Just joined the BD crowd and bought a PS3...

[Jack Hammer]

...So far I'm not fully convinced it was worth it. I've been wanting to get a BD player for the last year but wasn't sure if was the "right" format. The majority of reviews I found said if you get one get a PS3 for bang for the buck, upgradeability and additional features.

Earlier today I watched Predator on regular dvd and was very unimpressed. then I noticed it was only outputting at 480i. Called sony and they said my software version is about a year old (1.55). I'm over at my neighbors downloading new software (2.10) which should allow upconversions and more). The only movie I have on BD is the Dirty Dozen, comes with the sequel. They are shown as 480p& 480i so i'm not too excited about PQ yet. I'll wait to see whats on sale next week and pick up something I don't already have.

 

[j_garcia]

Pick up a quality disc and you will see the benefits right away. These got 5/5 for video from High Def Digest (no particular order):

# 2001: A Space Odyssey
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Open Season
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# A Scanner Darkly
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Alexander Revisited
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Black Book
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Black Snake Moan
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Cars
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Cast Away
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Covenant
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Dreamgirls
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Flags of Our Fathers
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Happy Feet
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Hollow Man (Director's Cut)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Letters from Iwo Jima
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Lost: The Complete Third Season
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Mission: Impossible III
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Ratatouille
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Prestige
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Remember the Titans
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Rush Hour 3
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Simpsons Movie

Those that got 4 1/2 that I have seen were also looking very good to my eyes.

 

[Addy]

wow im going buy some of those titles. Thanks j_garcia. congratulations on buying the winning format jack hammer, I broke down and bought it 3 weeks ago an havent look back since.. just love it

 

[j_garcia]

I have about 5 or 6 of those titles listed above and I would have to agree, they do look great. The ones that stood out for me were Planet Earth, The Prestige, Ratatoullie and Blade Runner.

 

[Addy]

yeh i just bought planet earth. i hear good things

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Just pop in Ratatouille and get ready for true amazement, the PQ is awesome.

I have 5 bucks saying that when lightening strikes the rat and knocks him off the house you will jump right out of your seat!

 

[j_garcia]

The Shotgun sequence was great too

 

[aberkowitz]

The movie/scene that sold me on my PS3 purchase- the Venice house collapsing scene in Casino Royale- the PQ detail is amazing, and the lossless audio blew me away. My subwoofer had my blinds rattling!

 

[mtrycrafts]

...So far I'm not fully convinced it was worth it. I've been wanting to get a BD player for the last year but wasn't sure if was the "right" format. The majority of reviews I found said if you get one get a PS3 for bang for the buck, upgradeability and additional features.

Earlier today I watched Predator on regular dvd and was very unimpressed. then I noticed it was only outputting at 480i. Called sony and they said my software version is about a year old (1.55). I'm over at my neighbors downloading new software (2.10) which should allow upconversions and more). The only movie I have on BD is the Dirty Dozen, comes with the sequel. They are shown as 480p& 480i so i'm not too excited about PQ yet. I'll wait to see whats on sale next week and pick up something I don't already have.

Not sure if that 2.1 update will upgrade everything between it and 1.55. May need to download the others too?

 

[Cygnus]

Not sure if that 2.1 update will upgrade everything between it and 1.55. May need to download the others too?

It will. It contains all of the fixes that the other ones do, and its own as well.

 

[gus6464]

Ratatouille will blow your brain!

 

[Jack Hammer]

Not sure if that 2.1 update will upgrade everything between it and 1.55. May need to download the others too?

Sony said it would contain everything in between, I asked cause I was worried about having to do 20 updates.

The fix made a huge difference in watching older SD movies, but I'm not sure it's better than my Denon 2910 for PQ. I havent' fully finished tweaking the tv's adjustments for the PS3 input. So it's not a fully fair comparison yet. Although I have no issues at this point using either or, they're both connected.

I also just got back from picking up a new tv, Samsung LN-T5271F, 52" LCD. All ive done is turn it on and check out a few scenes for the new pirates of the caribean, without tweaking anything it's already much better than my old tv.

Jack

 

[Jack Hammer]

Pick up a quality disc and you will see the benefits right away. These got 5/5 for video from High Def Digest (no particular order):

# 2001: A Space Odyssey
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Open Season
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# A Scanner Darkly
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Alexander Revisited
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Black Book
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Black Snake Moan
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Cars
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Cast Away
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Covenant
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Dreamgirls
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Flags of Our Fathers
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Happy Feet
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Hollow Man (Director's Cut)
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Letters from Iwo Jima
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Lost: The Complete Third Season
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Mission: Impossible III
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Ratatouille
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Prestige
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Remember the Titans
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Rush Hour 3
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour
Video Grade: 5 out of 5
# The Simpsons Movie

Those that got 4 1/2 that I have seen were also looking very good to my eyes.

j_garcia,
thanks for that list. I was looking for a few movies and was concerned about PQ. I don't want to buy a BD that costs twice as much, or more, that SD DVD and only has half the PQ. I'll print that list and take it to compare next time i'm looking for new flicks.

Jack

 

[mudrummer99]

j_garcia, I would call that "no particular order" alphabetical

 

[j_garcia]

Yeah, I caught that afterwards. Alpha must be the default regardless of sort order

 

[funked up]

I have been wondering(since I will prob be picking up a PS3 shortly) is it neccessary to have internet access to get software updates? I don't have internet access at my apartment at the moment and probably won't in the near future. When I bought my HD-A3 it came with a card that I filled out and sent in. It said they would send my a disc with the software updates when they were available. I'm assuming that the disc is all I need to do the updates? Is this true, and should it be the same with the PS3? Thanks.

 

[darien87]

I have been wondering(since I will prob be picking up a PS3 shortly) is it neccessary to have internet access to get software updates? I don't have internet access at my apartment at the moment and probably won't in the near future. When I bought my HD-A3 it came with a card that I filled out and sent in. It said they would send my a disc with the software updates when they were available. I'm assuming that the disc is all I need to do the updates? Is this true, and should it be the same with the PS3? Thanks.

Well, you do need internet access to get the updates themselves, but you can put them on any USB storage device and download them to the PS 3 that way.

I've done it with an external hard drive. There's instructions for how to do this on the Sony website. Be sure to name the folder EXACTLY what they tell you to, otherwise the PS 3 won't see the file.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Well, you do need internet access to get the updates themselves, but you can put them on any USB storage device and download them to the PS 3 that way.

Thats the same way I did mine, I just named the folders as per sony and downloaded it onto a flash drive. The update only took a few minutes once I plugged in into the playstation.

 

[elsrik]

Pirates of the Carribean 3 was also phenominal. Not a great movie, but the color, detail, and sound were exemplary. Only after getting a larger LCD TV does one begin to notice the technological limitations of DVD.