When it comes to cheaper and high quality home videos, DVD is naturally the leader in home video market. However, the advent of high definition videos and the latest optical disc technologies like Blu-ray and HD-DVDs have changed that. At best, a DVD can store only a full-length movie in standard definition. For high definition features, you have to either look for a HD-DVD or blu-ray disc. As most studios have been abandoning HD-DVD and adopting to blu-ray disc format, the future belongs to blu-ray disc technology.
HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc player
There is hardly anything that can put you in dilemma over making a choice between these two players. Here are the important features that can help you to compare these technologies:
- Both disc players use blue laser to read and write data so that larger information can be recorded on a regular 12 cm diameter disc.
- Higher capacity than DVDs: A double layered HD-DVD has 30GB data capacity while a similar blu-ray has capacity up to 50GB of data. Technological improvements in blu-ray promise 250GB capacity in future.
- Both discs are suitable for playback of high definition videos and audios. A double layered blu-ray disc has a capacity of more than 8 hours of high definition videos while HD-DVD has just half of this capacity.
However, both are incompatible formats and require a separate player for play back.
Blu-ray Vs HD-DVD
As both HD-DVD and blu-ray discs can provide excellent home entertainment, blu-ray has some significant advantages over HD-DVD which is already losing support from many studios. Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider buying a blu-ray disc player instead of HD-DVD player:
- As blu-ray disc can hold large data (double the capacity of HD-DVD, nearly three-fourths of studios support blu-ray disc format. The number of studios switching from HD-DVD to blu-ray is on increase after some of the optical disc manufacturers like Toshiba have discontinued the use of HD-DVD.
- Many popular films like Harry Potter series in high definition are available in blu-ray discs while the number of newer HD-DVDs and sale of HD-DVD have been dwindling in recent times. In contrast, the sales growth in blu-ray has doubled.
- Sony’s PlayStation 3 comes with blu-ray compatibility and can be used to play blu-ray discs. You can also connect it to websites or download high-definition videos from VoD services.
- Blu-ray disc players come with outputs for home-theatre so you can get the perfect audio quality to match your viewing experience.
Can I play DVDs and CDs on blu-ray disc player?
DVD has the largest number of titles till date, as it remains the cheapest storage medium format for home videos. As blu-ray disc player can also play DVDs so your DVD collection is never in a state of becoming outdated, when you go for a blu-ray disc player.
If you intend to play standard CDs on your blu-ray disc player, make sure that it is compatible with CD format as a few models may not play CDs.
Should I have an HDTV?
Blu-ray disc provides optimum results when it is connected to HDTV using HDMI connection. As only HDTVs like LCD TV or Plasma TV have this option, HDTV is ideal for the best viewing experience.
Blu-ray player can also be connected to standard TV via composite video output while this may not render high definition features while component video output can provide HD resolution.
Look at the connection types
To provide standard definition as well as high definition videos, most blu-ray players come with following connections:
- Composite video output
- Component video connection
- S-Video output
- HDMI or DVI connection for high-definition video and audio
- Audio outputs like digital optical & coaxial and analog stereo
- Analog audio outputs (5.1channel) to provide digital surround features.
Other factors
Blu-ray disc players and blu-ray discs are expensive
Currently, blu-ray disc costs four times higher than a HD-DVD so is the case with blu-ray disc player. This is the major reason why blu-ray disc has not made as much penetration as DVD. If you are looking for cheaper blu-ray disc players, you can go for the basic blu-ray players that can provide 1080i resolution but not 1080p resolution.
Right now, there is no clear indication whether blu-ray disc will become affordable in near future despite its clear emergence as a next generation video format.
Hardware support
Currently, the major manufacturers of blu-ray disc players include Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Pioneer and their models come with different profiles and all of them provide 1080p resolution. There are still compatibility issues between these profiles despite the standardization of Profile 1.1 in 2008.
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