Internal Blu-Ray drive or external? Suggestions?

[Jason]

I have small screens (two 17" but one is Standard format while the other is wide format), but I assure you I can tell the difference between DVD, HD and Blu-Ray equivalent (1080) on my small screens. Heck, you can go to just about any Youtube video and change resolutions on a small screen and see it yourself. Since you can get Ultra HD on Netflix, it doesn't get any better than that, no matter what size screen you have. 4K and 8K are the top of the line.

As far as downloads go, that's a whole different kettle of fish. Lots of people say it's HD when it's not or 720 when it's not. Same with 1080. It may have started out that way but something was lost during conversion.

Btw, it's spelled Netflix. I guess you don't watch it very often And Blu-ray.

BlueRay, or a newer technology, I suspect will be around for awhile.

Covered all your bases there! 

[bobf]

Holy crap! OUCH, Harry! How big was your collection? I'm in the rare position of having set up all my music equipment a la '70s - amplifier, tuner (rather than combined 'receiver'), cassette deck, turntable... Before I could deal with being this old-school, turntables came back! <^8#

You're welcome, Jason! Our main TV is a 32" 720p on which we've watched many Netflix movies and never noticed a difference. We could've gotten a 32" capable of 1080p, but I needed to find one with a VERY small bezel surround that would allow me to fit it into our entertainment centre. So, we're oblivious to the difference, although I apparently need a 55" on the opposite wall of our family room "for our optimum viewing pleasure"! <^8#

And, of course, there's the whole 4K/UHD thing, and how that creates even more complications - recorded shows vs. physical Blu-ray vs. over-the-air broadcasts vs. downloadables (vs. the next? 'new thing' - 4K/UHD Blu-ray'ish/???)

[bobf]

Hey! What's this 8K thing?!

And the reason I like ripping my own stuff is that I rip it "FULL"; all of the language files, all of the subtitles, everything the disc has to offer. That isn't something I see often in downloadables...

[ssfc72]

there is a Sony bdp-bx110 external blue-ray disk player at a Lindsay thrift store for $20.
it uses an hdmi output to connect to a hd tv. 
didn't seem to be a remote control for it.  you might be able to input a code using your tv remote to get the tv remote to control the player.

[buster]

Bob wrote: "Holy crap! OUCH, Harry! How big was your collection? I'm in the rare position of having set up all my music equipment a la '70s - amplifier, tuner (rather than combined 'receiver'), cassette deck, turntable... Before I could deal with being this old-school, turntables came back! <^8#"

I still have a turntable, and receiver/amp. The albums went back to the old, heavy 78's, late depression. But had very few of the old ones. I also inherited my dad's collection. After my parents died, a room of our small house was dedicated to 'stuff'. Couldn't say how many albums - hundreds I guess.

I started collecting jazz in 1955 when I was 15. Saw Duke Ellington live with my dad in Hamilton at the Palace Theatre. Much of it started then. Saw live performances by Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie as well. But it's all gone now, some to my own kids, but much just gone.

Ellinton '55, my favourite album, had apparently disappeared in our culture - couldn't find even references to it about 5 years ago when I started scanning the web for it. Did searches every few months. Finally got a torrent. Downloaded it, and the cover is in Japanese. So someone got the Japanese album years ago I guess and posted the torrent about the time I found it. Good quality.

Also all the albums of my favourite Joni Mitchell and others that era. Most of it I have managed to find thru torrents.

Probably more classical music than anything.

[Jason]

there is a Sony bdp-bx110 external blue-ray disk player at a Lindsay thrift store for $20.
it uses an hdmi output to connect to a hd tv. 
didn't seem to be a remote control for it.  you might be able to input a code using your tv remote to get the tv remote to control the player.

Thanks, Bill. I can't get out to Lindsay but it's not really what I'm looking for, anyway, especially since I don't have anything with an HDMI input.

[bobf]

I have NO idea how to do "jaw drop" in emojis, Harry, but wow! And I know what you mean by the past fading... I had the same experiences with B.B. King albums and the like... 'Someone' evidently decided over the last few decades that compilations are JUST as good, if not better, than the original records. I disagree...

[buster]

"I had the same experiences with B.B. King albums and the like.."

You had some of the original B.B. King albums? Wow! I had Beatles White Album, Leonard  Cohen original albums, and an original Sarah Vaughn 33 1/3. The Sarah Vaughn I can't find. My fault. I was too lazy to record into the compute. When we die of course it doesn't really matter . But there was glorious music back then.

By the way, I saw The Doors on Ed Sullivan. You were probably too young. Amazing night.

[bobf]

I dunno, Harry. I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan... I think (!!) they were around slightly before that...