Netflix charging more for Blu-Ray access

[Q]

Netflix has announced price increases for Blu-Ray access (http://blog.netflix.com/2009/03/price-update-for-access-to-blu-ray.html).

I was ok with paying an extra $1/month for access to Blu-Ray, but these new charges are insane - on the order of 20%+ premium in fees just to get an occasional movie on Blu-Ray (their Blu-Ray selection is extremely limited).

I will be cutting Blu-Ray access from my Netflix account immediately.

[Tai]

Smart move! Maybe if enough consumers express dissatisfaction they can get a better deal.

[Kermit]

I've watched Blu-Ray and DVDs on the Blu-Ray player and honestly couldn't see the difference. Maybe if you had them side by side.

We're getting a netflix subscription for the summer (once the winter TV season is over) and I'll probebly pass on the BR option if it costs more.

[Reaver]

You need a HD tv to see the difference. I don't own a blu ray, but there is no mistaking a dvd for a blu ray. (assuming the blu ray isn't a dvd transfer)

[Kermit]

I beg to differ. The only problem with my TV is that it is comparatively small at 37". Other than that, it is fully capable of showing all the features of Blu-Ray, including 1080p.

The Blu-Ray player itself up-scales quite well and at least with the Disney cartoons that I've seen where we own both I can't see a difference at all. I've been very pleased with the live action DVD's that we own and have trouble imagining them looking much better. Like I said, maybe if I could get a side-by-side comparison of the two, or if I owned a monster 60+ inch screen, I would be able to note some difference, but definitely not anything at 37" that makes it worth paying more money for a rental.

[Circuit]

In most cases, it's similar to the difference between a compressed jpeg and an uncompressed bitmap photo. BluRay movies just have a lot more depth to them, but it probably isn't too terribly apparent on cartoons. It is more noticeable on a larger TV, but the difference is pretty huge to me even on my shitty 32" bargain LCD in the bedroom. But even good DVDs still suffer from a bit of artifacting due to the compression. Some are better than others and some are downright excellent, but you just don't get any of that with BluRay. It's most apparent to me on movies with lots of dark scenes.

However, you're probably better off not seeing the difference. It probably saves you a lot of money. :)

[Kermit]

My wife works for an outsourcing company that has a contract with Disney. She brings home Blu-Rays and DVDs which need "testing". Then, when the testing is done, we keep the disk.

I have a monstrous collection of DVDs, about half of which are Disney/BVHE, and we're gaining more Blu-Rays by the week. I did watch IronMan on Blu-Ray, and it was excellent. The vast majority of my experience is cartoons and CGI/Pixar.

My recommendation to most people right now though is to wait. The prices are still coming down and it's not worth the money unless you have an uber-screen to enjoy it on. Is there a difference? Sure. Are you going to notice it on a *cough* tiny little screen (less than 42")? Probably not. The difference between an up-scaled DVD to a Blu-Ray is not as significant as the difference was from VHS to DVD. Next year, you will be able to get a nice Blu-Ray 2.0 player for $100. The year after that, they will be giving them away as Happy Meal prizes.

[Circuit]

I think most people *do* notice, though. They just might not care enough to buy another player and different type of disc.

A pretty good way to sort of demonstrate the difference is to go to Apple.com and watch a movie trailer at 480p blown up to full screen and then the same trailer in 1080p. This is not exactly the same as a true DVD-to-BD comparison, of course, but it's close.

I just don't think there's reason anymore to wait on BD if you care about the difference in image quality. If you don't care and DVDs are perfectly fine to you, then I wouldn't even recommend buying a BD player at all, regardless of price.

[samuelk]

I turned off Blu-Ray access on my account, too.