Can we expect drastic improvements in Blu-Ray video quality?

Question

This one is for you videophiles.

First generation DVD releases had lousy video quality. Many of us ended up "double dipping" and buying titles again due to the benefits of better restoration, transfer, and encoding technologies. I fear this will inevitably happen again with BR. Should I hold off and wait until some of my favorite movies are 2nd generation BR releases? That might be 5 years from now! Ugh.

Answer 1

The problem is that even second generation releases can not make up for the lack of resolution in the source. As equipment improves and new movies are shot in hi-def you will see movies get better and better in BD releases.

You must remember that most movies have been shot in far less resolution than BD is capable of providing. And you are correct in saying that over time the transfer technology will also improve. But it will still be a few years until you see movies that live up to the promise of BD since it will take time for the studio's technology to catch up to the player's technology.

Answer 2

The Japanese are currently perfecting a technology that is a thousand more times higher in resolution that current blue ray technology.

Answer 3

blu ray is so clear anyway, who cares if they make it more clearer, it is so clear its unbelievable, don't wait

Answer 4

The early Blu-ray disks were poor, but we are 2 years in and well mastered current disks are about as good as they are going to get.  The problem is the spec (it's only 8 bit colour so prone to banding (it should have been 10 or 12 bit)), the original source material, and the lack of care some studios take to deliver good masters. None of these things will improve (except -- maybe --  the incidence of the latter).

Contrary to what some others have said, all but cheap film stock does have the capability to deliver a better than 1080p resolution digital master, BUT some movies were shot on poor, grainy, film (or intentionally grainy) and won't ever yield a crystal clear Blu-ray disk. Some fans prefer this as being faithful to the original.

So, if you are in the minority who feel paying a premium price for Blu-ray is worthwhile there is no reason to wait for disk quality to improve. While the proportion of "good" disks may go up somewhat, the best won't get any better until the spec changes  ... or the next big thing comes along. On the other hand if you wait, Blu-ray will get less expensive ... possibly by the end of this year.

Answer 5

I bought Goodfellas as one of my first movies with blueray when it first came out and the quality is amazing so much better then regular dvd. I have not noticed any poor video quality. But nothing beats blueray keep buying em!!