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.