For good movie quality, Blu-ray discs still deliver

Above: Ingrid Bergman stars in Roberto Rossellini's 1950 film "Stromboli." (Photo: Criterion)

Some of us can remember when the biggest challenge we had with our home technology came when we tried to set the clock on our VCRs. I could never get that thing to stop blinking.

Matters got a whole lot easier when DVD players came on the scene. But while DVDs, and later Blu-ray discs, were a huge improvement and for a while provided state-of-the-art home viewing, streaming pretty much made them obsolete.

Except, maybe not. According to the website Gear Patrol, there are three reasons why you should still buy Blu-ray discs. Their quality is guaranteed (while streaming is not), a Blu-ray disc is virtually indestructible (and by purchasing one you can sometimes get access to a digital copy as well), and the analog experience still holds a special appeal.

Well, that last one might be a bit of a stretch (think of the hassle of rewinding VHS tapes). But the overall sentiment has a point. If my Xfinity TV account ever goes out (as it did a last week for the better part of two days), I can just pop in a Blu-ray – or an older type of DVD – and watch a movie.

And you can still find plenty of sites that sell both disc formats. Vudu.com is holding a huge “Ultimate Movie Fan Sale” right now. It’s selling hundreds of movies on DVD for as little as $4.99.

Film Movement, which features a far more independent selection than Vudu, is holding what it’s calling a “Winter Blowout DVD Sale,” with DVDs also going for $4.99.

Other sites include Blu-ray.com (wide range of prices), Best Buy and Movies Unlimited. For classic films you can always depend on the Criterion Collection.

Come to think of it, I’m interested in seeing the three films that Ingrid Bergman made with Roberto Rossellini (who would become her husband): “Stromboli” (1950), “Europe ’51” (1952) and “Journey to Italy” (1954). The price is a bit steep ($49.95 for four Blu-ray discs), but I’m sure it’s worth it.

In any event, I’ll surely need it the next time my cable goes down.