.

Jeff


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## Transit (Dec 16, 2009)

I have Netflix streaming thru Xbox and my PC's with old *wireless* network equipment.They do something to stablize their streaming movies.I have no problems with buffering HD on Netflix but Hulu and some other streaming content I get many buffering issues.


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## Bill4728 (Dec 16, 2009)

Several of the new movies have both a Blue Ray, DVD & Digital copy of the movie.  This allows you to have a Blu Ray for your home theater, a DVD for your other TVs in the house ( like our exercise room)  and a digital copy for your computer/ I pod.


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