Whats A Blu-Ray ?
March 22nd, 2008 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use
Blu-Ray Disc ( BD ) by the definition in Wikipedia is an optical disc storage media format. So exactly why should we care? Will it have some adverse effect on our DVD players we now own, especially the DVD-CD ROM player associated with our computers? 
The answer is……. yes. As the new movies and other media are produced in the Blu-Ray format, they will not play on our old equipment, either the stand alone DVD players or the one ( internal or external ) that comes with your computer. Major motion picture companies are switching over and will not continue to produce in the DVD format. Currently there are only 2 US major motion picture studios that are current holdouts but all expect they will eventually cave and convert as well. Most of the movies already on the shelves in DVD format will be converted over time.
If you are over 40 you will remember experiencing the conversion from the old 8 Track tape to Beta. The standard that didn’t last long as Beta was won over by VHS and then the evolution on to DVD. It will take so time but all of our old equipment will eventually end up with the recyclers and we should have the new format equipment showing up in all of our favorite electronic stores soon. Blu-Ray, both Disc’s and Players are expected to be at the same or similar price points as the current HD-DVD format.
The Blu-Ray Disc Association that developed this new format said the Blu-Ray format has the real advantage of being able to pack the data more tightly and with the blu-violet light ( that is where the name Blu-Ray came from ) that can focus with more precision allowing for more data in less space. DVD disc could hold about 15 GB and the new Blu-Ray format comes in nearly double at 25GB.
Special Note: If you happen to be upgrading your computer soon, be sure that the media player you end up with is capable of playing in the Blu-Ray format.
Blu-Ray.com has provided a Q & A for those that have questions and would like more details.
