Blu-Ray player? Recommendations?

[televisionarchives]

By "no format wars", I think he meant that there's nothing to motivate them into lowering prices. That's exactly why I hated seeing HD DVDs go away. Competition is a good thing. It motivates to make hardware better, and keep prices down. Stopping HD DVDs was really stupid, IMHO.

Prices may come down after awhile. Players are less than half the price they were. You can always pickup used BD movies fairly cheap...........

Blu ray still has competition. DVDs, HD pay per views, rentals, downloads etc. This is a good time to look for dvds that you know won't ever make it to blu ray. Some great bargains to be found.

Look at far we've come. In the 1970's the FBI raided the home of Roddy McDowall and seized the actor's 16 mm films ,tape etc . Roddy loved movies but back then you couldn't own them in any way. Amazing. I remember VHS tapes costing around $90 when they first came out. Sid Sheinberg was on Nightline back in 1979 talking about how recording on a VCR was illegal.

Here is a video from nightline that will show you how far we've come. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRj_Qz2J3Rs"]YouTube - ABC Nightline - on Legalities of Home Video,1981- pt 1 of 3![/ame]

 

[Bobby H]

The Digital Bits seems to think there will be sub $150 BD players this year.

BD players have already hit sales prices below $150. I think we'll definitely see some $99 or lower priced BD players the day after Thanksgiving '09 (Black Friday) or perhaps even sooner than that. A number of Chinese manufacturers have the blessing from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) to begin mass producing Blu-ray players by late Spring or sometime during Summer.

Conservative guess: by the end of the year there should be a good selection of full featured BD Live capable BD player models at a standard price of under $200. It may be a stretch to expect prices of under $150. But then I was surprised at the low price of the first generation of APEX DVD players several years ago. Changes in price can happen pretty aggressively.

The more expensive BD player models will have to incorporate more features like 7.1 analog output, Netflix movie downloading, DVRs, "media center" style functions, etc. in order to continue to justify the high price.

 

[jvc]

Blu ray still has competition. DVDs, HD pay per views, rentals, downloads etc.

Not really............. DVDs aren't competition at all. They aren't high def.
The others mentioned aren't a physical disc, you own, and can watch anytime you want. You have to pay for them again, every time you want to watch them. They are not competition at all, for something you can watch any time, without paying more for.

 

[navychop]

I remember Apex. I think of them every time I see something "too cheap to be good." Never buy the cheapest. With the inevitable replacement, it's really quite expensive.

 

[dfergie]

I actually had an Apex 19" Flat Screen that is still going strong (had a good picture also) the Dvd players not that much luck with although they would play anything... Forgot to mention to OP Samsung 1500's are priced midway between Magnavox and the Sony BDP350...

 

[jayn_j]

Not really............. DVDs aren't competition at all. They aren't high def.
The others mentioned aren't a physical disc, you own, and can watch anytime you want. You have to pay for them again, every time you want to watch them. They are not competition at all, for something you can watch any time, without paying more for.

Unfortunately, for 90% of Americans, this is a big yawn. Heck, they were willing to settle for VHS and there was a BIG difference in quality and reliability there. VHS didn't die off until DVD sw prices matched.

I AM a videophile, and frankly the quality doesn't reach out and strike me on most movies I see. I can tell the difference, but often it isn't enough, assuming you have a quality upconverting player (like a Toshiba A-30). Granted, I am watching on an older 720P projector, but so is the average consumer.

BTW, I agree full heartedly on the download point.

 

[meStevo]

Saying DVD isn't competition is the enthusiast mindset which is borderline irrelevant at this point with the HDDVD/Blu-Ray format war decided and put behind us. For the average consumer (and target audience for a format desiring to be a mainstream product) it 100% is competition, DVD being 'good enough' and at the right price is why it will be Blu-Ray's biggest competition for the foreseeable future.

 

[Zookster]

Blu ray still has competition. DVDs, HD pay per views, rentals, downloads etc. This is a good time to look for dvds that you know won't ever make it to blu ray. Some great bargains to be found.

Look at far we've come. In the 1970's the FBI raided the home of Roddy McDowall and seized the actor's 16 mm films ,tape etc . Roddy loved movies but back then you couldn't own them in any way. Amazing. I remember VHS tapes costing around $90 when they first came out. Sid Sheinberg was on Nightline back in 1979 talking about how recording on a VCR was illegal.

Here is a video from nightline that will show you how far we've come. [

We've definitely come a long way. However, when HD DVD/BD first came out, I told myself I would wait until a standalone device that would record from cable/sat in 720p/1080i/5.1 to HD DVD/BD media was available before buying in. I gave up on that hope a year and a half ago and now own 2 BD-capable players.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Saying DVD isn't competition is the enthusiast mindset which is borderline irrelevant at this point with the HDDVD/Blu-Ray format war decided and put behind us. For the average consumer (and target audience for a format desiring to be a mainstream product) it 100% is competition, DVD being 'good enough' and at the right price is why it will be Blu-Ray's biggest competition for the foreseeable future.

DVD is Good enough. I see nothing But a Slightly better picture on a Blu Ray. But double the cost Makes the DVD more appealing. DVD VS Blu-Ray Isn't as Drastic as SD TV vs HD TV. Thats a Huge Difference! SDTV vs DVD is a Huge difference. DVD are very clear. So that makes it good enough.

 

[jvc]

I guess mp3s are probably good enough too?
That seems to be most people's feelings, or sacd and dvd-a would have done better.
DVD is good enough, is the kind of thinking that will kill blu ray too.........

 

[KAB]

DVD is Good enough. I see nothing But a Slightly better picture on a Blu Ray. But double the cost Makes the DVD more appealing. DVD VS Blu-Ray Isn't as Drastic as SD TV vs HD TV. Thats a Huge Difference! SDTV vs DVD is a Huge difference. DVD are very clear. So that makes it good enough.

Again, I agree. I have a BD, and Netflix. Have to wait forever to get a just released movie unless you que on a release date. For DVD, have a Redbox 1 mi away. For the most part, I spent money for nothing (buying a Blu-Ray player). My Sony upconvert was just as good. Whether or not you can see the pores on the actors face does not make it a better or worse movie. OVER RATED!!!

 

[Hemi 6.1]

OVER RATED!!!

I agree, Way Over Rated

 

[JAG72]

DVD is Good enough. I see nothing But a Slightly better picture on a Blu Ray. But double the cost Makes the DVD more appealing. DVD VS Blu-Ray Isn't as Drastic as SD TV vs HD TV. Thats a Huge Difference! SDTV vs DVD is a Huge difference. DVD are very clear. So that makes it good enough.

Isn't SD TV and DVD basically the same? They are both 480. If SD vs HD is a big difference shouldn't DVD vs HD be the same?

 

[KAB]

Isn't SD TV and DVD basically the same? They are both 480. If SD vs HD is a big difference shouldn't DVD vs HD be the same?

And your point???

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Isn't SD TV and DVD basically the same? They are both 480. If SD vs HD is a big difference shouldn't DVD vs HD be the same?

Your going to tell me SD TV PQ is just as good as DVD?
Have you ever watched a DVD?
And you subscribe to satellite tv?

 

[JAG72]

Your going to tell me SD TV PQ is just as good as DVD?
Have you ever watched a DVD?
And you subscribe to satellite tv?

SD TV in its pure form should be the same as DVD. I didn't say anything about our great providers over compressing the signal.

 

[JimMcC]

Blu-ray is not needed unless your screen is large enough. We use a 32" analog set for normal viewing, which looks good. But when we watch movies and football games we use a 720p projector with a 106" diagonal screen. I don't have a Blu-ray player yet because the prices are still too high for me. But we have an HD-DVD player and HD satellite/OTA hooked up to projector.

 

[JAG72]

And your point???

Point is if Blu-Ray is OVER-RATED shouldn't HD TV be just as OVER-RATED?

 

[KAB]

On my 56" , blue ray, no way that much better.

 

[KAB]

Point is if Blu-Ray is OVER-RATED shouldn't HD TV be just as OVER-RATED?

IMHO, HDTV movie = SD upconvert!!!!!!!!!