# What to buy on Bluray?



## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

Hello,

I have seen some BD movie reviews where PQ is reported not to be excellent, whereas some DVDs have a pristine PQ.

I was wondering which movies represent a complete revolution in SQ/PQ in BD when compared to DVD, i.e a must have on BD.

On the other side, which movies are not worth buying on BD if already owned on DVD?

That would help us avoid arbitrarily upgrade everything to BD and not getting so much in return.


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## Rambo4 (Jan 25, 2008)

Good question. I'd like to know this myself. :sneeky:


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Honestly, Its seldom worth it to "upgrade" your existing DVD collection to BluRay. If you have a good upscailer most DVDs will look almost as good. Now dont get me wrong the newer titles do look much better but most transfers of older movies really make little difference for the price you pay.
The bigger advantage with going Blu is the new uncompressed Audio formats available. If your system supports it it is very noticeable.

The Waterhorse, DieHard 4 and any of the animated films are ones that look very good in HD as well as The Day after tomorrow for audio.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

tonyvdb said:


> Honestly, Its seldom worth it to "upgrade" your existing DVD collection to BluRay. If you have a good upscailer most DVDs will look almost as good.


Amen to that! I honestly think this may have been part of the demise of HD-DVD. Good upscaler = no reason to pay a premium for HD-DVD movies. 

I recently purchased a PS3 60gb and I have no intentions of purchasing any Blu-Ray movies. The HD-A2 upconverts regular DVDs astonishingly well. So why should I fork out the extra $$ when I need to save it for gas this summer! :spend:


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## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

6 times more resolution maybe?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

blaser said:


> 6 times more resolution maybe?


This totally depends on the original master and the bitrate of the HD video. Most older movies do not look as good transfered to HD as new releases. I have a few DVDs that I also have the BluRay or HD DVD of that are older and there is hardly any difference between the two, not worth the extra $10 or more.
Newer Movies if they are good are well worth getting on BluRay.


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## Tristanc1 (Jul 5, 2006)

If you're a lost fan, I found lost season 3 on Blu to be incredible. I had watched the show a few times in HD on expressvu, and even that doesn't come close to comparing to the blu-ray discs. Really gave me that "holy **** this is real" feeling.

I liked Sunshine as well, found the overall quality of both the video and audio was a big jump up from the SD dvd. Also has a DTS MA track So if you're a sci-fi fan check that one out.


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

Personally... I think where hi-def disc formats really stand out in video are in movies with wide shots particularly of scenery. Movies that take place in smaller settings with a lot of tight shots aren't excercising the format.

That said... my absolute favourite BD collection for demonstrating what it's capable of is Planet Earth the complete BBC series Blu-ray collection.

From the opening scene showing the sun peaking out of one side of the Earth is just brilliant. It looks so real to me that when I view it in a dark room I get a dizzy sensation. 

The rest of the series is full of shots that are 'that good' although not all. The whole thing is filmed in hi-def but the shots range from a little grainy to spectactular. There are lots of amazing panoramic shots in this - easily the best I've ever seen. 

Many shots are taken from planes or helicopters showing you natures marvels like the Angel Falls in Venezuela. 

The episode with that scene takes your POV down the river and over the falls - if you have a really big 1080P set I don't recommend this be viewed by the elderly or people with heart conditions. 

Some older movies that are restored nicely look very good also. I am very impressed with Blade Runner and the Dirty Harry series which I am going to do a review for. Fox and Warner releases are consistently good quality even the older movies they restore. One problem with older films is that they often descend into graininess when the scene is darker, perhaps someone knowlegable about film can say why. 

So... rule of thumb for me is - true classic films I love with lots of outdoor scenes and wide shots I might consider upgrading the disc from DVD to BD. But if it's mainly a character driven story with lots of dialogue I wouldn't bother.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I bought and watched X-Men 3 on bluray the other day and it totally blows away the DVD version in terms of sound quality. There is way more going on in the surround channels, much deeper bass and greater dynamic range and clarity. I would say it's the best movie I've watched on Bluray so far for sound effects.

The PQ is not mind blowing, but is better than the DVD version. The picture has a slight grain to it, but is still smooth and colorful. I find that most Blurays compared to their DVD counterparts have much better contrast and black levels.

I wouldn't upgrade a whole collection unless you have money to burn. I would however upgrade select favorites and then use a good upconverting player for the rest of your DVDs.


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## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

I liked Pan's Labyrinth a lot on Blu-ray for the plot/PQ and SQ and 16/9 format. Highly recommended.


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## tbase1 (Nov 10, 2006)

I-robot ,POTC at worlds end, man on fire,and live free die hard just to name a few.


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## Toolatecrew (Jul 10, 2008)

I did replace my DVD copy of Balckhawks down with BR. The PQ isn't that big an improvement as the origional is meant to look a bit gritty and grainy. But the SQ oh my. The uncompressed soundtrack is spectacular with the Helicopter bullets whizzing every which way.

I did replace some DVDs with HD DVDs as it was less expensive than BR. I thought the jump in SQ and PQ was worht it on Batman Begins. This is think is a must have BR. 

Iron Man I think is another BR you can't do without. I picked mine up for 19.99 used and don't regret it.


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## redduck21502 (Oct 23, 2008)

WALL-E looks and sounds really good.
The Polar Express (not 3D) looks awesome too.
Star Wars: Clone Wars.


Some items from the past may be better on BD over upconverted DVD. Top Gun doesn't look the best on DVD upconverted. It still looks like an 80's movie. I read a review of the BD and they indicated that it was a go transfer to the HD format. I am considering it even though I have it.

I have Deja Vu, and it looks pretty good too. I am just glad that i haven't bought everything that i want yet, so i don't have to justify buying them again on BD.

If they re-master the Star Wars movies, I would consider buying them on BD (at least episodes I-III). Episode III on my Sony BDP-S550 looks really good with the upconversion to 1080p, though. I think it looks better than on my previous Toshiba DVD player with upconversion to 1080p.


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## atledreier (Mar 2, 2007)

The band of Brothers tin is just completely awesome. The grit and grain come through in a completely new way, and add so much to the expression.


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

I was very happy to see Band of Brothers on Blu-ray. I had only watched a few episodes on TV when it was out and never watched it start to finish. When it was rumored to be out on international release on HD DVD was tempted but waited. Now it's out on Blu-ray and it was on special at Best Buy for $50. I scooped it up during a visit to the US. 

If you've never seen it, it's well worth it. The Blu-ray _interactive feature _is a bit corny but worth suffering through to access the content. It includes real-life profiles of a lot of the characters on the series with a picture of what they really looked like. 

It's annoying that you have to watch the shows in this horrible 'interactive mode' where you have a progress bar and a bunch of icons on the bottom of the screen... who in their right mind wants to watch it like that?

I watched the first and second episodes only so far and watched in undistracted mode first then switched to the profiles mode and fast forwarded through to see each of them.

I really like the audio in this one too!


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## AustinfromHouston (Sep 29, 2008)

I just got my PS3 a couple of days ago. In every one of these threads, the "must have" blu-ray seems to be Planet Earth. I've decided for sure to get it, but there are at least three different versions just on BD. Trying to figure out which one to get. I even made a new post about it. :mooooh: I can't wait to see it!!

Another movie that looks *great* on my upconverting dvd player that I haven't seen mentioned yet is *Cast Away*. I still get some occasional artifacts, though, in some of the darker\faster scenes (but the fire & water in the plane crash scene look amazing!). Anyone seen both the SD and HD versions? I bet this would be one that would be worth replacing.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Cast away is a great movie. It almost feels as if you are on the island with him. You are right about the plane crash scene too. The dynamics of Hanks going from under the water to the surface with the engine staring him in the face is intense.

I haven't seen the Bluray version, but do plan on getting it. Luckily it is listed at a reduced price as compared to new releases. I think I can get it for around $20 (as compared to over $30).


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## redduck21502 (Oct 23, 2008)

I was at walmart one day checking out the BD demo they were running and saw a really cool space shuttle launch that had footage that looked like it was taken from the space station or from a satelite. The shuttle came out from the atmosphere into the black of space and the footage was phenomenal. I thought it was "When We Left Earth" and I picked it up on DVD before I got the BD Player. I did not see this footage on the DVD set; mind you I only watched the space shuttle DVDs and not the entire NASA footage from the Apollo missions. Does anyone have an idea of what I might have seen? I would love to get it on Blu-Ray because it lookes so awesome. The cameras were a lot better than when they show it from ground level and it is all grainy. This stuff was crystal clear even up close.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I'm guessing that it was CGI or CGI enhanced and was probably a hollywood film. It might have been Space Cowboys which is out on Bluray.


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## redduck21502 (Oct 23, 2008)

MatrixDweller said:


> I'm guessing that it was CGI or CGI enhanced and was probably a hollywood film. It might have been Space Cowboys which is out on Bluray.


It was a documentary.


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## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

I have Forbidden Kingdom on Blu-ray and it looks fantastic. Should consider that movie if you like Jackie and Jet Lee...


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## MonsterMaddness (Apr 3, 2008)

I saw Hancock and didn't really think it looked all that great on BD. However, Hellboy 2 and TCON: Prince Caspian looked fantastic. Heres a question, I was a huge fan of the Matrix and have the whole collection on DVD. Has anybody out there watched it on Blu Ray? If so, is it worth the upgrade?


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## GregBe (Apr 20, 2006)

MonsterMaddness said:


> I saw Hancock and didn't really think it looked all that great on BD. However, Hellboy 2 and TCON: Prince Caspian looked fantastic. Heres a question, I was a huge fan of the Matrix and have the whole collection on DVD. Has anybody out there watched it on Blu Ray? If so, is it worth the upgrade?


A little late with this response, but others reading might benefit. Definitely worth the upgrade. I only upgraded the original movie, but that is not because of A/V, I just don't love the sequels.


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## Lordoftherings (Feb 8, 2009)

Video quality wise:
@ http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1168342

Audio quality wise:
@ http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1190265

* That should help on what to buy on Blu-ray.


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## KrazyBassKevin (Nov 1, 2009)

The thing with blue ray is the size of the disk and the revolutionary concept of 25gb per layer honostly the quality doesnt really change that much especially at 1080p res i will eventually get BD but in the future 2010 looks optimistic when i can pick one for around 50 bucks! 

If your tv is killer IMO plasmas and your receiver up converts and your sound system rocks blue ray is only going to dig you wallet deeper than it needs to be but i have to admit the new dolby format sounds fantastic on BD but thats just because its expanded ahhah from 200mb to now like 4gb which makes the receiver work less.


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## Lordoftherings (Feb 8, 2009)

I believe the TV display (or front projector) should have a good video processor first.

Then the Blu-ray player.

And last, in your A/V Receiver. But why, if your Display, or Blu-ray player has a good one to start with?

I think the receiver should put the accent on the sound, and the video should only be 
a pure Video Switcher Pass-Throug, with High Res. Audio decoding (HDMI).
Save money & sanity.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

It's kind of a catch 22 with receivers however. If you want a good one with great audio performance it most likely also has great video up-conversion included (eg: Denon above the 28xx line).

Video processing in the receiver is great if it's better than your other sources. I myself only have my PS3 connected in my HT, so I just use it's video conversion as it's better than my Denon 4306's. My projector is older and it's up-sampling is poor compared to the PS3. 

I don't think it really matters where the up-conversion happens so long as the end result is a good picture. It would be nice however if you could purchase components that stripped the video processing out in order to save money. If you were to go out and buy a high end display, receiver and bluray player they will all have pretty good video processing included yet only one component needs it.

*KrazyBassKevin:* You obviously haven't seen a Bluray movie on a large screen compared and it to DVD. A great upconverter can guesstimate the missing pixels but a true 1080p image has the exact pixels that should be there. When you get over 60" diagonal the differences jump out at you.


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## KrazyBassKevin (Nov 1, 2009)

Over 60 i can see but as i think i have posted my 50 Kuro hasnt seen that big of a diffence besides the color but i think that has to do with the way the player renders the MLV format or somthing like that compared to DVDS UDF or MP4 ect... Im sure the larger you go the better blue ray looks but IMO the cost are still steep for that look under 60 in where upconvert on a nice receiver can do the job IE Denon 1910

Cheers

KrazyBassKevin


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## Lordoftherings (Feb 8, 2009)

MatrixDweller said:


> I don't think it really matters where the up-conversion happens so long as the end result is a good picture. It would be nice however if you could purchase components that stripped the video processing out in order to save money. If you were to go out and buy a high end display, receiver and bluray player they will all have pretty good video processing included yet only one component needs it.


Agree, but the video processor should first come from your display, no?

Anyway, nowadays they can put an excellent one on your Blu-ray player for less than $300.

* So, let's save some important money, and ask the A/V Receivers manufacturers to skip all togeteher this superficial feature.
But, no way they'll do it, they need to make money somewhere...

** We live in a vicious world...

~ That's my two cents.


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