What do you all think? (About DVD and Blu-ray)

[BILLONEE]

With the increased popularity of Blu-Ray (BD), I was curious as to how you all felt about the following (My answers included).:

1-How many standard DVD's do you own? - Over 900

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out? - No. I've invested too much already & I enjoy what I have.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player? - "Gone With The Wind", "Grease" or "Pollyanna"

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal! - B

I'd like to end this with a quick opinion of mine to see if you all agree or disagree as well. I think we should be able to use our standard DVD's as coupons when replacing them with BD versions. Thank you.

[Escapay]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?

According to dvdaf, I have 1109 titles, 983 DVDs, and 1658 discs.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?

No. Especially not if a DVD contains certain special features (or even a certain version of a film) that's not on the Blu-Ray.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?

Song of the South.

In addition, I think once The Ten Commandments (1956, Cecil B. DeMille) hits Blu-Ray next year, I'll pick it up regardless if I have a player or not.

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound!

B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal!

Neither.

I'll upgrade to Blu-Ray for titles I think would be worth upgrading (example: I don't need to see The Breakfast Club in high definition, but I'll want the best picture/sound for Star Trek: First Contact), or if they've got special features that are worth getting on Blu.

I'm more concerned about special features than AV quality, mainly because I'm grateful I can see or hear at all, so seeing/hearing in high-definition is more of a perk than a standard.

I think we should be able to use our standard DVD's as coupons when replacing them with BD versions.

Companies would never go for that (they want your money, they generally don't care which format you pick), though Disney has offered some $10 coupons in certain DVDs if you rebuy that same title in Blu-Ray (POTC3, Enchanted, Sleeping Beauty, Prince Caspian, etc.). The coupons generally expire within a year, though.

albert

[DarthPrime]

With the increased popularity of Blu-Ray (BD), I was curious as to how you all felt about the following (My answers included).:

1-How many standard DVD's do you own? - Over 900

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out? - No. I've invested too much already & I enjoy what I have.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player? - "Gone With The Wind", "Grease" or "Pollyanna"

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal! - B

I'd like to end this with a quick opinion of mine to see if you all agree or disagree as well. I think we should be able to use our standard DVD's as coupons when replacing them with BD versions. Thank you.

1. Not enough!

2. No I have no plans to replace my all my DVDs with Blu-rays. There are a handful that will get "upgraded", but that's it.

3. Not immediately. Blu-ray is coming (I will be purchasing a standalone Profile 2.0 player sometime in 2009), but there isn't one title that would make me jump the day it was released. Ok maybe if we got the non-special editions of the original Star Wars movies on Blu-ray. That will never happen...

4. Neither one. Blu-ray is great, and will eventually be the future. However once I switch to Blu-ray I'm not ruling out buying DVDs (The $2 to $5 DVD bins are addictive, and a lot cheaper than $20 to $30 for the same movie on Blu-ray). I'm sure it might change once I experience Blu-ray at home, but most of my purchases will probably be new releases. Anyway it will depend on the title.

[2099net]

With the increased popularity of Blu-Ray (BD), I was curious as to how you all felt about the following (My answers included).:

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?

No idea. Probably close to 1500 titles, discs? Sorry, can't say.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?

No, I generally don't part with anything. I have a fetish for collecting shiny round discs. But I would (and have) buy a film on hi-def that I have on DVD if I feel is has value (either bargain price, clear audio/visual upgrade or additional supplements).

Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?

Already have one (and a HD DVD player too). But the number one release I want on Blu-ray now is an Universal Classic Monsters Collection with even more thoughtful and insightful supplements than on the current DVDs.

4-Which describes you?:

Like Escapay, the supplements mean more to me than the A/V quality (even now I have a HD set, its only 720 lines, which isn't much more than native PAL so the A/V boost isn't always that noticable. (But let me be clear on some discs, the A/V on blu-ray is totally visible and dramatically different).

What excites me most about the new formats is the potential.

PiP may result in more disappointments than successes, but when it's done and edited correctly it really is something special (Blood Diamond on HD DVD basically has a longer than full length "making-of" on the disc due to the PiP and focus points, all of which are insightful and flow smoothly from clip to clip - 2 of the Bourne films' PiP tracks are really good too). And while a little awkward, the Order of the Phoenix's focus points gave us the most detailed "making of" for a Harry Potter film yet (In addition the HD DVD has more lighthearted, throwaway comments on the PiP track on the disc).

Universal's whole U-Control is toying with doing more than just PiP, especially on Blu-ray where stuff like scene explorations, concept art and set tours are available and generally more interactive than their HD DVD PiP and graphic overlays.

The ability to resize windows and overlay complex graphics on screen is also something content producers are just starting to get used to, but again some gems can be found even now. The Circle Vision explorer on Prince Caspian is great - and has literally 1 or 2 hours of content inside it if you dig around enough with everything from multiple commentaries over the same clip, lots of featurettes, and reams of concept art with voice overs. It's everything the confusing to use 'into the maelstrom' POTC3 extra should have been, showing that as the format matures, studios are already quickly learning how to use it's unique features more and more effectively.

Universal are also making great steps forward by repeatedly offering alternative cuts of films on single Blu-ray discs (I'm over the moon to finally have the original theatrical cut of The 40 Year Old Virgin, being as it was never released in the UK in this format, nor on the HD DVD I bought).

And while many mock the BD-Live functions, including chat, we've already seen that this can be useful with for example the Live Chat with Guillermo del Toro for Hellboy II. (Sadly, it was scheduled before the UK disc was released, so we had no chance of participating. Well done Universal.) I'm convinced what we're seeing now are simple building blocks which will eventually create on-line experiences truely worth having. Some new Universal titles even let you record your own commentary tracks to share with others.

[PatrickvD]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?

250 or something.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?

No. Unlike VHS, dvd's will remain useful. And though Blu-Ray is the cream of the crop right now, the quality of dvd's is still very good.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?

I just went Blu last week. It was Sleeping Beauty that kinda pushed me over the edge. So there ya go.

4-Which describes you?

I love dvd's. Most of the dvd's I own, I will not re-buy on Blu-Ray, with the exception of Disney titles. I will, from now on purchase all my films on Blu-Ray.

[MK Sharp]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?

I shudder to think - but the shelves are beginning to dominate the livingroom somewhat!

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?

The likelihood of much of what I've got on DVD coming out on Blu is pretty remote - half of it I'm surprised to see on DVD! There would need to be a compelling improvement in the content (as opposed to just picture quality) for me to go out and buy a title over again.
But I've still got the LPs of things I have on CD - heck, I have 78s of the things I have on LP - so I doubt I'd chuck a disc out because I replaced it. Goodness, I still have the World's Worst DVD Release of Hellzapoppin' despite picking up the far superior R2 version.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?

If it was only released on Blu, yes, but I can't see that happening in the near future. Blu is still lagging a long loooong way behind DVD in take-up and I can't imagine a major release coming out on Blu only; whereas there are still hundreds of titles being released on DVD only.

Actually, I'm having difficultly thinking of a movie I'd want that is likely to be released on Blu. A really sexy, restored, extras-laden release of The Great Race, perhaps - but even then, the DVD I've got now isn't completely horrible.
(Quietly amuses self by imagining The Comic, or Bert Rigby You're A Fool, or Le Roi des Champs Elysees, or Hands Up! coming out on BluRay...)

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal!

C - My interests are generally so arcane that the films and TV shows I like are unlikely to ever surface on Blu, so it's all a moot point. I'm yet to be convinced that Blu will become the dominant delivery paradigm, particularly when it comes to TV series. My collection contains far more TV than it does movies, much of it shot on standard definition videotape which has no real benefit to being presented on Blu.

I'd like to end this with a quick opinion of mine to see if you all agree or disagree as well. I think we should be able to use our standard DVD's as coupons when replacing them with BD versions.

Disagree. No-one is forcing you to buy a movie for a second time on a new format. If you are doing so it's entirely at your discretion, so if you're feeling somehow ripped off you've only yourself to blame. In most cases the version you've bought on DVD is perfectly adequate and will provide many years of viewing pleasure. If, on the other hand, you've moved up to a McMansion and installed a massive home theatre system and you feel you desperately need the higher definition that Blu offers - well, you're probably so deep in debt at that point that you need all the handouts you can get!

My simple rule of thumb is this: nine times out of ten, if you can see the DVD pixilation on screen, you're sitting too close to your TV.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own? -

I lost track, around 100-200 I think....I'll figure out the exact number later.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out? -

No, I've spent too much money on dvd's and I never get rid of things.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player? -

No, buying a BD player just because one movie I like comes out is silly, especially since I don't have the money for a BD Player never mind the dvds I'm trying to get.

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal!

I'm pretty much B, why buy one Blu ray when I can get up to three DVD's instead?

[Jack Skellington]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own ?
I’ve got a lot actually, I give a lot of them out to people I know if I have upgraded the same movie to Blu-ray or if I think they’re a waste of space.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?
Depends on the movie really, If they’re movies that have a lot of meaning to me like the Disney classics or movies like “The Exorcist” then hell yeah, I would even triple-dip for it when it comes out on 3D !

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?
I already have it but for the sake of answering the question, I would have gone berserk for a BD player if they came out the same day with a release of “Aladdin” or “Beauty & the Beast”.

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two.
A,
UD I have a confession to make… I’m a pirate !
Well… not the Jack Sparrow type unfortunately, I download torrents, and they have the same quality of movies found in DVD’s, so Bluray seems like a logical thing to spend on, coz instead of paying that $ XX I would get the same thing for free basicly, savvy ?

[Disneykid]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?
About 300.

2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?
It depends. My personal rule is this: If it's a movie I'd rate four stars out of four (or a 9 or a 10), I'll upgrade to BD. I'll also do it if I buy a sequel for the first time on BD since I'm anal that way. For example, I gave away my Batman Begins DVD because I'll be buying the Dark Knight on BD, and I'd like both my Batman films to be consistent.

3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?
I already have one, but if we're talking theoretically, it'd be a toss up between Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz (the latter of which is coming next year).

4-Which describes you?:
Neither. I'll buy all new release titles on BD as they come out, but I'm still holding onto most of my catalogue titles on DVD.

[rexcrk]

1-How many standard DVD's do you own?

Just a little under 200


2-Would you be willing to part with your standard DVD's when the BD (Blu-Ray Disc) versions come out?

Nope... I mean I might REPLACE some of the more "effects-heavy" movies (like Transformers, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings) where it'll make a difference, but other movies it won't matter (like comedy movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Planes, Trains and Automobiles). I wouldn't just "part" with any of my regualar DVDs though.


3-Is there a movie that if released as a BD today, you will immediately purchase a BD player?

No there isn't... because then I'd have to buy a GOOD HDTV and a Blu-ray player. However, if they released Star Wars or Lord of the Rings on Blu-ray I'd buy them for when I DO get an HDTV and Blu-ray player and such.

4-Which describes you?:
A-BD all the way! I want the best possible picture & sound! or B-I don't need to count every freckle on someones face & for what they want for a BD, I can get a newly released standard DVD & add a lower priced DVD or two. Up to three movies. What a deal!

I'd say I'm more of a "B" here.