I've been wanting one for a while to watch movies and such because DVD quality is starting to look pretty bad, BDs are getting cheaper as well as BD drives. I looked on newegg and the prices were actually quite reasonable [compared to the first drive I saw for 680 EUR :lol: ]. A few things though:

 

1. The prices are fine now, but will they get any cheaper anytime soon?

 

2. They're so slow. 6x just doesn't cut it for me. Is it still worth it?

 

3. Is it really worth it to get a BD/DVD drive or will HDDVDs make some sort of a comeback? As in, is the current format war really over?

 

4. Should I get a drive that burns too? (My worries are that it will either be so obsolete so quickly or that if I don't get one later I'm going to have to buy a seperate drive just to burn them)

 

 

 

And if there's a specific drive you would recommend for me that would be great too.

 

 

 

Thanks.

HDDVD & Blu-Ray won't be existing in the next 5-10 years. Things like Netflix and other digital downloads & storages will overtake the entire TV thing, especially in North America with the new FCC rules of digital signals instead of analog.

 

 

 

I'd just get a TV tuner for your comp & set up your digital cable/programming to the tuner so you can have all the features that your cable provider gives you, like VoD or the ability to hook up the netflix box.

 

 

 

But that's only if you're wanting to look into the future.

 

 

 

As for now it doesn't matter which way you go. Both DVD's and BR's are producing the same quantity, just BR is a tad more expensive.

 

 

 

And they won't kill one or the other off anyways, with the DVD/BR double sided CD concept that has come into play.

 

 

 

Regardless new format is digital downloading, hardware to watch things is so 2005/2006/2007.

First off, I don't live in America, in Finland we went digital last year I think. And it doesn't matter to me, because I don't have a TV at home anyway. I would use it more for movies and eventually data, when we start actually needing that much.

Both DVD's and BR's are producing the same quantity, just BR is a tad more expensive.

 

What do you mean?

Both DVD's and BR's are producing the same quantity, just BR is a tad more expensive.

 

What do you mean?

 

I think it's a bit more than just producing the same quantity...

 

 

 

The prices will always get cheaper and cheaper, that's how electronic retail works.

 

You might have to wait a year or even two years before you see a dramatic decrease from current prices, though.

 

 

 

I would say if you want to buy a blu-ray drive, then go for it if you can afford it.

 

I'm pretty sure blu-ray has won the format war, although it's still possible hd-dvd will come back, but unlikely.

To begin with, HD DVD is dead, and it's not coming back. The format wars are over, and Blu-Ray won out.

 

 

 

Second, I wouldn't buy a BD drive for another few years. They're still rather expensive, and still rather slow, and no consumer-end application really requires 25-50GB of storage just yet. That is, unless, you're not recording several hours of shows on your TiVO... :P

It would be very useful for system backups. :-k

Good point... I think the thing I'm really looking for is BD movies. It's a disadvantage of being a perfectionist, I know people that wouldn't know the difference between BD and VHS quality. :|

 

 

 

Thanks, I think I'll wait. I'm pretty much broke right now, if I ever get a laptop though (Probably in a long time if at all) I'll get one.

It's a disadvantage of being a perfectionist, I know people that wouldn't know the difference between BD and VHS quality. :|

 

I've never actually seen a HD film up close, but I've walked past shop ones that are on display, and I never really see a remarkable difference. :)