What To Look For When Upgrading to Blu-ray
By Jackie Burns Sympatico/MSN Shopping Contributor
My DVD player broke down recently during the most pivotal moment of The Other Boleyn Girl and I was forced to watch the rest of the movie on my son's portable DVD player, which left much to be desired.(Translation: Eric Bana looks way hotter on a 36" screen.) The death of my DVD player gave me the perfect excuse to upgrade to Blu-ray but before taking the plunge, I wanted to do some research. I took my questions to Vision Electronics expert Jeff Kalvik who gave me the inside scoop on everything I need to know before buying a new Blu-ray player.
What are the benefits of upgrading to a Blu-ray player?
Blu-ray disc players use a blue/violet laser as opposed to the red laser of regular DVD players and are able to pinpoint data much more accurately and output it more quickly. These lasers allow manufacturers to create discs that have more information on them. Blu-ray discs have 6X the video quality of standard definition and support 7.1 channel surround sound. Manufacturers have also implemented advanced features and bonus content. Blu-ray discs have a large storage capacity of 25 gigabytes of data on a single layer and 50 gigabytes on a dual layered disc. This allows more space to work with as high definition media becomes increasingly complex in the future.
Video benefits: Blu-ray players can play a video resolution of 1920X1080 Progressive, which is a huge step in clarity when viewed on a HD TV. Blu-ray players will still play your DVDs, but upscale them to 1080p format, giving them increased depth and detail. Since these DVDs are of a lower image quality than actual Blu-ray discs, they won't look as sharp and clear.
Audio benefits: DVD players offer Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound whereas Blu-ray offers 7.1 channels of lossless audio (uncompressed.)
What features should I be looking for when buying a Blu-ray?
There are two features on Blu-ray discs that are for extra, Blu-ray exclusive content: BD Live and Bonus View. Bonus View allows you to view special features simultaneously with the main picture through Picture-in-Picture. BD Live allows you to download exclusive content that doesn't come directly on the disc. Not all Blu-ray players have these features so make sure you check first if these are options you would like.
What is your most popular Blu-ray player?
The Sony BDP-S350 is the most popular of the players that we sell.
What are the price ranges and what can I expect if I spend a little more?
We're going to use two different Sony players as examples.
Basic Blu-ray players start from $250-$300. The next step would be $300-$400 and then from there you can go upwards of $400. As with all technology, when the newer stuff comes in, the old stuff gets cleared out. Older players might be cheaper, but newer players offer advantages such as:
BD-Live (Profile 2.0). This is a newer technology that could be the jump from the first price to the second although some new entry-level players are implementing this technology. The older profile was 1.1.
Analogue Audio Output. The Sony BDP-S550 has analogue 7.1 channel audio outputs, whereas the BDP-S350 only has 2 channel analogue audio. The difference is that you can hook the 7.1 analogue outputs up to receivers without digital optical input capabilities.
Startup Speed. While there aren't any specifications on loading times, because each disc is different, many of the higher-priced players will also offer quicker loading times for the discs.
Streaming Capability. Usually for the third price point, these players allow for streaming of movies through Netflix subscriptions. Though this functionality is built into the systems, Canadians currently cannot access Netflix as it is a U.S. only provider. This may change in the future.
Quality: As price goes up, usually so does the quality. Extra calibration features can make the images look more realistic and audio sound better. These aren't features you can put your finger on, but moreso an issue of videophiles rating colour and sharpness.
I've heard the Sony Playstation can double as a Blu-ray player. What are the pros and cons of going this route?
Although Sony Playstation3 does play Blu-ray material, its main purpose is video games. Many people opt out of buying a PS3 just because they already own a gaming console and don't need or want another. Many standalone Blu-ray players are currently cheaper than PS3s and those who aren't gamers or don't want a gaming console prefer standalone players. That being said, PS3 is a good choice for those who would want both a Blu-ray player and a gaming console in one package.
Have you already upgraded to Blu-ray? What do you recommend?
