Any advice please? Is it worth my replacing all my DVD's with Blu Ray discs or wont it be worth it for a tv of my size. I have Virgin and on the HD channels there is a major difference than on standard channels.
Is it worth me getting Blu Ray player for my 26" 1080 HD TV?
It's worth getting a Blu-ray player even for your DVD collection. You may be surprised just how good they look when upscaled by the player.
Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“It's worth getting a Blu-ray player even for your DVD collection. You may be surprised just how good they look when upscaled by the player.”
“It's worth getting a Blu-ray player even for your DVD collection. You may be surprised just how good they look when upscaled by the player.”
Thank you. Ive been toying with the idea for ages. Will it make even old shows like early Only Fools and Horses look better as the DVD's are quite grainy?
Originally Posted by Mr Radio:
“Thank you. Ive been toying with the idea for ages. Will it make even old shows like early Only Fools and Horses look better as the DVD's are quite grainy?”
“Thank you. Ive been toying with the idea for ages. Will it make even old shows like early Only Fools and Horses look better as the DVD's are quite grainy?”
Not really - but it will almost certainly make a better job of up-scaling DVD's than your TV does.
Bear in mind, this doesn't make it HD - just a matter of generating less artefacts during the up-scaling.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“Not really - but it will almost certainly make a better job of up-scaling DVD's than your TV does.
Bear in mind, this doesn't make it HD - just a matter of generating less artefacts during the up-scaling.”
“Not really - but it will almost certainly make a better job of up-scaling DVD's than your TV does.
Bear in mind, this doesn't make it HD - just a matter of generating less artefacts during the up-scaling.”
Thank you
I bought mine (Panasonic) to also play HD files off memory stick, and also for Netflix, works very well.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“Not really - but it will almost certainly make a better job of up-scaling DVD's than your TV does.
Bear in mind, this doesn't make it HD - just a matter of generating less artefacts during the up-scaling.”
“Not really - but it will almost certainly make a better job of up-scaling DVD's than your TV does.
Bear in mind, this doesn't make it HD - just a matter of generating less artefacts during the up-scaling.”
It won't make a silk purse out of a sows ear
. However a good DVD of a modern movie can look surprisingly close in quality to a Blu-ray movie. Unlike Digital SD TV the bitrate possible on DVD's is much higher than is used on broadcast, so the result won't be that much different to watching HD TV.
If you were buying a new disc player it would be bonkers to buy a model that could not play bluray discs and hopefully at some point in the future you will get a better TV that will take full advantage of the high quality picture outputted by a bd player .Perhaps in full size screen ? and bear in mind that 4 channels of free to view HD ( BBC1 & 2 , ITV 1 & Ch4 ) are on freeview as standard now without messing with cable .
DVD only players are really supermarket bargain basement products now -- most brands will no longer put ( or allow ) there name to be on such a thing .
DVD only players are really supermarket bargain basement products now -- most brands will no longer put ( or allow ) there name to be on such a thing .
Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“ so the result won't be that much different to watching HD TV.”
“ so the result won't be that much different to watching HD TV.”
It will be like watching SD - because it is SD - so VERY different
If u can see the improvement in hd channels now then u can expect a similar jump from dvd to bluray. Blueray is actually higher quality than hd tv channels.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“It will be like watching SD - because it is SD - so VERY different”
“It will be like watching SD - because it is SD - so VERY different
”
DVD is normally a better picture quality than SD TV (down to max bitrate and vbr) . A good DVD looks pretty close to some of the HD channel pictures.
Wait till people get sight of the New PS4 with release date & price then watch the PS3 price tumble and get one of those.
The added extras are worth the money in their own.
It's the best Blu ray player on the market for what your getting
The added extras are worth the money in their own.
It's the best Blu ray player on the market for what your getting
Originally Posted by grahamlthompson:
“DVD is normally a better picture quality than SD TV (down to max bitrate and vbr) . A good DVD looks pretty close to some of the HD channel pictures.”
“DVD is normally a better picture quality than SD TV (down to max bitrate and vbr) . A good DVD looks pretty close to some of the HD channel pictures.”
I know DVD is better than broadcast SD - but it's still only SD, and looks nothing like HD at all.
Do you perhaps have a Plasma TV? - on many of them HD is a waste of time, they don't have enough resolution to show it (regardless of the claimed screen resolution).
We've got a new Panasonic Plasma on display in the shop, it looks absolutely shocking next to the Sony LCD's - both running on either Freeview HD or Satellite HD.
But I'm sure it would be perfectly acceptable on SD at home, I know my old Hitachi Plasma is - but that's also useless on HD (not that it's bad, it is slightly better than SD, but no 'wow').
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“I know DVD is better than broadcast SD - but it's still only SD, and looks nothing like HD at all.
Do you perhaps have a Plasma TV? - on many of them HD is a waste of time, they don't have enough resolution to show it (regardless of the claimed screen resolution).
We've got a new Panasonic Plasma on display in the shop, it looks absolutely shocking next to the Sony LCD's - both running on either Freeview HD or Satellite HD.
But I'm sure it would be perfectly acceptable on SD at home, I know my old Hitachi Plasma is - but that's also useless on HD (not that it's bad, it is slightly better than SD, but no 'wow').”
“I know DVD is better than broadcast SD - but it's still only SD, and looks nothing like HD at all.
Do you perhaps have a Plasma TV? - on many of them HD is a waste of time, they don't have enough resolution to show it (regardless of the claimed screen resolution).
We've got a new Panasonic Plasma on display in the shop, it looks absolutely shocking next to the Sony LCD's - both running on either Freeview HD or Satellite HD.
But I'm sure it would be perfectly acceptable on SD at home, I know my old Hitachi Plasma is - but that's also useless on HD (not that it's bad, it is slightly better than SD, but no 'wow').”
Sony 40" Full-HD. Frankly you haven't seen my setup and your comments are based on total ignorance. I have a THX set up demo DVD and the picture quality from my Sony Blu-ray player is pretty amazing. I also have a top of the range Denon DVD player some years old which also upscales (farouja scaler). The much cheaper and newer Sony BD player has a much better picture from DVD's than the Denon. Pretty poor with CD's though, the Denon plays CD's much better than the Sony.
Blu ray players are quite cheap these days and although you may not see any benefit when watching blu rays it will upscale your dvds and it is future proof.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“We've got a new Panasonic Plasma on display in the shop, it looks absolutely shocking next to the Sony LCD's - both running on either Freeview HD or Satellite HD.”
“We've got a new Panasonic Plasma on display in the shop, it looks absolutely shocking next to the Sony LCD's - both running on either Freeview HD or Satellite HD.”
If it's a new 1080p plasma at a roughly equivalent price point, you must have a faulty set or a setup issue then. To imply that 1080p LCDs generally produce better pictures than 1080p plasmas of equivalent quality is a bit misleading, to say the least - and is very subjective!
To the O/P: yes, go for the Blu Ray player.
Originally Posted by d'@ve:
“If it's a new 1080p plasma at a roughly equivalent price point, you must have a faulty set or a setup issue then. To imply that 1080p LCDs generally produce better pictures than 1080p plasmas of equivalent quality is a bit misleading, to say the least - and is very subjective!
”
“If it's a new 1080p plasma at a roughly equivalent price point, you must have a faulty set or a setup issue then. To imply that 1080p LCDs generally produce better pictures than 1080p plasmas of equivalent quality is a bit misleading, to say the least - and is very subjective!
”
I think it's only an HD Ready Plasma (my old Hitachi one certainly is), but HD Ready LCD's are absolutely stunning on HD (you can't really tell any difference from Full HD ones).
Nothing 'subjective' about it though, it's blindingly obvious - no 'wow factor' from HD (BD or broadcast).
Quote:
“
To the O/P: yes, go for the Blu Ray player.”
“
To the O/P: yes, go for the Blu Ray player.”
I would totally agree - well worth having.
is the "shocking" plasma any one of the following series "X" "UT" "ST" ? as they are bargain basement models of the range not to be compared with Pana's VT & new for this yeat ZT range . The "X & XT in particular should have been brought to market with a different brand rather than devaluing the pana brand !
Some people still make the mistake when comparing Plasma with LED backlit TV's of just comparing brightness levels of the screen --it only when you sit down and view a good plasma that the quality is visible .
Some people still make the mistake when comparing Plasma with LED backlit TV's of just comparing brightness levels of the screen --it only when you sit down and view a good plasma that the quality is visible .
Originally Posted by iangrad:
“is the "shocking" plasma any one of the following series "X" "UT" "ST" ? as they are bargain basement models of the range not to be compared with Pana's VT & new for this yeat ZT range . The "X & XT in particular should have been brought to market with a different brand rather than devaluing the pana brand !
Some people still make the mistake when comparing Plasma with LED backlit TV's of just comparing brightness levels of the screen --it only when you sit down and view a good plasma that the quality is visible .”
“is the "shocking" plasma any one of the following series "X" "UT" "ST" ? as they are bargain basement models of the range not to be compared with Pana's VT & new for this yeat ZT range . The "X & XT in particular should have been brought to market with a different brand rather than devaluing the pana brand !
Some people still make the mistake when comparing Plasma with LED backlit TV's of just comparing brightness levels of the screen --it only when you sit down and view a good plasma that the quality is visible .”
Perhaps 'some' would
Originally Posted by iangrad:
“Nigel : just out of interest , which model of Pana plasma do you have in your shop ?”
“Nigel : just out of interest , which model of Pana plasma do you have in your shop ?”
I don't know - I'll have a look next time I'm in the shop.
Hi,
Have to agree with Nigel here.I was looking at some Panasonic plasma models in Richer Sounds recently,they had two running alongside LCD panels,one cheap and one expensive type.On the HD feeds all the LCD panels looked far livelier!
Also both of the panas displayed a horrible green background tint.I asked the sales chappie if this was how they came out of the box,he actually would not comment.
I was interested in the plasma sets as they used to be more forgiving of SD broadcasts...I am downgrading my Sky sub!....is this still the case please?
Cheers....Phil.
Have to agree with Nigel here.I was looking at some Panasonic plasma models in Richer Sounds recently,they had two running alongside LCD panels,one cheap and one expensive type.On the HD feeds all the LCD panels looked far livelier!
Also both of the panas displayed a horrible green background tint.I asked the sales chappie if this was how they came out of the box,he actually would not comment.
I was interested in the plasma sets as they used to be more forgiving of SD broadcasts...I am downgrading my Sky sub!....is this still the case please?
Cheers....Phil.
Originally Posted by iangrad:
“Nigel : just out of interest , which model of Pana plasma do you have in your shop ?”
“Nigel : just out of interest , which model of Pana plasma do you have in your shop ?”
Sorry for the slow reply, it's the TXP50X50B - a cheap HD Ready one.
However, cheap HD Ready LCD's are absolutely stunning on HD, so it's not just a matter of specified resolution or price.
Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin:
“Sorry for the slow reply, it's the TXP50X50B - a cheap HD Ready one.
However, cheap HD Ready LCD's are absolutely stunning on HD, so it's not just a matter of specified resolution or price.”
“Sorry for the slow reply, it's the TXP50X50B - a cheap HD Ready one.
However, cheap HD Ready LCD's are absolutely stunning on HD, so it's not just a matter of specified resolution or price.”
Yes that is the bottom of pana's 2012 range but as you say it should still compete on picture quality and it will still be circa £550 ish and at that price point there are a huge number of alternative TV's
Personally I think Pana devalue the brand by importing such products , it would be a bit like BMW on a car that would not drive properly !
