When the Watchmen motion comic was released on March 3rd, I found myself wondering which version I should purchase.  Should I buy the high-definition Blu-ray version or the regular DVD version?  Would I really see a difference between to the two formats?

I went ahead and picked up the Blu-ray version.

I’ll be perfectly honest and admit that I sometimes can’t tell a difference in quality between Blu-ray and regular DVD.  Not that I’ve watched the same movie in each format side-by-side.  That would be a fun experiment to stage, if it were at all possible.

When I moved from VHS to DVD, I noticed a huge difference in quality.  When I moved from cassette tape to CD, I noticed a huge difference.  When I moved from regular definition TV to high definition TV, I noticed a huge difference.  When I moved from DVD to Blu-ray, I didn’t really see much of a difference.

I can only imagine that an animated movie with a limited spectrum of colors will have even a less pronounced difference in quality than a live-action motion picture.

I noticed recently at Suncoast that the Japanese anime classic Akira is now available in the high-def, Blu-ray format.  Would I notice the difference between it and the DVD version I already own?