Learn About Blu-ray

Blu-ray discs are similar in appearance to standard DVD discs and are the same size, but unlike DVDs, Blu-ray technology provides a high-density disc designed for high-definition (HD) movies. A single Blu-ray disc has a 50GB storage capacity and utilizes a shorter wavelength than a DVD disc, allowing for nearly six times more data storage. The name Blu-ray evolves from the blue laser used to read the disc contents.

Blu-ray Players Also Support DVDs and CDs

In order to play Blu-ray discs, you will need a Blu-ray player. These players currently support resolutions up to 1080p, advanced video, high-definition audio including Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, and TrueHD. Java programming is the mandatory standard for all Blu-ray players and provides interactive content such as menus and user interaction. Although you can't watch a Blu-ray disc on a DVD player, generally you can view DVDs and listen to CDs on a Blu-ray player.

Blu-ray Discs Available in Three Formats

Blu-ray discs (BD) are available in three formats: BD-ROM (read only memory) discs contain commercial movies and cannot be recorded over; BD-R (recordable) are blank discs that you can record one time only; and BD-RE (rewritable) discs allow you to record over existing content multiple times. Recording on Blu-ray discs requires an optical disc recorder.

Popularity of Blu-ray Discs on the Rise

Blu-ray technology was originally announced in 2002. Within three years HD DVD discs were introduced as competition in the HD disc market. The two products vied for several years but by 2008 HD DVD discs were discontinued and Blu-ray became the dominant HD disc available. Since then, the popularity of Blu-ray has grown steadily worldwide and as of 2009 there are more than 1,500 HD Blu-ray formatted movie titles available in the U.S. alone. Engineers in the industry are continually working to develop Blu-ray discs with more layers and higher storage capacity as well as Blu-ray players to accommodate them.