Would blu-ray be a good option for me?

Question

I have been considering getting a PS3 to play blu-rays with. I have a 23 inch samsung HDTV in my dorm room. I love to watch movies and are blown away by the quality of the blu ray movies that you see playing in stores like best buy. However I read that the difference between DVD and blu-ray is really only noticeable on TV's 42 inches and up. Any truth to that? Would it be worth it or should I just stick with the upconverting DVD player I have witch does a so so job?

Thanks

Answer 1

it's your only option now that beta-max beat out vcr ;-O errr blu-ray beat out hd-dvd!

Answer 2

They are the same except the blue ray hold a lot more. The only problem is no game or DVD has ever had to exceed the HD DVD size any way. So if you like the PS3 get it. There is one thing though, the PS3 blue rays disks have incredible graphics. So base your buy on the system not the drive. You won't need a blue ray space for a while.

Answer 3

There is no absolute size at which Blu-ray is worthwhile and below which it isn't. It's a continuum from "great" at 1080p and 50" to "what's all the fuss about" at 20" 720p.

You are close to the latter point, but you would have to decide if any benefit is worthwhile (You could always take a DVD to a store and compare to a Blu-ray disk (The Blu-ray player is also a DVD upconverter) on a TV the same or similar to yours (size, resolution, viewing distance ... nothing like a real test for helping decide)

Personally, if I were a student with a 23" HDTV I'd be tempted to look at things from the perspective of where can I put my limited funds to get the best bang for the buck. On that basis I suspect I would be looking more toward the audio side or my computer than trying to get a small benefit on the video end.

But then maybe you have the money to spare (I didn't, so maybe I'm somewhat biased).

As of today the only Blu-ray player worth buying is the PS3.

Personally, I'm waiting to see if Blu-ray disks drop to DVD prices. They are not worth a $10-$25 premium over previewed DVD to me. I find DVDs upconverted on my equipment (some upconverters are better than others) are just fine.

But ultimately it's your priorities that count.

Hope that helps a bit.

EDIT

"He who must hold the remote" is incorrect suggesting comparing SD and HDTV as a test. There is a much bigger difference between SDTV and HD than there is between upconverted DVD (even straight progressive DVD) an Blu-ray.  

He is correct that 720p and 1080p often can't be distinguished, but ONLY if you view from (or beyond) the optimum 720p viewing distance. Its a question of visual acuity. A 1080p screen is optimally watched from much closer than a 720p HDTV ... See the link.

The reason a small HDTV provides little benefit for Blu-ray is not because of screen size per se, but because the smaller screen looks pretty good with SD images and the increased resolution of Blu-ray simply isn't very visible ... unless watched very close to the screen ... too close for most viewers who want to sit relatively far back from even smallish screens.

Answer 4

Can you watch a HD channel on that TV?

Can you then find the standard def version of the channel?

Toggle between the 2 and decide for yourself if the HD video is a dramatic improvement.

Note: I believe you are incorrect about the "42 inch" rule.  Most people cannot detect the difference between 720 and 1080 (both HD formats) unless the screen is large enough.

I believe the jump to HD is usually dramatic even on a small screen.