Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
#51
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I'm cleaning out my collection and trying to only have movies I'm interested in viewing more than once a year or two. I'm getting rid of SD's by the dozen. For upgrades I use this criteria:
Any burned copies or first generation, non-anamorphic, Dolby surround only discs I'll upgrade right away.
Any regular SD's I'll upgrade if it's a choice title I know I'll view frequently.
Any SE, CE, 5*, etc, I'll usually stick with the SD unless like the example above I get the Blu at a great price and I really like the movie. I have the SE of Black Hawk Down, I'll live with it until a dirt cheap Blu comes along.
Anything where the original is better than the Blu-Ray release; ie. Pearl Harbor, I prefer my 4 disc set with the R rated cut. Die Hard 4, I prefer the R rated cut. T2, I'll stick with the extended cut. I just stick with the SD until the BD catches up.
Anything I already have in HD DVD I stick with it. King Kong, Transformers, Bourne trilogy, there is no freakin way I'm spending a dime to upgrade anything I already have in 1080p.
A few I've upgraded and regretted: Caddyshack HD, really not much improvement if any, Total Recall BD felt my Mars Tin SE had better PQ, Bullitt BD still only stereo sound, should have saved my money.
Out of the 80 Blu-Rays I have 40 were upgrades however only 9 were discs of any significance. Ex. The Rock Criterion upgraded to the BD, the others were pretty junky.
Last edited by JimRochester; 02-07-09 at 02:54 PM.
#52
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Although price is often a factor (here in Canada I tend to go with the under $20 rule), in some cases, I don't even upgrade when I could have the Blu-ray for FREE (review copy). "Sideways" being a recent example.
#53
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Well, first and foremost I never upgrade to Blu-rays that don't carry over all supplemental material ...that's a no-brainer for me. Exceptions being some of the 5 free mail-in titles I have. I'll never understand what goes through the heads of those that sell off their DVD collection and lose all those great special features.
HD DVDs aren't upgraded. That is, unless some new spectacular edition to end all editions is released on Blu-ray that's far superior in every way.
Price. I always try and purchase the Blu version of anything I don't currently own unless, say, a $2 - $3 DVD I want is available at Big Lots. And some titles I wouldn't normally upgrade are upgraded to Blu if, say, Amazon has them for $8 - $10.
Special Edition packaging. I'm a sucker for tins, statues and crap that takes up too much shelf space, so there's a good chance I'll upgrade the DVD version to Blu-ray if it comes in something other than the ugly little blue case. And coincidentally, I always keep DVDs with special edition packaging regardless of whether I upgrade them or not -- those Anchor Bay tins aren't going anywhere.
Favorites will most likely get upgraded. While the majority of my DVD's are staying put, you can be damn sure if/when the "T2 Endo Skull Edition LE" Blu comes out I'll be upgrading that one.
HD DVDs aren't upgraded. That is, unless some new spectacular edition to end all editions is released on Blu-ray that's far superior in every way.
Price. I always try and purchase the Blu version of anything I don't currently own unless, say, a $2 - $3 DVD I want is available at Big Lots. And some titles I wouldn't normally upgrade are upgraded to Blu if, say, Amazon has them for $8 - $10.
Special Edition packaging. I'm a sucker for tins, statues and crap that takes up too much shelf space, so there's a good chance I'll upgrade the DVD version to Blu-ray if it comes in something other than the ugly little blue case. And coincidentally, I always keep DVDs with special edition packaging regardless of whether I upgrade them or not -- those Anchor Bay tins aren't going anywhere.
Favorites will most likely get upgraded. While the majority of my DVD's are staying put, you can be damn sure if/when the "T2 Endo Skull Edition LE" Blu comes out I'll be upgrading that one.
#54
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Well, first and foremost I never upgrade to Blu-rays that don't carry over all supplemental material ...that's a no-brainer for me. Exceptions being some of the 5 free mail-in titles I have. I'll never understand what goes through the heads of those that sell off their DVD collection and lose all those great special features.
#56
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I'm also not spending $20/per movie anymore unless it's something I know I'll watch many times (Akira). And NOT upgrading my 85 HD DVDs.
#57
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I'm fairly conservative when it comes to buying Blu-rays, let alone upgrading.
1. I will upgrade when the Blu-ray edition is significantly better than the existing DVD release, and it's a movie I particularly care about. The same rules as when upgrading from a n existing DVD release to a superior DVD release. The new directors cut of "Dark City" is a perfect example of this.
2. If it's a movie I really love and will watch frequently. Like "Blade Runner." I bought the Blu-ray even though I already have the same edition on DVD in the limited edition briefcase. Though I may resist if the BR transfer isn't up to snuff, like on "The Thing." So I'll very likely be picking up things like Alien, Aliens, Pulp Fiction, Lord of the Rings, etc, when they come out. Pending reviews.
3. If the price is right. Went ahead and picked up Reservoir Dogs for $10; the last edition I have is the Mr Brown slipcase. I passed on the 15th Anniversary DVD, and Reservoir Dogs Blu-ray has all of the special features unique to the 15th Ann DVD, even though it omits most of the 10th Ann DVD features. (I was going to hang onto Mr Brown anyway.) Also picked up Halloween on Blu-ray since I never bought the previous DVD edition. I have the '99 release with the lenticular cover, but never got around to getting the re-release with the Criterion commentary, so that became a Blu-ray purchase.
4. I'll also upgrade for certain movies that have poor DVD transfers and the Blu-ray price is right. Though this will be on a case-by-case basis.
5. For movies like Kill Bill and Grindhouse, I'll hold out on superior editions before I upgrade. Namely, Kill Bill TWBA, and the theatrical Grindhouse double feature.
All told, I'll probably upgrade no more than ten percent of my DVD collection. It's like, do I really need to upgrade my copy of Mothman Prophecies 2-discer that I bought from Big Lots for $3?
Even now, given the choice between a $5 DVD and a $25 Blu-ray, I'll go for the cheap DVD unless it's something I really care about.
1. I will upgrade when the Blu-ray edition is significantly better than the existing DVD release, and it's a movie I particularly care about. The same rules as when upgrading from a n existing DVD release to a superior DVD release. The new directors cut of "Dark City" is a perfect example of this.
2. If it's a movie I really love and will watch frequently. Like "Blade Runner." I bought the Blu-ray even though I already have the same edition on DVD in the limited edition briefcase. Though I may resist if the BR transfer isn't up to snuff, like on "The Thing." So I'll very likely be picking up things like Alien, Aliens, Pulp Fiction, Lord of the Rings, etc, when they come out. Pending reviews.
3. If the price is right. Went ahead and picked up Reservoir Dogs for $10; the last edition I have is the Mr Brown slipcase. I passed on the 15th Anniversary DVD, and Reservoir Dogs Blu-ray has all of the special features unique to the 15th Ann DVD, even though it omits most of the 10th Ann DVD features. (I was going to hang onto Mr Brown anyway.) Also picked up Halloween on Blu-ray since I never bought the previous DVD edition. I have the '99 release with the lenticular cover, but never got around to getting the re-release with the Criterion commentary, so that became a Blu-ray purchase.
4. I'll also upgrade for certain movies that have poor DVD transfers and the Blu-ray price is right. Though this will be on a case-by-case basis.
5. For movies like Kill Bill and Grindhouse, I'll hold out on superior editions before I upgrade. Namely, Kill Bill TWBA, and the theatrical Grindhouse double feature.
All told, I'll probably upgrade no more than ten percent of my DVD collection. It's like, do I really need to upgrade my copy of Mothman Prophecies 2-discer that I bought from Big Lots for $3?
Even now, given the choice between a $5 DVD and a $25 Blu-ray, I'll go for the cheap DVD unless it's something I really care about.
#58
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I was reluctant to give up my Five Star Collection ID4 for the BD. I ended up running across a used Blu-Ray of Independence Day for $10 and figured what the hell I'll give it a try. The PQ and AQ is so much better than my SD it was like watching the movie for the first time. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Well worth the upgrade..
I bought the ID4 BD, and like you I found it was so impressive it was indeed like watching it for the first time.
I picked up a used BD at Blockbuster that for some reason came in a double-disc BD case, so I put the ID4 BD in that case, along with disc 2 of the ID4 DVD set. All of that content was made in SD anyway, so it's not like we're missing out if it's not on a BD. The trailers were the one exception to that, being HD and surround sound unlike the DVD, where they were non-anamorphic and stereo.
One thing I've never fully understood is that some people talk of upgrading movies in terms of out-right replacing them, as if they have to give up the original entirely, by selling it or giving it away - like it's a requirement. I've kept some, given others away, but never had the obligation to do either.
#59
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
One thing I've never fully understood is that some people talk of upgrading movies in terms of out-right replacing them, as if they have to give up the original entirely, by selling it or giving it away - like it's a requirement. I've kept some, given others away, but never had the obligation to do either.
I've even heard there is a way to burn a copy of the extras disc if you want to still have them although I know absolutely nothing about how to go about it and have never actually seen it done. I just heard some rumors one time
#60
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
If I can sell the old copy and get the new BR for under $14, I usually upgrade. Sales and $10 rebates have really helped make that happen. Still, there's only about 15 titles I've done this for.
-beebs
-beebs
#61
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Like many others, I am only upgrading films that I think have impressive visuals (Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Jurassic Park, etc.). For the most part, I will be upgrading action and sci-fi films. And for the most part, I will NOT be upgrading comedy and drama films.
$10 limit on any movie (so far I have not broken this pre-tax)
I don't buy newer movies in SD.
I keep the DVDs of those I upgrade, just because they are more flexible (not everyone has a blu-ray or HD DVD, watching on a computer or portable, etc).
Also, if I have the SE in DVD, I don't care if the features are ported over because
1) I don't know of any special features that are in HD (though I'm probably wrong about this)
2) As long as I have the special features somewhere it's ok.
MOST movies I will never upgrade, but I've learned with all these sales, etc. NEVER SAY NEVER. I've bought a bunch of HD DVDs lately. I never thought I'd buy ANY HD DVDs after the Toshiba announcement was made, but it's hard to resist even marginal movies in HD at 4-6 bucks a pop (or full seasons of shows that have never been less than 20 dollars in SD for 10 bucks in HD).
#62
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I'm not planning on buying too many blu-rays of movies I already own on DVD. The only upgrades I've purchased are Pixar movies (for obvious reasons), the Godfather trilogy (because I got it for cheap) and Blade Runner (because it's my favorite movie). I'd probably buy LOTR and Star Wars on blu-ray (what's that, a quintuple dip?). I'm not going to buy any more dvds, so I'll buy a few new movies on blu-ray. Other than that, I'll either rent movies or watch my DVDs... at least until blu-ray prices start to plummet.
#63
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I bought any DVD in my prime days of the late 90's and early 00's and had hundreds and hundreds of them. So many I only watched once or twice and that finally gave me an idea of what type of movies have replay value.
When I get a BluRay player, I will buy about 30 movies from my DVD collection. These are ones that I truly love that I can always watch. Movies like Jaws, Raiders, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, SlapShot, Animal House, Godfather. The great movies I won't upgrade are movies like Apollo 13, Sixth Sense, Titanic, movies that I really enjoy but just don't have that replay value, and aren't worth upgrading too. Then there are hundreds of good/very good movies that I haven't watched in years like Devils Advocate, Unlawful Entry, War of the Roses, movies that I enjoy, but never should have bought on DVD in the first place.
When I get a BluRay player, I will buy about 30 movies from my DVD collection. These are ones that I truly love that I can always watch. Movies like Jaws, Raiders, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, SlapShot, Animal House, Godfather. The great movies I won't upgrade are movies like Apollo 13, Sixth Sense, Titanic, movies that I really enjoy but just don't have that replay value, and aren't worth upgrading too. Then there are hundreds of good/very good movies that I haven't watched in years like Devils Advocate, Unlawful Entry, War of the Roses, movies that I enjoy, but never should have bought on DVD in the first place.
#64
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Yeah, there are a number of special features in HD, though it's fairly rare on catalog titles. A cool example is that the vintage Looney Tunes cartoons on The Adventures of Robin Hood are in HD.
#65
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I am a skeptical Blu Ray upgrader.
To me, the movie has to be something that is worthy of the format of Blu Ray.
High Action, great special effects, and an audio presentation that is worth the extra bucks.
I don't see dialogue driven dramas, or such as worthy of my upgrade money.
But will snatch up the Star Treks when they come out, or Star Wars, and other such action/sci fi films in a second.
but, then again, I snatched up the Godfather collection in blu ray, and have been really happy with that. So I make myself look very hypocritical.
It's a case by case thing, but for the most part, I stick to the above.
To me, the movie has to be something that is worthy of the format of Blu Ray.
High Action, great special effects, and an audio presentation that is worth the extra bucks.
I don't see dialogue driven dramas, or such as worthy of my upgrade money.
But will snatch up the Star Treks when they come out, or Star Wars, and other such action/sci fi films in a second.
but, then again, I snatched up the Godfather collection in blu ray, and have been really happy with that. So I make myself look very hypocritical.
It's a case by case thing, but for the most part, I stick to the above.
#66
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I finally got around to listing my DVD's on DVDAF. I was a few years behind. Even after getting rid of a couple hundred recently I still have more than 800 SD's. My guess is less than 100 are worthy of an upgrade. Half of them I didn't even know I had and I had to look them up to see what they were. I had no recollection of getting them or why.
#67
Member
To Blu, or Not to Blu, That is the Question...
This is a great discussion. I jumped on board home cinema when LD was at its peak (90's) and was used to paying $30-35 for standalone films (with, usually, no extras), and $100 on up for special edition boxsets. I waited a couple of years before switching over to DVD because the 1st gen discs seemed plagued with issues. But, the switch was easy since DVDs offered so much more (cheaper, smaller, better quality, more extras). But the switch to Blu-Ray was more difficult (yes, it looks and sounds better, but is it good enough to pay MORE for a title, and in many cases lose many DVD extras?)
I switched to Blu-Ray only after HD was dead and buried, and after I had an LCD that could benefit fully from the new format. But, like many of you, the decision to replace my existing discs, with more expensive ones, is challenging. For the most part, I have acquired more affordable Blu-Ray titles.
Although I have few Blu-Rays so far, I have "double-dipped" the following titles:
1.)The Thing - a tough decision to replace my old LD with DVD or BR. The BR lacks most of the more inexpensive DVD extras. I sacrificed the ok documentary on DVD, and went with the better quality BR.
2.) Road Warrior - a no-brainer. My old LD looks about the same as the DVD release. The new BR also sported the new George Miller commentary, and the best video/audio improvement of any title I've viewed.
3.) Dark City - the second DVD I ever purchased. My love of the film, the new extras and features, and getting rid of the cardboard box, motivated me to upgrade to BR.
4.) Serenity - I purchased the Australian R4 edition due to the collectible tin, but passed on both R1 DVD releases. Time for the BR upgrade.
5.) Band of Brothers - Purchased the BR copy at a great price and gave my DVD copy as an Xmas gift. BR-only features are also superb.
So there you go. One thing I'd like to discover is a thread or site that lists what features on DVD versions are not included in BR copies.
I switched to Blu-Ray only after HD was dead and buried, and after I had an LCD that could benefit fully from the new format. But, like many of you, the decision to replace my existing discs, with more expensive ones, is challenging. For the most part, I have acquired more affordable Blu-Ray titles.
Although I have few Blu-Rays so far, I have "double-dipped" the following titles:
1.)The Thing - a tough decision to replace my old LD with DVD or BR. The BR lacks most of the more inexpensive DVD extras. I sacrificed the ok documentary on DVD, and went with the better quality BR.
2.) Road Warrior - a no-brainer. My old LD looks about the same as the DVD release. The new BR also sported the new George Miller commentary, and the best video/audio improvement of any title I've viewed.
3.) Dark City - the second DVD I ever purchased. My love of the film, the new extras and features, and getting rid of the cardboard box, motivated me to upgrade to BR.
4.) Serenity - I purchased the Australian R4 edition due to the collectible tin, but passed on both R1 DVD releases. Time for the BR upgrade.
5.) Band of Brothers - Purchased the BR copy at a great price and gave my DVD copy as an Xmas gift. BR-only features are also superb.
So there you go. One thing I'd like to discover is a thread or site that lists what features on DVD versions are not included in BR copies.
Last edited by funkymonkeyjavajunky; 02-11-09 at 03:02 PM. Reason: typos, spelling
#68
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I wish there was a quick way for me to identify which of my 2,500 + DVD's are a) non-anamorphic b) anamorphic but crappy transfer.
For example, I just realized that my old version of "The Thing" is not anamorphic. A list of "Films on DVD only released with non anamorphic transfer" (for example "From Dusk Till Dawn") would help but I still own non-anamorphic titles that were later released with an anamorphic transfer on DVD.
For example, I just realized that my old version of "The Thing" is not anamorphic. A list of "Films on DVD only released with non anamorphic transfer" (for example "From Dusk Till Dawn") would help but I still own non-anamorphic titles that were later released with an anamorphic transfer on DVD.
#69
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I am only upgrading movies I really really like and that I feel would benefit from HD. I also read reviews and try to get a feel if the upgrade is even worth it. Just to many dvds to upgrade if I said I am going to get the all.
#70
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I'm trying too hard to dump my DVD's to buy more. I haven't purchased a regular DVD in over a year. If it's a purchase it will be a BD, if not, a rental or a DVD-r
#71
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I am a skeptical Blu Ray upgrader.
To me, the movie has to be something that is worthy of the format of Blu Ray.
High Action, great special effects, and an audio presentation that is worth the extra bucks.
I don't see dialogue driven dramas, or such as worthy of my upgrade money.
But will snatch up the Star Treks when they come out, or Star Wars, and other such action/sci fi films in a second.
but, then again, I snatched up the Godfather collection in blu ray, and have been really happy with that. So I make myself look very hypocritical.
It's a case by case thing, but for the most part, I stick to the above.
To me, the movie has to be something that is worthy of the format of Blu Ray.
High Action, great special effects, and an audio presentation that is worth the extra bucks.
I don't see dialogue driven dramas, or such as worthy of my upgrade money.
But will snatch up the Star Treks when they come out, or Star Wars, and other such action/sci fi films in a second.
but, then again, I snatched up the Godfather collection in blu ray, and have been really happy with that. So I make myself look very hypocritical.
It's a case by case thing, but for the most part, I stick to the above.
#72
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
Exactly. This is why I don't understand the "only sci-fi/action/sfx" position. That policy excludes the most film-like presentation available at home of some of the greatest films of all time. Classics like Bonnie and Clyde, Cool Hand Luke, and the Godfather trilogy are by far some of my favorite BDs for this very reason.
#73
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
I agree, I try to tell myself I only need the HD version if there's some visuals that could "deem it necessary". But then I think that really any fine film, even dramas, incorporate visuals just as much even if they aren't SFX-driven. Watching things like Casablanca, Adventures of Robin Hood, Third Man, Godfather, etc. are such classics and the cinematography coming alive in HD only sucks me in that much more.
#74
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Re: Where do you draw the line at upgrading from DVD?
If you have the display that can take full advantage of HD content (say 42" and up, full hd, zero overscan) then in my mind there's no reason to watch a SD release if a BD is available.
In the few months I've been enjoying blu-ray I can already say that new movie releases will only be watched in HD: there's no turning back. And for the people who seem to think the difference between SD and BD for newer movies is fairly small, just try No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac or the Assassination of Jesse James, all BD's that on my display blow their upconverted SD's counterparts out of the water.
Catalog releases are no different, in fact I'd say my favorite BD's are catolog releases: sometimes the differences with SD are just staggering.
The only SD's I still buy are Criterions, just because I think they're worth it with all their attention to detail in the extras/packaging/presentation (something BD releases sorely lack at the moment). But even those will eventually be replaced, once Criterion gets really serious with HD and their gnarly region locked BD releases will play on my region B equipment (but as with the early years of dvd, I'm guessing affordable region free hardware BD capability will be available for everybody rather sooner than later).
In the few months I've been enjoying blu-ray I can already say that new movie releases will only be watched in HD: there's no turning back. And for the people who seem to think the difference between SD and BD for newer movies is fairly small, just try No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac or the Assassination of Jesse James, all BD's that on my display blow their upconverted SD's counterparts out of the water.
Catalog releases are no different, in fact I'd say my favorite BD's are catolog releases: sometimes the differences with SD are just staggering.
The only SD's I still buy are Criterions, just because I think they're worth it with all their attention to detail in the extras/packaging/presentation (something BD releases sorely lack at the moment). But even those will eventually be replaced, once Criterion gets really serious with HD and their gnarly region locked BD releases will play on my region B equipment (but as with the early years of dvd, I'm guessing affordable region free hardware BD capability will be available for everybody rather sooner than later).
#75
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Thread Starter
Re: To Blu, or Not to Blu, That is the Question...
Considering how I don't think I've ever watched bonus features of a DVD more than once on any DVD I own, I've decided that its not that big a deal to me if they don't ALL carry over, as long as some of the key ones do and its not "bare bones".