If you’re ready to buy a new home entertainment system, you might be curious about upgrading your standard DVD player to a Blu-ray™ player. Blu-ray™ offers a higher-quality image than DVDs, but is it worth it to upgrade your system and movie collection? It all depends on your viewing preferences. Explore the differences between DVDs and Blu-ray™ discs, and see making the upgrade is right for you.
Are you ready to get a Blu-ray™ player for your home?
Standard DVDs
The transition from VHS to DVD was a huge change for home entertainment in the late 1990s. DVDs were first introduced in 1995, and are still immensely popular today.
Thousands of movies have been released on DVD, so you’ll find no shortage of DVDs to buy and watch. Plus, DVDs have gotten less expensive over the years. Older movies are on sale often, so you can build up your movie collection without spending a fortune.
About Blu-ray™
The jump from DVD to Blu-ray™ is – in some ways – a smaller leap than the switch from VHS to DVD.
Blu-ray™ discs were first released to consumers in June 2006. Discs are the same size and shape as DVDs and CDs, so viewers didn’t have to adjust to a completely new product. Blu-ray™ movies come in smaller cases than standard DVD cases, which can help with storage.
Ready to say goodbye to your DVD player?
The big difference between DVD and Blu-ray™ movies is storage and quality. Blu-ray™ discs have much more storage than DVDs or CDs, so lengthy movies and bonus features are no problem. For any movie buff, the best feature of Blu-ray™ has to be the amazing high quality. Blu-rays are presented in an incredible 1080p resolution. Even if you’ve seen your favorite movie a hundred times, you’ll see all of the smallest details that you missed with DVDs.
So, should you buy a Blu-ray™ player?
Check out some pros and cons about Blu-ray™, and see if the purchase is worth it for you.
Pros of Blu-ray™ discs and players
Blu-ray™ offers an extremely high-quality resolution. Watching a movie on Blu-ray™ is like watching it for the very first time, because you’ll pick out so many new details you never noticed before.
The Blu-ray™ section of any store is sure to be smaller than the DVD section, but more movies are being released on Blu-ray™ all the time.
One of the best features is Blu-ray’s ability to play regular DVDs and CDs, so your old DVDs are still functional. Plus, you can get a higher-quality picture from your DVDs when you play them on a Blu-ray™ player.
Consider some of the cons of upgrading
If you’re looking for the cheapest home entertainment options, a Blu-ray™ system might be out of your budget.
On average, Blu-ray™ players are more expensive than DVD players. But, this does come at a trade-off, because Blu-ray™ delivers a much higher quality picture than DVDs, so you’re paying a bit more for that quality.
Blu-ray™ discs also cost more than DVDs. When you head out to the store on release day to buy a new movie, you’ll pay more for the Blu-ray™ version than you’d pay for the same movie in DVD form. And again, this can be explained by the higher image quality.
Is an upgrade to Blu-ray™ worth it for you?
Are you always watching new movies? Do you love the amazing picture of HD and 1080p? If you’re all about movies and a first-rate viewing experience, you might want to splurge a little for a Blu-ray™ player.
Casual movie watchers may want to consider other alternatives. Find your balance – would you use a Blu-ray™ player enough to justify the purchase? Consider your lifestyle and budget as you decide whether making the switch to Blu-ray™ is worth it to you.
