Yesterday at the Day Job, a co-worker emailed me a question regarding recording a High Definition cable TV program on a standard DVD-R instead of BluRay.
I wrote back to her that I even though my TV is HD, my cable TV connection is standard definition, so I really had no experience or knowledge along those lines.
She asked why had I not upgraded my cable TV service? The reason is simple enough. Over the years, I accumulated a large number of movies that I purchased on store-bought VHS video cassettes. Well over 100 movies, maybe closer to 200.
When I finally gave in and bought a DVD player, I promised myself that I would not immediately run out and begin buying all those movies all over again on DVD.
If I told you that I have succeeded at keeping that promise, I would be a liar.
It is true that I have succeeded in not repurchasing ALL of my VHS movies on DVD. But I have once again bought a significant number of them. Not as many as I was afraid I would, true, but more than I should have. More than my financial situation warranted.
Years ago, Gillette achieved dominance in the men’s razor market by giving away their razors for free, then charging exorbitant prices for the patented blades, which could not be bought from anyone except them.
No one that I am aware of is giving away BluRay players for free. However, the price of the players has dropped dramatically in recent years, to the point where the expense of buying the player is really insignificant.
The price of movies recorded on BluRay is anything BUT. Especially when you’re talking about quantities that number in the hundreds.
If I were to buy a BluRay player, it would be even harder to resist the temptation to begin re-buying all my movies.
Perhaps impossible. The simple fact is that the difference in picture quality between DVD and BluRay is so great that it would be extremely difficult to not give in. Even now as I type these words, part of my brain is wondering just how cheaply I could get a player today.
Not that I would run right out to go BluRay shopping and come back from the store with an arm load of disks. Nor would I jump on Amazon or eBay and order a boxful of titles. I would hold out for a while.
Eventually though, I would go to my DVD collection and grab my copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” which came with both DVD and BluRay versions in the box, and I would watch the BluRay version for the first time.
At that point, as The Borg say, further resistance would be futile. Money that I should spend on paying down my credit cards so I can retire in five years would instead be spent buying (I mean RE-buying) BluRay copies of movies I have already bought and paid for at least once, if not twice.
So I will continue to “get by” with my DVD’s for as long as I can. I know the day will come when my trusty JVC machine, which plays both DVD’s and VHS video cassettes, will die.
On that day, I will be assimilated. But not one day sooner!
Thank you for reading this.
Al Evans
Wood Village, Oregon
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I would like to once again discuss newer releases here, as well as older, classic jazz. If you represent a jazz artist with an album you feel would “fit in” here, whether new release or old, please contact me at saturdaynightjazz@yahoo.com. I will provide you with an address you can submit a review copy.
Please note that acceptance by me of a copy of your album for consideration is no guarantee that it will be reviewed here.
Thank you! 
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jazz for a saturday night 