Now that high definition television and HD programming have firmly established themselves in the marketplace, the need for compatible recording devices and high definition players is on the rise. Two different high definition video formats have risen to the top, Blu-ray disc (also called BD) and HD-DVD (High Definition DVD). While HD-DVD is the next generation DVD format designed to handle high definition video, Blu-ray technology takes a different route to deliver HD content.
What exactly is Blu-ray? Blu-ray is an optical disc format that looks like a typical CD or DVD at first glance. Upon second glance, the similarities disappear. Blu-ray disc players and Blu-ray recorders use a blue-violet laser beam instead of a red one to read and write data. The blue laser beam has a shorter wavelength, making it possible to focus the laser with far greater precision. This precision allows for tighter compacting of data and smaller storage requirements. This Blu-ray technology means that more data can be fit on a disc than ever before. In fact, a Blu-ray DVD can hold 25gigabytes (single layer) to 50 gigabytes (double layer) of data with built-in support for future, multi-layering capacity.
The Blu-ray format was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association which is a group of leading consumer electronics manufacturers, movie studios, and computer and media manufacturers. This group includes Sony, Apple, Dell, HP, LG, Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Sharp, Samsung, TDK, Thomson, and over 170 other members. In addition, Lionsgate, Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, and MGM are releasing their movie titles in the Blu-ray disc format exclusively. With the strength and full support of the world's entertainment leaders and consumer electronics manufacturers, Blu-ray technology is emerging as the next generation high definition video format.
In addition to the entertainment value that Blu-ray disc players offer such as playback of high definition movies, Blu-ray recorders allow for the recording of high definition programming delivered over the airwaves. Viewers equipped with a Blu-ray recorder can record their favorite television shows on Blu-ray DVDs and enjoy DVR-like features including random access to the disc's content, time shifting, easy searches, and more. A single Blu-ray disc can hold up to nine hours of high definition content or up to 23 hours of standard television programs.
Bluray is also ideal for video games. The Sony Playstation 3 incorporates Blu-ray technology into the console allowing for a whole new level of gaming. Dozens of game titles offer high definition, photo realistic virtual worlds like never before. In addition, with the added storage capacity of Blu-ray disc, game/movie hybrids are the next step.
Computer users can now get Blu-ray disc drives installed on their PCs and laptops. With 25 to 50 gigabytes of storage capacity per disc, these drives can handle massive files including video files, data backups, and much more. Bluray formats for the computer include BD-R, BD-RE, and BD-ROM. BD-R is similar to the more familiar CD-R and DVD-R formats. It means the Blu-ray disc can be written to once while BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc - Recordable) is the Blu-ray cousin to CD-RW and DVD-RW. BD-RE discs can be rewritten multiple times. BD-ROM discs are the read-only format of the Blu-ray discs used for distributing high definition movies, games, and software.
Blu-ray technology is backwards compatible with the DVD format which means that Blu-ray disc players and Blu-ray recorders can handle yesterday's DVDs as well as today's latest Blu-ray discs. In addition, Blu-ray is easily extendable and has built-in support for tomorrow's multiple layer discs which will allow for storage capacity increases of up to 200 gigabytes. Follow this link for more information about Blu-ray.