What to buy today: Upconverting DVD player or Blue-Ray?

[LeeH]

So my old CRT rear projection lost it's convergence. A new LCD will be here on Tuesday. My old DVD player died right before the TV. I've already sold the bottom end (no HDMI output) player I bought. So now I need to either buy an upconverting DVD player or Blue-ray.

It's extremely rare for us to buy a DVD. We'll be renting from Blockbuster. I see they have Blue Ray available. We're not hard core AV folks. Should I buy the $60 DVD player or $200 Blue Ray?

[VincentVega]

I'd stick with DVD for a while. Blue Ray media is still too $$. Maybe next year. Besides, players will be cheaper too.

[Gogar]

I just went through the same thing and I just got an upconvert player because - like you said - it's less than $100.

Blockbuster will be renting (Non-Blu-Ray) discs for a LONG TIME. It's going to take a while for there to be LOTS of Blu-Ray, and by then you will be able to go back to the store and buy a Blu-Ray player for $100, and then you'll have spent the same total amount anyway and you'll have a brand new Blu-Ray player.

[serge944]

There really isn't all that much difference between a 1080p upconverting and hd-dvd/blue ray player.

If your TV can't display 1080p, don't even consider blue ray.

[HardDrive]

We got a 52" LCD 1080p this year. We bought an upconvert unit, and our movies look great.

Just didn't seem any point in getting Blu-ray. We don't regret it.

[porsche4life]

Ya we got a Vizio 720p 1080i last year and just bought a like 60$ Phillips upconverter and it works like a champ and the vid quality is stunning. A good test for your set is the Planet Earth series from BBC on DVD. OMG its breathtaking.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by Chris Martin

I'd stick with DVD for a while. Blue Ray media is still too $$. Maybe next year. Besides, players will be cheaper too.

Blu-Ray discs themselves will be expensive for quite a lot longer than the actual players. There's a lot of licensing fees associated with making a Blu-Ray disc that don't exist when making a regular DVD, and those costs and hoops to jump through make it kind of a PITA for lots of content providers (except those fancy-schmancy deep pocket movie studios like the one Hugh R works for.)

[Moses]

I'm a movie junkie. I have a 1080p plasma in my bedroom with an upconverting DVD player. In the living room is another 1080p plasma with a Blu-Ray player. Both pictures are excellent. The Blu-ray selection at Blockbuster is extremely limited. Much better at Netflix. (Cheaper, too.)

I honestly don't know if I could tell the difference between the upconverting DVD and the Blu-Ray player. Both are great. I'd take Gogar's advice. Wait a few years for the Blu-Ray player.

[Neilk]

I would like to get a Blu-Ray player but I read too many reviews where users complain about long lag times between getting from one menu to another etc.

I'll wait until they come down even more.

Samsung BDP-1500 - on Amazon is $200. Works great, short start up times and great picture. No way I'd waste $60 on an upconvert - it will be a doorstop once you go blu.

[Ned, NYNA11]

Sony Blu is $150 at Costco, including a HDMI cable.

[Nathans_Dad]

Dude, do what I did and buy a PS3. Excellent Blu-Ray player which auto-updates its own software and it's a game system as well.

I have it up in my media room and Blu-ray movies on a 118 inch screen ROCK!

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

Dude, do what I did and buy a PS3. Excellent Blu-Ray player which auto-updates its own software and it's a game system as well.

I have it up in my media room and Blu-ray movies on a 118 inch screen ROCK!

If you go to CNET.com, they frequently mention the PS3 as the "gold standard" for Blu-Ray players.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

Samsung BDP-1500 - on Amazon is $200. Works great, short start up times and great picture. No way I'd waste $60 on an upconvert - it will be a doorstop once you go blu.

You're not really "wasting" money, though, Mark. Buy the upconvert for $60, use it for a year, and buy a Samsung Blu-Ray when the price drops to $139, which it will. Then you can use the old DVD in your bedroom, for your huge porno stash that's on standard-def DVDs. YOu dirty dog.

[plain fan]

Get a Blu ray player. Blu ray players are backward compatible with standard DVDs and they upconvert them as well.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I'd go cheapo Blue-Ray. Like mentioned, it will do all that the dvd player will do and more. I have seen them at $139 already, can't remember the brand.

Originally Posted by Gogar

You're not really "wasting" money, though, Mark. Buy the upconvert for $60, use it for a year, and buy a Samsung Blu-Ray when the price drops to $139, which it will. Then you can use the old DVD in your bedroom, for your huge porno stash that's on standard-def DVDs. YOu dirty dog.

Stop by next time thru Dallas and you can borrow some!

[masraum]

If you've got a 1080p TV and great eyes, then get a blu ray. I just got a Samsung to go with my new Samsung TV. Picture of both regular DVD and blu ray looks great. To buy a new Blu Ray DVD on Amazon costs anywhere from $15-30 with 90% of them being 19.99.

If you've got moderate eyesight or you don't have a 1080p TV or you're very frugal, then don't bother with the blu ray player.

[Les Paul]

Just got the PS3 last week. I'm watching movies through a projector that is only rated at 720p. The screen is 96 inches wide and the picture quality is amazing. And it does make all my old DVD's look better. Got the GT5 race game. Man I suck at video games. I can't get past level C yet.

[legion]

Originally Posted by LeeH

I've already sold the bottom end (no HDMI output) player I bought. So now I need to either buy an upconverting DVD player or Blue-ray.

I can't get my old DVD player to work with my new receiver and TV.

I have HDMI running from the receiver output to the TV.

I have HDMI and fiber optic audio running from the cable box to the receiver. It works fine.

I have Svideo and analog audio (L/R) running from the Wii to the receiver. It works fine.

I have Svideo (no HDMI on DVD player) and fiber optic audio running from the DVD player to the receiver. No picture or sound.