Internal Blu-Ray drive or external? Suggestions?

[Jason]

I purchased my first Blu-ray movie last year (it also came with a DVD but the Blu-ray has extras) but I don't have a Blu-ray player. I'm wondering if any of you guys have one and if you have any tips or recommendations or a particular brand, internal vs. external, best place to get one, etc?

Your thoughts, please

[fox]

They have some pretty cheap blu-ray players at Best Buy. We recently bought an LG model for $100 with tax. It seems pretty good playing DVD's, although we have yet to actually try a blu-ray disk.

[Jason]

Thanks, Mike. Was it an internal model? I've been looking at this portable one from Amazon for $67 (not actually from them, just on their marketplace).

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N9LC9D0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1AXXUVH2VCGKH&coliid=I1LB9CZPJVZVVU

So far I've been unable to find anything cheaper for a portable model. Some are really expensive (to me)  like over $150 for the portables. But they're also USB 3. This one is only USB 2.0 which I think is fine for playing movies because it's a slow speed but probably horrendous for burning. But I don't really care about burning. It's just for watching movies. Portable would be nice because I often watch movies by myself and other times with my wife.

[fox]

It's external, but not portable. Meant for a TV.

[Jason]

It's external, but not portable. Meant for a TV.

The only TV we have is of the old CRT variety. Haven't turned the thing on in 10 years! I need something smallish so it's easy to move. But thanks anyway

[ssfc72]

Maybe try looking in the Thrift Stores.  There is one in Lindsay that has a lot of computer related stuff such as keyboards, all kinds of cables (i just picked up a 6 conductor RJ12 modular phone cord, for $1, that I can use to connect my HF Amateur Transceiver control head to the remote transceiver body), etc.

[Jason]

You think there'd be a working Blu-ray drive in a Thrift store? I guess it could happen if somebody upgraded to a better Blu-Ray. I'll look around. Thanks for the tip.

[ssfc72]

Blueray DVD's are an obsolete technology, now.
With things like Netflix, etc., for watching movies and downloading movies as avi or iso files, movie dvd's are fading away.  The HMV media stores have just announced they are shutting down all their Canadian stores,

So yes, you might start to see Blueray players show up at Thrift stores.

[Jason]

The problem is that you don't get extras, directors commentary and such with the digital downloads. Yet. But that will probably change, too. Are Blu-Ray discs considered DVDs? I've never heard them referred to as Blu-Ray DVDs before.

I'm not totally surprised at the HMV closing stores but all fo them? Wow. I've always said that movies cost too much but I figured they would still be making money on old TV show seasons that you can't download or watch on Netflix. The one in Peterborough always seemed to have a steady stream of visitors. They also had a lot of collectibles related to TV shows, T-shirts, headphones, posters and such. But I guess you can get it all online.

I fear we're losing community though by buying everything online and we're not supporting local businesses and local employees. Instead. it's all going to the profits of large corporations in mega-centres far away from us. But that's another discussion. I'm going to miss browsing that store. Admittedly, I never bought a lot but I liked some of the books and graphic novels they sold. It's nice to hold things in your hand and leaf through it before you buy.

[buster]

'With things like Netflix, etc., for watching movies and downloading movies as avi or iso files, movie dvd's are fading away.'

While this may be true, I think settling for a poorer picture is a loss. I watched a Netflicks program at my son's and found it such a drop in picture quality from my hi-def tv signal. And to download a blue ray movie iso is probably over 6 gigs. If you can download in hi def you need lots of broadband and lots of speed.

If you have a crap tv, or you don't care about the clarity and colour. it doesn't matter. Some people only care about the story and characters, sort of like reading. To them it doesn't matter. (I have a friend who drives her husband crazy because she can't distinguish between hi def and non hi def channels.) And the new TVs are going to make it even more difficult to put up with low quality pictures.

We'll see how it shakes out.

[Jason]

While this may be true, I think settling for a poorer picture is a loss. I watched a Netflicks program at my son's and found it such a drop in picture quality from my hi-def tv signal. And to download a blue ray movie iso is probably over 6 gigs. If you can download in hi def you need lots of broadband and lots of speed.

With Netflix the quality depends on your subscription plan (see attachment). They have up to Ultra HD which is 4K and 8K. I suspect your son has it for only 1 screen and therefore the lowest quality. And of course, not all programs are available in HD though they're usually older TV shows or movies (by old I mean even stuff from the 90s or earlier).I don't require Ultra HD as we don't have anything that is compatible but I'm pretty picky about picture quality. I try to download my shows in 1080 though sometimes 720 is fine, too. We don't have big screens.

I believe something like 80% of Canadians have a 20 Mbps connection or better which is capable of HD. But yeah, you still need a good sized bitcap.

[bobf]

I have a Samsung Blu-ray player in my entertainment centre, hooked up via wired Ethernet, and a Blu-ray burner in my PC (oh, and I also have a BD-ROM for my laptop that IIRC came out of a HP DV6 laptop, but I want to get another bezel for it, ideally with the BD logo, that fits my laptop). I use the burner when I get new Blu-ray discs (I have no problem referring to them as Blu-ray DVDs; DVD initially denoted 'Digital Versatile Disc', and I believe, in common use, evolved into 'Digital Video Disc' - which commercial Blu-rays are...), and rip them down using MakeMKV to the media server. We *very* rarely insert a physical disc into the entertainment centre unit - but it DOES happen - and all my wife needs to know is how to change the TV source on its remote, and on the Samsung remote, there's a 'Netflix' button. That's *all* she's interested in...! <^8#

If your system will support it, I'd go internal (I know you use your PC as your TV) - not that there's anything wrong with USB and portable. You *may* want a burner as well (while you can still find them, if ODD's going out the window, too!) It's what suits your uses the best. I have a portable DVD burner in my bag, and, at home, a package of blank 25GB (single-layer) BD-ROM discs that I've never opened - but I've burned *MANY* DVDs specifically using my BD burner, so it's equally up to the task of everyday stuff, too. And I'm a tad fuzzy on the whole "BD-ROM/DVD-R(W)" hybrids. In the day, many DVD-ROM/CD-RW burners proliferated, kinda dumb but probably saved you 50% if you didn't care about burning DVDs at the time... I don't know if they've perpetuated the same buffoonery in BD, though it certainly wouldn't surprise me...

I'd guess the best price would be CanadaComputers... Possibly a competitor on-line (I'm trying *not* to think "Newegg" - I've read some disturbing reviews that reflect badly on them)...

There's always the eBay route. Check out  the $18. white "External Drive USB 3.0 BD-ROM 3D Burner Writer Player for PC NEW UL":

http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-Drive-USB-3-0-BD-ROM-3D-Burner-Writer-Player-for-PC-NEW-UL-/161925848126?var=&hash=item25b3885c3e:m:mqiciUCeza9UcamgwpIJM5g

$18. for a "BD-ROM" that has only DVD specs...!! What a pinbrain! And you can have it in black for only $27.!! <^8#

Now, I don't see ODD as obsolete, either BD *or* DVD. Where do you think all of the downloadables come from?! I *RARELY EVER* pay retail for a BD-based movie, choosing instead options like "First Stop Swap Shop" on the west side of George between Charlotte & King downtown, where I can get them for... $8. each, or 3 for $15., something like that. If I wanted a brand-spankin'-new movie, however, probably Wal-Mart... A few weeks after the "New Release" price comes off of it...!!

[Jason]

Thanks, Bob!

[ssfc72]

That's a good point!  I always like the additional info that came with some movie DVD disc sets.

The problem is that you don't get extras, directors commentary and such with the digital downloads.

[buster]

Jason, what size screen are you using for watching Netflicks? My son's is quite large. Mine is only 46 inches. Almost anything looks clear on a screen say under 32 inches. Or a computer screen. My neighbour watches BlueRay on a 60 inch and it's phenomenal. Clearer than reality. While I suspect you can get a great picture for a huge TV screen with Netflicks, I've never seen it. I know I seldom get equal clarity with downloads for programs I sometimes watch with hi-def tv. To me the difference is dramatic.

BlueRay, or a newer technology, I suspect will be around for awhile. But you never know. Vinyl records have made  a comeback, not long after I got rid of a huge music collection.  If the world were predictable, we'd all be either rich or bored.