# Finally went to Blu Ray



## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

After swearing I'd never do it, I eventually caved. 

Two new purchases are on the way:
Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Player
Sony VBD-MA1 Recorder

We've had family want videos of the toddler running about and I don't have time to down-rez and edit the videos. The Sony unit will burn directly from the camcorder to Blu Ray. Of course, then we'd need a player. I really wanted the Oppo 93, but it was hard to justify the $500 price tag when the Panny had most of the same features for $130. I'm sure the Oppo is a better unit overall, but this is for the family room.

Should be here this week. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Anthony


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Welcome to the 21st century Anthony!  :bigsmile:

If you want to find blu-rays fairly inexpensive and start building a library, I have had pretty good luck with Amazon. I also have got quite a few from a local Blockbuster when the put them on a 5 for $20 table.


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## typ44q (Apr 7, 2008)

I always felt that you are not getting the best out of your HDTV if you are not watching blu-rays on it. Cable, OTA and streaming HD just do not compare to a well mastered blu-ray. and then there is the HD audio side of it which absolutely blows everything else away.


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## 86eldel68-deactivated (Nov 30, 2010)

IMO, the PQ benefits of BD (and 1080p) are most noticeable when you have a large display (like, I dunno, a 100" screen ) and/or you sit close to your display. Although I initially hesitated to switch to BD, once I did switch I was so happy with the improved PQ that I started making a point of avoiding DVD if at all possible.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I personally find the difference to be night and day different between BR and DVD. Not only the picture quality but also the sound quality. As Joe said welcome to the 21st century. I also find Amazon to offer some great prices on BR movies. Many times I purchase used-almost new discs and the only difference is the plastic has been removed. Great resource for building a library.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Got the player yesterday (thanks Amazon Mom Prime membership  ).

First off, it is tiny! only a few inches deep, which is good, because my built-in rack cabinet is pretty tight for routing cables and exposed connectors and such.

Hooked it straight to my Panny plasma TV. Setup was simple and then I kicked in the only Blu Ray I own, Ratatouille. We just watched this a few months ago on ABC Family HD and I can see what people have talked about: the BluRay is so much more crisp and detailed than an HD feed. Little things like fur, shadow detail, glare -- things that Pixar puts effort in to make you forget you are watching a cartoon -- look so much better from the BR. 

I had the same experience with HD DVD and Planet Earth. It looked fine on Discovery HD, but it looked phenomenal in HD-DVD.

Still need to fish some wire and build my LCR speakers before I can do a proper audio check, but so far, so good.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

The first movie I watched on my Oppo / projector was Kung Fu Panda - if you get a chance, give that one a go. It was the first time I had noticed that Po had individual white hairs amidst all the black - like a real panda does. I was shocked by the amount of detail I missed going from DVD to BR.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I think the detail is the real difference between the two formats, If your system can handle it and I mean has a good sub and good speakers the audio is also a big treat :hsd:


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

Anthony said:


> but it looked phenomenal


The "problem" with blu ray is that it spoils you for watching standard definition DVDs. Same thing for the difference in sound of HD audio on blu ray vs. Dolby Digital. 

BTW, I am hooked on Amazon Prime - have had it for about 3 years now. I find myself shopping in local stores less frequently. Much easier to find it on Amazon and get in 2 days with better prices (well, usually better prices. I think that Amazon bumps the price up a little to compensate for the free shipping.)


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

There's really nothing more to say about blu ray. The picture quality and audio is absolutely awesome!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Good choice on the blu-ray player Anthony! :T
I've just bought the new Panasonic DMP-BD77 (2D only) and I'm very impressed with PQ & AQ..
It's put my earlier model Samsung blu-ray player to shame and the much faster load time is excellent!..


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## bxbigpipi (Feb 2, 2012)

Congrats on finally getting a bluray player!! I was totally blown away when I got my first bd. now you just need to build a library to enjoy.


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