Hey folks, Valkor here. The format war, over which will be the new Hi-Def DVD, is finally over, with Blu Ray coming out as the winner. Now comes the process of buying new software to feed our new machines and in some cases it means re-purchasing films we’ve already bought. Wait, you mean I have to buy ALL my movies ALL over again? That vast collection I’ve accumulated over the years, need to be replaced? Bullshit! But not to worry my friends, your friendly neighborhood Val is here with the solution and if you follow these tips, you won’t have to replace all your old DVDs with the new Blu.
Blu Ray will upscale! All Blu Ray players will play your old DVDs and most if not all will even upscale them to hi-def 720p or 1080p depending on your television and the type of connection you use. If you have a TV that can handle 1080p upscaling, look to get an HDMI cable. Hell, even if your TV only has 1080i, get the HDMI cable anyway. Believe me your DVDs look brand spanking new when upscaled.
Choose but choose wisely. Think about what DVDs you’ll want to replace. Most dramas, suspense, comedies, even horrors will benefit better from upscaling than going all out Blu. Your copy of Sideways will look just as good upscaled than going full hi-def. But your special effects heavy film such as Star Wars (when it eventually goes Blu) will greatly benefit from the new Hi-Def format. But again decide if it’s necessary. And the best way to do that…
Watch before you buy. That’s right watch your DVDs again, upscaled, before you decide to buy the Blu Ray version. If it looks good to you, then you’re good to go and you don’t have to worry about spending 20 – 40 bucks to repurchase the film again.
Look for deals. If you really wanna replace that DVD for a better Blu Ray, try to get it on the cheap, either discounted new or used. I have a copy of Happy Feet on DVD, which I bought cheap to begin with, but over at FYE I was able to snag the Blu Ray for 19 bucks used. Definitely worth the pick up there. And what a great film to have on Blu Ray. Wow, just wow.
Stick with the new when going Blu. Again don’t repurchase on Blu Ray what you already own on DVD. New releases filmed in the past couple of years till now are better for jumping on the new format because they’re filmed with much newer equipment. When say films like “Speed Racer” or “Iron Man” are released for the home audience then you’ll definitely want the Blu Ray version.
Going Blu Ray over DVD isn’t as easy as going VHS to DVD, which was an easy and more obvious choice because we got rid of the bulky tapes, no more rewind fees, no more tangled tape in our VCRs and we have tons more shelf space for our films. But going DVD to Blu, well that’s a bit different and a tougher choice to make because you’re going from one great format to an even greater format. However the choices don’t have to be so difficult when upgrading. Just use your best judgment when repurchasing your DVDs, don’t buy the Blu ray version of a film that already looks great on DVD. I mean really, do you need two copies of 50 First dates? I didn’t think so.