Blu-Ray and HDTV: A Matchless Mix
When HDTV sets initially began appearing on the market about 10 years ago people were dazzled at the clarity HDTV delivered over regular TV sets. Since that point thousands of people have bought new TVs to enjoy wide screen flicks with DVDs and high definition cable and satellite channels. While some people still haven't made the leap, a recent technology discovery has made even HDTV backers take notice. Developed by Sony, Blu-Ray has pushed television quality to a higher level. Just a few years ago, nobody knew what standard would become the successor to DVD, but now Blu-Ray has won and I'll tell you why you should consider adding Blu-Ray to your home entertainment system.
Though research started almost ten years ago, Sony and its partners failed to present a final commercial product till mid 2006. The name Blu-Ray comes from the blue laser that's used to read info from a Blu-Ray formatted disc. This is in opposition to the red laser used to read regular DVD discs. Yet why is Blu-Ray an improvement over current DVD formats? Even though Blu-Ray discs and players don't look any different than normal DVDs, they can save much more data that means sharper picture, improved audio, and more special features. DVDs can hold up to 8 gigabytes of data while Blu-Ray discs can hold fifty gigabytes. Huge difference. The max resolution of a DVD is 720x480 lines while Blu-Ray has a maximum of 1920x1080 (also referred to as full HD). If you've spent $1000 or more on a 1080p television, you're really not making use of all the TV can deliver when viewing regular DVDs.
On release prices for Blu-Ray players were well above what an average home user wanted to pay. Price tags between $700 and $1000 were common for the first Blu-Ray players. Plus, there was another competing standard on the store shelves that created a lot of confusion. Toshiba and NEC produced their own DVD follow-up device with release of the HD DVD standard. HD DVD, with enough space for 15 gbs., was a step up over standard DVDs but didn't match the specifications of Blu-Ray. But HD DVD did have some marketplace advantages. First, HD DVD was on store shelves three months before Blu-Ray. Second, HD DVD devices where a little cheaper to produce and were sold cheaper as a result. Lastly, HD DVD had more movie studios on board at launch than Sony did which meant more movies were at first available while Blu-Ray stayed rare.
Sony had one big trick up their sleeve that quite possibly saved Blu-Ray from a Betamax destiny. Sony included a Blu-Ray player into their highly anticipated PlayStation 3 and sold the entire device for a bit less than most stand alone players were being sold for at the time. Quickly, Blu-Ray started making strides till soon it outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 by late 2007. More picture studios began to commit to the Blu-Ray standard totally, beginning with Warner Brothers in early 2008. Right after Toshiba stopped making HD DVD players and recorders. By years end rental corporations Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as major stores, announced they would no longer carry HD DVD films. Currently all major studios release their pictures on Blu-Ray. A few still produce HD DVD and Blu-Ray releases concurrently.
Costs have fallen seriously over the last few years also. Many name brand Blu-Ray players from firms like Panasonic and LG can easily be found between $150 and $250. Blu-Ray disc recorders are in the $200 - $400 range and dropping just as fast. For anyone who likes viewing movies from home and has already invested in a high definition television, now is a wonderful time to look into adding a Blu-Ray player to your home entertainment system. Even those who might be skeptical about Blu-Ray's enhancements over DVD owe it themselves to go down to their local electronics store and ask for a Blu-Ray demonstration. The picture sharpness and audio fidelity from Blu-Ray is really superb.
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When HDTV sets initially began appearing on the market about 10 years ago people were dazzled at the clarity HDTV delivered over regular TV sets. Since that point thousands of people have bought new TVs to enjoy wide screen flicks with DVDs and high definition cable and satellite channels. While some people still haven't made the leap, a recent technology discovery has made even HDTV backers take notice. Developed by Sony, Blu-Ray has pushed television quality to a higher level. Just a few years ago, nobody knew what standard would become the successor to DVD, but now Blu-Ray has won and I'll tell you why you should consider adding Blu-Ray to your home entertainment system.
Though research started almost ten years ago, Sony and its partners failed to present a final commercial product till mid 2006. The name Blu-Ray comes from the blue laser that's used to read info from a Blu-Ray formatted disc. This is in opposition to the red laser used to read regular DVD discs. Yet why is Blu-Ray an improvement over current DVD formats? Even though Blu-Ray discs and players don't look any different than normal DVDs, they can save much more data that means sharper picture, improved audio, and more special features. DVDs can hold up to 8 gigabytes of data while Blu-Ray discs can hold fifty gigabytes. Huge difference. The max resolution of a DVD is 720x480 lines while Blu-Ray has a maximum of 1920x1080 (also referred to as full HD). If you've spent $1000 or more on a 1080p television, you're really not making use of all the TV can deliver when viewing regular DVDs.
On release prices for Blu-Ray players were well above what an average home user wanted to pay. Price tags between $700 and $1000 were common for the first Blu-Ray players. Plus, there was another competing standard on the store shelves that created a lot of confusion. Toshiba and NEC produced their own DVD follow-up device with release of the HD DVD standard. HD DVD, with enough space for 15 gbs., was a step up over standard DVDs but didn't match the specifications of Blu-Ray. But HD DVD did have some marketplace advantages. First, HD DVD was on store shelves three months before Blu-Ray. Second, HD DVD devices where a little cheaper to produce and were sold cheaper as a result. Lastly, HD DVD had more movie studios on board at launch than Sony did which meant more movies were at first available while Blu-Ray stayed rare.
Sony had one big trick up their sleeve that quite possibly saved Blu-Ray from a Betamax destiny. Sony included a Blu-Ray player into their highly anticipated PlayStation 3 and sold the entire device for a bit less than most stand alone players were being sold for at the time. Quickly, Blu-Ray started making strides till soon it outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 by late 2007. More picture studios began to commit to the Blu-Ray standard totally, beginning with Warner Brothers in early 2008. Right after Toshiba stopped making HD DVD players and recorders. By years end rental corporations Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as major stores, announced they would no longer carry HD DVD films. Currently all major studios release their pictures on Blu-Ray. A few still produce HD DVD and Blu-Ray releases concurrently.
Costs have fallen seriously over the last few years also. Many name brand Blu-Ray players from firms like Panasonic and LG can easily be found between $150 and $250. Blu-Ray disc recorders are in the $200 - $400 range and dropping just as fast. For anyone who likes viewing movies from home and has already invested in a high definition television, now is a wonderful time to look into adding a Blu-Ray player to your home entertainment system. Even those who might be skeptical about Blu-Ray's enhancements over DVD owe it themselves to go down to their local electronics store and ask for a Blu-Ray demonstration. The picture sharpness and audio fidelity from Blu-Ray is really superb.
Comcast Cable TV, Internet, Phone Special Offers
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