Greg's Blu-Ray Buying Guide

As more and more people switch from DVD to Blu-Ray, I thought it would be a nice feature on this blog to have a sort of buying guide for those looking to either start or expand their collection. As I have written about previously, sometimes, you just never know what you are going to get when you pop the disc into your player. Unlike DVDs, where most films look the same quality-wise, Blu-Ray discs tend to vary due to a multitude of different factors that you can read about in the article linked below. I too have been swept up in this new technology (which is odd for me, because I am always skeptical), so, for every time I buy and watch a film on Blu-Ray for the first time, I will update this list and give my rating, based on a system that I have developed myself. Ratings will only be given for films that I own personally, because quality may be damaged if going off of a rental. Please note that the rating system is based on the actual quality of the film’s transfer, not the actual production. Hopefully this will help people decide which films they want to buy, and which they just want to keep on DVD without wasting money. Only numbers will be given on these ratings, so if anyone would like further clarification, or has any questions, please leave a comment in the section below. Note: Rating system, film ratings, and my top-five list are based on both video AND audio quality.

Additional Reading

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly When it Comes to Buying Blu-Rays (Aug. 11, 2011)

Greg’s Top Five Blu-Ray List: First Installment (May 1, 2012)

Greg’s Top Five Blu-Ray List: Second Installment and Update (July 12, 2012)

Greg’s Rating System

5: The absolute best transfer. New films look amazing, while old films do not show their age.

4: A very good transfer, with only minor imperfections. Older films reclaim lost glory.

3: A good transfer. New films do not look anything special, and old films show some signs of aging.

2: The transfer is barely better than the quality of a DVD. Older films may still look better than previously seen in other formats.

1: Not worth the money. The transfer is identical to or worse than that of the DVD.

Film List (Alphabetical Order; Updated: 4/12/13)

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): RATING 5
• 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984): RATING 4
• A Bridge Too Far (1977): RATING 3
• All Quiet on the Western Front (1930): RATING 4
• Amadeus (1984): RATING 4
• A Night to Remember (1958): RATING 5
• Angels & Demons (2009): RATING 5
• Apocalypto (2006): RATING 5
• Apt Pupil (1998): RATING 4
• The Battle of Algiers (1966): RATING 5
• Beckett (1964): RATING 3
• Ben-Hur (1959): RATING 5
• Big Jake (1971): RATING 4
• Braveheart (1995): RATING 5
• The Canterbury Tales (1972): RATING 4
• Casablanca (1941): RATING 5
• A Clockwork Orange (1971): RATING 5
• The Comancheros (1961): RATING 4
• The Cowboys (1973): RATING 3
• Dances with Wolves (1990): RATING 5
• The Decameron (1971): RATING 4
• The Exorcist (1973): RATING 5
• Fargo (1996): RATING 4
• Full Metal Jacket (1987): RATING 5
• Get the Gringo (2012): RATING 4
• Gettysburg (Director’s Cut) (1993/2011) RATING 4
• Gladiator (2000): RATING 4
• Gods and Generals (Extended Director’s Cut) (2003/2011): RATING 5
• Gone With the Wind (1939): RATING 5
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966): RATING 4
• The Green Berets (1968): RATING 4
• JFK (1991): RATING 1
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005): RATING 5
• The Last of the Mohicans (1992): RATING 3
• Lincoln (2012): RATING 5
• The Longest Day (1962): RATING 5
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003): RATING 3
• The Night of the Hunter (1955): RATING 5
• The Ninth Gate (1999): RATING 2
• The Omega Man (1971): RATING 4
• Paths of Glory (1957): RATING 5
• Planet of the Apes (1968): RATING 4
• Ride with the Devil (1999): RATING 3
  
• Rio Lobo (1973): RATING 3
• The Robe (1953): RATING 3
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968): RATING 4
• Saving Private Ryan (1998): RATING 5
• The Searchers (1956): RATING 5
• Signs (2002): RATING 4
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994): RATING 5
• The Shining (1980): RATING 5
• Spartacus (1960): RATING 3
• True Grit (1969): RATING 4
• Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970): RATING 5
• The Thin Red Line (1998): RATING 5
• We Were Soldiers (2002): RATING 4
• Zulu (1966): RATING 5

Greg’s Top-Five List

(Updated: 7/10/12; may differ from latest installment of article series)

1. Saving Private Ryan (1997)

2. The Thin Red Line (1997)

3. Ben-Hur (1956)

4. Zulu (1966)

5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)