What Will The Best Blu-ray Player Do For My Movies?

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What Is The Best Blu-ray Player? Should I Buy One?

If you have invested in a high-definition television already and then signed up for high-definition television channels, you are probably looking for the best blu-ray player. This page is a very basic, low-tech guide to blu-ray players. I have not chosen one as 'the best blu-ray player.' Instead, I have shared some of the information that I have learned about players in general and links to more valuable information from the experts.

While creating this page I learned a lot about blu-ray; my husband is pleased. I knew very little about it beforehand but could see a need for a very basic page that will help individuals like myself with little or no knowledge of blu-ray technology and, perhaps, technology in general. My most important discovery? Well, that must be that the best blu ray players do allow you to watch your favorite movies in the very best possible quality from the comfort and safety of your home!

A note about the spelling of 'blu-ray' movies. There is a lot of confusion (I had to figure it out myself) and you will no doubt see it these movies and players referred to as blue-ray, bluray, blueray, blu ray and blue ray but it is really properly spelled 'blu-ray.' You will be more successful with your searches online if you spell the term correctly.

If you already know a lot about blu-ray players, you may well know more than what is on this page! Please choose to share some of your knowledge through the comments box!

I wish you Happy Blu-ray Viewing!
 

How Much Do You Know About Blu-ray? 

A simple poll to determine how you feel about your blu-ray knowledge before you read this page.

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Should I Buy a Blu-ray Player or HD-DVD? 

Once a hard choice now made quite simple.

You should definitely buy a blu-ray player because in January 2008, HD-DVD or high-definition DVD conceded the battle to blu-ray. That means HD-DVD is finished. I assume that it also means both HD-DVD players and discs either are no longer in production or will cease production shortly.

If you are wondering about streaming movies, there are definitely people doing this but surveys indicate that more people prefer blu-ray discs to streaming movies which means that the move to blu-ray is on.

In the last six-months, blu-ray manufacturers have made valuable advances to entice us into buying their technology. The cost of players has dropped significantly and so has the cost of the discs. Amazon (who I am most familiar with) as well as other companies are offering amazing package deals -- sometimes bundling free discs with players and other times bundling groups of discs.

The movie companies, including Disney and Imax, have increased the release of movies on blu-ray format and now there are over 1,000 movies available on the format. It certainly appears that blu-ray has arrived!

A SmithGeiger survey of 1,600 high-definition television owners discovered that users in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan prefer discs to streaming by a ratio of 10-to-1.

What Do You Need Before You Buy A Blu-ray Player? 

A high-definition television! To make the most of your blu-ray player, you will definitely need a high-definition television. Together, they will be an unbeatable team!

No, you CANNOT play your blu-ray discs on your DVD player because the blu-ray discs have a much larger capacity and are read differently.

But you CAN play your DVDs on your blu-ray player and they are going to look great.

What Are You Going To Get When You Buy A Blu-Ray Player? Part One -- Phenomenal Picture Quality! 

Blu-ray offers up to six times better resolution than DVDs did. They provide even better quality than your high definition television channels. If you value the best quality picture, you are going to love blu-ray.

To understand why blu-ray discs provide better pictures, you need to know the difference between high definition signals known as 1080i and 1080p. Both offer the highest resolution possible today with a television but they are different.

1080i signals are 'interlaced' meaning that the pictures on the screen are displayed half a screen at a time. This picture flips many times a second so that one half and then the other half is displayed. Sounds odd, but this happens so quickly that your eye cannot tell it is going on although you may sense a very slight flicker.

1080p signals are 'progressive' meaning that screen displays the entire picture which updates many times a second so that there is only a full image rather than halves. The result is that the pictures from 1080p are absolutely steady.

Most high-definition televisions support 1080p but the only method for obtaining progressive-scan high definition pictures is from a blu-ray. The signal from your provider -- be it satellite, cable or phone -- can only stream at 1080p.

What Are You Going To Get When You Buy A Blu-Ray Player? Part Two -- Sound That Is Out Of This World! 

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Picture by bass_nroll



Along with the fantastic increase in picture quality comes an increase in sound quality. High definition video has high definition audio, as it should. Because blu-ray discs have so much more space on them, the music can be stored uncompressed which translates directly into better sound for you and me.

The two companies involved with the sound are Dolby (they are familiar to me) and DTS (who are not familiar to me.) Each of these companies has a new sound format for blu-ray simply meant to deliver high quality that can be as good as the original from the studio.

It would not be too bad if the choices were that simple -- Dolby and DTS but no, there are a whole bunch of options which I will NOT go into here other than to list them: Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution, PCM, Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio.

Simply put, you can expect much better sound quality with your blu-ray player. If this issue is important to you, I recommend you follow this link for a very thorough discussion of these sound options.
High-Def Digest
Follow this link to read the very thorough explanation of the sound options for your blu-ray listening pleasure.

"Blu-ray has so much capacity that the quality of the audio is the best since vinyl (records). That has some great implications around the audio that comes out of the home-theatre environment."

-- Eric Stockner, Future Shop

What Are You Going To Get When You Buy A Blu-Ray Player? Part Three -- Ramped Up Extras! 

Because of the larger storage capacity of a blu-ray disc, these discs can hold a larger selection of extra features.

Version 1.0 players bring you the ability to watch more content or play games while you watch the movie. For instance, you can see how the movie was made as you watch it. If you do not need or want all of the extras, you can save some money (perhaps $100 or so) by buying this version.

Version 2.0 players bring you a new feature know as BD Live and 1 gigabyte of memory. This allows you to access much more content. With your blu-ray player conntected to the internet, you can access the content that is available.

The Sony Playstation 3 -- plays blu-rays and can be upgraded to Version 2.0 with an online upgrade.

Should I buy now, or should I wait?

If you love movies, buy now. If you don't; wait as prices are still coming down.

The Top 10 Questions About Blu-ray and More Information  

USA Today
Blu-ray faces strapped consumers worried about investing in a new format, a new library and still-pricey players, but it's the best video source around. USA TODAY tech writer Mike Snider offers an FAQ.
Blu-ray.com - Blu-ray Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Blu-ray.com has an excellent resource to answer your FAQ like What is Blu-ray? How much video and data can you fit on a Blu-ray disc? Will Blu-ray be backwards compatible with DVD?
5 Questions and Answers to Better Understand Blu-ray by louisgray.com
5 Questions and Answers to Better Understand Blu-ray -- Louis answers five simple questions about blu-ray with simple answers.

Aren't Blu-Ray Players and Discs Very Expensive? 

The prices have come down quickly. If you have not looked lately, be sure to look now. A simple standalone player can be had for around $200.

In terms of the costs of the discs themselves, Casino Royale is available on blu-ray from Amazon for $12.99 or on DVD for $10.00. There is not much difference left then, is there?

New release blu-ray discs do, of course, cost more. The Star Trek blu-ray disc is $19.99; DVD, $14.99.

Should I Consider a Sony PlayStation 3 Instead of A Standalone Blu-ray Player? 

"The Sony PlayStation 3 is the most recommendable Blu-ray player available today. Some home theater die hards will insist on a standalone player, but everyone else should stick with the PS3 until standalones cost much less and perform comparably." -- Matthew Moskovciak, CNET Reviews

If you are interested in the gaming aspects of the Sony PlayStation 3 Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), then it seems like choosing the console may be one of the best blu-ray players. The PS3 at $399 costs more than many standalone players but some consider it one of the best choices. To check out the PlayStation's and its blu-ray capabilities or to purchase it from Amazon, click here.



Click here to read more about the
Sony PlayStation 3
at Amazon

The Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Player and Gaming Console ~~ A Great Option Discussed Further At This Link 

Two functions, one great package! I was so impressed with the Playstation reviews that I created a separate page about it:

This page on the PS3 was written after I did my research and wrote this page about blu-ray players. Previously, I had heard that the PlayStation was an option but I did not know that it was such a quality player.
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Another Excellent Choice for a Blu-ray Player Is The Panasonic DMP BD60 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Black 

It is a well rated, inexpensive blu-ray player.

If you are looking for a blu-ray player but don't require one that has a lot of extra features, this is a great choice because it is considered a good quality, reliable player.
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A Solid Choice HDTV Television, The Toshiba REGZA 

Is The Toshiba REGZA 47ZV650U 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

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Yes, you CAN use your blu-ray player to play your DVDs! In addition, a blu-ray player will upscale the quality of your DVDs on your high-definition television.

Top Blu-ray Movies  

As of April, 2009, there are over 1,300 movies available on blu-ray with more being released every week!

I created these pages based on Sound and Vision Magazine's lists. They put special emphasis on quality of picture, sound and extras so these are not lists of the best movies ever made rather of the best blu-ray movies for enjoying your blu-ray player!
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Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood Blu-ray Movies 

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Disney Has Embraced Blu-ray In A Marvelous Way 

There are some amazing titles for your blu-ray player and your Disney fan on this list.

My Disney page includes brief reviews, links to detailed reviews, age recommendations and ratings for many Disney blu-ray discs. Disney makes wonderful children's movies; I hope this page helps you pick some for your blu-ray collection.
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More Great Children's Movie Reviews  

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A Collection of Christmas Movies Is Available on Blu-ray Disc 

I discovered that there are not many of the tried-and-true Christmas classics available on blu-ray. However, many great Christmas movies destined to become classics like The Polar Express, Shrek the Halls, The Holiday, Elf and more are available.
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More Christmas Movie Reviews 

(These ones are NOT available in blu-ray)

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Imax Blu-ray Movies & DisneyNature's Earth Movie 

See the world with an Imax blu-ray movie. This link will lead you to my page that discusses the top ten Imax blu-ray movies.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews 

Including Batman The Dark Knight & An American in Paris

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Lists of Blu-ray Movie Releases in January and February 2009 

Find out what movies arrived in blu-ray format this month by following this link.
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Are You Planning To Buy A Blu-ray Player in 2008 or 2009? 

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Great Blu-ray Information and Reviews Can Be Found At The Following Sites 

Blu-ray.com
Everything about Blu-ray Disc. Blu-ray reviews, releases, news, guides and forums covering Blu-ray movies, players, recorders, drives, media, software and much more.
CNET Reviews
Looking for the best blu-ray players? CNET editors' review of the best blu-ray players includes product photos and video and user reviews.
thesmarterwallet.com
The blu-ray DVD player: should we give it the green light now? A blu-ray DVD player review: some pros and cons of the blu-ray.
Sound & Vision Magazine
Sound and Vision Magazine provides authoratative tests and reviews of home theater equipment such as HDTVs, surround sound speakers, home theater systems, Blu-ray and HD DVD players, LCD and Plasma TVs, amps and preamps, speakers and subwoofers and more.
Forbes.com
Here's what you need to know to buy a Blu-ray player this season.
Consumer Reports Magazine
Blu-ray to get boost from new players, lower prices, and 3D. (Sept. 2008)
Blu-ray.com
With the rapidly increasing numbers of Blu-ray players hitting the market, it is becoming more and more difficult to determine which players are worth your hard earned cash. In an effort to help our readers and Blu-ray consumers in general, Blu-ray.com has created a special Blu-ray player benchmark test. Our hope is that these numbers will prove to be valuable for those seeking the fastest and best-performing Blu-ray players currently on the market.
Find the right Blu-ray player for you | Crave - CNET
CNET rounds up its latest Blu-ray coverage, from Blu-ray players available for less than $250 to players that feature multichannel analog outputs. Read this blog post by Matthew Moskovciak on Crave.
Golf Accessories Reviews Blog
This was an excellent comparison of the Panasonic DMP-BD35K and the Sony BDP-S350. The author bought them both and did a side-by-side test.

Brenda's Most Excellent Blu-ray Movies Adventure 

featured lens Brenda's Most Excellent Blu-ray Movies Adventure

This picture is of me, Brenda, a blu-ray movies convert. Not a fantastic picture but it is me, nevertheless. With me is my blu-ray player and my high definition television. Well, maybe not MY blu-ray player and not MY HD television. Perhaps I should s...

Music and Movie Treasures By Brenda 

You can follow my continuing blu-ray adventures on my blog!

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Have you learned anything about blu-ray from this page? 

(If you classifed yourself as an expert earlier, you can pass on this poll.)

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Please leave me your thoughts, comments and suggestions on this page. 

As I said originally, I am not a tech expert. I have put some time into gathering some basic information for you here because I know that the questions about blu-ray are swirling around out there. Because I am not an expert, I have made a real effort to include links that I have found useful. Please use them to educate yourself.

With that in mind, I would love to hear what you thought of this page. I should add that this page is a work in progress; blu-ray is already changing and evolving...

Thank you for visiting!

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All of My Blu-ray Pages 

You'll find information about the PS3 blu-ray player, blu-ray technology and a large assortment of blu-ray movies. All of which are great Christmas gift ideas!

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by Treasures-By-Brenda

No blu-ray expert, I have chosen to share on this page some of the basic information I have learned about blu-ray so that you will be a little bit bet... (more)

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