Are blu-ray players still worth buying?

[Beershaun]

So what about if you own the title vs renting.....does it still stream at a quality based on one's internet connection? By own, I mean own on iTunes movies. Not downloaded onto a PC or something.

For added perspective, I just did a speed test and got 102 Mbps download 10.6 upload. Its not always this high of course and probably depends on usage in the area.

I have not seen a consistent digital ownership/Licensing model that is favorable to customers. So in general I don't buy digital content. The exception is: 1) it's the same price or very close to price of renting it once, 2) am not worried about having the highest fidelity source, and 3) know it will get watched over and over again. E.G. Movies for my kids.

I loath the current model on Amazon Video where I have to purchase a specific fidelity (4K, HD, or SD). This just perpetuates the crap physical model of selling me the same content over and over again when the new format comes out. If I'm going to purchase a license for digital content instead of a physical copy that is mine to do with as I please, then in return I want to always have access to the highest fidelity version and latest revision of that content based on what my equipment can handle. /rant

 

[Sal1950]

That's because each movie has a different standard of what the max value of the brightness is. Some discs have no value of the max value. So what is your tv supposed to do? It has its own limit on brightness. A projector has even less to work with. Think of it as brightness headroom. The panasonic ub420 can remap the brightness of the disc/stream to a ballpark number for your display. This is still only the average brightness across the disc/stream though. What about a really dark scene? The JVC projectors can do a frame-by-frame hdr remap to get the most out of it. Beyond that, folks use PC's to custom tweak hdr settings per movie (madVR). HDR is messed up. I too am not a fan.

The first 4K HDR disc I got was Deadpool and when I first watched it I thought that something was wrong, dark screens looked so dark and lacking detail. I got a pretty decent set (Sony XBR75-X940D) and after a little internet homework I found that many were talking about the same problem. In the end I went into the HDR settings and made a couple tweaks to lighten the shadow detail.
I also don't see a whole earth-shaking improvement in picture quality between BD and UHD. Lately if I was interested in purchasing a disc, I'd first check at blu-ray.com to see if the Std BD had the Atmos soundtrack or if I had to step up to the 4K to get it. With my movie buying interests running mainly to SciFi and Action/Adventure I really want the Atmos track if it exists. Most of the local RedBox's sell off their rental discs on the cheap, I've bought a few there for around $5.99, I also haunt ebay for used discs when there's something I'm looking for. (I get a real kick out of the guys buying the 4K/BD/DigitalDownload codes and splitting them up for separate sale, still sometimes a good source if all you care about it one format.) LOL

 

[Bear123]

I have not seen a consistent digital ownership/Licensing model that is favorable to customers. So in general I don't buy digital content. The exception is: 1) it's the same price or very close to price of renting it once, 2) am not worried about having the highest fidelity source, and 3) know it will get watched over and over again. E.G. Movies for my kids.

I loath the current model on Amazon Video where I have to purchase a specific fidelity (4K, HD, or SD). This just perpetuates the crap physical model of selling me the same content over and over again when the new format comes out. If I'm going to purchase a license for digital content instead of a physical copy that is mine to do with as I please, then in return I want to always have access to the highest fidelity version and latest revision of that content based on what my equipment can handle. /rant

I had a few digital movies on iTunes. At some point, they were all upgraded to 4k at no charge. So all my iTunes digital movies are 4k. I have about 28 movies now that I felt were worth $20 vs waiting a couple months to rent for $2 at Red Box. A lot of them were probably much cheaper and I bought them because they were cheap enough that I just bought them instead of renting.

 

[watchnerd]

To know if a blu ray player is worth buying, shouldn't we ask if blu rays are worth buying?

I can stream 4K video to my house...

 

[Wes]

I like the Criterion Collection discs. They have commentaries from film critics on them.

I haven't found that on the 2 streaming services the library offers.

 

[watchnerd]

I like the Criterion Collection discs. They have commentaries from film critics on them.

I haven't found that on the 2 streaming services the library offers.

Is the on-disc commentary better than film critiques you can Google or find on YouTube?

 

[Sal1950]

I can stream 4K video to my house...

Not with lossless audio, and AFAIK all the video streamers are compressing the heck out of the them.

 

[watchnerd]

Not with lossless audio, and AFAIK all the video streamers are compressing the heck out of the them.

Lossless doesn't matter much when the speakers being used are whatever are built into my tv.

 

[Sal1950]

Lossless doesn't matter much when the speakers being used are whatever are built into my tv.

OK, just can't understand why a audiophile would be satisfied with such second rate sound, both from the source and the reproduction gear?

 

[watchnerd]

OK, just can't understand why a audiophile would be satisfied with such second rate sound, both from the source and the reproduction gear?

Because:

a) I watch very few movies with big SFX at home. I tended to see those in the movie theater. Or, if not, I watch them in my mixing studio, which has active monitors.

b) As a couple, we watch very few movies or tv, period. Maybe 1 movie a month.

c) Most movies are on date night are chick flick things where sound doesn't matter

 

[Sal1950]

Because:

A & B are understandable.
C LOL

 

[watchnerd]

A & B are understandable.
C LOL

It's not like "Downtown Abbey: The Movie" gets better with lossless audio...

 

[Wombat]

It's not like "Downtown Abbey: The Movie" gets better with lossless audio...

Better with no audio.

 

[Sal1950]

It's not like "Downtown Abbey: The Movie" gets better with lossless audio...

Better with no audio.

Yep,
Exactly why I'm no longer married.

 

[Chrispy]

Good point about whether blurays are worth buying as it seems film distribution is already starting to say no to blurays these days. Some releases are just coming out on dvd these days. Too bad as streaming just isn't the same. Who watches a good movie thru tv speakers? Who watches Downton Abbey (or is Downtown Abbey a worthy parody or something? ). Incomprehensible to me either way

 

[Sal1950]

Too bad as streaming just isn't the same. Who watches a good movie thru tv speakers?

Amen.

 

[watchnerd]

Who watches Downton Abbey?

Watching something like Downtown Abbey once a week is a lot cheaper than divorce and losing half my stuff....

Watch a chick flick once in a while, keep the kitty happy, and all is good.

Happy wife, happy life.

 

[Sal1950]

Happy wife, happy life.

Bachelorhood can be glorious, specially once your past the age where the little head does most of your thinking for you. LOL

 

[watchnerd]

Bachelorhood can be glorious, specially once your past the age where the little head does most of your thinking for you. LOL

Sometimes I'm envious.

Especially when I want to listen to loud music late at night.

Yeah, I can put on headphones, but rocking out on cans just isn't the same as loudspeakers...

 

[Chrispy]

Watching something like Downtown Abbey once a week is a lot cheaper than divorce and losing half my stuff....

Watch a chick flick once in a while, keep the kitty happy, and all is good.

Happy wife, happy life.

What's this Downtown Abbey, tho? Is it a parody of Downton Abbey? Happy life has been without a wife myself, thanks.