Blu-Ray DVDs in LOS?

[bao-bao]

Now that the "Blu-Ray vs HD" high definition DVD battle seems to be resolved (with Blu-Ray winning out as the format that will survive) can anyone advise whether Blu-Ray DVDs are available in the Land of Smiles? On my last visit I didn't do any DVD shopping at all, sorry to say.

I'd be curious to know about the availability of both store-bought (Thai region 9) editions and night market/Pantip Plaza-type region-free discs.

Thanks in advance.

ROFL

Seriously though. The region encoding in on Bluray is different, with fewer regions. I haven't heard that it has been cracked yet.

and I'm gonna get 2009's Superbowl and World Cup in HD in Bkk (in real time).

Seriously, it looks like BD will be the entertainment powerblock but HD will be around for the nerds and those with 80 GB hard drive HD camcorders.

There are very few sources of BDs in the US right now.

Even if the bootleggers could break the copy protection (which is much more difficult than regular DVDs) With blank BluRay DVDs going for about $15 right now, I don't think you will see them from Silom Street vendors/Pantip Plaza for awhile.

Having 40+ HD channels on my Cable right now, HD TV will be something I will definitely miss when moving to Thailand. It's one of those things you don't think you need until you've had it.

[bao-bao]

Even if the bootleggers could break the copy protection (which is much more difficult than regular DVDs) With blank BluRay DVDs going for about $15 right now, I don't think you will see them from Silom Street vendors/Pantip Plaza for awhile.

Having 40+ HD channels on my Cable right now, HD TV will be something I will definitely miss when moving to Thailand. It's one of those things you don't think you need until you've had it.

Like I said, I didn't really do much movie shopping when I was in LOS at the beginning of the year and the whole HD TV/DVD thing is fairly new to me. While out buying some electronics for a friend's family in BKK I didn't notice HD players this year, but I'm guessing they'll appear if/when the demand arises.

I'm guessing the discs themselves will begin showing up at Pantip/Patpong/etc soon enough.

Still, if anyone who knows about possible availability there now saw the original post and didn't respond - here's your reminder.

[Shuee]

i bought a normal dvd from a proper shop in tuk.com, when i got home, much to my anger it was only half the film, the rest was games & clips etc

just shows you even bought from proper shop you can still get done TIT!!

[Brad the Impala]

i bought a normal dvd from a proper shop in tuk.com, when i got home, much to my anger it was only half the film, the rest was games & clips etc

just shows you even bought from proper shop you can still get done TIT!!

So you took it back?

[Shuee]

not when i had travelled half way across the galaxy home - no

[Smiles]

" ... While out buying some electronics for a friend's family in BKK I didn't notice HD players this year, but I'm guessing they'll appear if/when the demand arises ... "
You'll notice it by the price!
Just cruise along the shelves of DVD players at $89 - $169.99. When you see a price tage of $899.99+, that'll be a HD-DVD or Blue-Ray :blackeye:

Cheers ...

If you pay more than $99 for an HD-DVD player now you're being stiffed. The disks seem already to have disappeared from the main shops here.

There are NO Blue-ray discs or players for sale in Thailand, to the best of my knowledge.

Reality check: there is still a huge resistance to "plain old DVDs" in Thailand. The popular choice is the much less expensive VCD (never seen in Farangistan). $1000 for a Blue-Ray player? 32,000 baht??? Are you kidding? You can buy a brand-new motorbike for that much!

And, in addition, you can buy a Really Cool TV set for (say) 45,000 baht. Now, THOSE are for sale all over the place. :-)

Still, if anyone who knows about possible availability there now saw the original post and didn't respond - here's your reminder.

BaoWao: No one has seen a BD in Thailand. In fact, I have it on good account that at a video rental store in America, no one there has seen a bluray disc there either. I'm not looking, but I think you have to look online. I know you could get a bluray player at the SONY across fro Soi 4.

[bao-bao]

Still, if anyone who knows about possible availability there now saw the original post and didn't respond - here's your reminder.

BaoWao: No one has seen a BD in Thailand. In fact, I have it on good account that at a video rental store in America, no one there has seen a bluray disc there either. I'm not looking, but I think you have to look online. I know you could get a bluray player at the SONY across fro Soi 4.

Just as an FYI, ArNolD - I live in the US and Blu-Ray discs are common in video stores here. As I mentioned in the OP, most in the industry were waiting to see which format would win. When that was settled (which meant eliminating double the inventory to carry titles) many more places began stocking blu-ray high definition discs for sale and rental. In fact Netflix, the leading "rentals by mail" company here began stocking most available titles and you can find them in almost all retail/rental stores, including BestBuy, Target, WalMart, Blockbuster, Hollywood and others.

I understand that the VCD format is still the favored one in LOS, but when the demand arises I'm sure the HD discs will appear for sale there - even if only for consumption by the "elite" and foreigners at first.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

bao-bao

Don't forget that the current generation SONY PLAYSTATION is also a Blu-ray movie player. I'm not sure how popular PLAYSTATIONS are in Thailand, But the majority of people in the USA watching BLU-RAY Movies are watching them on their Playstation.

Is that like DJ Station?

Quoth the Fattman: "The only resistance to DVD discs/players in Thailand is by those who can't afford them."

Yes. That's kind of what I said, I think. :-)

So the explanation is easy..

Why there are about a thousand times more VCDs for rent, and why my Shan friends wanted the video of their festival in Fang on VCD (repeat, VCD!!) not those bleeping expensive DVDs.

I won't post on this silly topic any more.

As for Blue-Ray, forget it.

[bao-bao]

Nobody can argue that the VCD format is the predominant one in Thailand, Henry - that wasn't the question to begin with.

Just to clarify, I said: "I understand that the VCD format is still the favored one in LOS, but when the demand arises I'm sure the HD discs will appear for sale there - even if only for consumption by the "elite" and foreigners at first". You must have missed that part.

However -- since it irritates you, you have my full and unrestricted blessings not to post further on it. :kap:

but HD will be around for the nerds.

Apparently I'm wrong and HD doesn't have much higher storage potential than BD, and, at least according to a lot of people I've discussed this with recently, HD is dead. Still some higher capacity similar-type storage will have to come along.

So it's all to do with the little COATING that was put on the RHS wooden dolls? We'll have to see how long that lasts.

Don't forget that the current generation SONY PLAYSTATION is also a Blu-ray movie player. I'm not sure how popular PLAYSTATIONS are in Thailand, But the majority of people in the USA watching BLU-RAY Movies are watching them on their Playstation.

I'm not a shopper, and apparently, yes, BDs are now commonly available in the departments stores.

I had recenty asked in many DVD rental stores about BDs and would guess that BD rental stores are rare yet in the USA, the most common reason given being the lack of Blue ray players (those like DVD players, not PS).