I only buy DVD. Yes, I admit that when I see Blu-rays being showcased that I get the itch to have it at home, but soon after... Thankfully the itch disappears.

Would love a blue ray also the money is just not there.

Precisely. And there are other things in movie camera that our eyes can't do. But that's not an excuse for a filmmaker for not using a certain technique just because they don't look realistic. Art was made for a reason, and sometimes realism is not it

Haha, this thread is insane.

From what my inexperienced two cents are worth, I sort of agree with the foreground vs. background arguments. Since I got my HD cable receiver I've noticed that in the end, the background isn't terribly important because the eye doesn't focus on it and thus doesn't pick up on the detail as intricately in the first place. The foreground, sure, but those picking out how clear things are in the background or those looking into the background for a crack in the wall that wasn't evident in DVD versions aren't really reflecting any good argument against those who hate Blu-ray. Not that I understand that at all. The colors are pretty much what stands out for me the most.

In terms of film collectors, well I have a bias because I hate people who collect for the sake of collecting. Every movie I have (and I've got well over 1200 horror films alone, spread over VHS/DVD/Blu-ray) I buy because I want to see it. And, I don't think being a videophile/audiophile has anything to do with anything, that's mostly a monetary issue. There are very few films that would truthfully and honestly absolutely require 1080P to truly enjoy and experience the films. The jump to DVD from VHS was huge, DVD to HD is more along the lines of nitpicking in most cases.

I always tend to go back in time when discussion audio/video quality in comparison of how people are interpreting films. I'm sure there were those who did want proper aspect ratio and whatnot back in the VHS days, but as far as I'm concerned, VHS served me well for years, and DVD served me much better. So, now Blu-ray comes out and I read reviews that say "Blu-ray is the only way to see the movie, it does this and that." Bullshit. The experience is in the movie and if a modern film with a good transfer upscaled to 1080p can't please you to a pretty fulfilling degree, it's just nitpicking. Especially since when DVD came out, everyone praised and dropped to their knees and praised the new transfers and 6 years later they aren't fulfilling? I don't know if I could take anyone seriously who tried to say that after they enjoyed a movie for years on the format. [not saying anyone here has said that]

I think the biggest factor isn't quality, but life-span and value. If you're going to watch a movie once, twice tops, why would you upgrade for $10-$20 Blu-ray? You get what you pay for, and I think there's definite relevance in the fact you can pay $6 for great looking DVDs in comparison to the currently priced $20 Blus. The difference is in the $14 one guy saved. Great value vs. great image quality. There is no loser. I will say this, a guy who owns 1000 Blu-rays doesn't necessarily appreciate cinema more than a person still getting lost in the stories told on VHS. He may have the means to buy more movies, more expensive format, etc... but that doesn't mean a thing. Generally, adding the phrase "true fan" to any subject usually shows the person saying the words has lost touch with the magic that the subject entails due to getting caught up in elitist babble.

Wow. That was a great post old-boo-radley.

I didn't upgrade some of my DVDs for that exact great value argument you mention. I also upgrade some of my other DVD for the great image (and audio) quality. When it comes to the movies I haven't already own, I would go Blu if they're available on BD (simply because they have much better quality), or either get the DVD if they haven't released the BD version yet, or just wait for the eventual BD release (I still have a lot of titles to buy anyway, among some other unrelated expenses).

I also wonder if the evolution of "Blu Ray buying" is going to follow in the same footsteps as "DVD buying" - meaning:
1. Blu Ray fans buying every single new Blu Ray release, even the "not-so-well-reviewed video/audio quality" ones
2. Blu Ray fans buying almost every new release even if they don't like the movie that much (For the people that started buying DVDs at the very start -- when they cost from 30-40 bucks - were there any selective DVD buyers or were they too buying almost every new release out of just the excitement of the video/audio quality?)

I've had satellite for the first time in my life the past 2 months. I am astounded at the number of non-DVD films being shown on TCM, Fox Movie Channel, the Encore channels, MGMHD and Sundance/IFC. I haven't watched a movie on DVD since the satellite install, but still manage to see around 50 movies a month. I am now convinced satellite + DVR is as essential to the cinefile as any player (VHS, LD, DVD, BD...I have all but BD). Check out the film log below.

Oh...and the next format (UHD?) will make all of your BluRay discs "obsolete" anyway...until the format comes along that matches the resolution of the human eye. I bet the studios are dreading that day.

My personal collection of DVD titles is nearing 2000 right now and I have no intent on upgrading to Blu-ray any time in the forseeable future. I buy films of all genres (classics, modern hits, obscure horror) because I like the movies and I enjoy watching them (roughly one a day depending on what else is on television).

I know that there are far more films out there that I would like to see than I will ever be able to buy or watch. I also see almost everything worthwhile in the theaters before it ever gets to video, so I don't feel I "have" to get any current title. So my decision is purely financial. I have a limited budget (as does everyone) for movie purchases, and I can get more titles on DVD than on Blu-ray. With my upconverting DVD player, the quality of what I watch is quite good, although I'm not deluding myself into thinking it's virtually the same as Blu-ray. I personally would rather have more titles than fewer, better looking titles.

I can understand those who feel the opposite of what I do. I've seen Blu-ray displays in stores and marveled at the picture quality. But I'd rather see more movies than less. What I can't understand is someone who says that Blu-ray is the "only" way for a true film buff to go. If I had an unlimited budget or Blu-ray titles were the same price or lower (not on a handful of oddball bargains but across the board) than standard DVD, I'd agree with you. But they're not, and I have to decide each time I make a purchase whether I'd prefer to get five standard movies or three Blu-rays (or some similar ratio). I go for the quantity every time.

Excellent!

I guess we better get rid of all the Picassos in the world that don't look like the real thing. And all animation .... those cute Disney animals look nothing like the ones I see in my neighborhood.

It's not reality - it's an art form.

okay you are right...I really need to see the cross designs on all the uniforms of the CGI soldiers in Kingdom of Heaven in crystal clarity in the far far background...

What if Scott *wanted* you to see all the crosses on the uniforms? A mass of people uniformed up similarly, each broadcasting a visible icon of their faith, lined up as a force makes up a bit more visual impact than a blurry mess. I trust his intentions a lot more than your personal preferences.

Dude, David Lean had the extras wearing period-authentic underwear when he shot Doctor Zhivago. Think about that, and then tell me those CGI crosses are trivial!

I agree completely. I have approx. 650 DVD's. All standard. I am not against buying Bluray but if I did I would have to change over my titles. I just don't have the time or the money to do it. If I was just starting out collecting DVD's I would go BluRay. But that's not the case with me. I also buy films and tv shows from all genres. Because I love to watch them. I don't have anything bad to say about BluRay, just that I won't be buying them. I have too many standard DVD's to change over to do it. I'll stay with the cheaper priced DVD's and collect all the ones that I want in Quantity. Plus I haven't seen tv shows go BluRay either. No need to upgrade here.

I'm still on DVD, but plan to make the switch soon for really big budget, centerpiece releases (ala Dark Knight). For more low key stuff and classic film, I'm happy with upconverted DVD.

haha...trivial or not, i'm happy with dvd...i'm probably still traumatized after watching the Sex and The City movie in 720p on HD on demand. Sarah Jessica Parker's ugliness was harsh enough at 720p - im a bit scared what im going to see when watching her at 1080p...

if you were interested, Gregg Tolland was the dp on Citizen Kane and that was one of the first movies to use deep focus photography, and he was the originators of it.

Huh? Amazon has a whole section of tv shows on Blu-ray.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...g=darkmoose-20

I've gone bluray but still buy and watch dvds primarily, due to the selection. I can't see that changing anytime soon, either, but regular dvds look great on my ps3, so it's all good.

OK. I understand they're out there. I just haven't seen them, but I don't go looking for them either.

Blu-ray is better than DVD. Hands down. Not everyone can afford the higher cost though. You have to consider a new HDTV, Blu-ray Player, and Surround Sound Setup (and maybe even new speakers) to really get the benefits that High Definition offers. Saying that, I expect almost everyone (if not everyone) on this forum would switch to Blu-ray in a heartbeat if the cost was not greater. Everyone here is a fan of films first and foremost. If we could all afford High Definition I'm pretty sure we'd all want High Definition. But to expect everyone to be able to jump on the HD bandwagon when our economy is in a slump and some people are struggling just to keep their jobs is insulting to everyone, and not just those who are still collecting DVD's. I myself still purchase them for certain titles (especially when it comes to $3 DVD's at Big Lots) but generally speaking that is my new DVD price cutoff. Blu-ray (and even HD-DVD) is significantly better in my opinion. I imagine that over the next several years many more people will invest in the equipment for HD, and then move on to purchasing their favorite films on the format. It will just take some people more time than it will for others.

And while so many great movies are not even available to own in High Definition right now the argument that buying DVD's is just for DVD collectors is silly. I repeat, we are all film fans at heart. Isn't that what this forum is mainly about? That is the number one reason I decided to join DVDTalk: My love for film. I may not be willing to purchase my favorite movies on DVD anymore but I am certainly unwilling to let go of them until a Blu-ray edition sits soundly on my shelf.

Whether I see a movie 1-2 times or 20 times on home video, I still want to see it in the best version available. Blu-Ray reproduces the "film-like" look of many movies much better than DVD can ever do. That's the reason I got into it.

Well of course. But not everyone can do that quite yet.

Oh dear. My years of happily lurking on this forum finally ended because a post actually... upset me a bit.

I've been blessed to experience bluray in all its glory many times now thanks to friends who have invested in upgrading their collections and have been generous in sharing the joy. And yet, I remain a DVD collector. The decision at this point is purely an economic one. I am a non-profit worker, save the world type chick, and unfortunately for my film collection and home theater set-up, it doesn't pay very well. I can always hope that someday in the future my set-up will be badass like I deserve, but until that day...

What upset me about your post though, and what seems to have upset others here, is your assumption that BluRay is the "only" way for cinema aficionados. That's a bit arrogant considering you are on a forum that's unifying factor is that everyone here is a cinema aficionado. And many do not agree with your assumption.

I think though, that you are right. That what it comes down to is whether you are collecting DVDs or films.

It's clear that to me that you are collecting DVD's (ironic since you're actually collecting BluRays but I'm sure you can follow my meaning). I can love a classic novel just as much if I'm reading a ratty, taped together used copy from the goodwill, as if I were reading a first edition. I can rock out to a favorite song on my crappy FM radio just as much as if I were hearing the band perform it live. And, I guess most importantly to this discussion, I'll love watching a favorite film just as much whether I'm seeing it on Bluray in all its glory or watching it on my plastic DVDs, or a VHS tape, or even on TV with horrible commercial breaks - because at the end of the day I'm not a collector of a format, I'm a lover of film.

And I think that's the difference between us.