Blu Ray - Can I Get Anything Out of It?

[Mikey Likes It]

My TV is a Sony KBR950 50" plasma. It will do 1080i but not 1080p. The receiver box that comes with it has a DVI input, but not HDMI. Is it worth it for me to get a Blu Ray DVD player that upconverts standard DVDs? Will I be able to see any difference with my standard DVDs? And will it be worth it to buy or rent Blu Ray discs.

Video gurus, your advice and wisdom are more than welcome here.

[amigo30]

Yes, you can get something out of it.

A normal DVD is 480 progressive.

A blu-ray disc can output 1080p, but it can also output 720p, and 1080i, both of which are significant improvements over a standard DVD.

Just set your Blu-Ray output to 720p or 1080i, which your TV can accomodate, and enjoy. You will really see the difference on a 50" plasma.


Think of it like this: You're used to driving a Yugo that has a functional top speed of 50 mph downhill with the wind behind it. You suddenly have an option of driving a Porsche with a top speed of 150mph. However, the roads you drive won't allow you to actually go 150mph safely. So...you can drive the Porsche at 80mph..but not at its full capacity. Have you gained anything over the Yugo? Absolutely.

[DiazDude]

The Sony Blu-ray I have upconverts and it does it well. The diff isn't huge but you can see it. It's source dependant on how good the quality is. Blu-ray movies is of course where it shines. I've bought a few but mostly use Netflix for movies.
If you get one make sure you can update the players firmware via download or from the manufacturer..Sony has this and there's no charge. Firmware updates allow you to keep the player compatable with newer Blu-ray discs and their features.

[Darth Tater]

Will your TV do 720p? If so, you'll definitely see a huge difference when playing a BluRay disc since even 720 is almost double the resolution over DVD. You can even try 1080i to see which looks better.

As far as cabling, HDMI and DVI are interchangeable, so you just need one of these and your choice of HDMI cables and you're good to go:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2

BUT are you sure that TV does not have HDMI?? I've just never heard of one that didn't.

Just be aware that you'll have to run the audio seperately, but I'm assuming you have a home theater receiver to handle that?

[kwaves99]

If you are fortunate to have a TV with 1080p resolution, the difference is astounding! I just got my first HDTV (A 46 Inch Panasonic Plasma with 1080p) and a Panasonic BD55 Blue Ray Player. Immediately after my buddy installed this along with a new Denon AV 7.1 receiver, speakers and a subwoofer, I went to Blockbuster. My favorite movies of all time are The Godfather Parts 1 and 2. Francis Ford Coppola and Gordon Parks (the cinematographer) just came out with a restored version and I got them in the Blue Ray discs. I have NEVER seen colors like the colors in these Blue Ray discs. MINDBOGGLING! But as others have noted you don't have to only have a 1080p TV to take advantage, becuase Blue Ray players upload regular DVDS as well and do a conversion so that you get better quality. they also play cds.

[Craig Walker]

If you are fortunate to have a TV with 1080p resolution, the difference is astounding!


+1

1080p is killer.

[Darth Tater]

Just to clarify for the OP...yes there is a huge difference going from standard def to 1080p like is stated above, but going from 720p to 1080p the difference it not as noticeable..if it's noticeable at all, so you'll be fine with 720p.

[Craig Walker]

Agreed.

The jump from 480 to 720 is more eye-catching than 720 to 1080p.

[Mikey Likes It]

Thanks, guys. One slight correction - the TV is an XBR950. It was Sony's flagship plasma, just before they put all their R&D into LCD. It will do 1080i, but not 1080p. I'm not too familiar with what the designations refer to. I'm away from home this week but looking at the manual online, it sounds like I'll have to use an HDMI - DVI cable.

[Craig Walker]

it sounds like I'll have to use an HDMI - DVI cable.


That's the way to go, if you have the option. The difference between my ent center before/after HDMI - went from a tangled web of spagetti, to a much nicer, neater wiring. I can actually trace cables now. :)

Buy your cables online, not at local stores. They'll way overcharge you. $15 cables at RiteAV http://www.riteav.com/index.php?cPath=141_147&osCsid=a743ec37fbb23c91ee334fa398ce6459
cost 5 times that at Best Buy, CCity, etc.

[dankayaker]

+1

1080p is killer.



Good to know as I just bought a 1080P Samsung.

[gtrshow]

My aging HDTV isn't equipped with an HDMI/DVI input, so I'm unable to benefit from upconversion. But, there is a VERY noticeable improvement between Blu-Ray and standard DVD, even at 1080i. As others have noted, 1080p/HDMI will take you right over the top.

[GAD]

1080i rocks. Don't worry about the hype of 1080p. Cable does not come in 1080p, and probably won't for a long time.

Even discs that say 1080p won't offer you a difference over 1080i today. Only video games will.

why? Because 1080p and 1080i is THE SAME THING for almost everything you see labled as 1080p. Amy I nuts? No. Well, mostly no...

1080i is really 1080i/60
1080p is really 1080p/30 (on discs labled 1080p and almost everything else).

The difference is that 1080i is **the same thing as 1080p/30**, but the frames are split in half. There is the same amount of data in a 1080i/60 stream that there is in a 1080p/30 stream. In fact many players will take 1080p, interlace it to 1080i, then re interlace it to 1080p! This is not often published, because it doesn't matter.

I would be willing to bet that your TV is 1080p internally anyway, though it can only take a 1080i input. This has to do with the way screens are made. In fact if yours is an older plasma it might not even have "true 1080" resolution. Trust me - with a 1080i source, you won't care.

Now before everyone goes nuts on me, if you were to get an Xbox or PS3 and a game that supported 1080p/60, then there would be a difference.

Until movies are labeled and sold in 1080p/60, it's all just marketing hype.

GAD

[Craig Walker]

Good to know as I just bought a 1080P Samsung.


I've got a Samsung too. Watching SD signal is a thing of the past.....I never watch the non-HD channels, they could take them off my cablebox. [1080i]

Bluray is where you'll see your 1080p shine.
You'll be addicted. :)

Make sure you use HDMI cables and set all components to take advantage of 1080p [they can be set on lower resolutions by default].

[Craig Walker]

Interesting GAD, I've never done an A/B 1080i to 1080p comparison.

I just know my Blurays look and sound fantastic compared to DVDs.

[GAT]

I'm glad this thread is happening, I'm buying a Blu-Ray player tomorrow. I have a 50" Pioneer Elite, so that should be great.

[Mikey Likes It]

Yes, it will look great on your Elite. I have been loving ESPN HD ever since I got the TV and fired up the dish. And Discovery HD, etc. Like Craig, I avoid the standard def channels like the plague. Can't wait to watch Planet Earth, Gilmour Live at Gdansk, etc. on Blu Ray!!!

[Structo]

The Oppo DVD player I have has a DVI output and my receiver has HDMI.

I just bought a little adapter that slips on the HDMI and plug it into the Oppo.

The only advantage of the HDMI is that it will carry audio as well, I use the optical inputs for that.

Also I believe you have to use HDMI to achieve the 1080P.

My TV is older and only does 1080i but the Oppo upconconverts it to 1080i.

I have been waiting for the Blu Rays to come down.

I remember my first DVD player I bought was the Toshiba, it cost me $660!!!
Now you can by a decent player for $50.

So I will wait until the Blu Ray newness wears off a bit.

I have seen a lower end Sony for $200....

[Boobala]

Few people seem to know this but the Sony PS3 is the highest rated Blu-Ray player on the market today (This includes Stand-Alones that cost twice as much).

Excellent Blu-Ray Performance
Excellent DVD Up-scaling
Excellent 7.1 Sound
Excellent start-up time
Excellent disc start-up time
Relatively Low price ($400)
Upgradeable to Blu-Ray 2.0
And, you can play games on it! (Even without this, it's the best bang for the buck player on the market)

Down side:
* Not too good looking (IMHO).
* Unless you like using the game controller, you'll need to buy the remote separately ($20 @ Wallyworld)
* Blue-tooth remote systems means you can't use your universal IR remote.

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-blu-ray-players/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/147209/the_best_bluray_players.html
http://www.consumersearch.com/blu-ray-players

.

[Craig Walker]

Few people seem to know this but the Sony PS3 is the highest rated Blu-Ray player on the market today.




For the money, the PS3 is the best. What I went with...

You can get better rated player, but they go WAY up in price.

[jetydosa]

Sears (and Kmart too?) will have the Sony BDP350 tomorrow for $179. Hell Sonystyle.com had it for $159 today. The 350 is an *excellent* stand alone BR player if you dont want to get a PS3 for cost or gaming reasons.

As far as 1080i vs 1080p, all I know is I saw a HUGE difference in picture quality going 1st from a 1080i to 720p set, then a smaller but still noticable jump going from 720p to 1080p.

Heres a good read on p vs i
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?message.uid=27027175#U27027175

[Mikey Likes It]

OK, so when I bought this top-of-the-line Sony plasma TV and mounted the huge sucker on the wall over my fireplace, I trusted that it would not be obsolete anytime in the near future. It is connected to the Media Receiver that came with it by a 10-meter display interface cable. All input comes through the media receiver. Get this - the receiver has only one DVI input. Did Sony not know that they were working on Blu Ray, and that people would need at least one DVI or HDMI input for their programming (dish, cable) and another for their DVD player?? I find it ludicrous that a high-dollar item such as this can't accomodate two digital sources!!!

Is there a switching box that I can use to input both sources without signal loss?

[Boobala]

Is there a switching box that I can use to input both sources without signal loss?

I use a 5-port Octava HDMI Switch.

http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI%20switch%205port.htm

You can also get it in a 2-port, 3-port, or 4-port.

[Heinz W]

Yes, you can get an HDMI switcher. You'll also need an HDMI-DVI converter. My 4-year-old 51" RP HDTV(1080i) only has one HDMI input. That was common back then as there really were not many sources using HDMI, before Blu-Ray or the now defunct HD-DVD.

I've been debating whether the upgrade to Blu-Ray would be worth it for my current 1080i set as well, and have decided to wait a bit longer and upgrade my set at the same time so it's really a non-issue. So I'll be getting a new HDTV and a Blu-Ray player next year, when the prices drop even more. You can be sure that it'll be 1080p.

I totally disagree about there being no difference between interlaced (i) and progressive (p) scanned images. I much prefer progressive as there aren't any motion artifacts, like moire patterns, when the camera pans. Although my set outputs 1080i, and it looks great in static or still shots, as soon as the camera moves those flickering, interlaced artifacts rear their ugly head. The p image is just more solid and stable. I'll take p over i any day, even at a lower resolution. The picture stability is worth it to me. YMMV, of course.

[Mikey Likes It]

I use a 5-port Octava HDMI Switch.

http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI%20switch%205port.htm

You can also get it in a 2-port, 3-port, or 4-port.

Thanks for the link. I see a lot of HDMI switches on the market, but the DVI input section on the TV's Media Receiver also has two corresponding RCA jacks for stereo audio input. It appears that I need to be able to switch between HDMI inputs AND the corresponding audio sources as well. I sent Octava an e-mail asking if they have a box which will handle both digital video and rca audio switching.

[geetarboy]

I've been looking at buying a next-gen console and have leaned towards the PS3 because of the Blu-Ray player, but I'm afraid to invest in Blu-Ray discs and find it's a dead-end tech because digital downloads take over. I'm just not sure that the majority of consumers are willing to go with Blu-Ray or will before digital downloads take over for movies the way they have music.