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Morning all. The time has come for another What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Ultimate Guide, and this time the topic at hand is Blu-ray. We're reviewing as many Blu-ray players, HD Audio surround amps and receivers and suitable speaker systems as we can, and we'll also be covering Full HD TVs and projectors, active subwoofers and essential extras. Oh, and there's a competition to win one of three complete Blu-ray home cinema systems, each of which is worth over £3500 – more about that soon.
In the meantime, and as regular forumistas will know, we'd like to get your input to help make for a more interesting magazine. First, we'd like you to tell us what you think about Blu-ray: what you think of its picture, its sound, and of the high-definition disc experience in general. The best quotes will be published in the next issue, on sale on October 31st, so be as pithy or as rambling as you like – so long as it's clean!
Of course, we're looking for comments from people who actually like Blu-ray – not much point in printing a 'Blu-ray is pants' comment in a magazine dedicated to the subject – but I'm hoping that now, with the format war a distant memory and more software hitting the streets, you'll all be feeling more positive about the format...
One other thing. We're running a Top 50 Blu-ray discs feature, based (of course) on technical merit. We've made our own selections, but we'd love you tell us about the discs you rate, and why. So if you're particularly passionate about Apocalyto, Cars, Transformers or There Will Be Blood – or anything else – let us know!

 

[nws56]

Hello Andy.

Had a player for about 5 months now ( PS3 ) , when the format war had resolved itself. Well not really ; I bought it mainly because Gran Turismo Prologue was released. The blu films were just a bonus . And what a bonus ! I had been toying with the idea of a surround system - or at least a sub woofer - because the sound from DVD was so weedy through a hi-fi system (Naim 62 / Hi cap / 140 to Ruark Talisman ) The sound from blu-ray just knocked me out , to the extent of banishing any thoughts of a surround system.

Yes , of course the improvement in picture quality was very welcome indeed , but I think the huge soundstage created does the most in convincing you of an event taking place , rather than just watching a film on telly.

Worst picture quality must be Babel ; best might be Casino Royale , Troy , or Ratatouille . I don't have many discs yet , and with the prices so unreasonably high for them , will probably not acquire many either . DVD is just such good value at the moment ; at least it is if you are prepared to wait a while after the release date .

Having said that , blu is always my first choice for preference , and I've started buying second hand on e-bay .

Hope this helps you , Nicholas .

 

[Gerrardasnails]

nws56:
Hello Andy.

Had a player for about 5 months now ( PS3 ) , when the format war had resolved itself. Well not really ; I bought it mainly because Gran Turismo Prologue was released. The blu films were just a bonus . And what a bonus ! I had been toying with the idea of a surround system - or at least a sub woofer - because the sound from DVD was so weedy through a hi-fi system (Naim 62 / Hi cap / 140 to Ruark Talisman ) The sound from blu-ray just knocked me out , to the extent of banishing any thoughts of a surround system.

Yes , of course the improvement in picture quality was very welcome indeed , but I think the huge soundstage created does the most in convincing you of an event taking place , rather than just watching a film on telly.

Worst picture quality must be Babel ; best might be Casino Royale , Troy , or Ratatouille . I don't have many discs yet , and with the prices so unreasonably high for them , will probably not acquire many either . DVD is just such good value at the moment ; at least it is if you are prepared to wait a while after the release date .

Having said that , blu is always my first choice for preference , and I've started buying second hand on e-bay .

Hope this helps you , Nicholas .

I read this from High-def digest which gives great reviews of BD quality. Sounds like Babel may not look great to you because of the sort of film it is?
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

At first glance, 'Babel' may not seem like the type of film that would benefit much from the bump to high-def. It's a grainy, battered, rough-looking film -- a visual style that perfectly suits the film's subject matter, but that would hardly seem to qualify it as demo material. However, since Paramount was nice enough to also send a copy of the standard-def DVD along with the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions, a comparison reveals that there is actually a noticeable if not exactly phenomenal upgrade in depth, color fidelity and resolution.

The film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and 1080p video. This Blu-ray release is encoded in MPEG-2, while the HD DVD is AVC MPEG-4. Being able to compare all simultaneously, and given the grainy texture of the film, there is scant difference between the two high-def versions. Though 'Babel' was shot in 35mm, it often looks like a very nice 16mm blow-up. Grain is ever-present, though unlike, say, Steven Soderbergh's 'Traffic,' the interlocking stories generally have the same feel and texture, so the image is surprisingly consistent. Colors are subdued throughout -- reds become pale burgundy, blues the color of a muted sky, and greens pale and sickly. Contrast is a bit whited out, at least during bright exteriors, but it is not particularly excessive. 'Babel' never looks "digital," instead more resembling a well-worn film.

Predictably, the high-def "wow" factor is not comparable to a slick, big-budget Hollywood spectacle. But close-ups in particular shine, with fine detail apparent, especially in faces. And depth is better than you might expect, with even long shots fairly substantial in revealing texture to the many natural and man-made landscapes. Even exterior night scenes sparkle a bit, especially scenes featuring the glittering Japanese nightlife. For such a busy film, I was also impressed by the lack of any compression artifacts -- neither

 

[nws56]

Thanks for that , Gerrard.

Yes, the quality is just so inconsistent , the mountainscapes grainy yet the Tokyo clubscene amazes with riotous colours.

But the reason it's the worst disc I've seen is the unforgiveable patches of blue that appear on the black hair of the Mexican maid and Inspector Mamiya.

Still love the film though ! Cheers.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Clean comments only, you say, Andy? There go my Daniel Craig in high-def observations then

But seriously.... It's all about seeing and hearing your favourite films, shows and concerts as you've never seen (or heard) them before.

When I watched the first two James Bond films on Blu-ray recently, it was like discovering a whole new director's cut of the movies - the extra life and detail breathed new life into familiar favourites.

 

[professorhat]

Yup, agree with Clare, though with an addition - Blu-Ray's greatest asset I think is, when used in the right system, its ability to transform seemingly average films into breathtaking marvels. Two examples - a friend (who shall remain nameless to protect him!) downloads films from the internet (at a reasonable quality for a download, but still not quite DVD quality). Two such films were Cloverfield and Sunshine both of which he described as decidedly average. I received both some time later on Blu-Ray through my Lovefilm subscription and, not only was I absolutely blown away by the visuals in both, but even more importantly, the soundtracks. When the helicopter went down into Central Park in Cloverfield, I was right in there with them! We both have very similar tastes in film so I put the difference down to the experience Blu-Ray brings.
Of course if it can do that with what would otherwise be average films, imagine what it can do with a film you love!

 

[avnut]

what can i say, I got into dvd when it was first introduced in the 90s and the format just blew me away then came 5.1 and wow! i was hooked. A few years ago I heard about a new format called bluray but it could'nt be better than dvd with A 5.1 system hooked up now could it? (how wrong could i have been).as time went on kept hearing the term bluray and hddvd but players were mega money and you just didnt see the movies on sale anyway.Then i saw it and well all my christmases came at once i couldn,t believe the picture,and the sound it was truely a defining moment in my life.Many hundreds of pounds later I,m now the owner of my own bd system. Still the discs are pretty pricey but if you can remember so were dvds in the early days so come on the more you buy the cheaper they will get (eventually) the king is dead long live the king!!!!

 

[shado]

Having upgraded my system this year from Panasonic CRT TX-32PD30/Sony DVD Recorder RDR GX700 with Monster Scart and QED Component Leads that offered decent SD quality and a 720i facility for Digital Photos to the breathtaking Panasonic 37LZD85 Full HD Set and Panasonic BD-30 Blu Ray Player plus free Panny HDMI Lead it was a revelation. Luckily I had Cars and Ratatouille to kick start the collection courtesy of the Blu Ray Player. The best BD on offer for sheer tranquility and depth of picture quality are:

Into the Blue

The Water Horse

The Lake House

Disney Cars.

Unfortunately I cannot comment on the sound yet as the sound is projected through TV only. However, tomorrow I will have acquired Yamaha YSP30D and YST Subwoofer so guess what I will be doing this weekend! As for prices the cheapest BD I have purchased is £9.99 each for Superman Returns and The Lake House from of all places Toysrus.

 

[Anonymous]

Love Blue Ray

I bought a PS3 in July 2007 for it mainly, but also to play one or two games. I joined Lovefilms as well to get a good regular supply of movies.
The demo in the Shop was impresive in High Definition and I loved the fact that the PS3 would always have the latest software downloaded off its wireless internet connection.
I also bought a Samsung 46" TV and listened to various Sony suround packages. Whilst they were OK, none of them blew me away. I realised to get the best out of my largish lounge I had to spend more money and go down the seperates route.

Finally ended up buying the Onkyo 875 av amp, Monitor Audio RS8 fronts along with the rest of there AV package, all wired together with decent power/speaker cables.

Wow, films felt that you were in them, not only with your eyes but the sound effects, details, presence ia amazing. Films just grip your attention, sometimes having you on the edge of your seat.
I have found the sound quality of some Blue Ray films to be disappointing whilst others were fantastic. If you thought going to the cinema was good, watching them at home on a good system is so much better.
Out of all the ones watched so far 'Happy Feet' is probably the favourite for showing off both picture and sound.

 

[nws56]

What does Clare Newsome see in Daniel Craig ?

All the females in our house think that -even in 1080p - he has a face like a bag of spanners .

And that he is the best Bond ever .

I just don't get it....

 

[Clare Newsome]

nws56:
What does Clare Newsome see in Daniel Craig ?

All the females in our house think that -even in 1080p - he has a face like a bag of spanners .

And that he is the best Bond ever .

I just don't get it....

Who said anything about his face?!

But seriously - those eyes, the alpha male attitude... Bet the females in your house like pretty-boys such as Orlando Bloom (wimp!)

 

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, I think he's the best Bond since Connery, but I also think he's being helped by scripts that don't lumber him with ridiculous notions like invisible Astons.ÿ
Back on track: as a lifelong AV maniac with a loft full of hugely expensive laserdiscs and a garage full (yes, full) with DVDs, I've tried hard to resist the urge to buy Blu-rays, mainly because my wife is finding it increasingly hard to see the funny side. But y'know what? I can't do it. They're just too good to ignore, even though I agree heartily with the poster who expressed his disappointment with the variability in disc transfer quality. That, of course, is one area we'll be addressing in our Top 50 Blu-ray feature - there are some big-name movies that don't make the final cut simply because their picture transfers just aren't up to scratch.

 

[Torres09]

I was lucky enough to pick up a PS3 on release date and got Casino Royale free,well, almost 60 BluRay's later i think its one of the best transfers ive seen, The colours are vibrant,the clarity is unbelievable, sounds great to....

Have to agree with the other comments about poor transfers...........take Master and Commander great action packed movie fantastic sound but (IMO) let down by an average transfer......................

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

I don't have loads of money to throw at my AV affliction but I get by. I love what HD has brought to the table but I don't think it will take off untill disc's and hardware are at a good price for the average man in the street as it where. I think if you subtract the PS3 from the equasion things would not look quite as good for the Blu.

However I snuck in on the blind side and built a computer with a 360 hd drive and then added a blu drive, best of both worlds me thinks !

Not quite, not bitstream from pc bah! bought an Onkyo 605 wow now playing lpcm via hdmi sounds and looks great!! I've also picked up a Toshiba HD E1 for peanuts and that is superb with HD and DVD! ÿTo put me in AV heaven all I need now is a soundcard that will bitstream to the amp !

I also agree some disc's have been poor. So far I would say ÿbest would be- I robot and Casino Royale picture and sound top notch.

Think the DARK KNIGHT and Quantum will be good, Mr Craig is defo best bond since conery.ÿ

Also RATATOUILE and CARS both very good.ÿ

 

[nws56]

Ah.. now I'm getting it.

Yes ! They do like the O.B. one ! But how could you possibly know this ? And yes again, for he surely he is wimpness personified (Troy ) . But does he not redeem himself in Kingdom of H. ? What say you ?

 

[PJPro]

Clare Newsome: [snip]....the alpha male attitude...
Plenty of posters with that on this site methinks!

 

[mike aitch]

i bought a ps3 because of what it will do,and have'nt regretted it once;it's an astounding machine imho.as for discs i've said it before but the difference in audio/visual quality in the song remains the same on dvd and bd is remarkable(which is why i'm remarking upon it,i suppose).

 

[Anonymous]

I have just purchased an Onkyo 905 and a Panasonic BD30 (last weeks models at a discount price!) My limited experience of Bluray compared to DVD is firstly less cables, not quite a plug and play, but much easier then assigning inputs and other juggling about at the back of cupboards trying to perform keyhole surgery with a digital cable. This I like very much!

Since I am on this forum you can tell that I am an enthusiast, but I don't fully understand the differences between the HDMI and Bluray profiles that are around. Alarmingly most salesmen in electrical retailers know even less than me!. At one store a salesman told me that HDMI only carried stereo sound, at another store I was told that existing Bluray players will not play the latest discs and so I should buy next weeks model. This confusion will not help the cause.

Anyone see that there is a significant step-up in picture quality with most films and the players are getting cheaper all of the time. However I am only using a 26" screen, and I don't think that you get the real wow factor on a small screen, you need to go big, go very big, because you can! The fact is that really big screens don't lend themselves to casual TV viewing. I would be interested to know what the biggest selling screen size is. ( I do aspire to a 60" Pioneer plasma and my wife has agreed to let me have one, once the extension and new kitchen are completed) What turned me on to Bluray was the potential for much improved sound, and this it delivers in buckets, more sparkle, depth, dynamic range etc etc. (bring on Bluray audio!)

The fact however; is that when it comes to enjoying movies, its the movie itself thats the most important factor. I don't enjoy films any less when I watch them on my DVD player (admittedly hi-end) then when I watch them on my Blu-ray player. Jo public can buy a DVD player at Tescos for £20 so even £180 for a Bluray player is a lot of money, and its only when the price of players really drops that the format will be more widely adopted and the price of films will drop, or is that the other way around?

Today at a major branch of Zavvi (Bristol, Cribbs Causeway) I could have bought 2 Bluray discs for £40 from a limited selection or 5 fairly current dvds for £30 from a huge range. I could also buy many DVD titles at £3. I can not buy a Bluray disc in Tescos at any price. This is the problem with the new format, the cost and availability of the films, plus your average punter not valuing (although admiring) the improvement in quality over DVD. Has anyone tried renting a Bluray from their local hire shop?

I guess that we are at the same stage that we were at when DVD first came in, the players were expensive and you could not afford to buy the movies. We are going to have to wait until Bluray drives are found on most home computers and the Sunday papers are giving away Bluray movies foc before the format is univerally popular, just in time for the next best thing!

Now I must leave you as I have to get on with my extension.......................

 

[michael.seigal]

I have the BD30 hooked up to an onkyo 605. I am using a 32" HD ready tosh and kef 2005.2 speakers. Even though I do notice some 'jerkyness' on the tosh the picture still easily surpases a dvd and the soundstage just blows you away. The Kef's like to be agreesive anyways so playing something like die hard 4 gives blue ray a chance to shine in the sound department. While playing 30 days of night the crispness of the starting scene in the arctic winterland is strikingly stunning. With detail being articulated in fine detail and amazing depth and this is all on a hd ready set!

I am soon upgrading to a 40" 40w4500 and I think this will blow me away!

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi,

After being an early adopter in other formats (Laserdisc, Minidisc) I was a bit sceptical about the BD/HD DVD format 'war' and did not bite until I was granted permission to buy a PS3 as a dual purpose machine. I was pushed towards the PS3 as stand alone players were still at an astronomical price which was out of my reach. My home entertainment had been boosted by the purchase of a 42" Panasonic plasma TV and I was eager to see if the new kid on the block would tip a hat to DVD on it's way past up the quality scale or if it would prove to be not much different. Casino Royale was the film I lost my Bluray virginity to - I'm sure I'm not alone - and it proved to be a ride I would enjoy from start to finish. I then took leaps of faith with Peter Parker as we learned to swoop through the streets of New York. I've learned ninja with Bruce Wayne, been driven on a bus by Sandra Bullock and fought dragons with Harry. The pictures are so sharp that you are lost in the depth of the picture and the whole story is more believable. You are there. I cannot wait to get permission from my good lady for a new HD enabled amplifier or a stand alone (now cheaper) bluray player with analogue out so I can enjoy HD sounds - who knows where that will take me!

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[Andrew Everard]

PJPro:Clare Newsome: [snip]....the alpha male attitude...
Plenty of posters with that on this site methinks!

Ah yes, but doesn't the snip cure the alpha male attitude?

 

[John Duncan]

Andrew Everard:
PJPro:Clare Newsome: [snip]....the alpha male attitude...
Plenty of posters with that on this site methinks!

Ah yes, but doesn't the snip cure the alpha male attitude?

I'll let you know.

 

[Anonymous]

Can't live without them!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Quite happy with the improvement in picture quality, but i dont think sound quality has improved much. Blu ray disks are capable of handling 96khz and 192khz, so why are we still getting 44khz. Bought an onkyo 875, b&w 685 theatre and a panasonic bd 30 hoping for a bit more, but hopefully, when these set ups are more common, we can get a better and higher bitrate.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but I disagree. I believe the sound quality on Blu-ray has been massively improved over DVD. A standard Dolby Digital transfer on a DVD is a 16-bit/48kHz data file compressed to 448kbps. By contrast, some of the very best Blu-ray transfers offer audio encoded as 24-bit/48kHz uncompressed PCM, while others losslessly pack 24-bit/48kHz content using data-transfer systems able to support over 20mbps. Listen to either audio stream compared back-to-back to the same audio on a DVD through your home cinema system. If you're not hearing significant differences, there may be something wrong with the configuration of your set-up.

By the by, movie studios author and store soundtracks at 24-bit/48kHz, too. For more on this subject, see the Ultimate Guide to Blu-ray, on sale 31st October.