$60 from a chap on craigslist. I don't have a player yet and I'm in no rush so I'll sit back and wait. Part of me wants to buy the BD player to rule them all and I really like the BDP-83 from Oppo but that's a bit on the high end side considering I also need to upgrade my AVR and look into a new 5.1 speaker system. But I've always wanted something that does SACD/DVD Audio. Maybe I go cheap to start out and then upgrade to the Oppo or something like it when my system is complete.
I'm looking at the Onkyo TX-SR607 (upscaling and 6 HDMI inputs incl a front mounted port).
Discs before the player? Odd! Congrats though.
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
Consider it an incentive for me to look for a player eventually. I've always done that I almost purchased some HD DVD before I bought the player as well.
Also keep in mind that
Kill Bill 1 & 2
Sin City
are like in my Top 30 overall for movies. I love'em and yes I'm a Tarantino fan so I'll be grabbing IB (which I haven't seen yet) Pulp Fictionm Resevoir Dogs and the whole nine as I can.
The thing about the high end Oppo is that I don't have any SACD discs yet. I'd better see where I can find some good deals on them. MusicDirect.com is one place. I don't need a lot of SACD since they can't be ripped but I'd like some multichannel music for fun and demoing.
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
I did the same thing when I bought the PS2. I had 14 DVDs just sitting on my coffee table for two
weeks until the day of the system launch. I think I stayed up till 6am watching movies & playing
I did the same thing when I bought the PS2. I had 14 DVDs just sitting on my coffee table for two
weeks until the day of the system launch. I think I stayed up till 6am watching movies & playing
videogames that night.
Yup..the worst thing is getting a new toy and not having enough software to test it out. My plan is to have about 10-15 titles before I purchase the player. I want some animated movies as well and was all set to buy Wall E at Costco and found out they didn't have it.
Of course I'll be looking for deals on movies and i'm finding plenty as people trade/sell away what they don't need or want.
Consumers have spoken. They'd still rather pop a disc into a DVD player than download or watch a video online, according to a new survey.
Sales and rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs in the U.S. made up 88 percent of consumer home video spending over the past three months, according to the survey released Tuesday by market researcher NPD Group.
Your average U.S. consumer paid about $25 per month on video purchases and rentals, with 63 percent on DVD purchases, 7 percent on Blu-ray Disc purchases, 18 percent on rentals, 9 percent on video on demand, and only 3 percent on digital downloads.
Despite the continued popularity of DVD and Blu-ray, online viewing has gained a foothold. In the past three months, 9 percent of connected consumers said they watched movies online versus 5 percent last year. Eight percent rented a movie online, a jump of 4 percent since last year, NPD reported.
"Discs are still and by far the dominant way Americans enjoy home video, but there is an increasing appetite for digital options," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. "The good news is that the consumers engaging with digital video today also tend to be heavy consumers of DVDs and Blu-ray Disc, but it remains to be seen just how long physical discs and digital formats can co-exist."
The information was taken from an update to a recent NPD Group report entitled "Entertainment Trends In America," which measured home video usage for the previous three months. Conducted online, the survey was based on responses from more than 11,000 U.S. consumers.
Sales of Blu-ray players are themselves growing here in the U.S., with prices down and more consumers craving to watch their favorites in high-definition.
If Blu-Ray is a bag of hurt, digital downloads require a delivery truck. All the pieces are there for it to be a successful model, but neither the MPAA or Apple want to budge.
If Blu-Ray is a bag of hurt, digital downloads require a delivery truck. All the pieces are there for it to be a successful model, but neither the MPAA or Apple want to budge.
In order to overtake the incumbent in almost any area you have to be better in multiple ways.
Digital Downloads = easy access but they fail on price and no amount of Apple marketing is going to blur reality enough. Consumers understand the "unit cost" and with bandwidth caps being instituted and monthly broadband fees it's often easier to stick with the status quo landfilling plastic disc for movie entertainment.
Apple didn't revolutionize music because they beat out the Compact Disc ..they allowed you to bring your collection into the digital age and then augment that with quick, easy and affordable downloads.
With iTunes Videa they are basically attempting a "rip and replace" there's no bridge for bringing my DVD into the iTunes management fold and that's where they are weak and could fail.
In order to overtake the incumbent in almost any area you have to be better in multiple ways.
Digital Downloads = easy access but they fail on price and no amount of Apple marketing is going to blur reality enough. Consumers understand the "unit cost" and with bandwidth caps being instituted and monthly broadband fees it's often easier to stick with the status quo landfilling plastic disc for movie entertainment.
Apple didn't revolutionize music because they beat out the Compact Disc ..they allowed you to bring your collection into the digital age and then augment that with quick, easy and affordable downloads.
With iTunes Videa they are basically attempting a "rip and replace" there's no bridge for bringing my DVD into the iTunes management fold and that's where they are weak and could fail.
All very good points Murch. I would love the ability to bring my DVD movies into iTunes. Maybe even our Blu-rays one day...that is if the MPAA will get off their high horse.
That analysis seems spot on as long as interpreted as addressing the current experience of using DVDs vs downloads (or streaming). Both the short term and long term are interesting and pertinent to analyze.
Looking to the future, it seems clear that the faults of downloads will eventually be overcome for the most part. As it stands right now, I could give a grandma a DVD, send her home to watch it, and most of the time she'll succeed. With downloads it simply isn't that hassle-free yet. Only the computer geeks I know are able and willing to deal with the hassles of downloads.
Granted, VOD from cable systems is kind-of a download and should even be considered as such during some discussions. VOD is for the most part hassle free.
I'd agree that DVDs are preferable to most people today. But I see this as a result of the immaturity of download solutions, not as an inherent preference for DVDs or against downloads.
Given bandwidth improvements globally (despite economic slowdown) in a few years, and improvements in codec technology, in 3 years we're talking decent 720p pirated movies distributed en mass around the 1.5GB mark which gives Blu Ray a run for its money. Perhaps as soon as 1.5 years 720p will be the de facto pirate bittorrent standard. Blu Ray is cracked anyway so ironically Blu Ray discs will be the source from which pirated copies (downscaled and re-encoded to 720p) will be shared.
These pirated movies already exist. You can get a 720p at around 1.5-2 GB down from 4-5GB and a 1080p movie at around 4-5GB down from 8GB+ I'm not sure what the format is, but it think it is something like mHD.
These pirated movies already exist. You can get a 720p at around 1.5-2 GB down from 4-5GB and a 1080p movie at around 4-5GB down from 8GB+ I'm not sure what the format is, but it think it is something like mHD.
I am not sure about 1.5-2GB, but I have seen 4-5GB for 720p and 8-10GB files for 1080p encodes. The quality is great for the downloaded files and it's pretty much on par with blu-ray/HD-DVD from the disc, the probable source. I have seen and compared the PQ for ratatouille and iron man with 1080p source on 8-10GB files and I tested against my own BD discs and it's hard to see the difference on 67" screen. Of course, I was over at my friends place to test them.
People used to argue about 720p vs. 1080i, vs. 1080p, and some people may still do argue about the PQ and the viewing experience of HD source quality. The short answer to the argument is that anything better than 480i is an improvement and 720p is good enough to be compared to the 1080p. Hence 720p downloads, 4-5GB files, will probably satisfy many geeks for long time.
Nowadays, there are standalone BD player makers like Oppo allowing network capability and allowing online streaming services to be accessed directly from the player menu. The access of download services is getting as easy as surfing through the DVD menu without putting a dvd onto the loading tray. It is not a question whether this will be the norm for the rental business for both SD/HD, but matter of how soon.
That analysis seems spot on as long as interpreted as addressing the current experience of using DVDs vs downloads (or streaming). Both the short term and long term are interesting and pertinent to analyze.
Looking to the future, it seems clear that the faults of downloads will eventually be overcome for the most part. As it stands right now, I could give a grandma a DVD, send her home to watch it, and most of the time she'll succeed. With downloads it simply isn't that hassle-free yet. Only the computer geeks I know are able and willing to deal with the hassles of downloads.
Granted, VOD from cable systems is kind-of a download and should even be considered as such during some discussions. VOD is for the most part hassle free.
I'd agree that DVDs are preferable to most people today. But I see this as a result of the immaturity of download solutions, not as an inherent preference for DVDs or against downloads.
I'd agree with that. I'm sure downloads will certainly get their market share as network infrastructure is improved, video quality improves, and as the public becomes a bit more educated/familiar with downloads. I'm seeing it still a ways off though...perhaps in two or three years downloads for video will begin to hit their stride.
I'd agree with that. I'm sure downloads will certainly get their market share as network infrastructure is improved, video quality improves, and as the public becomes a bit more educated/familiar with downloads. I'm seeing it still a ways off though...perhaps in two or three years downloads for video will begin to hit their stride.
I'm waiting to see what bandwidth caps do to the burgeoning download market. Simply knowing there's a cap there makes many people a lot more conservative.
In other news I picked up a new in a box Sammy BD-P1500 for $150 and I'll be watching my first BD movies in HD tonight. Well honestly I hooked the player up to a 24" LCD and watched some Dark City and A Few Good Men but that doesn't count
As long as I can find good deals I don't see a reason to use up my broadband bandwidth and HDD storage.
As long as I can find good deals I don't see a reason to use up my broadband bandwidth and HDD storage.
I think I know where you're coming from and the motivation seems reasonable. Physical media simply meets your needs. Something new isn't needed.
But also consider this. While there isn't anything particularly wrong with physical media, the alternative does have one huge advantage; immediate access to all tv show and movies ever made. That's pretty hard to pass up. Or at least it will be hard to pass up when such a scenario becomes reality in the (hopefully) not too distant future.
The HDMI Licensing group today provided further details of the HDMI 1.4 spec that will have data become a core feature of the video standard. The technology will add a new pipe known as the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) that can supply up to a 100Mbps Ethernet connection between the device host and others that recognize the format. The approach will let two compatible devices share information without requiring a separate cable and is suggested both as a way of networking close-by devices as well as sharing content across multiple rooms.
The technology also brings a reverse-direction path for sound known as the Audio Return Channel (ARC) that can handle compressed surround sound through an intermediary device, such as a home theater receiver, without requiring a separate optical audio cable. Future video support is also built in with the ability to handle resolutions up to 4K (4096x2160), 3D and the same color spaces as digital still cameras.
A recently proposed micro HDMI connector will be part of the 1.4 format and allow up to 1080p video from very small devices, including portable media players and compact cameras.
The combined technology is expected to significantly overhaul the approach to home media serving, particularly for networked media devices, and may also help future computers that could use the extra networking and audio features. Samples of HDMI 1.4-equipped chipsets ship before the end of the spring and should result in finished products sometime within 2010.
Hmm. Not sure if this is just overkill, but interesting. My first thought was the PS3 and its rumored new revision come June or later in the year (the possibility of having a 1.4 chipset)...but from the sound of it, it doesn't look like anything will have 1.4 supported chipsets until the 2010 timeframe.
I've had bluray now for a few months and I gotta say it's overrated. The read speeds are so slow, discs still get scratched and can't be read, it's basically a slower slightly better image/sound quality than a regular dvd.
Comments
I just went Blu
Yesterday I bought 4 shrinkwrapped BD titles
Kill Bill vol 1
Kill Bill vol 2
Sin City
From Dusk Til Dawn
$60 from a chap on craigslist. I don't have a player yet and I'm in no rush so I'll sit back and wait. Part of me wants to buy the BD player to rule them all and I really like the BDP-83 from Oppo but that's a bit on the high end side considering I also need to upgrade my AVR and look into a new 5.1 speaker system. But I've always wanted something that does SACD/DVD Audio. Maybe I go cheap to start out and then upgrade to the Oppo or something like it when my system is complete.
I'm looking at the Onkyo TX-SR607 (upscaling and 6 HDMI inputs incl a front mounted port).
Discs before the player? Odd! Congrats though.
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
Discs before the player? Odd! Congrats though.
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
Consider it an incentive for me to look for a player eventually. I've always done that I almost purchased some HD DVD before I bought the player as well.
Also keep in mind that
Kill Bill 1 & 2
Sin City
are like in my Top 30 overall for movies. I love'em and yes I'm a Tarantino fan so I'll be grabbing IB (which I haven't seen yet) Pulp Fictionm Resevoir Dogs and the whole nine as I can.
The thing about the high end Oppo is that I don't have any SACD discs yet. I'd better see where I can find some good deals on them. MusicDirect.com is one place. I don't need a lot of SACD since they can't be ripped but I'd like some multichannel music for fun and demoing.
Discs before the player? Odd! Congrats though.
Maybe you should go for the top end player and upgrade the receiver on boxing day when you will probably be able to find a 7.1, HDMI, etc. for $400. I found a great Harmon/Kardon for $500 a year and a half ago but they seem to have gone back up a bit in price.
PS. I have all four of those, I am a Quentin fan. It appears that you are too. Inglourious Basterds?
I did the same thing when I bought the PS2. I had 14 DVDs just sitting on my coffee table for two
weeks until the day of the system launch. I think I stayed up till 6am watching movies & playing
videogames that night.
I did the same thing when I bought the PS2. I had 14 DVDs just sitting on my coffee table for two
weeks until the day of the system launch. I think I stayed up till 6am watching movies & playing
videogames that night.
Yup..the worst thing is getting a new toy and not having enough software to test it out. My plan is to have about 10-15 titles before I purchase the player. I want some animated movies as well and was all set to buy Wall E at Costco and found out they didn't have it.
Of course I'll be looking for deals on movies and i'm finding plenty as people trade/sell away what they don't need or want.
I just went Blu
"Squadron leader to base... am being followed by a flock of pigs!!"
Enjoy you movies!
"Squadron leader to base... am being followed by a flock of pigs!!"
Enjoy you movies!
I may have to get a player sooner than I planned. I just bought 7 more movies. Fry's has $9.99 movies this weekend.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10238602-93.html
Consumers have spoken. They'd still rather pop a disc into a DVD player than download or watch a video online, according to a new survey.
Sales and rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs in the U.S. made up 88 percent of consumer home video spending over the past three months, according to the survey released Tuesday by market researcher NPD Group.
Your average U.S. consumer paid about $25 per month on video purchases and rentals, with 63 percent on DVD purchases, 7 percent on Blu-ray Disc purchases, 18 percent on rentals, 9 percent on video on demand, and only 3 percent on digital downloads.
Despite the continued popularity of DVD and Blu-ray, online viewing has gained a foothold. In the past three months, 9 percent of connected consumers said they watched movies online versus 5 percent last year. Eight percent rented a movie online, a jump of 4 percent since last year, NPD reported.
"Discs are still and by far the dominant way Americans enjoy home video, but there is an increasing appetite for digital options," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. "The good news is that the consumers engaging with digital video today also tend to be heavy consumers of DVDs and Blu-ray Disc, but it remains to be seen just how long physical discs and digital formats can co-exist."
The information was taken from an update to a recent NPD Group report entitled "Entertainment Trends In America," which measured home video usage for the previous three months. Conducted online, the survey was based on responses from more than 11,000 U.S. consumers.
Sales of Blu-ray players are themselves growing here in the U.S., with prices down and more consumers craving to watch their favorites in high-definition.
If Blu-Ray is a bag of hurt, digital downloads require a delivery truck. All the pieces are there for it to be a successful model, but neither the MPAA or Apple want to budge.
In order to overtake the incumbent in almost any area you have to be better in multiple ways.
Digital Downloads = easy access but they fail on price and no amount of Apple marketing is going to blur reality enough. Consumers understand the "unit cost" and with bandwidth caps being instituted and monthly broadband fees it's often easier to stick with the status quo landfilling plastic disc for movie entertainment.
Apple didn't revolutionize music because they beat out the Compact Disc ..they allowed you to bring your collection into the digital age and then augment that with quick, easy and affordable downloads.
With iTunes Videa they are basically attempting a "rip and replace" there's no bridge for bringing my DVD into the iTunes management fold and that's where they are weak and could fail.
In order to overtake the incumbent in almost any area you have to be better in multiple ways.
Digital Downloads = easy access but they fail on price and no amount of Apple marketing is going to blur reality enough. Consumers understand the "unit cost" and with bandwidth caps being instituted and monthly broadband fees it's often easier to stick with the status quo landfilling plastic disc for movie entertainment.
Apple didn't revolutionize music because they beat out the Compact Disc ..they allowed you to bring your collection into the digital age and then augment that with quick, easy and affordable downloads.
With iTunes Videa they are basically attempting a "rip and replace" there's no bridge for bringing my DVD into the iTunes management fold and that's where they are weak and could fail.
All very good points Murch. I would love the ability to bring my DVD movies into iTunes. Maybe even our Blu-rays one day...that is if the MPAA will get off their high horse.
Survey: Consumers prefer DVDs to downloads
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10238602-93.html
That analysis seems spot on as long as interpreted as addressing the current experience of using DVDs vs downloads (or streaming). Both the short term and long term are interesting and pertinent to analyze.
Looking to the future, it seems clear that the faults of downloads will eventually be overcome for the most part. As it stands right now, I could give a grandma a DVD, send her home to watch it, and most of the time she'll succeed. With downloads it simply isn't that hassle-free yet. Only the computer geeks I know are able and willing to deal with the hassles of downloads.
Granted, VOD from cable systems is kind-of a download and should even be considered as such during some discussions. VOD is for the most part hassle free.
I'd agree that DVDs are preferable to most people today. But I see this as a result of the immaturity of download solutions, not as an inherent preference for DVDs or against downloads.
Given bandwidth improvements globally (despite economic slowdown) in a few years, and improvements in codec technology, in 3 years we're talking decent 720p pirated movies distributed en mass around the 1.5GB mark which gives Blu Ray a run for its money. Perhaps as soon as 1.5 years 720p will be the de facto pirate bittorrent standard. Blu Ray is cracked anyway so ironically Blu Ray discs will be the source from which pirated copies (downscaled and re-encoded to 720p) will be shared.
These pirated movies already exist. You can get a 720p at around 1.5-2 GB down from 4-5GB and a 1080p movie at around 4-5GB down from 8GB+ I'm not sure what the format is, but it think it is something like mHD.
These pirated movies already exist. You can get a 720p at around 1.5-2 GB down from 4-5GB and a 1080p movie at around 4-5GB down from 8GB+ I'm not sure what the format is, but it think it is something like mHD.
I am not sure about 1.5-2GB, but I have seen 4-5GB for 720p and 8-10GB files for 1080p encodes. The quality is great for the downloaded files and it's pretty much on par with blu-ray/HD-DVD from the disc, the probable source. I have seen and compared the PQ for ratatouille and iron man with 1080p source on 8-10GB files and I tested against my own BD discs and it's hard to see the difference on 67" screen. Of course, I was over at my friends place to test them.
People used to argue about 720p vs. 1080i, vs. 1080p, and some people may still do argue about the PQ and the viewing experience of HD source quality. The short answer to the argument is that anything better than 480i is an improvement and 720p is good enough to be compared to the 1080p. Hence 720p downloads, 4-5GB files, will probably satisfy many geeks for long time.
Nowadays, there are standalone BD player makers like Oppo allowing network capability and allowing online streaming services to be accessed directly from the player menu. The access of download services is getting as easy as surfing through the DVD menu without putting a dvd onto the loading tray. It is not a question whether this will be the norm for the rental business for both SD/HD, but matter of how soon.
That analysis seems spot on as long as interpreted as addressing the current experience of using DVDs vs downloads (or streaming). Both the short term and long term are interesting and pertinent to analyze.
Looking to the future, it seems clear that the faults of downloads will eventually be overcome for the most part. As it stands right now, I could give a grandma a DVD, send her home to watch it, and most of the time she'll succeed. With downloads it simply isn't that hassle-free yet. Only the computer geeks I know are able and willing to deal with the hassles of downloads.
Granted, VOD from cable systems is kind-of a download and should even be considered as such during some discussions. VOD is for the most part hassle free.
I'd agree that DVDs are preferable to most people today. But I see this as a result of the immaturity of download solutions, not as an inherent preference for DVDs or against downloads.
I'd agree with that. I'm sure downloads will certainly get their market share as network infrastructure is improved, video quality improves, and as the public becomes a bit more educated/familiar with downloads. I'm seeing it still a ways off though...perhaps in two or three years downloads for video will begin to hit their stride.
I'd agree with that. I'm sure downloads will certainly get their market share as network infrastructure is improved, video quality improves, and as the public becomes a bit more educated/familiar with downloads. I'm seeing it still a ways off though...perhaps in two or three years downloads for video will begin to hit their stride.
I'm waiting to see what bandwidth caps do to the burgeoning download market. Simply knowing there's a cap there makes many people a lot more conservative.
In other news I picked up a new in a box Sammy BD-P1500 for $150 and I'll be watching my first BD movies in HD tonight. Well honestly I hooked the player up to a 24" LCD and watched some Dark City and A Few Good Men but that doesn't count
As long as I can find good deals I don't see a reason to use up my broadband bandwidth and HDD storage.
As long as I can find good deals I don't see a reason to use up my broadband bandwidth and HDD storage.
I think I know where you're coming from and the motivation seems reasonable. Physical media simply meets your needs. Something new isn't needed.
But also consider this. While there isn't anything particularly wrong with physical media, the alternative does have one huge advantage; immediate access to all tv show and movies ever made. That's pretty hard to pass up. Or at least it will be hard to pass up when such a scenario becomes reality in the (hopefully) not too distant future.
HDMI 1.4 to Include Ethernet, Two-way Audio
http://www.electronista.com/articles...hdmi.1.4.spec/
The HDMI Licensing group today provided further details of the HDMI 1.4 spec that will have data become a core feature of the video standard. The technology will add a new pipe known as the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) that can supply up to a 100Mbps Ethernet connection between the device host and others that recognize the format. The approach will let two compatible devices share information without requiring a separate cable and is suggested both as a way of networking close-by devices as well as sharing content across multiple rooms.
The technology also brings a reverse-direction path for sound known as the Audio Return Channel (ARC) that can handle compressed surround sound through an intermediary device, such as a home theater receiver, without requiring a separate optical audio cable. Future video support is also built in with the ability to handle resolutions up to 4K (4096x2160), 3D and the same color spaces as digital still cameras.
A recently proposed micro HDMI connector will be part of the 1.4 format and allow up to 1080p video from very small devices, including portable media players and compact cameras.
The combined technology is expected to significantly overhaul the approach to home media serving, particularly for networked media devices, and may also help future computers that could use the extra networking and audio features. Samples of HDMI 1.4-equipped chipsets ship before the end of the spring and should result in finished products sometime within 2010.
Hmm. Not sure if this is just overkill, but interesting. My first thought was the PS3 and its rumored new revision come June or later in the year (the possibility of having a 1.4 chipset)...but from the sound of it, it doesn't look like anything will have 1.4 supported chipsets until the 2010 timeframe.
From the internets...
C.