MP3 Audio & Video

The high definition disc war is over

Much like the previous video format battle between VHS and Betacord, for the last couple of years there has been a battle raging for dominance of the next generation high definition disc format to progress from DVD.

The two combatants were Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Each format had their share of supporters and for a while it looked like a struggle would last for a long time.

But now, Blu-ray has emerged as the victor. This means you will begin to see a greater number of movie titles emerging on high definition Blu-ray discs. Samsung was the first electronics company in the world to launch a Blu-Ray Player into retail.

So why a high definition disc format?
The simple answer is resolution. As we are now buying larger flat screen TV’s the resolution of a DVD just doesn’t cut it. A normal DVD disc displays a resolution in standard definition which is 720x576 – this equates to 414,720 pixels (or dots of information on screen). A Full HD Samsung Television can support 1920x1080p which is 2,073,600 pixels. So when you stretch 414,000 pixels to fit in a space that can support over 2 million, the pixels need to spread and the picture looks “fuzzy”.

A Blu-ray disc transmits in full 1920x1080p so the picture looks sharp and clear.

The other benefit is high definition sound. A blu-ray disc can support high definition audio formats like Dolby True HD and DTS-HD which take the sound component of a movie to the next level of quality. Blu-ray can support up to 32 streams of audio and these can be adjusted at any time while the movie is playing – so you can change the language, or which audio format you are using without having to stop the movie.

Blu-ray can deliver these benefits due to its disc capacity. While normal DVD can hold up to 4.7GB (on a single layer), Blu-ray can store up to 25GB on a single layer and 50GB on a dual layer disc. So with nearly 5x more storage space there is so much more content that can be offered on a Blu-ray disc.

These include:
• Pop-up menus – while the movie is playing you have the options for scene selection, audio, language, trailers and other features without stopping the movie
• Pop-up picture – have the director’s commentary running in a window while the movie is running
• Factoids – information and facts about the scene that can pop-up during the movie
• Game play – game content based on the movie can also be loaded onto the Blu-ray disc which you can play using your remote control
• Future advancements in interactive features – such as shopping during the movie. If you see a product in a movie you like press the menu button and you can add the item to your shopping cart and purchase it over the internet

Fast Fact: why is it called Blu-Ray – the “laser” (Dr Evil eat your heart out) that reads a Blu-Ray disc is violet-blue colour, hence the term Blu-Ray.

For further information on the technology and available movie titles go to www.blurayaustralia.com.au

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