CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

dturco · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject:

Willie · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 169 Location: Green Bay

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Willie · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 169 Location: Green Bay

I use a combination of AnyDVDHD, eac3to and Makemkv. There is a howto thread on AVS that is a bazillion pages long; there may even be one here. Mike Eby has written a front end for eac3to, however I just use the command line.

Willie

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

dturco · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject:

I have no life, is a bit harsh.

I have been buying movies for more than 10 years and don't watch much over the air T.V. because even with 80 channels of cable, there is nothing on I want to see.

I enjoy watching movies. I buy nearly all of them used for less than $8. Local hollywood video sells them 3 for $15.
My thought pattern is it cost that much just to go to the theater in town for one person $7.50 matinee show. Now since my wife will go with me that's $15 to get in, and $16 more to buy the crap soda and popcorn. That makes it $31 just to see the Movie once, have my seat kicked from behind, and listen to the other movie goers talk too much.

No thank you. I enjoy myself at home watching my movies.

So I think I am saving money my way. Thumbs Up

And I know I'm saving myself grief. Smile

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I have about 200 SD-DVD's, about 10 HD DVDs, and about 50-60 Blu-rays. Just got done watching American Werewolf in London on BD.

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Mr. Green · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:42 am Post subject: Re: How many movies do you have?

Wow, that's pretty harsh Dave (Person99). Shocked

I'm surprised how critical you are in this thread since you've been in the home theatre forums longer than most. You are usually more understanding. I usually agree with a lot of what you have to say, but I have to admit I disagree completely saying Dave (Dturco) "has no life".

I currently have just over 500 DVD's and 40 Blu-ray discs. I have watched every single one of them at least once, many twice and at least 20 of them 5 times or more. Movies like "the good, the bad, and the ugly", the first "ghostbusters" movie and others up to 15 times. I used to watch an about a half of a 90 minute feature every day during lunch hour for about 5 years starting in high school and into college. Movies are my past time <vice> so I DON'T have the $30k sports car, go spend 3 hours every night at the bar with buddies, paying for seasons tickets to a sporting event (etc)... which all add up to a LOT of $$$. You spend where you are happiest. If you spend money on anything frivolous, then don't mock someone for having a nice movie collection and spending time at home with their spouse watching lots of moves in the comfort of their own home, just because you spend your spare $$ elsewhere.

You say owning discs is a waste of $5000. Like Dturco most of my collection was purchased as a previously enjoyed movie at blockbuster or rogers when they have the 2 for $20 or 2 for $16, old stuff $5-7 in the discount bin. I can guarantee I have less than $5000 into my collection. I think it's an amazing deal. This considering I don't go to movies at all anymore.

I've been married for 11 years so to do a movie that's 2 admissions + snacks and likely dinner before, so on average that's $30- $50 for the 2 of us to go see a movie. I haven't been in a theatre since the first LOTR (fellowship of the ring), which we didn't pay to see. Company function.

If you want to ask when was the last time I paid for a movie, it was Star Wars Episode 1. There were 5 laser pointers, a few cell phones, the guy at the end of the row with the shaking leg (shaking the row) and a guy behind us sneezed on my wifes head. The time before that was "Star Trek insurrection" (1998) and before that "the Saint" (1997). So in the 13 years we've been together we've spent under $300 on movie theatres. I would say anybody who rushes out with the wife and 3 kids to see every new release (for what $60?) is the waster of money. I at least still have the disc should I watch it again, when I want to, pause it for bathroom breaks...

Back to my point. $50/ night for the 2 of us to see a movie and make a night of it adds up fast. Not to mention if you want to watch it again. It's a complete waste of money (IMO) considering this forum is geared towards home theatre enthusiasts.

In my opinion if you pay to go see a movie (especially as a family), then decide you like it, then rent it, then you are wasting a load of money. Why pay for several people to watch it, then have to pay to rent? Buy it cheap once and watch at you convenience makes WAY more sense. <ramble ramble ramble...>

Basically, "Ditto" to Dturco's reply. Wink

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Now, now, take what Dave (Person99) with a grain of salt, add some pepper (not what the Dr. ordered), and then reconsider his words. While people have a tendency to exaggerate, Dave may be less of a movie-buff than some of us while still being into Home theater.

I always like to look at one's personal habits as their own and that includes Dave's interpretation of what having no life means. Consider this, how much of a life would all of your friends say you have if you posted on this and other similar forums in magnitude? Very Happy

VideoGrabber · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 933 Location: Michigan

WanMan wrote:
> Now, now, take what Dave (Person99) with a grain of salt, add some pepper (not what the Dr. ordered), and then reconsider his words. While people have a tendency to exaggerate... <

Nicely said, WanMan.

I always think it's unfortunate that when Dave has a bit of wisdom to share, that might be worthwhile for folks to give some consideration to, he has to sh*t all over everybody and their pet dog to make his point. You're a smart guy, Dave. I just don't understand why you have to be so abrasive? If I were of the same ilk, I might point out that if _I_ had no life, I might make 4,762 posts on a certain on-line Forum... an average of 3.7 posts per day, every fricking day, for over 3.5 years. But I wouldn't do that Wink

, because it would insult some other folks here that don't deserve it.

Dave wrote:
> Let's assume an average blu ray purchase price of $18 <

I found that amusing. The most I've ever paid for any Blu-ray was $13 (Coraline), just because I wanted to have it without waiting (also, there's quite a bit of bonus material you don't get with a rental). I've got maybe 100-150 Blu-rays, and they averaged about $10 each.

> Do so few people really understand the concept of ROI? <

No, we're all morons here. Haven't you figured that out yet, after 3.5 years?

> Using either an online or local rental model, we can calculate the average per rental cost of between $2 and $3 (lets use $3 which is blockbusters... <

Well, speaking of local rentals, it's lucky that both (a) gas is free, and (b) so is my time to drive over and back to pick discs up and drop them off. Shocked

It is true that online rentals eliminate most of that, but that option is fairly recent. Also, with online rentals, you have to keep them circulating fairly quickly, or the monthly rates will wind up averaging you more per disc than your supposition. Luckily, with online rentals they always have the movie you want to see, when you want to see it. Rolling Eyes

> they have clearly spent over $5000 on discs that they didn't need to spend FOR THE EXACT SAME VIEWING EXPERIENCE <

bull****! Sorry, I sneezed. Apparently, your rental experiences are very different from my own. I used to do quite a bit of renting, back in the day, and I encountered an unpleasant percentage of damaged or defective discs. It wasn't huge, but how many times do you have to get really into a movie, and then have it crap out on you, to say that it's an unpleasant experience? 10%? 5%? 2%? I think it was ~5% for me, which was WAY too much. It's certainly FAR from "exactly the same". Of course, Dave's mileage may vary.

I'd post some stats on my collection, but that would likely result in Dave calling me an idiot (because I haven't had time to watch most of them yet)... or worse yet, a thief (I have a lot of HD films I recorded from my cable service on hard drives [a 120T media server] and D-VHS tape).

I think the point that Dave could have made, that will likely be lost in the shuffle, is that as things are evolving, it will be neither necessary nor desirable for each of us to maintain our own collections and libraries. With MPEG4 compression and increasing broadband network speeds, I think eventually the quality will be good enough (not Blu-ray), and the selection broad enough (more than any one individual would ever collect), and the download/streaming PPV rates reasonable enough, that we can all sit back and relax at home, watching whetever we want, whenever we want. I don't see shiny discs going away any time in the immediate future, but you do have to wonder if they will survive beyond the next decade, assuming the providers get their tech together.

Mr. Green · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

lexx21 · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 119

I have well over 2000 movies including almost 400 on laserdisc. I'm not really sure of the latest count. None of that number are in tape format.

I collect steel box sets, laserdisc, indy films, etc.. so I have a very wide selection. Luckily my g/f enjoys my HT as much as I do...lol. I'm like one of the other posters in here... I really don't watch OTA tv that much, so movies are what I enjoy the most.

prover · Joined: 07 Nov 2008 Posts: 166 Location: Stuttgart, Germany

I have round about 300 DVD's and 60 Blurays

prover

**kal** · Last edited by kal on Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

I'm not sure why this keeps coming up again and again and Dave always says the same thing...

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I agree w/ Kal. I have between 120 and 150. and 15 b/r i like my library.

1. I never know what i want to watch...going to the rental place was never fun.

2. So netflix wont work for me.

3. I like having a library. It starts conversation and lets me watch what i like when i want.

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: How many movies do you have?

Willie · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 169 Location: Green Bay

What the heck am I going to do with my ROI on discretionary income when I am dead? Leave it with WanMan's kids?

Willie

lexx21 · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 119

My reason for having the number of movies that I do is because I simply enjoy collecting movies that I like. Thus, the "R" in ROI for me is the enjoyment of being able to watch what I want, when I want. I don't always like to go to a theater and put up with noise from other patrons, temperature too high or low, out of focus projectors (happened to me last weekend), and any number of things that you find when going into a different environment for entertainment.

As far as having an excellent movie viewing experience, that's why I bought a crt projector and nice video processor. I fully enjoy it, so it works for me.

So, some people spend their extra cash on cars, motorcycles, etc..... some of us like to spend our extra cash on their video habit.

Just my 2 cents worth here. Mileage may vary, batteries not included.