my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » The Afterlife   » Can Blu-ray be shown on standard-def TV?

Author Topic: Can Blu-ray be shown on standard-def TV? Julie Lucero Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Valencia, California, USA Registered: Sep 2008 posted 01-21-2009 12:33 PM                     Is Blu-ray compatible with standard-definition TVs? Now, I know that sounds like a lame question because obviously standard definition and high definition are two separate systems, but before you flame me, allow me to explain my situation. My husband and I wish to upgrade to high definition but we cannot purchase at the same time the Blu-ray player and a high-definition display. So, (1.) If we bought the player first and also started buying Blu-ray discs, will we be able to enjoy them on our current television (a 15-year-old Sony 27") until we are able to go out and purchase the high-def display? (2.) Are the output jacks on the back of the Blu-ray players a type compatible only with high-def TVs? (3.) And if my question can even be answered in the affirmative, what happens to the image? Does it get down-rezzed to standard-definition quality?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-21-2009 01:20 PM                        Yes, they can be played back on SDTVs. They'll even look better than DVDs due to the lack of compression artifacts on most discs.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-21-2009 02:49 PM                     Every Blu-ray player I've checked for SDTV compatibility has included at least one or more outputs for SDTV connection. Most have S-Video and composite video outputs. You can also tell the Blu-ray player to output only 480p and use component video connections if your SDTV supports that. If you bought something like a Sony Playstation 3 you might need to buy a certain AV adapter to use S-Video or component video functions. It has a basic adapter for 2-channel stereo and composite video included in the box. Every Blu-ray player is also able to play standard DVD movies too. Anyone needing to replace a malfunctioning DVD player should seriously consider a Blu-ray player.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-22-2009 09:54 AM                     Do any, many or most Blu-Rays, while outputting HD on the HDMI jack also output an SD version on the composite jack? Steve  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-22-2009 02:00 PM                     I haven't tried it, but I have doubts based on how the PS3 works. You have to specify either-or for outputs on video and audio. For example, the PS3 will not send audio over HDMI and optical outputs at the same time. You have to choose one or the other. If you're using HDMI for video connection it makes you specify that as well.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-22-2009 03:08 PM                        I've gotten audio over optical and HDMI at the same time on the PS3. Granted, the HDMI was just stereo PCM coming though my TV speakers.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-22-2009 07:06 PM                     What settings were you using with your PS3? I assume you're sending audio via HDMI now since you bought that new receiver recently. Maybe the 80GB PS3 system I have is a bit different. When I choose to send audio via the optical output it doesn't send any audio over HDMI, otherwise I'd hear something coming from my TV set. If HDMI is chosen I don't hear anything from my stereo system speakers, just the speakers on the TV. I tried that a couple of times to check lossless audio bit rates.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-23-2009 02:16 AM                        It was just sending stereo LPCM 16-bit 48khz over the HDMI, and not all of the time. Only sometimes. It is weird. Firmware updates since then have probably corrected this.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-23-2009 02:37 PM                        I still have my Sony standard Trinitron television but like you Julie, I will be getting a HD set very soon. Although I will not be getting the tremendous improvement in picture quality HD offers yet, I just invested in a Blue-Ray player because it is more practical to buy a BD of a new release now rather than SD version because I can still watch it on my current standard set. As joe said, the picture quality is much better watching a BD on a non HD set than a regular DVD. The best part of watching movies in Blue -Ray I have found is the improvement in the sound quality. Although I have been having some problem with the sound clipping with my speaker system, It seem to be under control now. I have always favored DTS sound when I watch movies at home but over the years, DVDs with DTS were not as sonically exciting as the ones that were initially released because of the reduced amount of bit space. Bobby had just informed me the other day that all DTS soundtrack can playback in the full bit rather than DTS tracks on current DVDs. I have been noticing that DTS tracks on new DVD releases has become very scarce but every titles from Fox, Universal and a few others all have DTS tracks on Blue-Ray. I have found even regular Dolby 5.1 tracks sound great with my speaker system from Blue-Ray discs. -Claude [ 01-23-2009, 04:29 PM: Message edited by: Claude S. Ayakawa ]  |  IP: Logged Julie Lucero Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Valencia, California, USA Registered: Sep 2008 posted 01-24-2009 02:27 PM                     Thanks!  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.