I'm buying a DVD player and I want to know if I should purchase a Blue Ray or a regular DVD player.?

Question

My daughter bought me a Samsung DVD player for Christmas. It may be defective and is going to be returned. Should I add the extra money for her to buy a Blue Ray DVD player instead? Is it worth the difference in cost?

Answer 1

Here's the best solution.......I would take advantage of Hd dvd's scramble to compete...their players are reduced yet again and the picture is in 1080p if you make sure to not buy the lowest model the toshiba hd-a30 is 199.99 at circuit city and best buy and you get 2 movies in the box 300 and the bourne Identity plus 5 free in the mail!!!!! practially pays for itself. these players are equally as good as blu-ray and have better special features such as  pip commentary and online content that blu-ray doesn't offer....with hd-dvd doing this they are going to shake up the market once again and send blu-ray scrambling for answers... this is what I would do......the upconvert alone is worth 199 and is on some upconvert players....even if hd dvd does become obsolete what are you out?????? the same cost of a stand alone upconvert player and by that time blu-ray will be more affordable

Answer 2

You might want to get HD before Blue Ray. There aren't that many Blue ray movies out. Price wise HD is cheaper than Blue Ray and HD is more expensive than a regular DVD. That pricing all depends on the place you go to.

Hope this helps :)

Answer 3

it also depends on the rest of your tv setup. Blu Ray is very impressive on a 1080P TV!  Blu Ray seems to be taking over the market. If you do buy an HD - DVD - with the drastic drop in price (about 1/3 the cost of blu ray) It will upscale your current DVD collection. So it would not be a total loss if they did stop production of HD - DVD

P.S. both Blu Ray and HD-DVD players will play regular dvds

Answer 4

Unless you have an HDTV forget Blu-ray and buy a normal DVD player.

If you have an HDTV you have two choices: buy a blu-ray player or an upconverting DVD player (see the link for further info)

First recognize that Blu-ray disks are more expensive than DVDs and a player is at least $300. If you are prepared to consider this go to the store that you are returning the Samsung to and tell them that you are considering upgrading to Blu-ray, BUT you want to see the benefits for yourself before deciding. Ask to see both a Blu-ray and normal DVD of the same movie played on a Blu-ray player displayed on an HDTV as close as possible to the one you have at home (i.e. same (or similar) screen size and resolution).

If the Blu-ray disk is convincing ... choose a Blu-ray player, pay, go home and enjoy.

If the improvement doesn't seem worth it to you (remember the higher costs of Blu-ray) consider an upconverting DVD player. There is no advantage to a cheap one -- your HDTV will do as good or better job on its own. The Blu-ray player you just watched a DVD on is actually a capable upconverting DVD player, so you have just seen what one can do.

Ironically, the lowest priced HD DVD players (Toshiba HD-A3 or HD-D3) are excellent upconverting DVD players, and have been reduced in price in the US (as low as $130) to the point that they are an excellent choice as a DVD player. The fact they come with several free HD DVD disks and will play that format is a bonus. Remember that there will be limited new movies available in HD DVD, but there are about 400 to choose from now and --- as a supplement / alternative to DVD it doesn't hurt to have the capability to play them even if you never play anything but the free disks.

You can read responses here but there is no substitute for seeing with your own eyes.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

you will have a wider selection of movies to play with a regular DVD player

Answer 6

That depends. If you have an HD TV and/or a surround sound system then it is definatelly worth the extra money for blu-ray.

If you have a standard definition tv and no surround sound and do not plan on getting an HD TV or a surround sound system, then stick with regular DVD.

I would be careful and not go HD-DVD (at least unless something drastically changes), since there is a lot circulating about them lately (including that the reason for their recent price drops is to clear out inventory before trying to negotiate a buy out by Sony so that they can "save face").

I will give you some links below so that you can check out the latest media coverage for yourself.  Above all just try to read as many articles as possible so that you can be informed.

To Dan S. below, look, I didn't write these articles.  I'd suggest reading up before passing judgement.  Or are you just trying to convince the reader to buy an HD-DVD player because you did and you are afraid that they are going to go out of business????

-------Anyway, to the reader, don't listen to others opinions (as those that own Blu-ray or HD-DVD will usually try to bias toward one format or the other). Simply, read as many articles as you can, and make the best possible informed decision.

Answer 7

If you have an HDTV and a Home Theater system Blue Ray would be beneficial. If you do not have a Home Theater system or a HDTV it would not be. Also there are Blue Ray/HD DVD players that can play both formats. Something also worth considering.

Answer 8

Simple answer is, if you have a 1080p TV Blu-ray would be the way to go, if you don't mind spending the extra money. There are plenty of movies available for Blu-ray although they can be quite expensive. Another plus is that it will make you regular DVDs look much better. HD DVD is a less expensive option but it appears they are losing the format war and HD movies will not be as plentiful and some are not available in HD but it also up-converts your regular DVDs.

Answer 9

Before you read my answer, I will let you know where I am coming from:  I bought into Blu-ray, and I want it to be the winning format.  It is competing against HD DVD to be the next hi-def disc format.

That being said, and my bias put aside, DO NOT, under any cirumstances, BUY AN HD DVD PLAYER AT THIS POINT.  With Warner Bros. recent decision to cease releasing movies on HD DVD, this  means you would only be able to get HD DVDs from Universal and Paramount.  Any other major studio is now Blu exclusive...that translates into over 70% of movies being available only on Blu-ray or standard DVD--NOT on HD DVD.

An earlier post indicated that HD DVD has a larger selection of titles.  That is a flat out lie and misinformation.  AT THIS POINT, HD DVD seems dead.  If you do in fact decide to buy HD DVD, that's fine, but do yourself a favor and wait a few months to see which way this thing is gonna swing...because right now, HD DVD needs a miracle to survive.

With Blu-ray disc players dropping as low as $300 this past Christmas, I would urge you to spend the extra money and buy Blu-ray.  It is the format of the future, and yes, the difference in quality is amazing, provided you have an HDTV and surround sound speakers.  Even if you don't, spending any more money on regular DVDs is a waste, because in short order they will be replaced by Blu-ray discs.

Keep in mind that even if you buy a Blu-ray disc player, it will still play any and all DVDs you currently own.  While there are only about 500 titles on Blu-ray disc that will play in true high-definition, any movie on DVD can be played in your Blu-ray disc player and it will be upconverted, possibly (but in all honestly, not likely) improving the picture.

Please know, that as much as I would like you to buy Blu-ray, you should make this decision independently of our opinions.  I warn you away from HD DVD so you won't get burned, but then again they could make a comeback.  The best thing for you to do is to find a friend or somebody with a Blu-ray set up and check it out, then do the same with HD DVD, then compare it to standard DVD.  Take the time to educate yourself by reading reputable articles.  BE CAREFUL.  Online forums and internet articles often contain bias toward one format or another.  DO NOT treat everything a salesperson tells you like the Gospel...in my experience, many salespeople know less about the format war than you will.

Best of luck!

Answer 10

Blueray is future. But make sure it plays DVDs and CDs as well.. It is worth.