subject: Inside Blue Ray Disc Media [print this page] Even with well over a decade of existence, DVDs still remain the source of some confusion for the average home electronics consumer. Within only three years of their debut a challenge arose to threaten the format's very survival, and it was only recently that history replayed itself with a somewhat similar situation, what with the introduction of competing successor formats like Blue-Ray Disc and HD-DVD.
Blue-Ray Dvd, or Blue-Ray Disc, is really a next-generation optical disc technology developed by a consortium of market leaders from personal computer heavy-weights like Apple and Dell to consumer electronics giants for example Sony, Samsung, and Philips. Blue-Ray Disc was invented to provide for high-definition recording, rewriting, and playback of video at a resolution of 720p to 1080i/p. Blue-Ray Discs can store up to 25GB on a single layer, or double that on dual-layered discs, which is some five and ten times the capacity of the common Digital video disc, respectively. The additions of advanced audio and video codecs assist to ensure far better, more intelligent processing of signals.
The format was christened "Blue-Ray" because from the blue-violet laser employed in reading and writing data; conventional optical disc technologies from CDs to DVDs RW(plus or minus) use red lasers with longer wavelengths instead. The shorter wavelength of Blue-Ray makes it possible to focus the laser with much greater precision, making achievable the engraving of even smaller pits on the surface from the disc. A lot more tightly packed data means increased storage capacity, with Pioneer coming up with an astounding 400GB disc!
However, Blue-Ray products are easily rendered backwards-compatible via the use of the combination pickup unit. The format is also supported by about two hundred from the world's leading technologies and entertainment businesses. It's now the only obtainable successor to today's regular Digital video disc format, following Toshiba conceded defeat and finally withdrew assistance for its competing HD-DVD format. Toshiba had been the biggest promoter of HD-DVD, but its hand had been forced by the earlier withdrawal of help by industry titans like Warner Brothers, Netflix, and Wal-Mart.
Using the defection of so many movers and shakers of the industry, the Dvd format wars were thankfully rather short-lived, lasting no much more than around two years at most. Ironically, the initial HD-DVD discs to become obtainable inside the United States were released by Warner Brothers just a month right after they formally announced the end of their support for HD-DVD.
