Blu-ray, is also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), and was a format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), whose membership includes: Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson. The format was developed to allow 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 conventional DVDs and can hold up to 25Gb on a single-layer (BD25) disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc (BD50).
Other data storage optical disc technologies such as DVD-5, DVD-9 rely on a red laser to read and write data, Blu-ray uses a blue-violet laser therefore the name Blu-ray. Even though the different type of lasers used, Blu-ray products can easily be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a compatible optical pickup unit.
The advantage of using a blue-violet laser is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser; therefore it makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater accuracy. The data is more tightly packed so it takes up less space; therefore it is possible to fit more data onto the disc even although it is the same size as a CD or DVD. By this process it enables Blu-ray Discs to hold 25Gb - 50Gb of data.
The Future
Pioneer is currently developing a Blu-ray disc with a storage capacity to 500 Gb on a single disc by using 20 layers.
There are also plans to create a BD/DVD hybrid format, which combines Blu-ray and DVD on the same disc so that it can be played in both Blu-ray players and DVD players.
Promotion and Marketing
Blu-ray is an ideal format to promote movies, video games, video music and the format is currently supported by many of the world's leading consumer electronics and personal computer companies.
Blu-ray formats:
The following formats are part of the Blu-ray Disc specification:
BD-ROM - read-only format for distribution of HD movies, games, software, etc.
BD-R - recordable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.
BD-RE - rewritable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.
Blu-ray storage capacity:
A single-layer disc can hold 25Gb.
A dual-layer disc can hold 50Gb. This disc will allow over 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video or about 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video.
What video codecs does Blu-ray support?
MPEG-2 - enhanced for HD, also used for playback of DVDs and HDTV recordings.
MPEG-4 AVC - part of the MPEG-4 standard also known as H.264 (High Profile and Main Profile).
SMPTE VC-1 - standard based on Microsoft's Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.
This means that Blu-ray players and recorders will support playback of these video codecs. It will be an option of the publisher and authoring house to decide which video codec(s) they use for their product.
What audio codecs will Blu-ray support?
Linear PCM (LPCM) - up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. (mandatory)
Dolby Digital (DD) - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (mandatory)
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) - extension of Dolby Digital, 7.1-channel surround sound. (optional)
Dolby TrueHD - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
DTS Digital Surround - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (mandatory)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio - extension of DTS, 7.1-channel surround sound. (optional)
DTS-HD Master Audio - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
This means that Blu-ray players and recorders will support playback of these audio codecs. It will be an option of the publisher and authoring house to decide which audio codec(s) they use for their product.
Interactive Codecs
Interactivity BD-J
Blu-ray - Resistance to damage.
Blu-ray has a hard-coating for protection, which makes the discs even more resistant to scratches and fingerprints than today's DVDs. Blu-ray also has a new error correction system which is more tough and efficient than the one currently used for DVDs.
The Blu-ray copy protection system.
Although there is copy protection built into the format “AACS”
(Advanced Access Content System) it can still be cracked.
But certainly not as easy as ripping a CD or DVD.
Blu-ray manufacturing costs.
Replication of Blu-ray is still quite expensive process due to low production volumes. However, the overall cost of manufacturing Blu-ray Disc media will in the end be no more expensive than producing a DVD. One of the major costs is the set up (creating masters) also the fact that it requires two injection molding machines instead of one for DVD. Although we believe the future will eventually see Blu-ray manufacturing costs just a little higher than DVD.
Will a Blu-ray disc play on a DVD player?
No but most Blu-ray players will be backwards compatible with DVD, so you don't have to worry about existing DVD collection becoming obsolete. Hardware: Blu-ray players include: SONY Panasonic, Samsung, Pioneer, Mitsubishi, Philips, Hitachi, Sharp, DELL, Acer, Apple, TDK, JVC, LG, Thomson, HP and Sanyo
What is the basic difference between DVD and Blu-ray?
The simple answer is HDTV. In HD see how incredibly sharp the picture is and how vivid the colors are. (HD offers five times the amount of detail compared to a DVD that uses standard - definition (SD). A DVD does not have the necessary storage capacity to satisfy the needs of HD but Blu-ray disc do – with up to 50Gb available storage capacity and therefore enables playback at high-definition video and audio quality.
Blu-ray can also be “interactive”.
The Blu-ray format represents a huge advancement in the viewing and listening experience, but also with interactive capabilities. With the extra storage capacity you can add additional content and special features. For example - you can consult related menus without stopping the movie, that you are watching, and then choose new viewing options, or download interactive content directly from internet (sub titles, director’s commentary, etc…).
Regions for the Blu-ray standard:
A/1: North, Central & South America, Japan, Taiwan,
Hong Kong, Macau & South-east Asia.
B/2: Europe, Greenland, Middle East, Africa, Australia
and New Zealand.
C/3: India, Russia, China (excl. HK), Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Central & South Asia.
Blu-Ray
