May the 4th SW reveal

[Reverend Strone]

I'm very pleased to see the vintage documentaries will be included and I'm curious to get a look at the deleted materials. Now I'd better buy a Blu Ray player!

[Archon Revuge]

Now I'd better buy a Blu Ray player!

Ditto! Perhaps we need a Store Report thread for cheap Blu Ray players?

On a serious note: That box set looks amazing. It's definitely been worth the wait.

[reelcollectibles]

I'm very pleased to see the vintage documentaries will be included and I'm curious to get a look at the deleted materials. Now I'd better buy a Blu Ray player!

Yes, sadly, this is one of those things that impels you to buy a device to play it on... akin to what those in the gaming industry call a console-seller. But I'm there

[Buzz Bumble]

Perhaps we need a Store Report thread for cheap Blu Ray players?

I haven't looked at Blu-ray players in particular, but the Australian-owned JB Hi-Fi (online if no branch near you) and The Good Guys tend to have the best prices ... all the other main electronics chains are actually owned by only two / three parent companies and collude on pricing.

There are also a few "outlet" stores that sell off excess stock of older models and "seconds", including some of the big chains having their own "outlet" stores and an Auckland one called "The Appliance Shed", but the prices aren't often that much cheaper. The proper auction houses sometimes have liquidation stock to sell (Grays Online auction house had one last week, but I don't know if there were any Blu-ray players).

BUT ... to get the best out of the discs you also need a "full HD" TV (the bigger the screen size the better) and a proper "home theatre" sound system. You would be looking at about $5000 at least.

Of course, you would then have to think about 3D - is it worth getting 3D capable equipment now, or waiting for the 3D-erised movie discs to be released in a couple of years and then buying all new equipment again.

Then there will be the "Smell-o-vision" versions, then the "Holographic" versions, then ...


Apple actually refuses to put Blu-ray drives in their computers because of the over-expensive licensing costs (despite Apple being one of the signatory companies, Steve Jobs calls Blu-ray a "bag of hurt") and because they believe physical media is on the way out and everything will be delivered via the Internet via places like iTunes, App Store, NetFlix, etc.

[Reverend Strone]

... to get the best out of the discs you also need a "full HD" TV (the bigger the screen size the better) and a proper "home theatre" sound system. You would be looking at about $5000 at least.

Of course, you would then have to think about 3D...

This and the fact I have a perfectly functional (CRT) television and DVD player presently have kept me from jumping in already. I'm generally pretty slow to pick up the latest thing. It tends to take something like my current system breaking down to get me to upgrade.

[Buzz Bumble]

This and the fact I have a perfectly functional (CRT) television ...

Yep. I've got a small CRT TV in my room which works well (although it has a horrible picture when it rains thanks to a dodgy roof aerial) and since upgrading the loung TV to a LCD one we've now got a redundant larger CRT TV to get rid of that nobody wants.

That also reminds me of another problem I meant to add in above ... so-called "Free"view. You really also need to make sure any TV and recording equipment has Freeview built-in (and that you've got the correct aerial / satelitte dish) because the Government is stupidly turning off the analogue broadcast signal over the next couple of years forcing everyone to upgrade if they want to continue watching TV.

Technically you can get away with a Freeview set-top box (you'll need multiple ones if you want to record one channel while watching another), but it's messy and means your TV will only ever use one channel since you have to change channels on the Freview box, meaning you'll be juggling at least two remotes (or buy one of those remotes that can learn other multiple systems).

[Buzz Bumble]

Bond 'n' Bond's outlet store usually advertises in the "For Sale" column of the Weekend Herald (usually it's four items in a blue box, so it's easy to spot). This week they happened to include a Blu-ray player ...

Panasonic Blu-ray Players
Supplier seconds - 4 only - $99
Model: DMP-BD45GN (95113)

Bond 'n' Bond
Southgate Clearance Store
230 Great South Road, Takanini, Auckland
Phone: (09) 299 2420

I don't know if that model is any good nor if it's really a cheaper price.

[Reverend Strone]

I wonder what the retail price on the nine disc set will be here in NZ and whether the release date will be much later than the US debut? I'll likely buy mine from a USA e-tail store like Amazon, as it's usually cheaper and faster that way, but I'm curious to know what the difference will be.

[Bazzack]

I wonder what the retail price on the nine disc set will be here in NZ and whether the release date will be much later than the US debut? I'll likely buy mine from a USA e-tail store like Amazon, as it's usually cheaper and faster that way, but I'm curious to know what the difference will be.

Be careful. Unlike standard DVD players that can usually be multizoned to play off shore discs, Blu ray discs and players are pretty securely Zoned. ie you prob won't be playing US blu rays on a NZ player.

......Unless Amazon sells zone B discs, or if they release these discs unzoned...... Or you get a hackable Blu ray player.

[Buzz Bumble]

I've bought from the Australian webstore EzyDVD.com.au which should be the same region as New Zealand. Sometimes they're cheaper (even with shipping), but sometimes JB Hi-Fi (NZ or Australia) is cheaper.

EzyDVD.com.au currently has the 9-disc Saga Blu-ray set scheduled for release on Wednesday, 14 September, 2011 and priced at Aus$139.97 (including AusGST) plus shipping of Aus$18. That was before the recent announcement, but it hasn't changed (yet).