Notwithstanding all the weird problems Greg has with BR, is there any reason not to buy one now? I notice that prices have become reasonable, for example these. Is there much difference in the images from each brand? I don't think digital quality would vary, but I will be using standard analog TV for a while.
Blu-Ray
- Thread starter LunarMist
- Start date
ddrueding
Fixture
If your TV is still analog, does it support HD at all? If not, that would be the place to put money first. I don't see a difference watching a DVD or BR on a standard def TV.
I have no room for a wide-screen video unit without moving too much stuff around. Maybe in 2011 or so.
Stereodude
Not really a
Make sure you get a Profile 2.0 player if you do buy one.
What is the difference? The Panasonic is probably the one I'd get. It's cheap so I could use it as a second player in the bedroom later on for example.
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Stereodude
Not really a
Profile 2.0 supports BD Live.
Thanks. I have no use for that ilk.
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
I think you just answered your original question. Stick with DVD until you have a reason to go Blu-ray; probably couple the purchase with an HDTV.
Updates and firmwares will continue and if you don't buy now, the player you buy later will have more and better features.
For instance, a friend of mine bought a Sony Blu-ray play shortly after they came out; he has a $25K projector setup so I don't blame him for wanting quality. But that player is very slow and takes upwards of 2 minutes to load a disc to the menu. My Samsung bought Nov. 2008 is closer to a minute; probably less but I've not timed it. ASICs will get faster so we can hope that load time will decrease with newer units.
Also, more and more players have added features like the ability to stream Netflix or Pandora, both of which my Samsung can do but my friend's Sony cannot.
My Samsung has Ethernet for BD Live; newer players have added WiFi to eliminate the need to provide wired connectivity.
Prices should continue to drop as well. While it will take a long time for BD players to become as cheap as DVD players are today, the gap is narrowing. And DVDs are still cheaper than equivalent Blu-ray discs, although some BD releases are including standard DVDs as well which is nice.
Updates and firmwares will continue and if you don't buy now, the player you buy later will have more and better features.
For instance, a friend of mine bought a Sony Blu-ray play shortly after they came out; he has a $25K projector setup so I don't blame him for wanting quality. But that player is very slow and takes upwards of 2 minutes to load a disc to the menu. My Samsung bought Nov. 2008 is closer to a minute; probably less but I've not timed it. ASICs will get faster so we can hope that load time will decrease with newer units.
Also, more and more players have added features like the ability to stream Netflix or Pandora, both of which my Samsung can do but my friend's Sony cannot.
My Samsung has Ethernet for BD Live; newer players have added WiFi to eliminate the need to provide wired connectivity.
Prices should continue to drop as well. While it will take a long time for BD players to become as cheap as DVD players are today, the gap is narrowing. And DVDs are still cheaper than equivalent Blu-ray discs, although some BD releases are including standard DVDs as well which is nice.
ddrueding
Fixture
Funny, the BDs I've ripped to my hard drive load instantly 
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
Yeah, and BDs that I play on my wife's laptop load quite fast as well. But standalone players don't seem to come with C2D and C2Q processors. Although our Samsung does have 1 or 2GB of RAM (can't recall which).
The BR player I have is in your list. I bought the Samsung BD-P1600 for about $150 mid last year. I know there are a lot of mixed reviews on it, but so far it's worked fine for me. The load times are more than reasonable and the BR picture quality is decent for $150.
I don't use the bluray live functionality even though I'm connected to the net with it. The pandora feature is nice and I'd use the netflix feature if I didn't already have it on my xbox.
If you don't have a HD TV, I'd also do as other's suggest and wait until you upgrade. While you wait, take advantage of the numerous multi-pack BR/DVD/digital copy that are available. I got the Pixar Up 4-pack for $10 and the Harry Potter 3-pack was $16.
I don't use the bluray live functionality even though I'm connected to the net with it. The pandora feature is nice and I'd use the netflix feature if I didn't already have it on my xbox.
If you don't have a HD TV, I'd also do as other's suggest and wait until you upgrade. While you wait, take advantage of the numerous multi-pack BR/DVD/digital copy that are available. I got the Pixar Up 4-pack for $10 and the Harry Potter 3-pack was $16.
ddrueding
Fixture
I'm supporting a Kalaidiscape / Crestron system ($$,$$$), but mine is a DIY.
The combo packs are out there. I usually look for the sales or coupons for things like Up 4 disc combo. There was a $10 off coupon when it fist came out. There are others out there that are the same way.
fb
Storage is cool
Cambridge Audio and Oppo are supposed to load BDs as fast as DVDs or CDs.
Personally I'm aiming for a media server for movies. I already have a DS-player for music and I'm very happy with it - both the handling and the sound quality...
Personally I'm aiming for a media server for movies. I already have a DS-player for music and I'm very happy with it - both the handling and the sound quality...
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I do the media server thing. I have a pair of LG BD/HDDVD drives and I rip BDs I want to keep. Loading time with PowerDVD is far lower on those drives than it is on any standalone player I've seen, but I have a distaste for physical media regardless.
ddrueding
Fixture
I store them RAW, what is 30GB/movie these days?
ddrueding
Fixture
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
Ditto.
Doesn't look like newegg offers that model any longer. Has it been out for a while?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
It was sold for about two and a half years and I think they dropped that model last summer.
Stereodude
Not really a
I've got two of these. One in my HTPC, and one in my Desktop.
Looks like this LG CH08LS10 @$90 (with $7.56 shipping wtf?) is their next drive since then? It's a DB-ROM with DVD/CD burner with lightscribe.
I don't need to burn BR discs right now, but reading them would be nice.
I don't need to burn BR discs right now, but reading them would be nice.
Stereodude
Not really a
IMHO, Newegg has gone full tilt stupid with their shipping since the 1st of the year.
They certainly have. At almost 10% of the price of the drive, the shipping is really high for a 2lb item!
I just got one of those web surveys while I was browsing newegg and I decided to fill it out. In several of the ratings I gave low scores specifically related to shipping costs. I don't know if it will help, but it's worth trying.
I just got one of those web surveys while I was browsing newegg and I decided to fill it out. In several of the ratings I gave low scores specifically related to shipping costs. I don't know if it will help, but it's worth trying.
I think people went nuts on the GGC-H20L because it is one of the last drives to do the super multi combo with HD-DVD. Now that I look I don't even see a drive that reads HD-DVD that newegg lists.
Handruin: good, I will have to remember to fill one out too. Never liked their shipping prices on cheap/light items and now they don't have the best price on many things.
Handruin: good, I will have to remember to fill one out too. Never liked their shipping prices on cheap/light items and now they don't have the best price on many things.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Fry's had that drive for $50 in June or July. That's where I got the ones I have. I had another but it died, possibly because that was the one that I used to rip all my HDDVDs with.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
Just to give you some more relativity, the same unit costs US$140 here and US$12 to ship.
But in the US...cheap prices are in our given rights and constitution with free shipping (and a cheeseburger). This is unjust, and I'm going to start a class action lawsuit. (was I close enough to a stereotypical American)?
In reality, I believe that it's still cheaper than elsewhere, but in relative terms, shipping has gone up at newegg.
(was I close enough to a stereotypical American)?In reality, I believe that it's still cheaper than elsewhere, but in relative terms, shipping has gone up at newegg.