Thanks to a larger-than-expected bonus check, TSG finally entered the modern age of Digital Television last week. Of course, once you get a TV that accepts 1080, the old "regular" DVD player has to go. You need a network-enabled Blu Ray player to go along with it! No 5.1 upgrade on the sound system, though; we decided to stick with our primitive but effective 3-system "wall of sound". (TruSurrond HD/Klipsch 2.1 THX/Pioneer-Bose)
This new set up raises the question: why are there so many, many CRAP movies out on Blu Ray? Where's Lawrence of Arabia, people? I mean, come on, you can get Sharktopus on Blu Ray, fer chissake! Hmm...now wait a minute...what if the Sharktopus had frigging lazer beams mounted on it's head? Now that would be worth seeing in HD!
3 comments:
Very nice, and congrats, TSG. And the network-streamed content is an excellent, wonderful way to go.
As for BluRay, eh. I actually now tend to avoid BluRay discs cuz they always seem to involve more delay time while the system perhaps talks on the network to the mothership to decide what additional content or permissions or whatever should be accessed. A plain old garden variety DVD on a modern big screen looks pretty darn good, frankly. Especially, perhaps, to aging eyes that maybe can't catch all the pixelated minutia, anyway.
And, yes, when we installed that basement projection system (which you might recall?), one of the first DVD's I played on it was Lawrence. It's a no-brainer.
Yeah, you're right about Blu Ray players being sluggish. Probably takes a while to scan 50 gigs worth of data I guess. Plus there's the software upgrade issues, and I've already had to re-register the player with Netflix twice. Note sure what the deal with that is.
I have to say that my decade-old Phillips DV711 never gave me any trouble. It and it's companion, my '96 vintage 25" Samsung have moved into the bedroom to replace the crummy TV/DVD/VHS combo unit that I never really liked.
I am really enjoying the brilliant PQ of my recently-acquire BDs. Up this weekend are showings of The Prestige and Baraka. (If you haven't seen Baraka, you should--I think it would be mind-blowing on a giant screen.)
I was not (am not) familiar with "Baraka." A quick visit to Wikipedia gave a clue about what I was missing. That article concludes with a quote from Roger Ebert about the 2008 BluRay disc release - "The finest video disc I have ever viewed or ever imagined."
Wow. So, OK. I went on our library website and ordered it up. Looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for the tip, TSG.
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