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dbot on 20 March 2009
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twesterm said:
dbot said:
twesterm said:

I should start with I like BluRay and I buy BluRay when possible but:

  • It's cheaper-- Your argument is just bad.  There are huge advantages with the PS3 and PS2 or Xbox and Xbox 360, there are not huge advantages with the move from DVD to BluRay, especially ones that justify the price.  Like I said, I like BluRay because I like shiny new things sometimes but most people can't notice the difference and even less notice it when you have an upscaled DVD (even I can barely tell the difference).  So yeah, to a large amount of people it's hard to justify spending $10-20 extra on a movie that only works in (likely) one of their players and that is only marginally better.
  • Which brings me to a point that didn't get listed DVD's are more portable-- It's hard to find something nowadays that doesn't play DVD's but how many things play BluRay?
  • Up-Conversion-- As I said, to most people, it really does make it just as good as BluRay.  You can see the difference but you've been trained to see the difference.  MY parents couldn't tell a normal DVD from a BluRay movie and my wife the same age as me (27) can't tell the difference from an upscaled DVD and a BluRay.  We as gamers can see these things, other people don't see them as easily.
  • Not all movies are available-- This is more of an annoyance and one that bothers me.  I want to support BluRay but there are so many movies (even new ones) that don't come out on it.  It sucks.  As long as this keeps happening it will continue to be impossible for BluRay to really gain a heavy hold.  Why would I spend so much money on a BluRay player when my favorite movies coming out don't take advantage of that player when the much cheaper DVD player would?
  • Stop-Gap-- It could last for the next 12 years or the next big thing might come along.  Things like Netflix and movie streaming are becoming really popular.  There's no garauntee that BluRay will be as popular for DVD's and for as long.
....

I'll just start by saying its pretty naive to accuse somebody that you don't know of being a fanboy because their views differ from yours.  I may have strong feelings, but to say that I have fanboy blinders on is just fucking wrong. 

I don't know if you read the IGN article or not, but the author's arguments were paper thin, kind of like yours.  I don't want to derail this thread, I've made my points and I stand by them.

 

Like I said, fanboy was probably the wrong word and even BluRay fanboy was wrong.  I was simply meaning that you look at any negative point brought up against BluRay and you call it paper thin because you don't want to see the actual negatives or even admit BluRay does have negatives and those are some of them.  True, I could be wrong, but some of those arguments (the ones I pointed out, I left the actual bad ones out) do make sense.

I didn't read the article, I only read your comment and commented on that.  If you want to call my arguments paper thin, please tell me why.  Don't just throw a hissy fit and then say you're done.

 

Can you stop calling me names and accusing me of acting childish.  I should be able to post my thoughts in this forum without being attacked, especially by a moderator.  I think I would have appreciated your original post a bit more, if you had actually read what the op posted but it was obvious you didn't.  I was responding to the author's list as to why he feels DVD is better.

  • It's cheaper - Why do you think that my "argument is just bad"?  In terms of pure technology, the increase from DVD to Blu-ray is much greater than the increase from the PS2/Xbox -> PS3/360.  I seem to remember 480i games running at 60fps on the PS2.  Now I'm lucky if the game runs at 720p @30fps on the PS3/360.  Now compare that increase with moving from DVD at (480p w/ 9 Mbps bit rate) compared to (1080p w/ 40 Mbps bit rate).  Do you understand why I would use the analogy?
  • DVDs are more portable - Of course they are, and its a good thing you don't have to burn your DVD library because you upgraded to Blu-ray.  You know what Blu-rays are including now?  Digital copies of the movies that you can play on portable devices.  So you get to watch the movie in High Definition at home, and you can take a digital copy on the road with your portable player.  I would much rather play my portable movie from my hard drive on my laptop or PSP, then having to waste battery power spinning the DVD and scratching my disk on the road.  If you are confused about this argument, reference any comments by proponents of digital distribution.
  • Up-Conversion:  You can't tell the difference between standard definition content and a Blu-ray?  Really? I have no arguments to that.  What I see with upscaled SD content is a muted color palette, and a loss of detail/increased blur.  If you really don't notice it, then maybe you are better off with SD equipment.
  • Not all movies are available - Ok.  So buy these movies on DVD and watch them upscaled on your Blu-ray player.  Best of both worlds for you.
  • Stop-gap - So this is the crux of the argument.  This is the drum that every former HD-DVD supporter bangs as loud as they can.  You may think that we are close to implementing this model, but I think it is at least 15 to 20 years away.  My reasons include:
  1. Content licensing: Digital Distribution is last on the list to be able to license content.
  2. Net-neutraility: the broadband Internet providers will continue to limit your access to movie downloads because bandwidth is still expensive and they want you to buy PPV or VOD from them.
  3. Retail: Don't discount the power of the Big Box Store and the value of marketing. 
  4. Infrastructure: There isn't a network engineer in the world that would tell you we are any where close to being able to support 2% of the home video market with current Internet Infrastructure much less a majority of it.  I am talking about core infrastructure, not the last mile limitations that most people discuss.
If you don't think there is a difference in the Netflix library and Blu-ray libray, just compare the top 10 for each.
Top 10 Netflix Watch Instantly(3/20/09)
1. Never Back Down (2008)
2. Heroes: Season 3 (2008)
3. Penelope (2006)
4. What Just Happened? (2008)
5. The Waterboy (1998)
6. The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie (1979)
7  Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008)
8. Superbad (2007)
9. Ratatouille (2007)
10. 21 (2008)

Top 10 Blu-ray Sales (3/15/09)
1.  Pinocchio: Platinum Edition
2.  Role Models
3.  Transporter 3
4.  Australia
5.  Milk
6.  The Dark Knight
7.  Transformers
8.  Beverly Hills Chihuahua
9.  Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
10. Body of Lies

I don't mind that you disagree with me, but try to do it in a respectful manner.



Thanks for the input, Jeff.