TV Series - 'Expensive' Blu-Ray vs. Cheaper DVD

[gilubilu]

I am slowly building up my blu ray collection. Nothing colossal yet but easy does it...

In movie titles (or at least most of them) blu-ray is clearly superior and it is worth every extra penny.

However I was wondering if the same would hold when considering TV series. The difference can sometimes be really huge, and I wonder if quality wise TV series on blu-rays are really that much enhanced?

What do you think??

Cheers

[V6CMG]

Some one said not sure if it was this forum or not Band Of Brothers is Quality on Blu-ray Video & Sound is brill & only £22.99 on Blu-ray...

Carl

[Starburst]

I think we've seen over the last few years a real effort into embracing HD in the television world and that has paid off with some beautiful looking programmes and it may be said that with tighter restrictions on a director in TV there less room for them to indulge themselves

Given the choice I would choose Blu over DVD every day time but there is a lot of TV (some only from last season) that are not on Blu so that leaves buying them on DVD but like movies those extra couple of quid they slap on to the "premium" format makes me sit back and wait a few months.
Not a single pre-order for a Blu-ray TV series out around now unlike last year and the year before that.

[nwgarratt]

Depends on how the series have been filmed/edited. Shows like Friends wouldn't be any better than DVD due to I believe being edited on NTSC video. Star Trek TNG, Voyager and DS9 are the same.

Shows like Battestar Galactica show a improvement on Blu. As shows made recently will have HD in mind.

However, I have so many TV on DVD that I wouldn't even start replacing them with Blu anyway. On the other hand, I may get CSI Season 9 on Blu as I haven't got it yet along with any other seasons for shows I get in the future.

[Greg]

As has been discussed on other threads, if only they thought of releasing entire TV series on blu-ray at DVD quality but really cheap, I'm sure they would be a big seller.

For example, take Friends. The quality is ok on DVD and I'm guessing, wasn't filmed in a way that it would be any better on blu-ray. But on a blu-ray disc you could probably fit one entire season. Meaning the entire series of Friends would only cover a few discs. That would make it quite cheap, but also for those that don't want huge boxsets on their shelves. I would definitely buy something like that.

My Stargate boxsets take up a huge amout of shelf space, if that could be compressed to one small boxset that would be superb.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by Greg

As has been discussed on other threads, if only they thought of releasing entire TV series on blu-ray at DVD quality but really cheap, I'm sure they would be a big seller.

For example, take Friends. The quality is ok on DVD and I'm guessing, wasn't filmed in a way that it would be any better on blu-ray. But on a blu-ray disc you could probably fit one entire season. Meaning the entire series of Friends would only cover a few discs. That would make it quite cheap, but also for those that don't want huge boxsets on their shelves. I would definitely buy something like that.

My Stargate boxsets take up a huge amout of shelf space, if that could be compressed to one small boxset that would be superb.

The whole point of Blu Ray is HD though. I will never want the whole season of something on one disc. I bet the price of one disc on BD with 24 odd episodes on it will be just as much as they would be on DVD. They won't sell them cheap with that much data on them.

I see them doing the usual thing of matching same number of discs on BD (or close to) as they are on DVD for quite some time yet.

[gilubilu]

Thanks guys, seems like I am not the only one having this dilemma.

I think that overall it depends on the specific series, and how much you adore it.

Personally I think that for some of them (old, non-action, comedy, etc) I wouldnt mind having them on DVD, while others, the more action, sci-fi oriented maybe worth forking a couple extra bucks.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by Greg

My Stargate boxsets take up a huge amout of shelf space, if that could be compressed to one small boxset that would be superb.

Or dumped to a media server
The problem of course is pricing, over-production of DVD or reliance on people buying series boxsets over season boxsets is not a long term business model now streaming is making it's presence felt.

[Goooner]

Originally Posted by gilubilu

I think that overall it depends on the specific series, and how much you adore it.

Personally I think that for some of them (old, non-action, comedy, etc) I wouldnt mind having them on DVD, while others, the more action, sci-fi oriented maybe worth forking a couple extra bucks.

That pretty much sums it up for me too.

The only DVD I've bought in the last year is Series 1 & 2 of The Inbetweeners don't think it's available on Blu anyway, but even if it was, it's not the sort of thing that is going to benefit from HD.

Older TV stuff that was filmed in SD on video I'm not bothered about, but I've held off buying more than the first 2 seasons of Lost (which I already owned before going HD) because having watched it in HD on SKy, I don't think I'd want to go back to watching it in SD on DVD. Having said that, I won't pay silly money, I'm quite happy to wait for a decent price drop or a BOGOF for HD TV shows.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Or dumped to a media server
The problem of course is pricing, over-production of DVD or reliance on people buying series boxsets over season boxsets is not a long term business model now streaming is making it's presence felt.

Most of my TV series have been moved in to 6 or 8 disc cases. My SG1+movies now takes 11" of shelf space.

I got into the habit of buying seasons as they come out or when they come down to the price I want. It means packaging has got smaller and smaller over the years and I was left with big wide packaging which I have also paid more money.

Friends has been reissued in single amaray cases with a season per case (4 DVD's) and also the bargain price of just £50. I paid up to £40 per season when they came out, plus they were double sided discs and not double layered like they are now.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Most of my TV series have been moved in to 6 or 8 disc cases. My SG1+movies now takes 11" of shelf space.

I'm at about 3 feet but no Atlantis s5 and the 3 movies are on a different shelf

I just bought the Frasier boxset and it's about 4" wide!

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by Starburst

I'm at about 3 feet but no Atlantis s5 and the 3 movies are on a different shelf

I just bought the Frasier boxset and it's about 4" wide!

I bought S5 not that long ago when it was just £14 at Amazon.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

I bought S5 not that long ago when it was just £14 at Amazon.

Hoping for Blu season or a full series set but it's looking less likely.

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Hoping for Blu season or a full series set but it's looking less likely.

I am waiting for Universe on BD to start watching Stargate in HD.

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Shows like Friends wouldn't be any better than DVD due to I believe being edited on NTSC video. Star Trek TNG, Voyager and DS9 are the same.

Surely there would be some benefit? After all the DVD MPEG2 bitrate ceiling is hit very quickly and I'm sure the episodes could look nicer if given more headroom on Blu-ray. I suspect the Star Trek franchises will be given a dust off and refresh for Blu-ray anyway.