Do you watch only Blu Rays just because?

[Hyfi]

Do you own a HDTV, and if so, do you watch other HD sources on it? That would provide the answer in most cases.

For me, whenever I purchase or rent a movie, I'm getting it in Blu-ray if I have a choice. With my Directv service, I upgraded to the HD receiver and HD service when I got the HDTV. Basically, anytime I have a choice with the program or channel I'm watching, I will opt for the HD version.

I will still watch SD programs or DVDs if that's what I have available. But, I much prefer HD. With movies, it's that much closer to the resolution on the big screen and the original intent of the cinematographer. With TV programs and sports, you see more of the action and the detail. Going back to SD, it's like purposely making things fuzzy/hazy on purpose. You're not going to purposely throw a blanket over your speakers when listening to music, so why do the same thing with video programming, if you have a choice?

Doesn't matter if it's a big blockbuster or indie flick -- ALL movies look better in HD and it makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience. It won't make a crappy movie into five-star cinema, but then again, a high end audio setup won't fix lousy music either.

With the question you're posing about Blu-ray, it needs to be extended into HD viewing in general. Is the added resolution important enough for you to upgrade your cable/satellite service?

Given that you bring up downloading and DLNA media servers, the question can be reversed -- do you watch only downloaded/streaming content just because? Does convenience mean more than quality? And of course, that same question can be asked on the audio side.

Good questions back. I happen to be in a major minority when it comes to all this.

The only HD TV material I watch is whatever is HD over the air - antenna style. But yes, everything looks better in HD. Lots of the movies I have streamed via DNLA have been older movies or ones that I cannot see the benefit of renting as Blu. A chick flick in HD is still just a chick flick, right.

I was using a PC that is connected to my system to watch AVIs over the network but since I got the OPPO, I no longer need to fire up the PC unless I end up with a rare format the 93 does not like. It is very convenient.

I have two HD TVs and 2 non. The one in my bedroom is a 25 y/o Sony now being driven by one of those cheapo digital converter boxes. The PQ is just fine.

Now you posed the question back for music. I have 4 different systems ranging from great to just ok. I can drive speakers in my family room from system 2 or use system 4 that is also in that room. I do both and have no problems. However I do use system 1 most of the time and just blast it throughout the house.

[Woochifer]

Good questions back. I happen to be in a major minority when it comes to all this.

The only HD TV material I watch is whatever is HD over the air - antenna style. But yes, everything looks better in HD. Lots of the movies I have streamed via DNLA have been older movies or ones that I cannot see the benefit of renting as Blu. A chick flick in HD is still just a chick flick, right.

If you're talking about Redbox, the difference between DVD and Blu-ray is all of FIFTY CENTS. To me, that's just a no brainer to go with the HD option. The benefit to renting Blu-ray is simple -- higher resolution, more detail, and more involving experience overall.

And with older movies, IMO that's where you see the biggest benefit to going with Blu-ray. With well-done Blu-ray transfers, you get to see a lot of the microdetail and film grain that formerly, you could only see on the big screen. Blu-ray preserves the cinematography and the original look of the film print.

DVD and other low res sources (including HD broadcasts on cable/satellite and OTA) don't have the bandwidth to display that much detail without macroblocking or other compression artifacts popping up. So, what those sources have to do is blur out the fine detail using noise reduction, and then resharpen the picture using edge enhancement.

If anything, the Blu-ray just looks more natural and true to life. And that applies, no matter what kind of movie you're watching.

I was using a PC that is connected to my system to watch AVIs over the network but since I got the OPPO, I no longer need to fire up the PC unless I end up with a rare format the 93 does not like. It is very convenient.

And there's the crux of it -- you're opting for convenience over quality, which is exactly what won out on the audio side. With video, consumers going to bigger screens has also driven the demand for higher resolution. At larger sizes, the benefits of HD are more apparent, so that's what has held the line in general for higher res. When you're already at home, the convenience factor is less prominent in general. Yes, there are consumers like you who will opt for the whole house networking, but indeed that's not the norm just yet.

With audio, the market is driven by portable and mobile devices. Consumers are perfectly fine with MP3 resolution, since they can take their music on the go. And while you're on the go, you're not in an environment that benefits as much from high end audio components or formats. That allows convenience to win out.

[Hyfi]

If you're talking about Redbox, the difference between DVD and Blu-ray is all of FIFTY CENTS. To me, that's just a no brainer to go with the HD option.

Maybe your income level or current status of independently wealthy is different than mine or my retirement goals. I chince out on many things in order to be prepared for what will no doubt be an ugly time when my wife and I get old and need help and care.

Every FIFTY CENTS I save adds up to DOLLARS in the bank. But, it's not just about the money. Like I said, a chick flick in HD is still a chick flick. I don't give a rats ass about the grain of the film if there is no real action or sound effects to display. I'm not an HD snob.

And there's the crux of it -- you're opting for convenience over quality, which is exactly what won out on the audio side. With video, consumers going to bigger screens has also driven the demand for higher resolution. At larger sizes, the benefits of HD are more apparent, so that's what has held the line in general for higher res. When you're already at home, the convenience factor is less prominent in general. Yes, there are consumers like you who will opt for the whole house networking, but indeed that's not the norm just yet.

When I bought this unit, I had every intention of watching Blu's. As I have repeated, there are not many in RedBox that I care to bother whether it's just a little bit better just to say I did.

I do like convenience. I also happen to have a huge hard drive full of movies a friend of mine ripped from his collection. I guess you would just trash the drive and run out and re-purchase them all.

I only have my whole house wired because I picked up trashed PCs and rebuilt them. I work in the field so keeping networking skills honed is something I need to keep up on. I have helped friends wire their whole houses when remodeling or building.

No it's not the norm because most people can't think past Ipod-Earbud.

With audio, the market is driven by portable and mobile devices. Consumers are perfectly fine with MP3 resolution, since they can take their music on the go. And while you're on the go, you're not in an environment that benefits as much from high end audio components or formats. That allows convenience to win out.

Well here is where I am still old school. I don't have a portable player of any kind. I will not put dirty little ear buds in my ears to listen to inferior sounding audio. I do have and NOW listen to some of the music I have on hard drives but ONLY because of the ease of the streaming features of the OPPO. I listen to Pandora or LastFM at work very low on crappy little PC speakers.

But, I listen to 95% of my music from a CD on a real audio system.
Can you say that?

I am an Audio Snob!

[BadAssJazz]

But, I listen to 95% of my music from a CD on a real audio system.
Can you say that? I am an Audio Snob!

***Blows whistle and tosses yellow flag.***

Ahhhh, this one takes me back! I can remember a time when someone once said something similar to me, because I didn't use tube amplification or a turntable. For the most part anything digital was anathema to him. I think we have to chalk this one up to "diff'rent strokes, for diff'rent folks" this time. There will always be the human element when it comes to matters of preference. Do we really have to draw lines in the sand about everything?

Don't get me wrong, I think blu ray IS the next level from a visual and audio standpoint, but I'm willing to make concessions for subjective preference. My mother still prefers her VHS VCR to everything else. Not even an S-VHS. I've given her DVD players and let her borrow my old Samsung Blu Ray player. She wants no part of any of the newer technologies. It's pointless to try and convince her. Besides, who am I to argue with Mum? She likes what she likes.

[pixelthis]

Maybe your income level or current status of independently wealthy is different than mine or my retirement goals. I chince out on many things in order to be prepared for what will no doubt be an ugly time when my wife and I get old and need help and care.

Every FIFTY CENTS I save adds up to DOLLARS in the bank. But, it's not just about the money. Like I said, a chick flick in HD is still a chick flick. I don't give a rats ass about the grain of the film if there is no real action or sound effects to display. I'm not an HD snob.

No, you are an anti HD snob.
Is CASABLANCA a "chick" flick"? CHASING AMY? And so on. And if a difference in fifty cents is a deal breaker for you, you don't have a retirement problem, you have a survival problem. THAT extra fifty cents is the biggest bargain in HT right now.

When I bought this unit, I had every intention of watching Blu's. As I have repeated, there are not many in RedBox that I care to bother whether it's just a little bit better just to say I did.

MAYBE, but purchased BLU discs can now be had for six bucks, close to what A BLOCKBUSTER RENTAL used to be. Watching DVD makes less and less sense.

I do like convenience. I also happen to have a huge hard drive full of movies a friend of mine ripped from his collection. I guess you would just trash the drive and run out and re-purchase them all.

NOT WITH STORAGE so cheap these days. I like to rip stuff to disc and take to work.
But would having a DVD or other SD copy keep me from replacing the title with BLU?
ACTUALLY I am in the process of replacing a bunch of old classics and giving away the
DVD copies to friends. If you are a penny pincher this is actually a good time to do so,
what with video stores shutting their doors. I have picked up several hardly used discs for as little as four bucks.

I only have my whole house wired because I picked up trashed PCs and rebuilt them. I work in the field so keeping networking skills honed is something I need to keep up on. I have helped friends wire their whole houses when remodeling or building.

And THAT has to do with the price of eggs how?

Well here is where I am still old school. I don't have a portable player of any kind. I will not put dirty little ear buds in my ears to listen to inferior sounding audio. I do have and NOW listen to some of the music I have on hard drives but ONLY because of the ease of the streaming features of the OPPO. I listen to Pandora or LastFM at work very low on crappy little PC speakers.

Time to join the 21st century. With a file player you can plug it into your car unit, the aux on a decent sounding portable. AND those bootleg movies you were talking bout?
WATCH them on a file player.

But, I listen to 95% of my music from a CD on a real audio system.
Can you say that?

MORE LIKE 70%, and the rest of the time , records and lossless on my computer.
You could never tell the difference. My chief playback device cost eight hundred bucks, can you say that?(see below).

I am an Audio Snob!

GOOD for you. I am an audio lover, which is why I paid the ridiculous price of four
c-notes for a clock radio type device that actually sounds decent for occasional listening,
and have three players in my system that are dedicated to disc audio playback.
Which brings up something else, mainly hi-res audio, like Sheryl Crows Sound STAGE,
Diana Kralls Rio, etc. DO YOU LOVE music enough to spring for some audio
discs in BLU format? JUST CURIOUS.

[Hyfi]

No, you are an anti HD snob.
Is CASABLANCA a "chick" flick"? CHASING AMY? And so on. And if a difference in fifty cents is a deal breaker for you, you don't have a retirement problem, you have a survival problem. THAT extra fifty cents is the biggest bargain in HT right now.

Casablanca is a 1942 Black and White no action no sound movie.

What is my survival problem? So you are advising me to spend extra money to watch an old B&W movie instead of adding money to a retirement account? Where is your logic in that? I may not have the same type of Law Enforcement Retirement plan as you, in fact the only one I have is the one I add to.

MAYBE, but purchased BLU discs can now be had for six bucks, close to what A BLOCKBUSTER RENTAL used to be. Watching DVD makes less and less sense.

So now you are advising me how to spend my money, and earlier you criticized me for how I already spent my money. I don't need to buy every movie I watch. I can't watch the same movie hundreds of times like I can listen to Music.

Your critisizing me is pretty funny since only 6 months ago you were crying about how broke you were and justifying why you purchased, and in your words, "cheap and questionably built" Emotiva Amp.

Now you are going to tell me how to spend my money?

NOT WITH STORAGE so cheap these days. I like to rip stuff to disc and take to work.
But would having a DVD or other SD copy keep me from replacing the title with BLU?
ACTUALLY I am in the process of replacing a bunch of old classics and giving away the
DVD copies to friends. If you are a penny pincher this is actually a good time to do so,
what with video stores shutting their doors. I have picked up several hardly used discs for as little as four bucks.

Again, you cry broke one week then tell us how you are repurchasing your whole library. Again, I do not have the desire to own every movie I watch. Just how many times are you going to watch all of the ones you buy? 5x in 15 years? May as well rent for $1 each time and it's still cheaper.

And THAT has to do with the price of eggs how?

It was in reference to a comment that woochifer made about convenience. Try actually reading the posts.

Time to join the 21st century. With a file player you can plug it into your car unit, the aux on a decent sounding portable. AND those bootleg movies you were talking bout?
WATCH them on a file player.

And what is wrong with watching the movies on my TV? Why would I want to watch a great movie on a 2" to 6" screen? Does 21st Century mean buying every little gadget the next guy has? Or just doing everything you do?

My chief playback device cost eight hundred bucks, can you say that?(see below).

Yes I can because if I would have paid List Price and Tax on my Rotel, it would have been close but when you add the $300/pair Synergistic cables in, well....

And it appears you wasted your money since you can't tell the difference between a record, a cd, and something playing in your car off of a ipod.

DO YOU LOVE music enough to spring for some audio
discs in BLU format? JUST CURIOUS.

I doubt it because the OPPO is not my main playback unit. I get pretty decent sound out of well recorded CDs already.

GOOD for you. I am an audio lover, which is why I paid the ridiculous price of four
c-notes for a clock radio type device that actually sounds decent for occasional listening,

What did you get? A Bose Wave?

[recoveryone]

What did you get? A Bose Wave?

WOW that was a shot below the belt

[pixelthis]

Casablanca is a 1942 Black and White no action no sound movie.

and is considered to be one of the best movies ever, if not the best.
You need to listen to what a movie says, not just sit there and count the explosions

What is my survival problem? So you are advising me to spend extra money to watch an old B&W movie instead of adding money to a retirement account? Where is your logic in that? I may not have the same type of Law Enforcement Retirement plan as you, in fact the only one I have is the one I add to.

I DON'T have a "law enforcement plan" either, but in the great scheme of things
fifty cents is no biggie to enjoy a movie I might not be here to enjoy next week

So now you are advising me how to spend my money, and earlier you criticized me for how I already spent my money. I don't need to buy every movie I watch. I can't watch the same movie hundreds of times like I can listen to Music.

Maybe not, but concerts and video collections are timeless. And spend your money
any way you want. At the end of the day people always regret what they did not do,
not what they did.

Your critisizing me is pretty funny since only 6 months ago you were crying about how broke you were and justifying why you purchased, and in your words, "cheap and questionably built" Emotiva Amp.

WHICH turned out to be one of the best things I HAVE EVER BOUGHT.
Live and learn.

Now you are going to tell me how to spend my money?

At the end of the day it won't matter. I have been wiped out three times in the last 17 years.
"SAVING" money has only deprived me of experiences never to come again, while the
govt or some banker is enjoying my money.

Again, you cry broke one week then tell us how you are repurchasing your whole library. Again, I do not have the desire to own every movie I watch. Just how many times are you going to watch all of the ones you buy? 5x in 15 years? May as well rent for $1 each time and it's still cheaper.

THATS the point, broke as I AM I can still spring for a disc every once in awhile.
AS anybody can tell you, the really decent ones have to be purchased, they can't be found
to be rented

It was in reference to a comment that woochifer made about convenience. Try actually reading the posts.

THAT MIGHT WORK

And what is wrong with watching the movies on my TV? Why would I want to watch a great movie on a 2" to 6" screen? Does 21st Century mean buying every little gadget the next guy has? Or just doing everything you do?

to each his own, but I have crossed a lot of time wasters off my wish list by first
watching them during spare time

And it appears you wasted your money since you can't tell the difference between a record, a cd, and something playing in your car off of a ipod.

THATS not what I said. I said that you could not tell the diff between a lossless
audio file and a CD, which you can't. Try reading the posts.

I doubt it because the OPPO is not my main playback unit. I get pretty decent sound out of well recorded CDs already.

GOOD FOR YOU

What did you get? A Bose Wave?

Don't be insulting, please. Its a Yamaha tsx-130(see below).
I lug it to work to listen to, everybody loves it. I shouldn't have bought it, but fell in love with the sound. My eight gig USB drive has about 130 CD's, and whatever CD's I drag along.
IS IT "audiophile" quality? Heck no! But it is quality. MODERN tech allows
music lovers to listen to their tunes wherever they are, with or without "cheap" earbuds
(I take my Sennheiser cans on holidays). TRUE love finds a way.

[Hyfi]

and is considered to be one of the best movies ever, if not the best.
You need to listen to what a movie says, not just sit there and count the explosions

Great, so now your telling me I need to buy a 60 year old B&W film that has no visual or sound effects, in Blu, so I can listen to the dialog.

I guess if I had you logic, I would be broke 3 times in 17 years too.

Nice radio by the way. I have never seen or heard one but it is pretty. I still have an old Proton clock radio dual alarm in the Bedroom that sounds decent for what it was 18 years ago.

[Woochifer]

Maybe your income level or current status of independently wealthy is different than mine or my retirement goals. I chince out on many things in order to be prepared for what will no doubt be an ugly time when my wife and I get old and need help and care.

Every FIFTY CENTS I save adds up to DOLLARS in the bank. But, it's not just about the money. Like I said, a chick flick in HD is still a chick flick. I don't give a rats ass about the grain of the film if there is no real action or sound effects to display. I'm not an HD snob.

But, again if I've already made the investment in HDTV, I want to maximize the enjoyment out of that. That's why I upgraded my satellite receiver to HD, and why I got a Blu-ray player. It's not about being a HD snob, it's just getting the most out of my TV.

A chick flick is still a chick flick, but watching a chick flick in SD makes the time even less tolerable!

Well here is where I am still old school. I don't have a portable player of any kind. I will not put dirty little ear buds in my ears to listen to inferior sounding audio. I do have and NOW listen to some of the music I have on hard drives but ONLY because of the ease of the streaming features of the OPPO. I listen to Pandora or LastFM at work very low on crappy little PC speakers.

But, I listen to 95% of my music from a CD on a real audio system.
Can you say that?

I am an Audio Snob!

Yep, and that's why I brought up the audio examples. Obviously, you're not going to avoid listening to music just because it's on an inferior system. But, the vast majority of your listening uses uncompressed CDs played through a component-based audio system. You buy CDs, rather than digital downloads. In most cases, the downloads are cheaper. A $0.50 differential might not be not worthy for your video viewing, but it seems that you're fine with paying more to get the CD

So, I think you can relate to someone on the video side who wants to do as much of their viewing as possible through HD sources.

First of all, I didn't waste my money. I saved for close to a year to buy the BEST player I could that would do everything the OPPO does and also play music CDs fairly well. The unit is for video in one system and audio in a second.

Yep, the Oppo is about as good a performance value as there is. It's a Swiss Army knife that pretty much does it all. And it can output native DSD and PCM streams from SACD and DVD-A at full resolution via HDMI, if you eventually buy a compatible AV receiver.

With the OPPO, I have everything one could want in a player so as I continue to upgrade when money permits, I will have a decent HT setup.

That's the beauty of home theater, you don't have to buy everything all at once. Swap components out and enjoy the improvements.

You wouldn't believe how many people have purchased the 93 just to stream Netfix. Apparently more than will use it for DVD and Blu if you look at the AVS official 93 thread.

Actually, I doubt that a lot the AVS crowd would buy an Oppo just for Netflix and not use the DVD or Blu-ray capability at all. I can believe that a lot of them would spend more time viewing Netflix streams than discs. But, except for a few bitter HD-DVD fanboys, I don't see too many people on that site, especially Oppo owners, that don't play Blu-rays at all.

[Hyfi]

But, again if I've already made the investment in HDTV, I want to maximize the enjoyment out of that. That's why I upgraded my satellite receiver to HD, and why I got a Blu-ray player. It's not about being a HD snob, it's just getting the most out of my TV.

I wanted a flat screen tv, it happens to be HD. I do not have to watch everything in HD to get through the day.

Yep, and that's why I brought up the audio examples. Obviously, you're not going to avoid listening to music just because it's on an inferior system. But, the vast majority of your listening uses uncompressed CDs played through a component-based audio system. You buy CDs, rather than digital downloads. In most cases, the downloads are cheaper. A $0.50 differential might not be not worthy for your video viewing, but it seems that you're fine with paying more to get the CD

I actually have only purchased about 5 CDs over the last 3 years so it does not apply to me.

Actually, I doubt that a lot the AVS crowd would buy an Oppo just for Netflix and not use the DVD or Blu-ray capability at all. I can believe that a lot of them would spend more time viewing Netflix streams than discs. But, except for a few bitter HD-DVD fanboys, I don't see too many people on that site, especially Oppo owners, that don't play Blu-rays at all.

I have read thru all 9000+ posts and plenty are about streaming and netflix.

[Woochifer]

I wanted a flat screen tv, it happens to be HD. I do not have to watch everything in HD to get through the day.

Which is all well and good, but I also assume that you're not going to give up your audio rigs and start listening to everything through an iPod dock. You asked the original question about why people watch Blu-ray, and the audio analogy provides the answer for someone like you who prioritizes music.

I have read thru all 9000+ posts and plenty are about streaming and netflix.

But, again how many of them are talking about buying the Oppo only for the Netflix streaming capability, and not using the DVD and Blu-ray playback at all? You were saying that most of the AVS posters fell into that group. And I find that hard to believe given that AVS is a hardcore video enthusiast audience, and there are many less expensive devices out there for Netflix streaming.

[Hyfi]

But, again how many of them are talking about buying the Oppo only for the Netflix streaming capability, and not using the DVD and Blu-ray playback at all? You were saying that most of the AVS posters fell into that group. And I find that hard to believe given that AVS is a hardcore video enthusiast audience, and there are many less expensive devices out there for Netflix streaming.

Ok so Only was not the right word. Read thru the last 400 pages, it's all about netfix and different streaming problems and comparisons to netflix quality on PS3 vs the OPPO.

I am assuming you have not really read the whole Official OPPO 93 thread but maybe you glanced over several hundred posts because they didn't apply to Blu Ray only.