What's Behind the Technology of Blu-Ray And HD DVD

Movies are finally ready to take advantage of high definition displays in the stores for years. DVD's brought us great picture and sound that a tree in the television and home theater market created. Display technology rapidly grew to an image that us two times as well as DVD-quality video. The problem was that DVDs can not store enough information to HD-quality video and sound, suitable to date. New technology has a DVD that can store up to five times more information than before. This new technology comes in two sizes called Blu-Ray and HD DVD. These two formats were created separately and they currently compete with each other. They both use similar technology to HD-quality video and audio, but they do have some differences. The technology behind the two formats is based on the same optical technique that regular DVDs use. A laser is directed at the surface of the disc and reads the digital information is converted to video and audio. Blu-Ray and HD DVD incorporate a new colored laser that can be more focused on a smaller area of the disk. This may there be more information packed on the same size disc. It is like a turntable with a smaller needle and lines are tighter together just moved to the center, allowing more space to the exterior for more information. The reason for the fact that the data fit the same size as a DVD disc so that all optical discs created with older technologies will fit into the same reader. So a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player plays CD, DVD and their own discs. Their competition are no players that will play Blu-Ray and HD DVD. The main difference between the two formats is simply a matter of storage. HD-DVD can store 15GB and about three times as much as a DVD. A Blu-ray disc can store 25GB which is about five times as much as a DVD. Both have the same video resolution as of now, but Blu-Ray has the potential to improve the video store when available. For now, extra space is used for film extras like behind the scenes segments. Only time will tell whether these formats will merge or fight it out until the end. History has taught us that a format usually prevails. More great information about Blu-Ray and other emerging technologies is available at http://www.find-hddvd-blu-ray-information.info

HD-DVD vs Blu-ray: A Primer

High Definition DVD (HD-DVD) vs Blu-ray is shaping up to fight a rival to the VHS versus Betamax format war of the early eighties. Looking like they have learned nothing from the DVD + / - RW debacle, the companies involved, whether in technology or content distribution industry (or in the case of Sony, both), are set to the from slug in the coming years. The price is the license fees paid to the format owners when the next generation of high definition DVD players and recorders start shipping in volume. As high definition television becomes more popular, consumers will want a recordable format that has the capacity to hold at least a few hours worth of HDTV content. Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD were developed in response to the anticipated need for an HDTV recording medium and provide quality content that would match the expectations of HDTV-owner clients. Moreover, film distribution companies money if they all titles currently available on DVD in one or both of the new formats and to persuade consumers that they really have to throw the DVD collection that they have time and money and start building again with the release of new high definition versions. Instead of being together and agree a format for high definition DVD, the industry has to split and produce two different versions. In the red corner is Toshiba, which developed HD-DVD and has signed numerous film companies as supporters, including Warner Bros., New Line, Paramount and Universal Pictures. In the blue corner, is, if you'll pardon the pun, Sony's Blu-ray. Sony plans to Blu-ray as the format for the next generation of PlayStation and has signed Disney and MGM and 20th Century Fox is expected to add to the list. Currently the major Hollywood studios are split down the middle with almost exactly half of them in each camp. HD-DVD developed by Toshiba and NEC and has the support of the influential DVD Forum, whereas Blu-ray is supported by Philips, HP, Sharp, Pioneer, Panasonic, and Sonic Solutions. Microsoft stands to benefit the format succeeds as the Windows Media 9 video codec has been approved for use in HD-DVD and Blu-ray content. Apple's H.264 codec has also been approved for both Blu-ray and HD-DVD.