DVD and Blu-ray Disc
I think it’s pretty safe to assume that you’re already familiar with DVD. You can’t walk out of a supermarket without seeing a RedBox DVD vending machine. That’s how ubiquitous they have become. But you need a DVD player in order to watch all those movies. If you’re in the market, here are a few factoids that may help you choose the right one.
A look back at how it all started
When first introduced nearly 15 years ago, DVD was a revelation. The existing videotape technology was getting long in the tooth. The picture quality of videotape was spotty, they broke, they required a lot of space to store, and it was downright inconvenient if you wanted to find a particular scene or part on the tape. CD players for audio had already gained widespread support. Where was the equivalent technology for video?
In 1995, DVD hit the market and it spread like wildfire. The picture quality was much improved from videotape and they were easy to use. If you could operate a CD player, you could operate a DVD player. But as good as the picture was, the sound was even better. Finally, full digital surround sound was available for home theater, and it completely changed the way we watched movies. In fact, you could probably say that without DVD, home theater would not exist today. It was that important.
Digital Versatile Disc
That’s what DVD stands for. The versatile part is important, because it truly is. For example, DVD players also play CD discs. One player does it all. That’s pretty versatile! And then there are DVD-Audio discs—kind of like CD discs on steroids. Designed for super high quality music reproduction, DVD-Audio discs have found a niche market among audiophiles. Some DVD players also play SACD discs, another audio only format that delivers ultra high-resolution audio. If you love music, you owe it to yourself to check out a DVD-Audio or SACD disc. The difference from a conventional CD is stunning. Up conversion DVD is not high definition. The picture resolution of DVD is limited to 480p (480 lines of resolution, progressive scanning). That’s pretty darn good, but it’s not high definition. If you hook up normal DVD player to a HDTV, you will be missing out on much of the lifelike detail that your TV is capable of. But many DVD players have a trick up their sleeves: up conversion. A digital processing circuit in the DVD player takes the 480p video signal and bumps it up to near high definition quality. Of course, it’s not quite as good as the real thing (that’s what a Blu-ray player is for) but it looks a lot better than without the processing. If you’re in market for a DVD player and you own an HDTV, make sure it has up conversion.
What is Blu-ray™ Disc?
In consumer electronics, just when you start feeling comfortable with a technology, it becomes obsolete. Or at least it sure seems that way. First we had movies on videotape. Then DVD came along and all those videotapes were relegated to the bottom of a drawer. DVD was clearly superior, so we readily accepted the change. The picture and sound were much improved, the discs were much smaller and easy to store and DVD offered the ability to quickly scan to a scene or chapter in a movie, something that was a major hassle with videotape. But just as we were getting comfortable with DVD, along comes Blu-ray. Should we care?
High definition TV on disc
As good as DVD is, it’s not high definition. The maximum picture resolution available on DVD is 480p—good, but nowhere near the 720p, 1080i, or 1080p picture resolution that defines HDTV. So if you are playing a DVD through a high definition television, you’re not getting the most out of your TV.
Blu-ray discs are high definition. Even though a Blu-ray disc is the same size as a DVD, it can store five times more data than a DVD, which is plenty of room for high definition movies. But to read that concentrated data, Blu-ray’s inventors had to come up with a laser beam that could focus tighter and sharper. So, instead of a red laser beam, they used a blue laser beam. A Blue Ray. Get it? Blu-ray is not only high definition, it can reproduce the sharpest form of high definition yet—1080p. This is even better than broadcast HDTV. In fact, in the world of consumer video, 1080p is the best picture resolution available.
What about all of my DVDs?
Blu-ray disc players are almost always backwards compatible, meaning they can also play older formats such as DVD. In fact, some Blu-ray players actually up-convert traditional DVDs to near high definition quality. All of your older DVDs will look better than ever.
Is Blu-ray right for me?
If you have a high definition TV and love movies, the answer is an unqualified: Yes! Arrange for a Free In-Home Consultation today and learn how Blu-ray can enhance your home theater experience.