Is there any point getting Blu Ray

[admin_exported]

A couple of years ago I bought a Pioneer Pdp 432 XDE (I hope I have that all right) which I know, and knew then, is 720p and 1080i, I knew it didnt go to 1080p. When I bought the telly I was told it is the mutt's proverbials, and I do love it, it is an awsome set, and that it would be great for HD DVD / Blu Ray when that battle was sorted.

I have waited until is was settled and BR came down a bit in price and I was looking for a BR player.

I went into a shop in Southampton looking to buy the panny BDR35 (?) and was told it was discontinued (I had JUST read a review). I was asked what screen I had, I told them, and the manager said there was no point as my resolution doesnt support Blu Ray and I may as well just get an up-scaling DVD player.

Why did the person who sold me the TV say it would be great for next gen players if it isn't or is the bloke I just spoke to sore that i wouldnt buy his Sony player. I am a bit confused to say the least. Any advice would be welcome.

Fal.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Corporate opinion from the review team here is that Blu-ray will still look better than upscaled DVD on your screen.

Though it might not be worth it were you to have a smaller screen - say a 37 or 32in, just for information for other members...

 

[Anonymous]

So it may be worth getting a Blu Ray plaer, like the Panny for the interim and then, finances allowing, upgrade my telly (that will take some getting past the wife).

Is he Panny 35 discontinued? If so, decent alt?

Fal

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes, I think it would be worth getting a BD player.

The Panasonic machine is on the way out - it's officially off the lists, but there are still some around - as is the more expensive 55. The obvious alternative is the Sony BDP-S350, but there are new machines on the way from both companies, the Panasonics sooner than the Sony models, so it may well be worth seeing what they offer. We expect to review one of the new Panasonics in the May issue, on sale early April.

 

[Alec]

Andrew Everard:

Corporate opinion from the review team here is that Blu-ray will still look better than upscaled DVD on your screen.

Though it might not be worth it were you to have a smaller screen - say a 37 or 32in, just for information for other members...

I was intending to upgrade my cheap(ish), not very well liked (according to your buyers' guide...harumph...) Panny dvd player to one of the new blurays. part of me just irrationally wants one, but i guess id save a lot by not bothering, and i only have a 37" screen...

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Falariun:
So it may be worth getting a Blu Ray plaer, like the Panny for the interim and then, finances allowing, upgrade my telly (that will take some getting past the wife).

Is he Panny 35 discontinued? If so, decent alt?

Fal

That salesman was either trying to get you to change screens or he is just talking nonsense. A bd player with your screen will look great and if you have a surround system too, the possibility of HD audio is also a must.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Falariun:I went into a shop in Southampton looking to buy the panny BDR35 (?) and was told it was discontinued (I had JUST read a review). I was asked what screen I had, I told them, and the manager said there was no point as my resolution doesnt support Blu Ray and I may as well just get an up-scaling DVD player.Rubbish. Bluray players can output most resolutions, so one of them will fit your screen, whether it's 1080i or 720p.

Why did the person who sold me the TV say it would be great for next gen players if it isn't or is the bloke I just spoke to sore that i wouldnt buy his Sony player. I am a bit confused to say the least. Any advice would be welcome.Back when you got your TV (about 6/7 years ago?), future resolutions had not been decided, and your screen at the time would've been classed as HD as it could display a 720p signal. The standards for HD broadcasting were set later (720p/1080i), and it was only then it was realised that all current screens wouldn't be able to display full HD from any disc format. This is something that annoyed a lot of people, and it was the retailers that got it in the neck, when it wasn't really their fault.

I've seen an improved picture on screens smaller than 37", but it's up to yourself whether it's worth buying based on that difference - Bluray's difference really comes into it's own on far bigger screens - particularly projectors.

 

[Anonymous]

Just to weight in here, I recently saw a blu ray for the first time on the PS3 and all I can say is that looks absolutely superb and the audio is much more dynamic sounding on a blu ray recording than a dvd recording. The defined quality of the picture really is terrific and now makes dvd pictures pale into comparison, the texture is so detailed it makes the images appear as if they are almost not even really confined to the screen, if that makes sense.