Buying Shifts

[HGervais]

The days I had been trying to avoid have arrived...blu-ray & dvd. What I'm looking at is something akin to a paradigm shift in how I'm buying discs. How has everyone else balanced the two formats as it relates to what they purchase? Just looking for everyone else's happy medium.

[Future Man]

I still buy new releases of catalogue dvd titles that I can't imagine will see a Blu-ray release anytime soon--for instance the recent release of Fritz Lang's Man Hunt. And I am slowly replacing much of what I previously owned with their Blu-ray counterparts, although sometimes that practice gives me pause. Do I really need to spend more money on The Kingdom even if I am able to recoup a few bucks by selling off the dvd?

[Steve T Power]

I've upgraded my "choice" films, and will continue to do so as they roll out my favorites. In terms of new releases, i'm pretty stingy on purchases, and I buy next to nothing on DVD these days. Tuesdays aren't the ball of excitement they once were.

That said, I do still love the format, and 9 times out of 10, a new purchase will be a blu-ray, unless i get something off of the previewed shelves at work (which i get a super sweet deal on).

[Burson_Fouch]

I can justify a double (triple/quadruple/quintuple) dip if I believe the Hi-def version will provide an enriched visual/audio experience, Kubrick's 2001/ACO or The Shining for example.

On the other hand, I don't plan on upgrading Evil Dead I or II anytime in the near or far distant future. They finally got the Day of the Dead transfer right with the Blu-Ray version...but I can't imagine how NOTLD can be shown with visuals that are any better than the Image DVD that came out 7 years ago.

If it's something I don't have yet, then my inclinitation is to buy it on Blu-ray rather than DVD if it's available in HD.

[Dan Mancini]

I've upgraded my "choice" films, and will continue to do so as they roll out my favorites. In terms of new releases, i'm pretty stingy on purchases, and I buy next to nothing on DVD these days. Tuesdays aren't the ball of excitement they once were.

That pretty much sums it up for me, too. The only DVD purchases I make anymore are stuff for the kids that isn't available on Blu (e.g. The Peanuts '60s and '70s collections).

[the5thghostbuster]

New releases, its Blu all the way. I am slowly picking up certain films in the format that are favs I already own, but I'm in no rush.

I still buy DVDs of classic DOCTOR WHO (no way there will ever likely be a Blu-Ray release, and if there is, it wont improve the visual image any). I also buy films that either are unlikely to get a Blu release soon, or where the Blu Ray doesn't really seem worth the extra money (I dig the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, but not enough to justify a Blu Ray purchase).

[mavrach]

Money is an issue lately, so I'll only buy Blu-Rays of movies I really think I'll like, and only flashy-effects type movies. I don't see the point of buying something like Away We Go in HD right now. All the summer blockbuster stuff will be Blu in my collection. But I'm going to try to find this stuff used. Generally anything else is straight DVD for me.

[Steve T Power]

I don't see the point of buying something like Away We Go in HD right now.

It looks downright beautiful in HD.

I've got to say, I'd thought that way initially, but the more i watch in HD, the more i realize that any genre of film can benefit from the treatment.

[Future Man]

Does anyone fret over the "excessive DNR/digitally erased film grain" charge leveled at some Blu-ray releases?

[Dan Mancini]

Does anyone fret over the "excessive DNR/digitally erased film grain" charge leveled at some Blu-ray releases?

I wouldn't say I fret over it, but there are some high-profile titles I haven't picked up because of it (I'm looking at you, Pan's Labyrinth).

[Steve T Power]

Feh! My copy of Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray waves hello, and it looks fabulous!

[HGervais]

Feh! My copy of Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray waves hello, and it looks fabulous!

Just not the way it looked in theaters or the way it was intended to. Waving back saying you can keep it.

[Dan Mancini]

Feh! My copy of Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray waves hello, and it looks fabulous!

Just not the way it looked in theaters or the way it was intended to. Waving back saying you can keep it.

Go easy on Steve. He can't be expected to have good taste. He's Canadian.

[hoytereden]

Does anyone fret over the "excessive DNR/digitally erased film grain" charge leveled at some Blu-ray releases?

Not too much. Just do a little research before purchasing. Read reviews on sites such as this one (of course!) , The Digital Bits, Hi-Def Digest, etc. They'll call attention to it and if it's minor-Pan's Labyrinth or ridiculous-Patton. It also depends on the size of the display you'll be watching it on. Since most of us have screen sizes measured in inches, rather than feet, minor DNR might not be very noticeable. Mind you, I'm not happy with the fact it happens at all but I'm simply saying that, as Steve mentioned, Pan's Labyrinth does indeed look fine and I doubt that a revamped re-issue is going to happen anytime soon so enjoy it now. BTW the uncompressed audio on (most) Blu-rays is as impressive an upgrade as the video is.

[Steve T Power]

Feh! My copy of Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray waves hello, and it looks fabulous!

Just not the way it looked in theaters or the way it was intended to. Waving back saying you can keep it.

Go easy on Steve. He can't be expected to have good taste. He's Canadian.

you know there is a point where purist becomes elitist.

The whole DNR hullaballo makes no sense to me. It'd be different if the noise reduction was cranked to such a degree that there were edge halos everywhere, but that simply isn't the case with Pan's Labyrinth.

[HGervais]

If wanting to see a movie at home so it most closely resembles the way I saw it in the movie theater makes me an elitist, then break out your merlot guy. I just calling it caring about movies. Again as with the pan & scan days if we as comsumers allow companies to alter movies to fit some bland, dumbed down demographic of what they think we want to see, then we have no one left to blame but ourselves. If movie lovers don't give a crap, how are we supposed to expect the people who release the movies on home video to care? It looks great to me just does not cut it.

[Steve T Power]

If wanting to see a movie at home so it most closely resembles the way I saw it in the movie theater makes me an elitist, then break out your merlot guy. I just calling it caring about movies. Again as with the pan & scan days if we as comsumers allow companies to alter movies to fit some bland, dumbed down demographic of what they think we want to see, then we have no one left to blame but ourselves. If movie lovers don't give a crap, how are we supposed to expect the people who release the movies on home video to care? It looks great to me just does not cut it.

What? Cleaning up grain and noise is on the same level as pan n scan now? It looks bland??? Really???

Dumbed down demographic?

You need to stop drkining the DVDBeaver koolaid my friend.

[Dan Mancini]

What? Cleaning up grain and noise is on the same level as pan n scan now? It looks bland??? Really???

Dumbed down demographic?

You need to stop drkining the DVDBeaver koolaid my friend.

Hey, I'm definitely not in the batshit purist camp. I mostly think DVD Beaver is full of crap because a series of screen caps tell you very little about the overall quality of a transfer (plus, they're all Canadian). I defended the Dark City BD against the HTF loons who claimed that all of the actors look like they were created by Madame Tussauds. I understand that some level of DNR needs to be applied to every transfer (yes, every transfer). And if -- if -- there's a tad too much on Dark City, it's understandable given the age and budget of the flick. But Pan's Labyrinth is a different matter. It has significantly more DNR than DC, and for no good reason. It's a brand new film. The grain structure on the original negative was tight and controlled. The flick could look amazing on BD. Instead, the disc's producers decided to try to make it look like the Super Bowl or Planet Earth in HD, and that's just not how it was shot. It doesn't come from an HD video source, but they monkeyed with it so much that it looks like video not film. I'm not knee-jerk about DNR, but studios do sometimes cross the line.

[HGervais]

What? Cleaning up grain and noise is on the same level as pan n scan now? It looks bland??? Really???

Dumbed down demographic?

You need to stop drkining the DVDBeaver koolaid my friend.

Hey, I'm definitely not in the batshit purist camp. I mostly think DVD Beaver is full of crap because a series of screen caps tell you very little about the overall quality of a transfer (plus, they're all Canadian). I defended the Dark City BD against the HTF loons who claimed that all of the actors look like they were created by Madame Tussauds. I understand that some level of DNR needs to be applied to every transfer (yes, every transfer). And if -- if -- there's a tad too much on Dark City, it's understandable given the age and budget of the flick. But Pan's Labyrinth is a different matter. It has significantly more DNR than DC, and for no good reason. It's a brand new film. The grain structure on the original negative was tight and controlled. The flick could look amazing on BD. Instead, the disc's producers decided to try to make it look like the Super Bowl or Planet Earth in HD, and that's just not how it was shot. It doesn't come from an HD video source, but they monkeyed with it so much that it looks like video not film. I'm not knee-jerk about DNR, but studios do sometimes cross the line.

No kool-aid here Steve. If you find it insulting that I would demand that a film looks like, you know, film, then again, start throwing your latest elitist snark. Like Dan I understand the need for a certain degree of work on almost every disc and that is not what I'm complianing about. What they did do Pan's Labyrinth is a freaking shame. They scrubbed it clean & yes, dumbed it down visually. And to please who exactly? My point stands, if we allow studio executives to use their toys to do whatever they want to a movie without consequences, eventually they will and we will have no one to blame but ourselves. Looks great to me still does not cut it and after seeing [b]Pan's Labyrinth[b] the way it was intended and seeing how they "made it better" for Blu-ray, no one in their right mind should make that comment.

[Andrew Forbes]

Guys, the only real question is this: Are BD transfers maintaining the proper grain of werewolf pubes? If I can't get Lycanthrob 3 as it was meant to be seen, why should I switch to Hi Def?

[Dan Mancini]

Guys, the only real question is this: Are BD transfers maintaining the proper grain of werewolf pubes? If I can't get Lycanthrob 3 as it was meant to be seen, why should I switch to Hi Def?

Everything after Lycanthrob 2: Bite Me is crap, you Philistine.

[Jon Mercer]

It's days like this I'm glad I still watch mine on a 27 inch CRT.