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article last updated on
10.20.2010 |
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Introduction
There has never been a more exciting time in the
history of home theater than now. With the advent of HDTV,
5.1-channel surround sound, and now the new Blu-ray Disc optical
format, home theater has taken a giant step in the past few years in
terms of leveling the playing field with commercial movie theaters.
History: Format War While the
DVD-Video format got off to a very strong start circa 1997, primarily
because it was the only new optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc as an high
definition optical disc format was not as lucky with its start. From
the very beginning (circa 2006-2008), the Blu-ray Disc format had to
complete with a similar format, HD DVD, as the next generation high
definition capable optical disc format. Remember the VHS vs. Betamax
format war? Well, in 2008, Blu-ray pulled ahead and won the
HD optical disc format war. |
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Key Points
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Blu-ray Disc offers a high definition 1080p
picture that has six times the picture resolution of DVD-Video.
-
Blu-ray Disc offers the choice of two high resolution
surround sound formats. Either format is a bit-for-bit
match of the original studio master and offers up to eight channels of
surround sound.
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Blu-ray Disc content providers can leverage
Java-based programs and internet content to create the coolest bonus
features.
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3D Blu-ray Disc literally adds a new dimension to
the home theater experience.
-
Blu-ray Disc players are now very affordable,
starting around $130-$140; a nice fully-loaded player can be had for
about $200.
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Blu-ray Disc players can play back all
DVD-Videos and up-converts them to near HD quality
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 vs.
Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD were
competing formats for high definition
optical disc.
Blu-ray Disc eventually won the format war. Blu-ray Disc Format
The Blu-ray Disc format was developed by a consortium of nine manufacturers called the
"Blu-ray Disc Founders".
These companies include Hitachi, LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Pioneer, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, Sony, and Thomson.
The idea behind this format is to use a new blue-violet laser
technology (hence its name) to encode much more digital data in the finer pit sizes and tighter track spacing of
the Blu-ray Disc
compared to DVD-Video.
Comparison of the DVD vs. Blu-ray disc physical formats.
(courtesy of Blu-ray Disc
Association) The table below compares the key parameters of the Blu-ray Disc and
DVD-Video formats.
Key parameters of the Blu-ray
Disc in contrast to the DVD-Video format
| |
Blu-ray
Disc |
DVD-Video |
Data
Capacities
[GB] |
Single-Layer |
25 |
4.7
single-sided,
9.4 double-sided |
|
Dual-Layer |
50 |
8.5
single-sided,
17 double-sided |
| Maximum
Recording Time |
Single-Layer |
2
hours |
2-4
hours |
|
Dual-Layer |
4
hours |
4-8
hours |
| Maximum
Data
Rate [Mbps] |
54 |
10 |
| Video
Encoding |
MPEG-4
AVC,
MPEG-2,
VC-1 |
MPEG-2 |
| Disc
Diameter [cm] |
12.0 |
12.0 |
| Video
Formats Supported |
HDTV
720p, 1080i, 1080p |
SDTV
480i, 480p |
Video
Update Rates
[frames per second, fps]
p=progressive, i=interlaced |
24p,
50i, 60i |
60i,
30p |
HDTV
Maximum Picture Resolution
[pixels, W x H] |
1920 x
1080 |
853 x 480 |
| Sound
Formats Supported |
5.1,
7.1 |
5.1,
(virtual 6.1) |
| Surround
Sound Formats |
Dolby
Digital,
Dolby Digital Plus,
Dolby TrueHD (lossless),
dts,
dts HD-Master Audio (lossless) |
Dolby
Digital,
Dolby Digital EX,
dts, dts ES |
High Definition Picture
To see the difference in picture quality of Blu-ray Disc over DVD, you must have a
HDTV, and preferably one that can display "Full HD"
1080p resolution.
In addition to 1080p ("p" for progressive scan), the HDTV
formats also include the 1080i
("i" for interlaced scan) and 720p resolutions. If you are not familiar with HDTV, read our
HDTV tutorial.
The "Full HD" 1080p resolution equates to
2 megapixels and offers over six times the resolution of DVD-Video. Additionally, for
film-based sources, Blu-ray can match the picture
refresh rate of 24 frames per second (fps) of film.
Collectively, "Full HD" 1080p resolution combined with the film 24
fps update rate is known as 1080p/24. For film buffs, this is
the real deal. The picture quality rivals that of film and
refreshed natively at the same rate as film.
Editor's Note: DVD-Video or standard definition TV (SDTV)
has a resolution of 480 lines of horizontal resolution with 704
pixels, or total of 480x704 = 337,920 pixels. HDTV at 720p has
720x1280 = 921,600 pixels, which is about 2.7 times more resolution
than DVD-Video.
HDTV at "Full HD" 1080p has 1080x1920 = 2,073,600 pixels or 2 Mpixels, which is over 6 times the resolution of DVD-Video.
High Definition Surround Sound
Blu-ray Disc also offers a significant improvement in home theater surround
sound. The format includes support for some new surround sound
formats. The two most compelling are
Dolby TrueHD and
DTS-HD Master Audio. Both of these surround sound formats
offer pristine bit-for-bit true to the original studio master surround
sound with up to 7.1 channels. That's 5.1-channel surround with
the addition of two back surround sound channels. To learn more about
these high
definition surround sound formats and see how they compare to DVD-Video's
Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound formats, read our
High
Definition Surround Sound
tutorial.
BD-Live
Compared to bonus material on the DVD-Video format, studios can add
much more interactivity on the Blu-ray format because most Blu-ray
Disc players offer BD-Live functionality. This means that the
player has some internal computing capacity that can execute
Java-based apps. Coupled with the ability to access the
internet, the interactivity and applications are only limited to the
studios' creativity. Some Blu-ray Disc movies include
interactive events with the cast, director, or producers.
Studios can even produce content after the pressing the Blu-ray Disc
titles, by enabling that functionality over the internet and
publishing that capability to the internet as a new download.
One BD-Live feature allows you to edit clips of the movie and share
it with your friends. Keep in mind that the BD-Live features are
specific to each Blu-ray Disc title, as produced for that movie by
its studio. You should not expect the same richness of BD-Live
features on every title. 3D
Blu-ray
3D Blu-ray Disc is a relatively a new phenomenon,
just introduced in summer 2010. In order experience a
3D visual experience, you will need a 3D-capable Blu-ray Disc player, along with
a 3D-ready LCD or plasma HDTV and that brand's active shutter technology 3D glasses.
The HDTV and 3D glasses must be made by the same manufacturer, due to
each manufacturer's proprietary timing synchronization between the HDTV
frame rates and active shutter 3D glasses. At about $150 - $250
per pair, the 3D glasses are not cheap. The 3D capable HDTVs are
not cheap either, as they are currently selling at a premium over
comparable non-3D HDTV models.
3D Blu-ray Disc is a relatively a new phenomenon,
just introduced in summer 2010. In order experience a
3D visual experience, you will need a 3D-capable Blu-ray Disc player, along with
a 3D-ready LCD or plasma HDTV and that brand's active shutter technology 3D glasses.
The HDTV and 3D glasses must be made by the same manufacturer, due to
each manufacturer's proprietary timing synchronization between the HDTV
frame rates and active shutter 3D glasses. At about $150 - $250
per pair, the 3D glasses are not cheap. The 3D capable HDTVs are
not cheap either, as they are currently selling at a premium versus
comparable
non-3D HDTV models. If you are interested in 3D Blu-ray, it is not
a bad idea to buy a 3D ready Blu-ray player now, since they are
reasonably priced without a steep premium over
non-3D Blu-ray players.
Read our
3-D Blu-ray Disc player shopping guide. However, you may want to wait a while before upgrading to the 3D HDTVs
and 3D active shutter glasses. Prices will come down dramatically
after the early adopters buy their sets.
3D Blu-ray system includes
a 3D Blu-ray Disc player, a 3D HDTV,
and a pair of 3D active shutter glasses for each viewer.
(courtesy of Samsung)
 TIP
#1: If you are interested in 3D Blu-ray Disc, it is not a bad
idea to buy a 3D ready Blu-ray player now. 3D players are
reasonably priced without a steep premium over
non-3D Blu-ray players.
Read our
3-D Blu-ray Disc player shopping guide. However, you may want to wait a while before upgrading to the 3D HDTVs
and 3D active shutter glasses. Prices will come down dramatically
after the early adopters buy their sets. And you can still choose
a brand of 3D HDTV and 3D glasses, different from that of your 3D
Blu-ray Disc player. So buying a 3D player now will not lock
you into a specific brand of 3D equipment later. Additionally,
if you're buying an HDMI cable to hook your Blu-ray Disc player to
an HDTV, do consider buying an HDMI v1.4 cable that supports the 3D
signals.
Blu-ray Disc Players
As expected, Blu-ray Disc players have come down
significantly in price, while performance keeps getting better and feature
sets keep getting richer. The first Blu-ray Disc players fetched $500
to well over
$1000, with reference players costing several thousand dollars.
Naturally, that's how the "Blu-ray Disc Founders" recouped their investment
in the new format. 
Early Blu-ray Disc players
included the
Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc
Reference Player ($1,000)
The 2010 Blu-ray Disc players range from $130-$180 for
entry-level units, to about $200-$250 for mid-level units with a fairly rich
feature set.
2010 Blu-ray Disc players
include the
Sony BDP-S370 ($135)
Movies on Blu-ray Disc You may
have a sizeable investment in your
DVD-Video collection, but that's okay.
Your DVDs will play in any Blu-ray Disc player, and many of the
latest Blu-ray Disc players will up-convert the DVD picture to near
HD quality, depending on how well the original DVD was produced.
But looking forward, you may want to start buying Blu-ray Disc titles.
Some "Digital Copy" editions include 3 discs: one Blu-ray
Disc for your home theater; one DVD-Video for your vehicle's DVD
entertainment system;
and a third Digital Copy for your computer, iPhone/iPod touch or smartphone.
Even the basic single-disc Blu-ray Disc movie commands a premium over the
comparable DVD-Video version. For some great deals to get your
Blu-ray collection kick started, check out of
Discounted Blu-ray page.
Meanwhile, you can enjoy Blu-ray Disc rentals through
the Netflix DVD & Blu-ray
Disc rental program, by
upgrading your
membership to include Blu-ray Disc titles. See the
pricing plans for
details.
If you have not tried Netflix DVD & Blu-ray Disc rental program,
click here to
try it free for two weeks.
 ![Star Trek [2010]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RfGsmoLVL._AA115_.jpg)
 
Some great Blu-ray Disc movies that will showcase any home theater.
Ready to Take the Leap? So
what are you waiting for? If you do not have an HDTV, then
may we suggest that you read
our HDTV tutorial. If
you do not yet have surround sound, be sure to read our
Surround Sound overview, then our
High Definition Surround
Sound tutorial. If you have an HDTV and surround sound
setup already, then all you need is our
Blu-ray Disc Player Buying Guide,
Shopping
Guide, and a few of our
Blu-ray Disc
player reviews. For additional info:
Notation: Throughout this web site and in this article, we use 1 GB to mean 1,000,000,000
bytes. Likewise, 1 Mbps is 1,000,000 bits per second. These are not the computer usage where 1 Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes.
Did
you find this Blu-ray Disc tutorial helpful? Let us know your
thoughts, send an e-mail to us at Staff@TimeForDVD.com. Tell
a friend about this site: send a link to
this
page or this
site to a friend.
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