DVD vs. Blu-Ray

About a year and a half ago I got a Samsung Blu-Ray Surround Sound System but I was hesitant in buying one for a long time because, with any technology, I thought it was just a fad and something new and better would arrive soon. Not to mention I didn't believe my friends when they said I "have to get one" and that "it's way better". I couldn't really grasp how it could be any better than a DVD considering I have a 50" plasma. I figured it was my tv that made the movies look great. Well needless to say I got a great deal on a blu-ray + surround sound so I gave in.

Once I got everything set-up, I threw in a DVD and nothing seemed extraordinary. Sound was good, picture was good, but no better quality than my Xbox. I decided to do some research on why blu-ray is so much better and I found out that each blu-ray can hold more than 5 times the data than a DVD can. This allows for higher quality picture (480p vs. 1080i) and higher quality sound (2 formats vs. 7 formats). Most of the audio lingo didn't make much sense to me but the fact that a standard dvd was only 480p and a blu-ray was 1080i, made me go out and spend the money on a couple blu-rays. And yes, blu-rays are definitely more expensive, starting at around $25 for new releases, but not staggering.

The first one I watched was "Wanted" and I was absolutely blown away. I literally felt like I was watching it in the theater. Yes the picture quality was amazing but it was the audio was what really surprised me. It was incredible. I've seen this movie dozens of times on tv but never have I watched it like this. I'm not exxagerating when I say that there's no way to really describe it other than to see it and hear it for yourself.

With all that being said, I don't believe I'll ever buy another DVD again. The amount you pay for a blu-ray over a DVD isn't significant enough to sacrifice the quality that comes with it.