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Subject: HD DVD players
Posted by: Perm Dude
- [193231017] Sun, Apr 12, 2009, 23:56
I was going to buy a copy of the great BBC series Planet Earth, when I saw that they have an HD version (which apparently doesn't work on regular DVD players). I have to replace my old DVD player anyway--does the HD player also play regular DVDs without any problems? Anyone have one of these? |
| 1 | PuNk42AE
Donor
ID: 036635522
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 00:18
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HDDVD is a dead Technology after Bluray won the war. Next up the Online streaming battle.
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| 2 | Perm Dude
ID: 193231017
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 00:29
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Well, I've got a ton of DVDs that I've gotta play on something!
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| 3 | Farn
Leader
ID: 451044109
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 00:54
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get a blue ray player. that shouldn't be obsolete for another 5 or so years at the current rate.
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| 4 | Seattle Zen
ID: 22316130
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 01:16
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Planet Earth is also on BluRay. Don't bother with HDDVD.
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| 5 | Perm Dude
ID: 193231017
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 01:59
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Will a BluRay player also play regular DVD disks?
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| 6 | Seattle Zen
ID: 22316130
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 02:30
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Yes
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| 7 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 11:14
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Option A: Buy a BluRay player if you want to spend a lot of money for the player and titles. You'll be able to buy old and new titles.
Option B: Buy a HD DVD player if you want to spend less money, but know there are no longer "new releases" on this format, but the old stuff is dirt cheap (Check out Amazon right now).
Option C: Buy an upconverting DVD player (and standard DVDs still) for cheap (Philips DVP5990/37...$49). You won't get "High Def", but you will get upconverted to 1080p (assuming you have it).
Me, I have a standard Def-TV, so I don't care...but if I were in the market and had mostly DVDs, I'd do option C. BTW, that JR.com link also has the Planet Earth DVDs for $57, which seems pretty cheap.
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| 8 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 11:16
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Forgot to say, all three options will play your old DVDs.
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| 9 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 11:48
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RSF notes:
Option C: Buy an upconverting DVD player (and standard DVDs still) for cheap (Philips DVP5990/37...$49). You won't get "High Def", but you will get upconverted to 1080p (assuming you have it).
Just got my first HDTV.....720p plasma. Would this or similar upconverting DVD player still be your recommendation? I understand it isn't
'high def' but I do want to take the greatest advantage of my existing DVD collection before biting the bullet (eventually) on BluRay (or, most likely, a PS3). My old DVD player (probably 8 years old) just sucks and doesn't seem to read half of my disks.
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| 10 | Perm Dude
ID: 193231017
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 11:52
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I've got a HDTV as well, so the bluray option is looking good.
We play mostly kids DVDs these days, and they suck with this old player we have.
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| 11 | RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 12:18
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Species, yep, an upconvering DVD player would be your "in the mean time" device.
Personally, I can't wait for streaming or whatever the next medium to come along is. DVD/CD/etc is the crappiest medium EVER...if you have little kids. My kids can scratch a disk without ever taking it out of its case.
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| 12 | Skidazl
ID: 280401016
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 17:43
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re: #9, if your TV is 720p, I would go with the upconverter because Blu ray is 1080p, and you would be wasting your $$$ without a 1080p TV..
#10...same thing, but if you do have 1080p, go bluray all the way. I recommend the PS3 since the price is comparable to a sole BR player, but you can get the game console too.
and also, get MLB 09 for PS3, it ROCKS!!!
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| 13 | Skidazl
ID: 280401016
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 17:45
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Oh BTW, there is nothing wrong with 720p, it looks fantastic, you would just not be getting the full benefit of the BR player and you can save yourself a lot of $$$$
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| 15 | Species
Dude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 19:08
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Oh BTW, there is nothing wrong with 720p, it looks fantastic, you would just not be getting the full benefit of the BR player and you can save yourself a lot of $$$$
Sweet.....good advice Skidazl, thanks.
I purposely went for 720p because I wasn't planning on compiling a bomber home theater system or anything. Mainly using it for sports, movies and video games. Got a 50" plasma Panasonic for $799 when Sears didn't have the "bait and switch" 2008 Samsung (same stats) in stock. I couldn't be happier.
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| 16 | Perm Dude
ID: 193231017
Mon, Apr 13, 2009, 19:19
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Thanks, Skidazl. I've got a SONY Bravia, for which I'm still seeing what it can do. But having a crappy DVD player seems a waste on a 46-inch screen!
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| 17 | Slackjawed Yokel
Dude
ID: 052347519
Wed, Apr 15, 2009, 22:42
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I've got a 3-year old 50" 720p plasma (that I paid $2K for an offbrand - should make you even happier, species) and you can definitely tell the difference between a high def signal and an upconverted DVD picture. I'd recommend getting a ps3 - a month ago Dell was running a 20% off deal, you may want to keep an eye out for this promo to come back.
By the way, I'd suggest holding off on buying any more dvd's. You'll want to save for your bluray collection. As soon as you see Ratatouille on Blu ray, you'll say there's no going back.
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| 18 | barilko6
ID: 16436411
Mon, May 04, 2009, 12:44
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Ok...so hooking up a blu-ray player question. How can I hook up a blue ray to play the sound through my stereo. My stereo receiver is older and therefore does not have an HDMI input.
I was thinking I could run 2 HDMI cables, 1 from the BluRay player to my Cable receiver and then 1 from the Cable Receiver to the TV, but my cable receiver only has one HDMI slot. (Which is empty right now, as it appears my TV is connected to my Cable receiver through a blue/green/red AV-like cable)
Any thoughts? And should my receiver be connected to my TV with an HDMI cable or is that three-colour thing standard?
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| 19 | PuNk42AE
Donor
ID: 036635522
Mon, May 04, 2009, 13:02
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Does your reciever have an Optical in? I assume all bluray players have an out, but maybe not.
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| 20 | barilko6
ID: 16436411
Mon, May 04, 2009, 13:24
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The BluRay has an optical digital audio out and my cable receiver has an optical audio out as well.
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| 21 | barilko6
ID: 16436411
Mon, May 04, 2009, 13:44
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I am an idiot. I can just run sound through regular red/white AV cables to my old sound receiver, no?
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| 22 | barilko6
ID: 35318613
Mon, May 04, 2009, 21:38
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Alright...just got everything hooked up and the Blu-Ray is not filling up the entire screen. (Small black bars on top and bottom.)
Is that because of the particular movie that I have, or do I need to change something in the settings.
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| 23 | Skidazl
ID: 280401016
Mon, May 04, 2009, 21:49
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It's the movie. A lot of them do that. I thought the same thing the first time I watched my BluRay...
Seems like it should fill it though huh?
Regarding the sound hookup the "blue/green/red AV-like cable" is probably component and should be fine. A lot of opinions tend to say HDMI is overrated when compared to component.
If your receiver has optical in, that would be your best bet. Good luck.
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| 24 | Slackjawed Yokel
ID: 5246423
Tue, May 05, 2009, 00:07
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Depending on how old your receiver is, you can do better than the red/white composite cables. These won't allow you to hear Dolby Digital or DTS (discrete rear channels) like the optical cable Skidazl recommended. I know my cable box uses a digital coaxial cable which also does DD. HDMI is a step up from either of these, but I've yet to make the plunge to 7.1.
Be sure if you're picking up cables to go to monoprice.com, you can get hdmi cables for like $6 instead of the $70 that Best Buy will try to sell them to you.
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| 25 | Razor
ID: 583182923
Tue, May 05, 2009, 00:39
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HDTV's and movie screens are not the same ratio. HDTV's are 16:9 and movie screens are 2.35:1. Because they are not the same ratio, there will always be black around the edges when going from one to the other.
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| 26 | barilko6
ID: 41336169
Tue, May 05, 2009, 12:37
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Yeah, that sucks. I am not too technologically savy, but was at least hoping it would fill the screen.
Running the sound through the receiver hasn't been bad at all. Its very nice sound quality. The receiver was top quality when I bought it, but it is a bit old, 10 years. It was the first thing I purchased when I got my student loans back in university.
I am not looking at it, but I don't think the stereo receiver has any other option than the red/white AV cables. My cable receiver does have an optical slot, but I don't think it matches up.
I will let the sound be and perhaps upgrade the receiver sometime in the future, but for now its all good.
Thanks all for the help.
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