Well.............RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[genealogynut]

Just when we were beginning to get quite a collection of dvd's built up, we've been told that soon the blue-ray discs will be replacing the dvd's.  And if our dvd player ever goes "kaflooie" that's tough......we're out of luck, unless we're fortunate enough to find one that works at a yard sale.

Soon our small collection will be obsolete, so we understand.  Remember when the same thing happened with the records, 8-tracks, and cassettes?   A person just can't win!!  That's enough to "burn my toast!!"

[MarineMom]

That stinks!!!!! I am still trying to get vcr recordings of my grandson converted to dvd before the vcr goes south and cant be replaced. Now I've got to think about converting the dvd to blue ray discs I give up!!!!!!!!!! I cannot keep up with technology I will just forget conversion and remember his baby days the old fashioned way----in my head. He's a lot cuter there any way

[Mom70x7]

Shucks - we're still working on the VCR to DVD -

so we're going with plan b - keeping our video tapes and making sure we have an extra VCR or two for when the first one breaks down! 

[Wilma]

Would someone explain to me what a blue ray disc is?

[Joanna]

Here I thought I was keeping up with technology and I don't even know what a blue-ray disc is!  I'm gonna get a lecture from the boys next time they come home. They're used to me though.  Chris put a gun rack on the 4 wheeler, and I'm using it to carry a pitch-fork & brush-loppers.  Pretty soon they'll be calling me Grannie Clampett behind my back!

I'm betting that DVDs won't go obsolete any time soon anyway.  And even if/when it does; since you can run DVDs on a computer, it's bound to be easier to transfer them than it was VCR tapes.   We tried to transfer some record albums to DVD ~ talk about a challenge! And now you can download from the internet just about any music to an MP3 player smaller than a bar of hotel soap. (I don't have one yet, but it's on my wish list!)
Another big change was cameras.  At first they weren't so great and were very expensive, but I do like digital cameras better than film now. It works out cheaper for me (since I can just delete most of the bad ones) and being able to print just the ones I want and right at home is WONDERFUL. 
So even thought it would be a pain to change, it might be a good change.  I'm gonna try to keep an open mind at least ~ hope nothing important falls out!

[W. Gray]

Blue Ray Discs by Sony use a blue light instead of a red light to record. Blue light apparently has a greater carrying capacity. (Wonder what other colors would do). Supposed to show movies and photographs with a much higher definition.

Blue Ray discs hold 25gb of data instead of the 5gb on current DVDs, 50gb on a dual layer CD.

CDs had capacity for much less than 1gb. Most DVDs play CDs. I dont know if Blue Ray willl somehow be backward compatible to DVDs or CDs.

I think the current Blue Ray recorder and player costs around $1,000 with the blank disc around $50 each.

To make matters worse there is a competing different format by Toshiba so the market will have to sort out which format wins.  Sort of like the VHS vs Sony Betamax issue of several years ago.

[Wilma]

Thank you, Waldo.  I can't say that I understand any better except that it is another way to get us to discard what we have and buy something much more expensive.  I don't think that higher definition is going to help these old eyes see any clearer than what my 1980 Zenith is showing me now.  And it can't get any better than Mother Nature, can it?  Why does it need to hold more than the CDs do now?  Guess I'm just not into technology.

So when you are ready to discard your CD player and it is still working good, I might be ready for another one.

[genealogynut]

Do you suppose that in a few years something will be taking the place of the computer?   All this new fangled stuff is boggling my mind (what's left of it  ).  When the computer becomes outdated, then I will probably "just hang it up, and go sit in my rockin' chair."

[Janet Harrington]

Well, you know.  You can buy a VCR/DVD combo now.  You can still buy VCRs.  Maybe we will be lucky and be able to buy all three.  ha

[Wilma]

Make that CD player one that can be loaded with at least 10 CDs.