Choosing a Blue-Ray Player

Cydkar

Well-Known Member
Apr 12, 2006
26,922
12,722
113
I think Blu-ray will be useless in just a few years. Everything will be downloaded and stored on memory in the TV. As soon as you buy something even better will be out

That's why I'm not going Blu-ray. I think it's a temporary technology.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
63,241
61,911
113
Ames
What formats does it support for movies? I have all my "backup copies" stored on a NAS that I'd like to be able to stream to my TV. The media server i have now doesn't work worth a crap.
For playing "backups" of DVD's I don't think you can beat an Xbox with XBMC.
 

CyLoboClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 15, 2009
2,567
124
63
Albuquerque
it will play all the avi variants. i convert mkv to whatever the ps3 likes it to be- it wont do dts so i have to convert audio to ac3- unless a recent firmware has changed this. I find it funny that sony owns universal yet makes divx so easy on the ps3.
 

CyLoboClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 15, 2009
2,567
124
63
Albuquerque
bd may be temporary but there is appeal in the capacity, and for saving photos and vids of the kids, i think it is better than trusting an online server like criptonite.
 

dmclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
21,578
5,922
113
50131
I've had my PS3 for a couple of years and when you have a 100" screen, Blu-Ray is a must. Everyone complains about the $400 ($300 now) price tag for a PS3 but try to build a PC for less than $400 with a blu-ray player and the other capabilities it has. I also find it funny that these same people who complain about a $300 PS3 have no problem dropping $200 on a Iphone and pay $100/month for it to be connected to the internet while browsing on a 3" screen.

If my PS3 we're to break tomorrow I would feel like I got my moneys worth and would immediately pick up another one.
 

ISUAgronomist

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2009
26,885
8,719
113
On the farm, IA
I've had my PS3 for a couple of years and when you have a 100" screen, Blu-Ray is a must. Everyone complains about the $400 ($300 now) price tag for a PS3 but try to build a PC for less than $400 with a blu-ray player and the other capabilities it has. I also find it funny that these same people who complain about a $300 PS3 have no problem dropping $200 on a Iphone and pay $100/month for internet service.

If my PS3 we're to break tomorrow I would feel like I got my moneys worth and would immediately pick up another one.

:yes:
 

Cydkar

Well-Known Member
Apr 12, 2006
26,922
12,722
113
I've had my PS3 for a couple of years and when you have a 100" screen, Blu-Ray is a must. Everyone complains about the $400 ($300 now) price tag for a PS3 but try to build a PC for less than $400 with a blu-ray player and the other capabilities it has. I also find it funny that these same people who complain about a $300 PS3 have no problem dropping $200 on a Iphone and pay $100/month for it to be connected to the internet while browsing on a 3" screen.

If my PS3 we're to break tomorrow I would feel like I got my moneys worth and would immediately pick up another one.

Something I will never do. I know a guy scratching for money but pays $160/month for his iphone. Half the people who are "broke" are self-imposed.
 
Nov 23, 2008
377
23
18
45
Norwalk via Marshalltown
I agree. It's a big step up over regular DVD for those who have HDTV. However, something else will be out soon that kills both DVD's and Blu-ray. I'll wait and see.

Going back to 8 tracks and 9 mm film most all technology is temporary, it just comes down to how long it's temporary. I will admit that technology seems to be moving at a much faster rate than it was 15-20 years ago but I still think Blu-ray will at least last around 10 years or so. I mean, DVD's are still going strong and they've been around for over 10 years. Personally, I like having physical disks anyways for things like movies. I understand a lot of stuff is going streaming and storing files on hard drives which is fine and space saving, but knowing my luck that hard drive crashes and I lose everything.
 

ISUAgronomist

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2009
26,885
8,719
113
On the farm, IA
Personally, I like having physical disks anyways for things like movies. I understand a lot of stuff is going streaming and storing files on hard drives which is fine and space saving, but knowing my luck that hard drive crashes and I lose everything.


I absolutely agree. I wont buy into a streaming/virtual copy system either. If I had the $ to switch to blu-ray a few years ago (and a HDTV) I would have but at this point the cost of doing so compared to waiting still wins for me.
 

dmclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
21,578
5,922
113
50131
As far as Blu-Rays being replaced, if everyone had super high speed internet than maybe this would be the case. In my town we have 2 choices (mediacom and Qwest). I wouldn't consider either one fast enough to stream HD video. I also hear very little about high speed internet(real high speed) becoming common in the U.S.

I can stream movies from my PC to my PS3 but these are not anything close to being HD.
 

dmclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
21,578
5,922
113
50131
isuaggie;1387071 If I had the $ to switch to blu-ray a few years ago (and a HDTV) I would have but at this point the cost of doing so compared to waiting still wins for me.[/QUOTE said:
I used to hear the same thing from my mom who just got rid of her VCR last year and bought a DVD player.

The question is how long do you wait? What if in 2 years blu-ray is still the only format? Do you buy then? What if something comes along in 2 years that is the replacement for blu-ray but costs $800 for a player? Do you then wait until the next great thing comes along?

Your right though, if you don't even have a HD tv then you'd be wasting your money on a blu-ray player.
 

isubeatle

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2006
1,537
370
83
Des Moines
i've got a PS3 and love to play bluray on my 52", but i only own 6 blurays i think. the 5 that came with the ps3 and one i asked for christmas last year. i don't want to pay $25+ for a movie.

the DVD upscaling on the ps3 is really good as well.

besides, i don't know the last time i went out and bought a movie anyway. torrent rocks and its so easy to download a movie, throw it on my jump drive, then play it on the ps3. and most the time the video is damn near dvd quality.
 

bos

Legend
Staff member
Apr 10, 2006
30,628
6,414
113
That's why I'm not going Blu-ray. I think it's a temporary technology.


It may be a longer than you think. Bandwidth is still a major issue in the US. HD is big for folks and streaming just isnt there yet. Itll get there though, streaming is very much the future.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
63,241
61,911
113
Ames
It may be a longer than you think. Bandwidth is still a major issue in the US. HD is big for folks and streaming just isnt there yet. Itll get there though, streaming is very much the future.
Definitely this. Broadband speeds in the US are terrible on average, going to need to be some big time improvements in speed and the costs to get those speeds before we see downloads or streaming taking over the marketplace.
 

alarson

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 15, 2006
59,507
74,250
113
Ankeny
Definitely this. Broadband speeds in the US are terrible on average, going to need to be some big time improvements in speed and the costs to get those speeds before we see downloads or streaming taking over the marketplace.

Hopefully we start to see that fixed, at least on the user end, fairly soon. Many of the cable operators (including mediacom) will start rolling out docsis3 services that on the top end would offer 100mbit.
 

bos

Legend
Staff member
Apr 10, 2006
30,628
6,414
113
Hopefully we start to see that fixed, at least on the user end, fairly soon. Many of the cable operators (including mediacom) will start rolling out docsis3 services that on the top end would offer 100mbit.


Well in Sioux City, CableOne is offered pretty much everywhere at 3mb. Qwest and the like offer DSL in certain parts. CableOne rarely make improvements if ever, so already we are behind. Qwest told me they couldnt offer me DSL in my neighborhood because I was too far away...so I called Fibercomm. Fibercomm came out and tested the line and got me DSL. Funny thing is that FC had to have qwest come out and make the addition, so in reality Qwest lost me as a customer because they didnt bother to come out and test the line when I originally called them. Its this kind of crap that limites growth and I bet many cities go through the same damn thing. Providers are an absolute mess.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
63,241
61,911
113
Ames
Hopefully we start to see that fixed, at least on the user end, fairly soon. Many of the cable operators (including mediacom) will start rolling out docsis3 services that on the top end would offer 100mbit.
The prices for the current speeds are already outrageous though, even if we get faster speeds if they're too expensive it still won't matter for most people. $60/month for 8mb service is ridiculous.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
63,241
61,911
113
Ames
I have a Samsung that I got cheap after Christmas last year, it does everything I need it to. I don't use it often because I don't have time to watch a lot of movies, but I like it fine.