my old dvd's playing on a new blueray player - help please

by chesschess Sep 12, 2008 6:32PM PDT

Greetings,
I have a number of DVD movies. Soon I'll be buying a 1080p plasma and a blueray player.
I have two questions:

1. Is there such a difference between say, Indiana Jones DVD or Indiana Jones blueray that you would consider replacing the old DVD's with new BR's?
I'll be buying/renting new movies on blueray at any rate.
2. Do the DVD's look better on blueray player than a DVD player?
Is it a big difference?
Thank you,
Chesschess

Discussion is locked

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Re: blueray

by Kees Bakker Sep 12, 2008 6:37PM PDT

In principle, a BR DVD will give a better picture than a normal DVD.

If you view a normal DVD on a BD player with a 1080p screen it will be 'upconverted'. And if that's done well, it will look better than on your old standard analog TV.

So all I can advise is: see for yourself how it turns out. It won't influence your buying decisions, it seems.

Kees

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BR or SD? That is the Question.

by Dan Filice Sep 13, 2008 1:43AM PDT

1. Playing your old DVDs on a BR player "should" look better, because the image is being upconverted in the DVD player. But, this depends on the quality of the upconverting in the BR player vs. your TV, because you can simply choose to let your TV do the conversion.

2) Should you replace standard-def titles with BR discs of the same title? I pondered the same question. After buying a few select BR discs of titles I already had, I can, without any doubt, say that BR titles DO look better. I own about 15 or so BR discs (Sunshine, Terminator 1 & 2, Fifth Element, Battle of Britain, Casino Royale, Cars, are just some) and I own SD of the same, and when I have done an A-B comparison (playing both discs on a PS3 set to 1080p/24 feeding my 1080p Sony), the image on the BR disc is just so much better, I feel like I can reach right into the TV and touch the actors. It's really stunning! Now, I can't compare how this would be if your TV is a 720p or 1080i, but I'm assuming the result would be the same. So, after this comparison I asked myself: Should I replace all of my titles with BR discs? The answer was "NO". I still buy standard-def DVDs. I am only replacing some specific titles or buying new BR discs when I feel the movie will justify it. Big action, movies with big visuals (like How the West Was Won) or Sci-Fi titles that have the cinematic scope to justify BR discs will make me buy in BR format. If the movie doesn't justify the BR format I still buy in SD. Of course, one of the biggest dilemmas for me is what to do when I go on vacation and I want to take some titles to watch on my computer or portable DVD player, which aren't BR compatible? I still need SD discs for this.

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thank you for your advice and experience

by chesschess Sep 13, 2008 11:13AM PDT

Thank you so much for your replies.
Dan, your situation is much the same as mine and I appreciate your time in answering my questions.
I have now ordered the Pioneer LX508A. I'll buy its companion BR player in a few months.
In Australia, dvd's are really cheap (by Aussie standards compared to a few years ago). BR disks vary from A$30 - A$48. But dvd's can now be A$10-A$15 for older titles.
I like your solution to buy BR disks for the spectacular movies.
I believe the pioneer has the top upscaling technology.
Regards
chesschess

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DVDs in Australia

by Dan Filice Sep 13, 2008 2:47PM PDT

Does Australia use the PAL video system? If by chance you used NTSC like we do in the U.S., you should buy a cheap airline ticket to visit here and buy our DVDs because old DVD titles regularly cost $5.99 and the new releases run around $15.00 (single disc titles). That's U.S. dollars, so if the Australian dollar is killing the U.S. dollar like the British Pound, your dollar goes even further. Just think of how many DVDs you could buy for $200!!

my old dvd's playing on a new blueray player - help please

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