What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson). The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.
While current optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-ray. Despite the different type of lasers used, Blu-ray products can easily be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical pickup unit. The benefit of using a blue-violet laser (405nm) is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser (650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater precision. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD. This together with the change of numerical aperture to 0.85 is what enables Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB.
Blu-ray is currently supported by more than 180 of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. The format also has broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format. In fact, seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) have released movies in the Blu-ray format and six of them (Disney, Fox, Sony, Warner, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. Many studios have also announced that they will begin releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD, as well as a continuous slate of catalog titles every month. For more information about Blu-ray movies, check out our Blu-ray movies and Blu-ray reviews section which offers information about new and upcoming Blu-ray releases, as well as what movies are currently available in the Blu-ray format.
What’s so Great About Blu-ray and Why Do I need It?
Crystal Clear Picture
Blu-ray Discs have up to 6x better picture resolution than DVD. Resolution refers to the number of number of horizontal lines there are to fill the screen – the higher the number, the better the picture quality. Blu-ray Discs and players display at 1080p resolution, which is the highest standard today.
Superior Sound
Blu-ray provides up to 7.1 channels of high definition surround sound, for a more realistic and immersive listening experience. DVD uses 5.1 channels, which lose some of the sound quality from the original source.
Backwards Compatible
All Blu-ray players can play DVDs. In addition, Blu-ray players "upconvert" or "upscale" DVDs to a higher resolution so that they look even better than before.
Excellent Movie Selection
Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate all produce movies on Blu-ray Discs. This means Blu-ray has some of the most exciting bestselling movies including Spider-Man, Harry Potter, 300, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Planet Earth.
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Many Blu-ray Players to Choose From
Blu-ray players are manufactured by Sony, Samsung, Philips, Panasonic, Pioneer, LG, and Sharp. The Sony PlayStation 3 includes a built-in Blu-ray Disc player. A range of laptop computer models also have built-in Blu-ray Disc players while add-on Blu-ray Disc drives are available for desktop computers.
Advanced Interactivity
Seamless menus allow you to navigate the disc without ever leaving the movie. In the future, internet connectivity will deliver new content to enhance your film experience.
Unrivaled Storage Capacity
Blu-ray discs can store up to 50 GB of information--5x more capacity than DVD. This enables the best picture and sound, as well as bonus features and content.
Exceptional Durability
Blu-ray utilizes a hard-coat protective layer that resists scratches, dust, and fingerprints that cause discs to skip, freeze, or simply not play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the format called Blu-ray Disc?
The name comes from the fact that the laser beam which reads the data from the discs is blue instead of red, which is used for current DVDs and CDs.
What do I need to watch Blu-ray Disc high definition movies?
• HDTV (preferably 1080p resolution)
• HDMI cables (for the best picture quality)
• Blu-ray Disc player or PlayStation 3 (Blu-ray Discs will not play on DVD players)
• Blu-ray movies
• Surround sound speaker system (5.1 or 7.1 channel)
• High-quality analog cables or digital optical cables
Can I play DVDs on a Blu-ray Disc player?
Yes, your DVDs will play on all existing Blu-ray Disc players.
What does "region code" mean for Blu-ray Discs and players?
Blu-ray Discs are digitally encoded with a "region code" (A, B, or C, sometimes referred to as 1, 2, or 3), which allows the disc to play only in a Blu-ray player with the same region code. This system is similar to that for DVDs and was developed to enable studios to control various aspects of a title’s release (content, date, price, etc.) according to region. A "region-free" disc is one that can play in all players around the world.
Will the Playstation 3 play Blu-ray movies?
Yes, the Playstation 3 includes a built-in Blu-ray drive that plays Blu-ray Discs. Additionally, a standard remote control similar to a DVD remote can be purchased separately.
Can I play a Blu-ray Disc on a DVD player?
No. Blu-ray Discs play on Blu-ray players, Playstation 3, or Blu-ray drives for computers and will not play on DVD players.
What if I already own an HDTV that's 720p? Do I need to buy a 1080p HDTV if I want to watch Blu-ray?
No. While your 720p won't maximize the native 1080p picture of your Blu-ray discs, the high definition picture produced by your HDTV and Blu-ray player will still look very good—significantly better than whatever you were used to watching.
Do I need an internet connection to watch Blu-ray?
No. An internet connection is not needed to watch Blu-ray.
Are Blu-ray movies available in full frame?
Blu-ray movies are delivered in the original theatrical aspect ratio, which is widescreen (also known as 16:9 aspect ratio). Since all HDTVs are also widescreen format, generally your movies will fill up the screen. However, depending on the film, sometimes you will see small black bars on the top and bottom of your screen, but significantly smaller than you would see when watching a widescreen movie on a standard definition TV.
If I play a DVD on an HDTV, will the picture be HD?
No. Playing a DVD on an HDTV will still produce a standard definition picture, since DVDs are standard definition. You need a Blu-ray player, HDMI or DVI cable from your player to your HDTV, and high definition content from a high definition disc such as Blu-ray in order to see a high definition picture.
I have a DVD player that upscales to 1080p; does it look as good as a Blu-ray Disc?
No. An upscaling DVD simulates a 1080p picture by doubling the number of lines displayed on your HDTV. Since the content on the DVD is not high definition, it will not match the picture quality or clarity of true 1080p source content on a Blu-ray Disc.
What is the Digital TV transition I've heard about?
On February 17, 2009, television stations will stop all analog broadcasts and only broadcast digitally. Older analog TVs receiving over-the-air programming will still work after that date, but owners of these TVs will need to buy converter boxes to watch television. Households that subscribe to cable or satellite service will not be affected by this transition.
Technical Information
Laser Wavelength: 405 nm (nanometers)Numerical Aperture (sharpness of laser beam): 0.85
Storage Capacity: 25GB for a single layer disc, 50 GB for a dual layer disc
Supported Video Codecs: MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1, MPEG-2
Supported Audio Codecs: Dolby Digital (640 Kbit/s), DTS (1.5 Mbit/s), Dolby Digital Plus (1.7 Mbit/s), DTS-HD High Resolution (6.0 Mbit/s), Linear PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTs-HD Master Audio
Maximum Bitrate: Raw Data Transfer (53.95 Mbit/s), Audio+Video (48.0 Mbit/s), Video (40.0 Mbit/s)
Interactivity: Blu-ray Disc Java
Maximum Video Resolution: 1920×1080 24p, or 50/60i HDTV
Region Code: Restricted to 3 Regions
Hard Disk Protective Coating
What benefits does Blu-ray offer compared to HD-DVD?
Although both Blu-ray and HD-DVD are similar in many aspects, there are some important differences between them.
The first is capacity. Because Blu-ray utilizes a lens with a greater numerical aperture (NA) than HD-DVD, the laser spot can be focused with greater precision to fit more data on the same size disc. This allows Blu-ray to hold 25GB per layer (50GB on a dual-layer disc), whereas HD-DVD can only hold 15GB per layer (30GB on a dual-layer disc). Blu-ray has also adopted a higher data transfer rate for video and audio (54Mbps vs 36.55Mbps). The greater capacity and data transfer rates for Blu-ray will allow the movie studios to release their movies with higher quality video and audio than the HD-DVD format.
The second is content. The Blu-ray format has received broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format. Seven of the eight major movie studios (Warner, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM and Lionsgate) have released titles for Blu-ray, whereas HD-DVD only has support from two major movie studios (Paramount and Universal). This is an important difference because some of the studios might only support one of the formats, so you won't be able to get your favorite movies in the other format. Choosing the format with the most content support minimizes this risk.
The third is hardware support. The Blu-ray format has broad support from the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp, JVC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, TDK, Thomson, LG, Apple, HP and Dell. The Blu-ray format will also be supported in the next-generation PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console. This means that you will have a lot of choice when it comes to players and hardware. The HD-DVD format has far fewer supporters, so the amount of players and hardware will be very limited. Currently, Toshiba is the only company offering a stand-alone HD-DVD player.
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