BLU Ray DvDs ........?

Question

is there any difference in resolution between a regular DVD that has been upconverted thru my player and a BLU RAY DVD.Should i spend the xtra money getting a blue ray movie ? my tv is 1080p.

Answer 1

yes the resolution will be better on a larger tv but 32 inch and below will not be that much more better just a little sharper.

its not so much about how much of a difference in picture as to how much of a difference in the cost of the movies and weather it justifies the extra 10 quid,i brought an hd dvd player and to be honest could not bring my self too shell out more money on hddvd discs as upscaling was not that much different.so when they went bust i did not buy a blu ray player or a ps3 becuase ive grown out of playing games.

instead i brought myself a media  player that streams movies to a hard drive that plays back divx wmv avi mpeg and all high def upto 1080p if i need to.just my opinion but this is what i feel will be the future of movie playing.ps3 and xbox are already streaming movies.

Answer 2

Yep - an upscaled DVD will still look quite rough around the edges compared to a blu-ray disc. Upscaling works by using mathematical algorithims to fill in the empty spaces between pixels when the image is stretched larger. A blu-ray disc already has those spaces filled in with the correct information, and so will look a lot more detailed and sharp on the TV.

Answer 3

There is a difference and it is noticeable even when you aren't looking at them side by side.

If you look at an upscaled DVD you will be asking yourself "Is this HD? I think it is because it looks good." A Blu-Ray 720p there will be no question.

Is it worth $10-15? Probably not because the upscaled looks good.

Answer 4

Simple answer -- yes. But you need to decide whether the difference is worth the price difference for yourself based on your preferences.

Upconverted DVDs will never be the same quality as Blu-ray for three reasons.

- the detail in a Blu-ray disk can't be created by interpolating the lesser amount of visual detail in a DVD.

- the colour space on Blu-ray is an improvement over that used on DVD

- the audio on Blu-ray disks is superior to that on DVD.

However, all these things assume you can benefit -- otherwise they become expensive for what you get.

Assuming you use HDMI cables and setup the Blu-ray player to output 1080p, with a 1080p HDTV you should be able to realize improved detail relative to upscaled DVDs, particularly on a medium to large screen (say 37" or more).  But this also assumes you will be watching from close enough to see the extra detail (it varies with screen size -- see the link). Similarly you will probably see some improvement in colours (some people don't notice). As to whether you will benefit from the improved sound tracks ... that will depend on your sound system, overcoming the not inconsiderable complexity of HD audio, your hearing and which tracks the movie includes.

The last point really comes down to you. Some people claim that Blu-ray is night and day improved over upconverted DVD. Others see little improvement. Which group you fall into will largely determine whether you will consider the extra costs involved worthwhile (first the ~$400 or more for a good player, then the $5-$20 more for a Blu-ray version of the same movie on DVD).

Many consider Blu-ray "the only way to go". Others consider the relatively small benefit unwarranted for the higher cost (at this point .. they may come down with time) and decreased convenience (you can't copy them, you can't take over to a friends place unless they have a Blu-ray player, and you can't play them in your car, on your portable or on the cottage DVD player, and they take forever to load on most players (partly because of BD+ (DRM that studios have superimposed on consumers) and partly because of BD-Java which is slow).  Some point out that few movies really benefit from HD treatment and that all to many Blu-ray disks are poor transfers (little better than DVD quality).

Probably you can tell ... I fall in the latter camps. I tried a few HD DVDs and didn't see much improvement (and experts agree Blu-ray and HD DVD have virtually identical image quality).  I now watch upconverted DVDs (played on my HD DVD player) on an HD projector and 110" screen and, with the exception of the some poor older DVDs most look pretty darned good to me.  Blu-ray would offer nothing to significantly improve my enjoyment of the CONTENT of the movie and slight improvements in audio or video aren't worth the higher cost currently required. I may buy Blu-ray at some point, but it will only be when prices have fallen to, or very close to, DVD level.  

Hope that helps. Good luck with your decision.