Blu-Ray -- is it worth it?

[finishthehat]

Honest, I did a search and couldn't find anything recent.

If retailers get desperate this Christmas and the cost of a player goes down to $250 or so, is Blu-Ray worth it?

I have a pretty standard HDTV (LCD, not plasma). I assume I would just plug the Blu-Ray into the jacks the DVD player is in now.

But is the improvement that much better? Are there enough titles out there? Can i still play regular DVDs on it?

Thanks for any help.

 

[93Devil]

$250

No

$100

Yes

 

[Chuck Dickey]

I've had a Blu-Ray for just about a year now. I bought it on a whim while at Costco one day.

The picture looks really great. The discs take way too long to load (not sure if that's a Blu-Ray quirk or I simply bought a crappy one), and they're a bit too expensive for my taste. I have an LCD HD that's a few years old, so it only has one HDMI jack. So, I have to plug and unplug the Blu-Ray depending on whether I want to watch TV or a DVD.

In short: Nice picture, not enough discs, more of a pain in the ass than it's worth, but will probably pay off in the long run.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I've been on the fence about purchasing a Blueray player for a while now, and the cost to buy one is just too high.

I have a 32" Sony Bravia LCD HD (720p), and right now, to buy one at $250 is just too much when you gotta pay $30 for a movie, as well...

There's a difference, for sure, but I go different routes to watch movies in high definition, instead of going the Blueray way...

I watch movies on DirecTV's ppv in high def. and also get them on Xbox Live marketplace on my 360...

I think once the price of a Blueray comes down to about $150 and dvds are $20 or so it will be much worth it.

But the cost and the library isn't up there enough yet to justify a purchase yet.

Also, all blueray players have a slow loading time...

 

[Precious Roy]

If you are going to go Blu-Ray, just buy a Playstation 3.
I love Blu-Ray with my 56" HD TV (1080p) and it's freaking great.
However, I wouldn't buy a Blu-Ray player at that price. It's all about the games for me, Blu-Ray is just a plus.

 

[BYH]

Uhh...no. cause once I buy Blu-Ray, what's next?

Upgrading from VHS to DVD made a lot of sense. I don't see any appreciable upgrade in this, except for the jerkfaces who make money off me buying my sixth version of "Heathers."

 

[patchs]

I bought a Sony Blu-Ray at BJ's Wholesale Club for $280, which included a HDMI cable, which to me was too good a deal to pass up.
The same model retails for $300 without a HDMI cable.
I have it hooked up to my Toshiba 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV and the Blu Ray movies I have (Indy 4 and Iron Man) look stunning.
There's a scene in Indy where they close in on Cate Blanchett and you can actually see the fuzz on her face.
If you don't have a 1080p HDTV, do NOT get a Blu Ray because you won't get the best possible picture. If you own a 720p, buy an upconverting DVD player. It's a cheaper alternative.

 

[finishthehat]

Thanks, all.

I'm thinking I'll pass for now.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Now that the prices have come down considerably, it's probably worth considering...

I won't buy one because I don't buy or rent DVDs anymore. I download everything or "rent" off iTunes or Amazon.

The difference between regular DVD and Blu-Ray is amazing though.

 

[slappy4428]

Uhh...no. cause once I buy Blu-Ray, what's next?

Upgrading from VHS to DVD made a lot of sense. I don't see any appreciable upgrade in this, except for the jerkfaces who make money off me buying my sixth version of "Heathers."

And yet, you've purchased the previous five versions -- including the rarely found laserdisc...

 

[KG]

I have a PS3, but I've yet to purchase a Blu-Ray movie. I've seen them playing in the store though, and they seem to have a great picture. I haven't bought a movie in a long time. All of mine are downloaded.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I have a PS3, but I've yet to purchase a Blu-Ray movie. I've seen them playing in the store though, and they seem to have a great picture. I haven't bought a movie in a long time. All of mine are downloaded.

There aren't many movies I would pay $29.99 to own.

 

[93Devil]

Netflix
Netflix
Netflix

 

[BYH]

Uhh...no. cause once I buy Blu-Ray, what's next?

Upgrading from VHS to DVD made a lot of sense. I don't see any appreciable upgrade in this, except for the jerkfaces who make money off me buying my sixth version of "Heathers."

And yet, you've purchased the previous five versions -- including the rarely found laserdisc...

Damn I wish I had that. You got one you want to sell?

 

[DemoChristian]

I have an 1080p television hooked up to a pretty good upconversion DVD player. I also have DirecTV HD. There is a difference between the picture on the upconversion and the HD satellite, but it's not NEARLY enough for me to fork over the money for a Blu-Ray and the more expensive discs.

 

[qtlaw]

I bought a Toshiba HD-DVD for $79 earlier this year and its fantastic (with my 40" Sony HDTV). It upconverts standard to near HD, pretty close to HD programming. Now I'm not a huge video guy so I do not have a problem watching upconverted DVDs for a few years until there's a competitor for Blu-Ray or prices go down. Do not think its worth it to pay $300+ for blu-ray.

 

[MacDaddy]

I bought a Toshiba HD-DVD for $79 earlier this year and its fantastic (with my 40" Sony HDTV). It upconverts standard to near HD, pretty close to HD programming. Now I'm not a huge video guy so I do not have a problem watching upconverted DVDs for a few years until there's a competitor for Blu-Ray or prices go down. Do not think its worth it to pay $300+ for blu-ray.

You do realize that HD-DVD was the competitor for Blu-Ray, and you were able to buy a player for $70 because Toshiba has abandoned the format?

 

[slappy4428]

Ummmmm

 

[Diabeetus]

Just a tip for all you fine folk: day after Thanksgiving at Wal-Mart, they've got a blu ray player on sale for $128.

 

[slappy4428]

Just a tip for all you fine folk: day after Thanksgiving at Wal-Mart, they've got a blu ray player on sale for $128.

Looked at it today... looks a little clunky, but don't all blu-ray's?

I appreciate the advice above about getting an upconverting player for anything less than 1080p