# Why hasn't blu-ray caught on more? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922 "2015-10-28T00:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/81 "2015-10-29T21:36:43Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > One thing that annoys me is Blu ray players seem to lack features DVD player have had for literally years. > > The DVD player I bought in 1997 would remember where you stopped on the last 5 disks it played. My Blu Ray doesn’t do that. It often will forget where the current disk was stopped and start form the beginning. > > After that first DVD player, I upgraded to a 5 disk changer. I loved it. It was great for binge watching Seasons of shows (before that was a thing) or putting in a selection of Movies to watch later or CDs to listen to. > > When I wanted to switch the Blu ray I looked and looked for a multi disk player and they just didn’t seem to exist. Ended up going with a Sony that was a lemon and then an LG single disk player. My Blu Ray player will ask me if I want to continue where I stopped watching on DVD’s or Blu Ray discs that I watched from six months or more ago. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/82 "2015-10-29T22:11:25Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > What is wrong with bars on the sides of the picture? Regardless of whether or not anything is “wrong” with it, it’s a clear visual indicator that you’re watching the SD channel and not its HD version (assuming you’re watching modern programming). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/83 "2015-10-29T22:30:50Z")
I may have mentioned that I don’t have cable or Dish and therefore do not watch any channels. I think the Buster Keaton films I found recently may have blank space on the sides of the screen but I watch the show and not the borders. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/84 "2015-10-29T22:43:22Z")
My ex-gf used to want to watch the SD stuff on my HD tv all stretched out because the borders annoyed her. I thought it looked crappy that way but I had to pick my battles with her. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/85 "2015-10-29T23:18:09Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I may have mentioned that I don’t have cable or Dish and therefore do not watch any channels. I’m probably not referring to your situation when I mention the difference between SD and HD channels then. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/86 "2015-10-29T23:24:39Z")
> [@Abner\_Ravenwood](#): > > My Blu Ray player will ask me if I want to continue where I stopped watching on DVD’s or Blu Ray discs that I watched from six months or more ago. The two players I have owned were supposed to but it was always hit or miss. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/87 "2015-10-29T23:48:15Z")
> [@Pabitel](#): > > Half of the video I watch is of content more than 10 years old anyway. Almost none of that is available in HD and I enjoy it just as much as the new movies. 35mm film has been the standard for decades and many older movies have been released in HD on Blu-ray. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/88 "2015-10-29T23:49:31Z")
I’ll buy a BD if the movie is something I think merits the extra vig–especially those splashy action-adventures-- because I do notice the sound difference (hooked into a low-budge but effective AV system). Not sure I notice much visual difference between DVD and BD, as we only have a 32" 720p display. Also, I think BD copies that promise “interactive extras” are an annoying waste of time, money, and space. -and get off my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/89 "2015-10-30T01:07:05Z")
The economy tanked, around the time Blu-ray was being pushed. Nobody wanted to pay for it, then. And now? Few care. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/90 "2015-10-30T01:15:22Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Since we’re in the midst of an argument about SD vs. HD, I should point out for clarity that the quote is with respect to the difference between 720p and 1080p, not between SD and HD. This is an example of the “diminishing returns” phenomenon. The difference between 480i and 720p is quite substantial. The difference between 720p and 1080p is less apparent in many cases, despite the greatly increased information content. I agree as well. The thing is, the video image in most movies and TV shows has a lot of filters and foreground and background movement. This movement means our eyes can perceive less fine detail, and the filter blur away fine detail. In addition, most movies and TV shows, the important details to the plot are very large and low resolution. For example, text that the viewer is expected to read tends to be very large font and in bold letters. Actors and actresses have all kinds of makeup to conceal flaws in their skin which also has the effect of lowering how much information there is to see. So in practice, a 720p vs 1080p movie or TV show, you can barely tell the difference. However, if you fire up a video game you can tell the difference instantly if you are not blind. A PC game running on a high end computer with a graphics card capable of 60fps is a very different experience than a movie or TV show, and you need a better display. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/91 "2015-10-30T02:30:46Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > My ex-gf used to want to watch the SD stuff on my HD tv all stretched out because the borders annoyed her. I thought it looked crappy that way but I had to pick my battles with her. That would be widescreen vs standard, i.e 16:9 vs 4:3, not the difference between SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition). I rent SD movies from iTunes rather than HD because they are a buck cheaper, not because my TV can’t play full HD movies. I have a couple of movies on DVD that I also have the Blu-Ray version of. (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and HP and the Chamber of Secrets). The BD discs have a heap of extras and not spread over two discs like some movies that have lots of extras on DVD (Mary Poppins). The picture is noticeably better even on my 32" Sony. But, the BD discs cost about 50% more than the DVD versions. Or even more. I just found “2001 A Space Odyssey” at _[The Warehouse](https://http://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/)_ on-line store. The 2 DVD set is $6.99, the BD one is $12.99 Okay, not a recent release, but you get the picture. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/92 "2015-10-30T10:50:04Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > I too thought at one point that blu-ray and dvd mostly looked the same, but that was mostly the result of looking at bad blu-ray releases. Seeing one properly mastered makes the difference obvious. You can see it especially when looking at people’s faces and making note of how many details you can see. That’s why I’m not interested in blu-ray. I don’t want to see the actors warts and all. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/93 "2015-10-30T11:35:04Z")
People seem to be so proud to be blind, like they’re pointing out some emporer’s new clothes conspiracy and there’s not actually a difference. Skip around to some of the [examples](http://www.hometheaternetwork.com/HTN_HDSDlost1.htm) here. Can you really not see a difference? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/94 "2015-10-30T11:53:47Z")
I own hundreds of DVDs and a few blue rays, but I don’t remember the last time I watched one. I can find and stream a movie on my iPad too easily to justify looking through my unsorted physical discs. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/95 "2015-10-30T12:00:30Z")
We never bothered fooling with Blu-ray due to the expense. The increased quality was simply not good enough to justify buying a new player and paying more for the discs. Even the pirated Blu-ray discs are more expensive than the regular pirated discs. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/96 "2015-10-30T13:21:23Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > People seem to be so proud to be blind, like they’re pointing out some emporer’s new clothes conspiracy and there’s not actually a difference. > > Skip around to some of the [examples](http://www.hometheaternetwork.com/HTN_HDSDlost1.htm) here. Can you really not see a difference? As has been said over and over, if you placed two sets side by side, most people can see the difference. People are saying that they don’t care about the difference enough to justify the difference in price. This is especially true for people who aren’t gamers and don’t generally watch genres like fantasy where the difference is the most striking. This would be true for me but Blu-Ray players are cheap, I never buy media and it’s only like $2 more a month more to be on the Netflix Blu-Ray plan. So the difference in price for me is negligible. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/97 "2015-10-30T13:29:08Z")
You need to buy blu-ray disks if you want to watch in 3D at home, so there’s that in their favour. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/98 "2015-10-30T14:15:37Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Especially when watching standard 4:3, 480i resolution stuff on a wide screen TV – either you have bars on the sides or the image is distored to fill the screen or everyone’s heads are clipped at the top because you’re doing that goofy zoom-to-fill thing. How do you not notice any of that? I’m going to venture something here- maybe they’re not talking about letterboxed 4:3 content, or zoom-to-fill stuff. I bet they’re talking about old NTSC content that’s been upconverted(or whatever the term is) and then broadcast on an HD channel. Like if HBO decided to show old Sopranos episodes on their HD channels, or for that matter, if you watch DVD content on a HD tv. You’ll have the entire screen filled without any letterboxing, but the actual content is still standard definition You kind of have to see the two versions side-by-side or in close temporal proximity to each other to realize what you’re missing in some cases, especially if it’s a long-running series that flipped to recording in HD somewhere in the production run. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/99 "2015-10-30T14:26:25Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > 35mm film has been the standard for decades and many older movies have been released in HD on Blu-ray. True, I was meaning content originally recorded on video like TV series and documentaries created for television. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922/100 "2015-10-30T14:28:43Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m going to venture something here- maybe they’re not talking about letterboxed 4:3 content, or zoom-to-fill stuff. That hasn’t been my experience (my wife is a chronic watcher of 4:3 content on the SD network channels) but I’m not in everyone’s living room. Or am I? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-blu-ray-caught-on-more/735922.md?page=6)