Blu-Ray for Dummies (1 Viewer)

[Ruz-El]

Thanks Vern, I'll give that a try next time!

 

[Rob_Ray]

The Sony BDP-350 sounds like exactly what I'm looking for to tide me over until I spring for a new HDTV. David_B_K, I know exactly what you mean about the improved resolution of HDTV, but I want to take my time and buy wisely, especially since I'm more than happy with my current 35" 4:3 set's display of the old 1930s/40s titles I tend to watch. I have my eye on the 46" Sonys but am in no hurry. I'm sure Ben-Hur will look spectacular on HDTV and look forward to enjoying it in that format. But I can wait a bit for the prices to come down.

But meanwhile I don't want to waste my time, money and shelf space buying titles like "The Robe" on SD if the Blu-Ray versions are superior and come with exclusive features. And having been a laserdisc collector since 1983, I have no fear of black bars, but I refuse to watch my old academy-ratio films with black bars on all four sides.

A Blu-Ray player with a 4:3 display setting is what I'm looking for, so I'm glad to know they are out there. That way, when I do go HDTV in the future, I'll already have my favorite titles in Blu-Ray.

 

[Porfirio]

Go to the Video settings in your S350 and change the "Screen Format" from "original" to "Fixed Aspect Ratio." Also make sure that the DVD Aspect Ratio is set to "Letter Box." Anamorphic and Full Frame DVDs should now display properly.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I don't know what you mean by "all four sides". The old films have bars only on the left and right, but not top and bottom. (They are not windowboxed). Still, I am not sure why it would matter to you if you buy at least a 46" WS HDTV (which is what I did). Because then, the old 4:3 films look just the same size as they already do on your standard old TV --- even a slight bit more info, in fact. It's just that the image will be centered as a square in the middle of the screen (and the black vertical bars on just the two sides are not at all intrusive - especially when watching at night in the dark).

 

[Chuck Pennington]

What he means is that if the player only outputs for 16x9 formatting of 4x3 films within the frame, and then it is downconverted to 4x3 he would have a 4x3 image boxed on all 4 sides. Anyone who has watched some of the letterboxed but not HD programs on Sci-Fi HD know what I'm talking about, where the image is boxed on all 4 sides and the aspect ratio on the TV or HD receiver need to me modified. Or TCM, which shows many widescreen films letterboxed within a 4x3 frame. On a 16x9 display you would have a postage stamp in the middle of the screen.

The poster was worried this would be his only alternative for 4x3 films, and it isn't. There are 4x3 HDTVs out there (misguided purchases, those, which they are no longer produced), and the BDP-350 can output 4x3 films in 4x3 and widescreen films letterboxed within the 4x3 frame.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Thanks, Chuck. That's exactly what I mean. Given the specs on Fox's release of "The Robe," it looks more and more like Blu-Ray will soon be the way to go for future video purchases. However, given the state of the economy right now, I would rather not spend money in 2009 on an HDTV when my 35" 4:3 set is perfectly adequate for the Academy ratio titles I mainly watch.

I like several '50s and '60s widescreen titles and will want to consider the Blu-Ray upgrades that contain exclusive bonus features, but they are far fewer in number compared to the hundreds of pre-'53 titles I enjoy.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

That's what you think until you see an excellent SD DVD upconverted in 1080p on a Blu-Ray player on a 42" 1080p HDTV. When I got the Blu-Ray player it's like my existing library got a new lease on life! No, they aren't HD, but they look so much more smooth and natural than they did on my progressive-scan DVD player.

 

[JohnMor]

Russell, I have the 350 also. Have you tried switching the SCREEN FORMAT setting (under Video Settings) from "Original" (the default) to "Fixed Aspect Ratio?" Once I did that my ratios were correct.

 

[Jay E]

That's exactly I was going to write. My Oppo DVD player upconverts to 1080 and my standard DVDs look so much better than with my old player. I also own a PS3, but since I own quite a few imported DVDs, I still need my Oppo. The good thing is that Oppo will be releasing a region free Blu-ray player in 2009.

Just getting a HDTV and a DVD player that upconverts will be a nice upgrade. But I would just get a blu-ray player already as it will both upconvert and play blu-rays. They have come down so much in price that I bought one for my parents for Xmas ($110 through a sale at Amazon).

 

[Charles Ellis]

Come on, guys and gals- does anyone out there why there hasn't been a multi-disc (5-7 discs) Blu-Ray player yet?? Someone must know!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I guess the readers of a thread called "Blu-ray for Dummies" located in the SD forum don't!

Maybe you should try the question over in the High-Def equipment forum! Odds are...someone over there will know! Them guys is smart!

 

[Bryan Tuck]

This thread has been very educational for me. I was under the impression that you couldn't play Blu-Rays on an SDTV. But they will downconvert, then?

That's good to know, although it's possible that I'll be buying both an HDTV and Blu-Ray player before too long.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, when you set up the player for your equipment, you select the resolution you want the machine to deliver: 480i for a SDTV, and both Blu-ray machines I own also have composite jacks for the lowest level of picture and sound.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I could not get any Academy ratio films to display in Full Screen when playing them thru a Sony S500 & displayed on my 6 yr old 32 inch Hitachi CRT TV. All were displayed with black bars on all 4 sides. But my Sony S550 is not doing that, Academy ratio films are displayed Full Screen on the same CRT TV as above.