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Topic: Blu-ray.What do you think of it?.
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted October 17, 2007 10:42 AM
We have reached the levels that we reached with audio about 15 years ago...
That is, 15 years ago, we reached the sonic quality level that is so crisp and perfect that the human ear cannot even tell anymore, which leads me to say, why go beyond?
Now, with blue ray disc, we have reached that same level visually, (literally). Fortunately, Blue ray players can play regular DVD's as well, so we won't have to trash the DVD's eventually.
But once again, why bother with higher and higher technology? DVD's will already be passe after only approximetely ten or eleven years. Blue Ray? Five or less, as we are getting dangerously close to the point of downloading blue ray quality films from the studio's directly for a price, which is the next logical step.
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted October 18, 2007 09:57 PM
That is the problem with many a new format these days. Laserdiscs, while primitive by todays standards, were quite durable. I remember seeing aguy demonstrate just how durable they were, putting ink marker, all kinds of other little things on it, and the damned thing played!
But DVD's you barely leave it on a surface for a minute, and you can end up with an annoying scratch that can screw up your film watching. Fortunately, i have been careful with mine and they all play like new, even after ten years.
Now a film, scratch it up, still plays, (even looks good on a black and white silent film, hee hee), break the film splice it, play it again. Hell, the thing fades, it still plays.
Lamp burns out, curse all creation until you buy another.
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Alan Paterson
Film Handler
Posts: 70
From: Hants, UK
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted October 20, 2007 04:49 PM
Chaps,
I recently bought an HD-DVD player ( a Toshiba E1) as it had dropped to £179, from its original price of double that.
I've connected it it via component cables to a Sony vpl-vw10 projector with a 7 foot screen.
I would never have bought it had I not seen the quality on a friend's projector of HD-DVD. Apparently Blu-ray and HD-DVD are about the same quality wise. For sound I use a Yamaha DSP-A1 amp.
I'm very pleased with the significant increase in picture quality over standard dvd. The transfer of Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' is superb. When I watched it, I didn't think 'Wow, this is brilliant quality!'
I thought 'Blimey, I can't see anything wrong with this'
It's like being in a well set up cinema, with the added advantage of not having some neanderthal rustling popcorn in your ear.
I watched 'Grand Prix' in hd and was stunned that a movie from the 60's could look so good. We're starting to see some classics appearing in the format now - which is great.
I could hold off to see what happens in the format war - but I'd rather have the benefit of good quality at a price that I can afford, without the worry of the picture turning pink or the smell of vinegar in my nostrils. I love film - and the smell of a new print straight from the lab will always bring back great memories - but we need to move with the times and enjoy the benefits of new technologies.
So, enjoy pristine transfers with excellent sound.
Alan
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If God had meant us to run, we'd have been born with spikes in our feet.
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted October 20, 2007 10:52 PM
"We need to move with the times, and enjoy the benefits of new technologies"
I'm sure you thought of this Alan, but keeping up with best of modern technology is not why we are members of the forum or collectors of celluloid.
Hell, if I was practical, the money that I'll be paying for a certain film from a member of the forum I could easily use to buy a blue ray disc player, but it's not about being practical.
Yes, blue ray will no doubt have an image that probably looks just as good as the 35MM or 70MM master that it has been taken from, and it certianly out does my little Super 8mm images ...
But it has no magic ...
and that's the whole thing!
In the comedy show "Father Ted", Mrs. Doyle finds out that there is a modern tea maker, (she's the housekeeper), and the salesman states ...
"This modern machine takes all the misery out of the tea making process."
Mrs. Doyle gives a very dirty scowl at the salesman and replies:
"Maybe I like the misery!"
It's just that. I like the inconvenience of the reels, cleaning the films for the 20th time, buying slightly over-priced lamps, rewinding and sometimes suffering thru a somewhat blurry print of a film that would look pristine on blue Ray. It's not for the technical perfection that I'm in the film collecting hobby.
and just that magic, of cranking up the Eumig, rolling down that massive screen, kicking back on the couch with love of my life, (wife) and watching the enchanted flicker from the lamp.
Come to think of it, I'll do that now!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Mike Peckham
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1461
From: West Sussex, UK.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 21, 2007 10:26 AM
Mark
quote:
I for one would love to see/hear peoples experiances of HD HVD and Blue Ray, reports on players and dics reviews too.
I agree with you, but isn't that already happening? Surely the point of the "yak" section is that people can (and do) discuss non - film specific topics, DVD and video is often amongst them.
I think in truth, the majority of people that read and contribute to this forum are also Digital Users, we are not green to the benefits of the digital medium, the excellant picture and sound quality, the convenience, cheapness and availability of the discs, but, the people on here all have a love of film in common which is what binds us together.
That DVD in which ever of it's guises is better or worse than cine, simply shouldn't be an issue, because it doesn't matter. Try telling a keen cyclist that it's quicker and more comfortable to get to work by car, or a compulsive knitter that they can buy better jumpers at half the cost and with no hassle on the high street, they'll probably look at you side ways and say "you've missed the point".
So lets not let ourselves miss the point on here, DVD or Cine, which is better? It doesn't matter, it's about what you enjoy and if the other guy doesn't like it, well that doesn't matter either because it's up to him to find his pleasure where he wants too. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Mike ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Auntie Em must have stopped wondering where I am by now...
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Mark Todd
Film God
Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted October 21, 2007 02:40 PM
I Agree with what you say too Mike. I just thought it was worth saying we don`t have to be worried by its being mentioned and enjoyed on here.
One thing is for sure BR, HD DVD etc will come and it will go, people will enjoy films on it as they watch them but even collecting dvds is a bit hollow compared to film collecting I think.
There are formats that will always have more fun and interest to offer.
Film of course. Vinyl, Reel to Reel tapes,Books, Real Art etc. Its usuallly the newer "easier" "better" things like tape cassetes, CD`s, video/DVD that lack a bit of soul as we have said many times before on here.
Theres one thing for sure we who end up on here or similarly efilm or 16mm film talk etc are the ones who were hooked and ensnared by cine`s charm that wasn`t really about the watching of the film alone. Just film watchers have fallen by the wayside regarding cine but we happy ragged band are well and trully stuck with its, pleasures . frustrations, joys and all.
On BR Osi some of the early ones were region free but I beleive they have now moved to some form of region coding!!!! crackers etc.
I was told HD DVD is still region free but can anyone confirm that.
One thing is for sure having the two go head to head with the ensuing confusion for the public, their commercial bribes and deals etc to put one over the other is stiffling it all.
If just one had come out properly now, moved to much more affordable machines and better value discs it would be flying as it is its having a job to get off the ground compared to standard DVDs still huge and growing success!!!!!! which is just getting stronger and stronger apparently!!!!
I still think a bloomin good dvd well done and an effort made with a good transfer etc is fine for the home even projected.
Its a shame they didn`t just go with the slightly better dvd that was mooted.Some ordinary DVDs are superb.
I do hear mind once you get BR or HD there is no going back to DVD for some people!!!!
Best Mark.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 525
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 21, 2007 06:53 PM
For those getting ready to buy HD-DVD or BluRay, note that BluRay is MUCH higher quality than HD-DVD. What confuses people is that they say "but they are both 1080"...yet the HD-DVD system uses much more compression than the BluRay, which leads to blocky images and motion artifacting. You may not notice it in the Circuit City demo, but once you see it, you can't NOT notice it.
I have seen Blu-Ray projected through professional commercial 3 chip DLP units with TI's "dark chip" and it was quite impressive. The very low end of these machines are $40,000 right now, but given another 5 years they will be under $5000 easily. Using other video projectors requires scaling and won't necessarily give you a final picture any better than a regular DVD. The same is true for most tv monitors out there.
Regardless, buy the combo LG unit, or stick with BluRay. Buying an HD-DVD player is pretty much like investing in Betamax. It won't be around in the long run.
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so it must be crap by now.
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