Hmmm. I just watched parts of Transformers on DVD (the same movie that I watched parts of on blu-ray this afternoon). The upconverted version over HDMI looks really good. Not quite as good as the blu-ray, but I can sure understand why people haven't jumped all over blu-ray. The Oppo 980 might have been a better choice for me (probably quieter and likely loads faster), but I don't regret my purchase. I would have always wondered about blu-ray, and now I know. It does look better, but I won't be buying a bunch of movies in that format. I'll sure get them from Netflix in blu-ray, though, if I can.