Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs? - Page 6

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I am shipping of allof my region 1 movies tomorrow, and the region 2 DVD's i have are going next.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Just curious, Daniel: shipping to where?

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

^ And how many is "all"? For some people in this thread, "all" sounds like it would be a couple dozen. For others, the naysayers most likely, "all" would be a couple thousand+ so shipping would be quite a task.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I think a lot of this depends on the type of movies in your collection. If you only have 40 DVDs and they're all blockbusters from the last 10 years then it's a fairly safe bet that you'll be able to replace them all on BD over the next 2-3 years.

But if you have a collection of fairly obscure titles - and you specifically want to hold onto them for the purposes of having the film, regardless of the PQ/SQ (for example I have a massive collection of over 100 Goldsmith-scored movies including some serious oddities - Warlock, Rent-A-Cop, Leviathan, Baby, Runaway, The Swarm, City Hall, The Vanishing, Warning Shot, Take A Hard Ride, anyone?) you'd be an idiot to get rid of them with little or no chance of a BD replacement. I mean I'm still waiting for some titles to hit DVD with decent transfers - Matinee, The Wild Rovers, The Satan Bug, The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud, Players, A Gathering Of Eagles, The Flim-Flam Man, Damnation Alley and the like!

It took me 10 years to build this collection, I ain't gonna dump it overnight on the offchance that I can replace it.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I'm not going to dump my DVDs wholesale, only upgrade them as they come out on BR. I still find a good DVD quite watchable on an upconverting player, and I don't want to deny myself the opportunity to watch a film for who knows how many years waiting for a BR.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

John et al.:

I don't think any reasonable, cinemate, quality-inclined DVD/BD collector is advocating wholesale dumpage, but rather prudent pruning. There's a fair amount of middle ground between boffo b.o. blockbusters and the delicious obscurities you mentioned. (And I think it's fair to say that any HTFer who has been into the hobby/a member for more than, oh, 3 years doesn't fall into the category of those who have "40 DVDs and they're all blockbusters from the last 10 years.")

-p

P.S. - Amazon Marketplace currently shows 24 new copies starting at $3.99 and 47 new copies starting at $4.75 of Leviathan for sale.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

VERY smart of you! I've read many posts from unhappy people who dumped titles wholesale only to have the anticipated replacements get really delayed or cancelled!

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I certainly would not get rid of any SD until I "upgraded" it to a new Blu-ray. But even there I am fearful of unloading SDs in the event that someday Blu-ray dies out. It doesn't seem likely that BD is going to vanish now that we're in an era of High Definition, which is the future -- but what IF that happens and you're burdened with a load of unplayable Blu-ray discs and you've sold off all your reliable DVDs?

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I have around 3 "cases" full of old DVDs lying around in my room (and more coming) and I have already been giving some DVDs away (for free, that´s). I just have to get rid of them, dammit. I don´t have space anymore.

Why - why - WHY I didn´t stop buying DVDs right in that minute when the first Blu-ray was released? Now I have some of these goddamn DVDs still shrink wrapped, when Blu-ray-releases are (also) already coming..

My tip for everybody: Stop buying DVDs NOW, if you´re going to buy a Blu-ray-player in the near future. Trust me, it´s the best way to go in the long run...

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I find it kind of amusing that DVD is considered a crappy medium now....there was a time not even a decade ago when we used to praise it for it's picture quality. Has HD transfer quality really made video perfectionists of us all?
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That being said.....I look forward to LOTR on Blu-ray too.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

You're joking, right?

Even if Blu-ray stopped making discs tomorrow, you'd still be able to play them, just like your DVDs. Where did you get the idea that DVDs will always be playable and Blu-rays would all of the sudden stop working?

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

If I have a movie on DVD and I upgrade to the Blu-ray, I sell the DVD on eBay or give it to a friend or family member.

I'll never understand the "I can't stand to watch DVD anymore" crowd. If I like the movie, I like it on DVD or Blu-ray. Sure, Blu-ray would be better but I'm not going to not watch Star Wars or Treasure Of The Sierra Madre or whatever just because the resolution isn't as high as Blu-ray.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I do think some DVDs are hardly watchable on my 53" RPTV from ~9.5ft away, but most are at least fine enough to enjoy. And yeah, the best DVDs still do look very nice at this screen-size-to-distance ratio (though I plan to upgrade the display to >60" in the not-too-distant future). Was rewatching some of the SW flicks w/ the kids the past few days, and they do make me wonder if I really need to upgrade them to Blu (at least until I upgrade the display size) -- certainly, I won't be in a hurry to upgrade the prequels since I don't like them for the most part.

Anyway, I will probably keep a good number of titles on DVD and not bother upgrading them -- I really don't have enough time to rewatch everything enough to justify upgrading all of them. Of course, I've been saying that for a while now, and last I checked, I've already reached 160+ BD titles (though many of them are not upgrades from DVD).

_Man_

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

IMHO anyone who follows this person's advice will be quite sorry in the long run.


I think the word, for some persons, is a 5 letter word, rather than the 14 letter word perfectionists.


I agree 100% TravisR, & for me the medium used doesn't matter. For example - I'll be keeping my old SD Directv DVR when I upgrade to a HD DVR because I've recorded some movies that are not coming to SD DVD or Blu-Ray DVD or any other video medium next year or in 50 years. These films are just TOO OBSCURE or old.


I'm not letting this kind of situation stop my enjoyment of films in the Home Video Medium, as my 1600+ library of DVDs SD & Blu-Ray & HD-DVD shows. That number doesn't take into account the LDs & Video Tapes I still own that aren't on SD DVD or Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

But that is just me. I'm a maverick. I CANNOT be someone who only rents Blu-ray DVDs & has no standing library of films.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I've bought about a thousand dvd's in the last couple of months of 30's through 60's dvd's and 60's TV shows that were all on sale. I now have over 40 Gregory Peck movies, I'm awaiting Joan Crawford Vol 1 that I picked up for 19.99 for five movies. F-Troop Season 1 and 2 for 12 dollars each along with The Little Rascals for only 38 dollars, Three Stooges ect ect ect. I've got to tell you that as a complete classic collector, Blu Ray has really caused some great sales on classic movies and classic tv shows most of which will not be on Blu Ray for a long long time if ever. Many of the Gary Cooper movies and others I have on VHS tape still haven't seen the light of day on dvd yet. So with over 5000 dvd's in my collection, I don't plan on slowing down any time soon. They all look quite good upscaled on my 42 inch 720p plasma TV. In fact the Blu Rays I do own don't look all that much better watching them on this TV from 8 feet away except for some of the newer western's like Lonsome Dove. I do own about 15 Blu Rays now but I pick and choose the classic movies I want as they come out and don't buy all of them. I don't watch or buy any of the movies from the 80's on except for some westerns like Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail, 3:10 to Yuma ect that I do now have on Blu-Ray, so I don't think by dvd buying will effect double dipping into the Blu Ray format all that much. I do have Casablanca coming on Blu-Ray that shipped today but I doubt it will look all that much better on my set up than the great quality of the regular dvd that I already own in the box set.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the fault of the image quality in your set up has nothing to do with the format. You're sitting too far away for a 42" set, especially a 720p set, and it's possible that you're not calibrating it correctly. I can tell you that with correct viewing distance and even basic calibration, all but the absolute worse transfers will be instantly recognizable as improvements. Film, even for older titles from the 30s and 40s, has more detail than even Blu-ray can resolve, so it doesn't matter how old the title is, just how it's transferred.

Having seen both the DVD and the Blu-ray, Casablanca should be a revelation in 1080p compared to 480p, so if it's "not all that much better", then something's not set up right. Something like How the West was Won would be shockingly different.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

No most of my Blu Rays do have a noticable improvment and How the West Was Won is one of them as is Lonesome Dove, The Proffessionals and Broken Trail. However, I didn't see that much of an improvement in the Wild Bunch or Rio Bravo. The point of my post was that I buy thousands of movies from the 30's and 40's on dvd. Should I stop buying them because of Blu Ray. I haven't even seen any of the modern movies like Lord of the rings or even any of the newer Star Wars movies. How long will it be before The Great Lie with Bette Davis or Strange Cargo with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford or the early pre code Forbidden Hollywood movies will make it to Blu Ray. I would say if the majority of the movies you buy are modern movies or oscar nominated movies then this thread may apply to you but for me, I see dvd being in my future for at least another 20 years if not longer for the majority of the movies I buy.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Ah, I see. That wasn't clear to me, but it makes sense on a title-to-title basis. I would still suggest a closer view distance, per the recommendations of the ISF.
No, but nor do I think anyone here is advocating that. Despite being an avid collector of HD titles from all eras, I still have more DVDs than I do Blu-rays. But on the other hand, there are many classics coming out on Blu-ray, and I can't think of very many of those titles that wouldn't benefit from being replaced with Blu-ray versions.
As a side note, I know this is a matter of personal taste, but I can't understand why anyone would limit themselves only to movies of a certain era. You're missing out on not only dynamite film-making, but also a great deal of historical films.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Do the failed HD format discs play on the Blu-ray decks? I honestly don't know, I'm asking legitimately.

It's not that I think the Blu-rays will stop working (though with all these constant Firmware Update headaches, anything's conceivable), but more that if BD doesn't catch on mainstream enough and SD (for whatever unfathomable reason) winds up remaining the "only" choice for years and years to come, then there may not be Blu players being made. And SD machines won't accomodate BD's.

Whatever the case, the bottom line for me is that I think it's just too early in the game for me to dispense with every old SD each time I upgrade to a BD. I want to see how this thing goes.


It can't be just the set-up for 'every' film. I've seen Blu-rays like the new DR. NO which are incredible... and then others like THE OMEGA MAN which just don't sparkle as much and just are not as different from their SD counterpart. It's in the authoring, not so much the calibration or set-up.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

No, but what does this have to do with BD players not being able to play Blu-ray discs?
Oh, c'mon, there's no need for hyperbole. Certain discs on certain players is conceiveable, but all discs suddenly stop working is not.
Again, what does this have to do with BD discs on BD players?

Your original quote says that you would be "stuck with loads of unplayable BDs" if this happened. That's 100% untrue. If the Laserdisc player community is still thriving (just check eBay and other sites) a decade after it was discontinued--and longer since it stopped being anything remotely resembling mainstream--then your fears over BD are completely unfounded. And I'm saying this as a current Laserdisc player and disc owner.
I, for one, think you're exaggerating the problem. If you replace a DVD with the BD, there's no worries. If you're talking about getting rid of something not on BD, that's another story, but as far as I can tell that wasn't your point.

It's simple. You have a BD player, the Blu-ray discs that are working will continue to work. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I'm definitely being MUCH more selective and careful in what I buy on SD from this point onward (especially new films). If it's anything that I know will likely make it to BD fairly soon, I'll certainly hold off...

But there's no way I'm going to pass up buying something on S-DVD that may take forever, IF ever, to make it to BD (like the recent 1940s Fox Horror Classics). I think it's foolish to resist buying all obscure SD titles when you never know when/if they'll be on Blu.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I never said it was the set-up for 'every' film. In fact, I said just the opposite:
I then provided examples of two that would be (IMO) night and day differences, even at 720p from non-optimal viewing distances.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Forget that wording, then.
If Blu-ray discs don't take off significantly enough to be embraced by the general mass public, then it may be back to SD for us and there'll be no more Blu-ray players. Just like the Laserdiscs and players are no more. When the BD player gives up the ghost, what then? I'm just being careful... frankly, I can't see how High Definition could cease and we'd be saddled only with SD, but it's something I'm keeping in the back of my mind while enjoying new Blu movies.


Then this too is a matter of semantics. Yeah, there are probably people who still own and play laserdiscs.... there are vinyl collectors.... there are probably reel-to-reel or 8-track enthusiasts out there in nooks and crannies... also 16mm purists.... but I'm talking about the world at large.


If I'm exaggerating the problem, let me worry about whether or not I choose to hold onto some SDs for the time being.

And the Blu-ray discs will continue to work in BD players only as long as it's deemed profitable to continue to make BD players in the future.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I doubt I'll ever see My Dinner with Andre, Crumb, or any of my foreign films on Blu-Ray. So those aren't going anywhere.

My more "commercial" type movie collection(Jurassic Park, Bond, etc.)I will replace when I have the Blu disc in my hands.

Edit: If there was no PS3, I'm thinking Blu-Ray would be a lot closer to the laserdisc than you guys think.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

But I heard the same thing about DVD ("this VHS film will never make it to DVD!") and music CDs ("this vinyl album will never make it to CD!"). But of course, most of the titles people were concerned about, DID!

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I still own a LD player & I am slowly replacing my LDs with SD & BD discs as those titles are released. But I own some LDs that I seriously doubt will find their way to SD DVD or Blu-Ray DVD. A prime example is the next to last LD set that I purchased (From eBay a few years ago) which is the "Godfather" in chronological order. (Which, by the way is the way I prefer to watch it)

And I won't clear my LDs out just because some pundit calls LaserDisc a "DEAD FORMAT". And if my LD player quits working some day, I'll more than likely be able to find another on eBay as well as another BD Player or SD DVD Player should those become so called "DEAD FORMATS"!

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Then you have no worries. Like I said, a decade after stopping production, LD is still in use.

FWIW, Blu-ray is already more successful than LD was, and in 1/10th the time. It's not going away any time soon, and if it did, then like LD, you'd still have a chance to replace your equipment years down the road.
That's fine, as long as you're not projecting based on information that just ins't true.
/facepalm

No, the discs will continue to work in BD players as long as the players and discs themselves work. I'll say it again: You have a BD player, the Blu-ray discs that are working will continue to work. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And at current rates, even if they stopped today, we'd be good to go for a long time. And that's being extremely specific about players, and discounting the PS3, which would continue production barring a Great Depression and probably armed upheaval, and frankly, if it comes to that, none of us will care about movies, let alone our DVD and Blu-ray collections.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

Joe, I'd be happy to sell you my mint condition Panasonic DMP-BD10A as a BD insurance policy against future shock.

Re: Anyone else clearing out their SD-DVDs?

I have a big collection of dvds. over 600. I also have some bluray titles. I am trying to becareful not to get dupicate on both formats. I have indy 4, iron man, hellboy 2, incredible hulk, simpsons on bluray only. but others I do have both.. my problem is that not everyone is bluray just yet.. I have to keep the standard dvd for them.

Jacob