Audio/Video phile help needed

[wish2fish]

are you educated in the blu ray dvd area?

I am using award points to get a Blu-Ray DVD player. HD DVD is not an option in the catalog.

I have the choice between

Sony Blue Ray BDP-s300

Samsung Blu Ray BD-P1400X
what does the picture in picture do on this unit??


using on the Panasonic 42" 720p lasma TV

I like the quality but I'm not really into the latest and greatest trends in this area. Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[ghuskin]

Go with the one with the most features, or looks the coolest. I'm sure they are pretty comparable as far as performance.

 

[wish2fish]

Since Sony invented Blu-Ray I was leaning that way

 

[ghuskin]

I like your logic! I don't think Sony makes any "bad" products. I don't think you can go wrong with that decision.

I haven't kept up on new tech., so I have not heard/seen the difference between dvd vs. hd vs. blueray. I probably cannot differenciate anyway.

 

[Hampton]

In a large screen, upper 40's or greater in inches, with computer generated movies (Disney, Sci-Fi, other animated), Blu-Ray DVD will begin to look better than regular DVD. Regular movies in very large screens apply as well. Regular HDTV stations will transmit up to 1080i (interleaved - refreshes 1/2 of the picture (540 lines) twice as often) and/or 720p (refreshes all of the picture (720 lines) at the regular interval). Normal HDTV's are geared toward these broadcasts. TV stations are making their first format change in 100 years to these types.

Above and beyond the next generation of TV broadcasts (beyond the next 50 years), there are higher resolution capabilities. These require TV's which currently utilize 1080p (refreshes all of the lines (1080) at the regular interval. The only source of which I know to provide the signal to these types of TVs are the two new DVD players. The Blu Ray, and the other one (can't remember, and it'll probably fail anyway like that old tape format - can't remember that one either- oh yeah, Beta). They both require their own type of DVD to provide the appropriate signal to the appropriate TV.

If you're into sports, or really great pictures on TV, get HDTV. In you're into the latest digitally produced or digitally enhanced movies, get Blu Ray. If you're into screens of 60" (wag) or so, get Blu Ray. If you have a home theater on your boat, get Blu Ray.

If you want to gamble on the next greatest technology, get that other one (the Beta-like one). Disclaimer: This is the HDTV stuff as I understand it. I'm sure I made some mistakes, but I think the general idea is correct.

 

[First Born]

Mike,

I would go with Sony but there is no real reason for that answer. Sony has a way of making there stuff only work (or work better) with Sony and most of the stuff I own is Sony. Our new camcorder is Sony and if you put a disk in it that is not Sony it will immediately tell you that you do realize this is not a sony disk.

Here is a couple articles to help.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/506

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/509
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6512848.html

Good luck

Wesley

Wesley

 

[promocop]

buy the Sony Playstation and you get the console AND a built-in blu-ray player...BTW HD/DVD is dead

 

[Morpheus]

Who says HD/DVD is dead?

I got an HD-DVD player for $120 on black friday. Eventually I'll pay for a blue ray or a combo unit. Panisonic or Samsung forget who just came out with a new combo unit that's under $800

We have a Mitsubishi 73" DLP TV 1080p and I've watched both HD TV regular TV regular DVD and HD-DVD movies (new and old) and I can tell you it's pretty amazing. Even the older movies (top gun) in HD-DVD you can tell the difference from where they were shooting in a studio or not very noticable, but what I also noticed was the sound was better too on the HD-DVD vs regular DVD. We have a Yamaha Receiver and Infiniti Surround sound speakers 5.1

As for the difference between Blue-Ray and HD-DVD the movie/sound quality is the same the only differnce is the menus and extra content. I would go with the Sony product for blue-ray like others said they made it. Alot of times other manufacturers of blue-ray don't get the programming right and that can causes menus and extra content/features not to work right.

 

[wish2fish]

Who says HD/DVD is dead?

Movie studios! Sony Blu Ray just won Warner Brothers last week and shortly after Paramount announce they would switch from HD-DVD to Blu Ray. Universal is the only US studio supporting HD-DVD.

Jim, PS3 wasn't an option as it would take more award points than I have. Besides my kids would be playing games on it then.

I decided to go with the Sony Blu Ray. I will let you know how it turns out!