Topic: Which Way To Go?

[frootloops]

Hoping this POLL will help some members on which route to take. I for one wanted an upscaling player at first, then thought of going all the way BLU, however, in the past days or months, I've noticed that Hi-Def downloads are beginning to enter the scene.

I understand that some might take the BLU with a drop of a hat, some might have all (3) (let's not take into consideration the cost of the players) what I would like to know is the general advantages/disadvantages of each players.

Many thanks!

[iiinas]

PCH for me, or any nmt based player for others. hd downloads specially for materials that are not bluray keepers is the most cost effective way to experience hd. even with great upscalers i think hd mkv files will still trump any upscaled sd material. (unless you have a really really great set up)

[dyerds]

Why not include htpc in your poll sir Loop?

You can play DVD and Blu-ray in your htpc. You can put your pics, videos, huge collection of music, dvd and blu-ray inside your hard disk and just play it in your htpc anytime you want. You can play kick-ass game with your htpc.  There's no need to buy new high-end players because all you need to do is just upgrade your hardware and software and you're good to go again. It may be expensive at first but because of the free stuff (latest video and audio codec, hd files and lossless music format) that you can download free I think it's all worth it. Flexibility wise, nothing beats htpc. IMO  Power comsumption...that's another story. 

[frootloops]

@ sir dyerds, sorry for the confusion, the poll is intended for stand alone players for a dedicated Home Theater. But yes, I do agree with you that HTPC is also a good source of HD's, that might go for the others. 

[stickfighter]

Nice topic Sir Froot! Like you, I am in the stage of choosing which route to take. As seen in my thread..."Going High Def..."

Link: http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=84863.0

I initially wanted to go Blu-ray direct. My current movie collection is composed of DVD's from various regions. I auditioned the Pana BD30 in terms of its upscaling capabilities for viewing dvd's, I was not impressed at all. In fact, the Pio DV600 provided the same image like the Blu-ray player, interms of viewing dvd's.

Since this was the case, I decided to just go with the upscaling dvd player instead. For one, the price of the unit is cheaper and will already give me the "high def picture" I need that comes with it's upscaling capabilities.

I still have not purchased an upscaling dvd player at this time, as I am still researching what the best option will be.

I hope that his thread you created can benefit me in deciding which way to go.

[darkwing]

you have to consider HD audio too

[Moks007]

Here is my take..

If you are just  "watching the movie"  and don't really watch special features or want some movies that are not yet out in blu-ray.  I would get the popcorn hour.  This player is really awesome  both pics and sound..Saves you lots of money spending on hd discs.

If you are a collector, lots of dvds, want the best pics and audio, lots of cash to spare, lots of money to buy bluray discs and dvds then I would buy a ps3 or a panasonic standalone. I would also buy a real excellent dvd player for your dvds ONLY, like the oppo 980 or oppo 983.

If you are a collector, lots of dvds, satisfied with the audio, satisfied with a video that is "good enough" where SOME movies can be really close to hidef imo, can wait till bluray players come down to 99 dollars and software at 12 to 15 dollars to justify double dipping titles you already have on dvd , then I would just buy an excellent dvd player first like one of the oppos. I assure you when you buy an excellent dvd player like the oppo 980 , you will want to go back to your hundreds and hundreds of dvds and rewatch them all over again with pure satisfaction. The crave is there


If you know somebody with bluray or popcorn, go check it out first before jumping in. I recommend checking out Curse of the Golden Flower in blu-ray and compare it with the dvd version. The blu-ray version is WOW, fantastic imo..Colors, details of armor, etc. You can also check out some other reference quality blurays and compare it to dvds or vice versa.

[Clondalkin]

I have over 550 reasons (and counting) to prefer HTPC over any other option.  I'm addicted to watching anything high def (TV series, documentaries, sports, movies, pron) while the 2nd monitor displays PinoyDVD.com  (last week grabe ISTORBO ng Scammer na yan sa panonood ng maayos    ) 

[vtec3]

for me Blu is the way to go, Hi-def to me is both audio & video and i think i can get this by going blu. I am wanting to buy a PCH also but don't have the time to download movies, so my option is limited only to the available movies offered by the seller. Problem is most of the movies available I have either on DVD or BD. I can't really justify buying the PCH at this time not unless somebody will sell it and put in TV series like 24, Prison Break & Heroes. I have seen the PCH at work and indeed it produces good video & audio, but i also can experience the same using my DVDs. The model PCH 110 can output bitstream which is good. Kaya lang a 1080p movie will take up around 40GB in harddisk space, so a 1 TB HDD can only accomodate mga 25 movies. If I compute the cost of the PCH 110 + 1 TB HDD it will be equivalent to buying around the same number of individual BDs 

i too am waiting for the price of a standalone player to go down (now Pana BD30 is somewhere around $260 sa Amazon) very tempting indeed. Wanted to let my receiver process data instead of my PS3. Sa PS3 kasi i notice na there are BD titles that sound better if i output in bitstream and others better if I output in PCM  kaya papalit palit pa ako ng settings. Yung mga audio na True HD, DTS MA ok sa PCM but the rest for me mas ok sa bitstream.

i might be wrong in my assumptions pero as of now this is how i see it 

[iiinas]

for me Blu is the way to go, Hi-def to me is both audio & video and i think i can get this by going blu. I am wanting to buy a PCH also but don't have the time to download movies, so my option is limited only to the available movies offered by the seller. Problem is most of the movies available I have either on DVD or BD. I can't really justify buying the PCH at this time not unless somebody will sell it and put in TV series like 24, Prison Break & Heroes. I have seen the PCH at work and indeed it produces good video & audio, but i also can experience the same using my DVDs. The model PCH 110 can output bitstream which is good. Kaya lang a 1080p movie will take up around 40GB in harddisk space, so a 1 TB HDD can only accomodate mga 25 movies. If I compute the cost of the PCH 110 + 1 TB HDD it will be equivalent to buying around the same number of individual BDs 

i too am waiting for the price of a standalone player to go down (now Pana BD30 is somewhere around $260 sa Amazon) very tempting indeed. Wanted to let my receiver process data instead of my PS3. Sa PS3 kasi i notice na there are BD titles that sound better if i output in bitstream and others better if I output in PCM  kaya papalit palit pa ako ng settings. Yung mga audio na True HD, DTS MA ok sa PCM but the rest for me mas ok sa bitstream.

i might be wrong in my assumptions pero as of now this is how i see it 

very true sir vtec3, but i think the 40gb 1080p per movie is for the fresh rips from bluray. but once put into mkv  containers, its roughly 4-6gb for a 720p encoded movie, and 8-10gb for a 1080p encoded movie. and yes, definitely no hd audio only the classic dd and dts. 

[Munskie]

Two or three months ago, I would have suggested to go all-out Blu-ray.

Not anymore.  Since having a hand in a PCH, my BD purchases have gone south considerably.

Which way to go??  Ill go both ways......

My new strategy:

1.   Filtered my Blu-ray purchases.   I have no particular criteria in a film (can be a critically-acclaimed film, or a huge blockbuster hit), but it must be a very good BD, in terms of video and audio quality.   Leaning over to action films here, since the film's explosive soundtrack will benefit my HT through BD's lossless sound formats.

Sample of my target BD purchases in the coming months: Godfather Collection, Band of Brothers, Ironman, Dark Knight, Hellboy 2, Kung Fu Panda.  Thats all...

2.  All others I would like to see, I use the PCH.   Just like iisnaslao has posted, I just choose the 4-8gb files.   Most of my choices in this part are comedies/romance/dramas, which doesnt exactly need to be in lossless sound format.   

My 1 TB hard drive contains 140 files.   Overwhelmed na nga ako sa content.

This way....I get all movies I want.....and all in HD video. 

[stickfighter]

hmmmmm.....

Pio or Oppo Upscaling DVD Players = Cheap, Reasonable and Affordable Price, but not "true" HD.
Blu-ray Players = Very expensive machines, very expensive discs as well.

PCH - I still have to experience first hand what this unit can do, co'z I have no idea whatsoever...

Hay....decisions...decisions...decisions...

[vtec3]

dagdag pa natin yung decision as to what Flat Panel to choose (Plasma vs LCD), PCH 100 or PCH 110 and also what AVR 

This thread is giving me new insights  dami talaga learnings dito sa forum 

[Munskie]

dagdag pa natin yung decision as to what Flat Panel to choose (Plasma vs LCD), PCH 100 of PCH 110 and also what AVR 

This thread is giving me new insights  dami talaga learnings dito sa forum 

Yung Plasma vs LCD....personal na choice na lang yan for a flat panel.

PCH A100 or A110.   Yep, nakaka bitstream na ng HD sound format yung huli.   BUt the thing is, our broadband infrastructure is still way behind for us to have patience in waiting for 40GB files to be completed.   If I want a movie in lossless sound format, bilhin ko na lang sa BD.

   

[iiinas]

hmmmmm.....

Pio or Oppo Upscaling DVD Players = Cheap, Reasonable and Affordable Price, but not "true" HD.
Blu-ray Players = Very expensive machines, very expensive discs as well.

PCH - I still have to experience first hand what this unit can do, co'z I have no idea whatsoever...

Hay....decisions...decisions...decisions...

kung pwede lahat. hehehe  

but if you are just starting. ideally, get an upscaler, so that you can view your dvd collection in a different way, then decide between bluray player or popcorn. but if you are looking for cost effective way on going hd, for me pch or any network media tank is the way to go.

[ricky]

    Hi froot been contimplating myself on which route to take
    Yes you are right, the introduction of  mkv players has really made buying stand alone Hd(blu-ray) players quite confusing(more of discouraging ). But downloading is not for everyone, I myself would not like to go through the hassle of both uploading and downloading just to see a movie Plus I gathered that you need a high speed dsl connection with a reputable internet provider(meron ba nun dito sa pilipinas ) to get decent files.
     Also vtec3 is correct that the cost of buying storage to save those files are not that cheap,actually when you compute it its almost on the same level na as the counterpart So buying the blu-ray title would be more practical since may resale value pa sya
    Would buying a stand alone bdplayer better? Well better for some But not for me at this time. Most blu-ray titles are not that good based on reviews and most of the recent titles I've watched on dvd are not WORTH TO OWN AND COLLECT so imagine if I bought that in blu-ray, yung P****** copies na nga nakakahinayang na eh(cheap ko noh )
      Ano nga ba talaga ang maganda? Well I 've just invested in a good upscaling dvd player so i can still continue to enjoy watching my dvd collection atleast on a 720p resolution plus I dont intend to buy again titles I already have in sd in blu-ray format na naman(waste of money considering how easily it depreciates over time just like what happened to sd ).So would I recommend it? YES only if you really NEED a dvd player and kuhain mo na yung may good up-converting capabilities,otherwise just wait and see what will happen sa economy Also those local R3s are beginning to be offered in a very attractive price na sulit na talaga bilihin

[vtec3]

PCH A100 or A110.   Yep, nakaka bitstream na ng HD sound format yung huli.   BUt the thing is, our broadband infrastructure is still way behind for us to have patience in waiting for 40GB files to be completed.   If I want a movie in lossless sound format, bilhin ko na lang sa BD.

   

very true, kaya medyo napipigilan ko yung sarili ko to buy the PCH because of the time/patience required to download. better talaga to buy na lang the title sa BD. but the PCH is really a very cool gadget and something nice to have.

ay sana mayron store na puwede puntahan at magpa load ka ng mga movies or series that you want 

[ricky]

very true, kaya medyo napipigilan ko yung sarili ko to buy the PCH because of the time/patience required to download. better talaga to buy na lang the title sa BD. but the PCH is really a very cool gadget and something nice to have.

ay sana mayron store na puwede puntahan at magpa load ka ng mga movies or series that you want 

I heard meron, lifetime free uploads daw basta sa kanya binili yung player

[vtec3]

   But not for me at this time. Most blu-ray titles are not that good based on reviews and most of the recent titles I've watched on dvd are not WORTH TO OWN AND COLLECT

ricky, isang example for me ng BD title na na bili ko na feeling ko talaga sayang is MI-2. I like watching this movie sa DVD so i thought mag enjoy din ako dito sa BD and i am totally mistaken  

in hindsight the reason why i invested in this HD thing is to be able to maximize the new gears that i bought. started with the TV then AVR and so on. Probably the same thing is happening to bro froot that is why he is contemplating on which path to take   not to mention also pala yung palagi ko pagbabasa dito sa PDVD forum, naka apekto ng malaki sa gastos ko para sa hobby na ito  

[iiinas]

sir ricky

hehe, don't want to sound like a fanboy but just to clarify a few things about pch.

Yes you are right, the introduction of  mkv players has really made buying stand alone Hd(blu-ray) players quite confusing(more of discouraging ). But downloading is not for everyone, I myself would not like to go through the hassle of both uploading and downloading just to see a movie Plus I gathered that you need a high speed dsl connection with a reputable internet provider(meron ba nun dito sa pilipinas ) to get decent files.

speed of internet connection does not affect quality of the mkv files we can get from the net, but it definitely affects how long it takes to get a movie, on a 1 mbps dsl connection, a 4gb movie (720p) will take from 15-24 hours to finish downloading.


Also vtec3 is correct that the cost of buying storage to save those files are not that cheap,actually when you compute it its almost on the same level na as the counterpart So buying the blu-ray title would be more practical since may resale value pa sya

if we do the math, lets say you get 100 blurays at a flat rate of 800 pesos each that's equals to 80,000 pesos. as for a 100 mkvs (@720p resolution), these will fit a 500 gb hdd which cost around 6,000 pesos, even if we charge 40 pesos per mkv downloaded for equipment depreciation, time and electricity, each movie will cost around 100 pesos only. and lastly if you want all 1080p mkvs it will take a 1 tb to house all of them and a 1 tb hdd cost around 10,000 pesos + the fix cost of 40 pesos per mkv will translate to 140 pesos for each movie, pq is maybe 85-90% of the bluray but for audio, since its only classic dd or dts, bluray defnitely has the edge here.

[ricky]

ricky, isang example for me ng BD title na na bili ko na feeling ko talaga sayang is MI-2. I like watching this movie sa DVD so i thought mag enjoy din ako dito sa BD and i am totally mistaken  

in hindsight the reason why i invested in this HD thing is to be able to maximize the new gears that i bought. started with the TV then AVR and so on. Probably the same thing is happening to bro froot that is why he is contemplating on which path to take   not to mention also pala yung palagi ko pagbabasa dito sa PDVD forum, naka apekto ng malaki sa gastos ko para sa hobby na ito  

  I just hope you dont end up being a scammer Hoy vic12 buhay ka pa?

[ricky]

sir ricky

hehe, don't want to sound like a fanboy but just to clarify a few things about pch.

Yes you are right, the introduction of  mkv players has really made buying stand alone Hd(blu-ray) players quite confusing(more of discouraging ). But downloading is not for everyone, I myself would not like to go through the hassle of both uploading and downloading just to see a movie Plus I gathered that you need a high speed dsl connection with a reputable internet provider(meron ba nun dito sa pilipinas ) to get decent files.

speed of internet connection does not affect quality of the mkv files we can get from the net, but it definitely affects how long it takes to get a movie, on a 1 mbps dsl connection, a 4gb movie (720p) will take from 15-24 hours to finish downloading.    Yeah I know this


Also vtec3 is correct that the cost of buying storage to save those files are not that cheap,actually when you compute it its almost on the same level na as the counterpart So buying the blu-ray title would be more practical since may resale value pa sya

if we do the math, lets say you get 100 blurays at a flat rate of 800 pesos each that's equals to 80,000 pesos. as for a 100 mkvs (@720p resolution), these will fit a 500 gb hdd which cost around 6,000 pesos, even if we charge 40 pesos per mkv downloaded for equipment depreciation, time and electricity, each movie will cost around 100 pesos only. and lastly if you want all 1080p mkvs it will take a 1 tb to house all of them and a 1 tb hdd cost around 10,000 pesos + the fix cost of 40 pesos per mkv will translate to 140 pesos for each movie, pq is maybe 85-90% of the bluray but for audio, since its only classic dd or dts, bluray defnitely has the edge here. You are definitly right on this, but 140pesos to view/save a downloaded movie is rather unreasonable for me at this time. Maybe soon I can grasp the sense of it but for now pwede na yung sale R3 and sometimes yung blewrey upconverted to 720p. Hindi naman ako maselan Plus the fact that pch cant up-convert my sd collection to 720p,or can it? Might get the egreat player din soon, might not peace

[iiinas]

oo nga sir ricky, the jack sparrow blewrey dvds are something.... 

[ricky]

oo nga sir ricky, the jack sparrow blewrey dvds are something.... 

Ah yan may orig ako nyan And BTW ricky na lang, pare pareho naman tayo mga addicts dito eh

[frootloops]

Ang problema dito may pera kasi na sobra at pwedeng gastusin, if none, the hell I waste my time here.  IOW, nangangati! Caladryl nga dyan!     

Okay, I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel here (I think..),  I just hope that it is not a da*n train.

This CONFUSION started when I bought 500gb HDD, got it primarily to back-up all my files, and fortunately or unfortunately, it contains HD's. (got it at the marketplace). So!....then I PM'd several good friends here like sir Munskie about his take on the PCH. Got a +/- feedbacks, however it was more on the good side.

Later!....the OPPO 980 came into mind, given it's very reasonable price, I again asked the expertise of sir Pchin in regards to OPPO player in general (he owns 983), I was advised to get the 983, but told him I was only gearing for the 980. Given a few minutes, I was just about to hit the BUY button when I read that the 980 is only good or prefers for screens up to 42? Eh..I plan to use it my my PJ (90"), so scratched that for the mean time. You may ask why I didn't go for the 983?...reading and based on some feedbacks, the upscaler or some call it cosmetic HD is not that satisfying. Parang pinipilit lang ang feeling ko sa upscaler....which I maybe wrong, based on the feedbacks I read now.

Now here comes the HTPC, @ dyerds, I agreed with you right?    why don't I just upgrade my PC and use it for my PJ, then get a small screen for my personal use, a swiveling arm beside my chair ? (got this idea from sir jay2...   )  this I think is the most cost effective way of using my HDD. Baka makabili pa ako ng laptop.    However, thinking of the DL part, im which I don't really have the patience and my DSL connection speed is not that fast, but the PCH is very comfortable to use. This will still be second on my list. I'd still prefer going out,shopping for DVD's. I am actually having the same dilemna when I had an iPod, do I rip and get rid of all my CD's and just settle for this thingy? May gusto ko pa rin yung may hinahawakan at nayayakap. 

started with the TV then AVR and so on. Probably the same thing is happening to bro froot that is why he is contemplating on which path to take   not to mention also pala yung palagi ko pagbabasa dito sa PDVD forum, naka apekto ng malaki sa gastos ko para sa hobby na ito  

@sir vtec3, SPOT ON! ka dyan. My audio gears has been with me for over 10yrs now, I initially invested on the PJ which I got a year ago, the construction and treatment of my room, then the furniture. So now back to the drawing board and hoping to get some suggestions to my confusion. I could have gotten the Bluray when it first came out, but after some waiting, now I am asking....did Bluray really win the war? I am thinking there is more to come and more confusion to follow. 

OT: btw got the chance to see the Bang Olufsen store at Greenbelt. Inquired about a satellite speaker with what...six 3" woofer, an 8"sub, and a Tuner/CD player standalone (heat sensored, when you are about to press the panel automatically opens) ito yung nasa NipTuck na gamit. Akala ko mahal na yung BOSE ko....when asked 319,000ph daw, may discount naman ng 10%.       

Oh...so which path will I take?  Give me a few more days. Maybe joining the 2nd Shoot Out at sir streetsmart's HT might end this dilemna.   

Many thanks for all the feedback guys, keep it rollin'!   

Later....

[frootloops]

   Hi froot been contimplating myself on which route to take
  

Hi ricky,I think we will end up in the same boat.    Let's see....

[frootloops]

Why not include htpc in your poll sir Loop?

edited the poll to others/HTPC. 

[Clondalkin]

Ok Frootloops, since you are now the owner of one of my 1st batch of Buffalos (binura mo na ba?), I'll share some of my opinions about MKV.

1.  First, I prepared that Buffalo when I only had about 100 or so titles.  It's now over 550 so imagine the potential savings.  I'm not telling you to buy another HDD from me.  I'm telling you that there are so much more contents available now compared to when I packed that Buffalo in Jan 2008...and the variety of high def contents available in the net is mind-blowing.

2. If you are a big fan of high def US and UK TV series, high def documentaries (National Geographic, Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS Nova), not to mention high def porn, there is no better option than an HTPC and HD-bits.ro.  If you have an NMT, use that exclusively for playback.

My wife is subscribed to the PLDT 999 plan that can only reach about 100Kb/sec max DL speed.  Yet she manages (without complain) to enjoy all her favorite TV series in high def non-stop.  Local cable PQ is no match to the visual quality of these downloadable contents.  By the time they become available in BD, matagal nang natapos yung season.  And some of the high TV series and documentaries you'd like to watch would probably not be released in BD at all.

3.  Movies.  In most cases, the 720p and 1080p MKV encodes become available weeks before the official release dates of the BD.  In some cases, high def MKV encodes are available even though the titles are not even released (or will not be released yet) in BD or HD DVD.

4.  I have connected my PC to a 32 inch HDTV CRT, a 37V HDTV Sharp and a 50V Panasonic.  They all look high def enough (not certainly as "clean" as original discs, but certainly much better than passable) considering the video files are only about 1/4 - 1/6 the original.  Even 720p encodes look visually more stunning than any original DVD in my collection (well my Sony DVD players are not really that highly rated as upscalers).  PJ, I dont have so I dont know.

5.  Catalogue films - no matter how great some of them are, they are never as "tasty" as the first time you watched them on DVD, unless you've totally forgotten the story already.   I have no idea when I'll watch the high def versions of  LOTR, Matrix, Star Wars, Back To The Future again.   The motivation is simply not there.    Even for downloads, I get catalogue titles just for the sake of having one in my drives and for those who specifically request, but personally,  I tend to prioritize watching new releases as time to sit down in the living room is limited at nights only.   As for new releases, some of them really really s*ck like that recent scam, and not worth keeping in my own world.  But at least, the MKV encode is available for me to have a taste-test instead of wasting money buying the disk and regretting the purchase later.    

Seeing that you've got enough budget to get 2 different systems, I'd follow the Munskie path.    Selective buying of originals that you would really want to bring to the grave;  MKV for the rest  (I still prefer an HTPC but PCH or any NMT should be fine).

I hope I just made your day happier.  

PS.
I am more than willing to pay for downloadable contents if such kind of legitimate service (Apple TV, Xbox Live, etc.) is available in the country where Im living right now.  Unfortunately it's not, and video rental shops in Tokyo are not offering any BD films for rent yet.

[Munskie]

Ok Frootloops, since you are now the owner of one of my 1st batch of Buffalos (binura mo na ba?), I'll share some of my opinions about MKV.

1.  First, I prepared that Buffalo when I only had about 100 or so titles.  It's now over 550 so imagine the potential savings.  I'm not telling you to buy another HDD from me.  I'm telling you that there are so much more contents available now compared to when I packed that Buffalo in Jan 2008...and the variety of high def contents available in the net is mind-blowing.


2. If you are a big fan of high def US and UK TV series, high def documentaries (National Geographic, Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS Nova), not to mention high def porn, there is no better option than an HTPC and HD-bits.ro.  If you have an NMT, use that exclusively for playback.

My wife is subscribed to the PLDT 999 plan that can only reach about 100Kb/sec max DL speed.  Yet she manages (without complain) to enjoy all her favorite TV series in high def non-stop.  Local cable PQ is no match to the visual quality of these downloadable contents.  By the time they become available in BD, matagal nang natapos yung season.  And some of the high TV series and documentaries you'd like to watch would probably not be released in BD at all.

3.  Movies.  In most cases, the 720p and 1080p MKV encodes become available weeks before the official release dates of the BD.  In some cases, high def MKV encodes are available even though the titles are not even released (or will not be released yet) in BD or HD DVD.

4.  I have connected my PC to a 32 inch HDTV CRT, a 37V HDTV Sharp and a 50V Panasonic.  They all look high def enough (not certainly as "clean" as original discs, but certainly much better than passable) considering the video files are only about 1/4 - 1/6 the original.  Even 720p encodes look visually more stunning than any original DVD in my collection (well my Sony DVD players are not really that highly rated as upscalers).  PJ, I dont have so I dont know.

5.  Catalogue films - no matter how great some of them are, they are never as "tasty" as the first time you watched them on DVD, unless you've totally forgotten the story already.   I have no idea when I'll watch the high def versions of  LOTR, Matrix, Star Wars, Back To The Future again.   The motivation is simply not there.    Even for downloads, I get catalogue titles just for the sake of having one in my drives and for those who specifically request, but personally,  I tend to prioritize watching new releases as time to sit down in the living room is limited at nights only.   As for new releases, some of them really really s*ck like that recent scam, and not worth keeping in my own world.  But at least, the MKV encode is available for me to have a taste-test instead of wasting money buying the disk and regretting the purchase later.    

Seeing that you've got enough budget to get 2 different systems, I'd follow the Munskie path.    Selective buying of originals that you would really want to bring to the grave;  MKV for the rest  (I still prefer an HTPC but PCH or any NMT should be fine).

I hope I just made your day happier.  

PS.
I am more than willing to pay for downloadable contents if such kind of legitimate service (Apple TV, Xbox Live, etc.) is available in the country where Im living right now.  Unfortunately it's not, and video rental shops in Tokyo are not offering any BD films for rent yet.

Couldnt agree more.   I do want to expound more on the advantages of an HTPC/MKV/PCH/Torrents, but I would rather not.   

[Marl☆1]

Initially, was really so into BD.  But now with the emergence of the HD rips and torrent sites... add to this the staggering cost difference between the disc and soft files.. then it seems like HDDs may have the inner track.  Unless discs really slash away (like what DVDs are doing now), seems like a bleak horizon IMO.