Blu-ray VS DVD
So why buy Blu-ray? My DVD player and disc works just fine. And isn’t the DVD format one of the most successful stories in consumer history since it only took DVD a few years to completely destroy the mighty VHS and conquer the home video market. So why should I change?
The simple answer is this: Blu-ray has a better picture, better sound quality and more special interactive features. You get all of this with little change in how you actually watch your movies at home because the Blu-ray disc’s physical appearance is the same as a DVD or CD, and also the blu-ray player looks the same as any DVD player. Even the Blu-ray display menus is basically what you are use to with DVD menus. Granted, with this new technology comes some new terms like 1080p and blu-ray profiles. It can get a little frustrating, but really all you need to do is insert a Blu-ray disc into a blu-ray player and watch. Just like you would with a DVD, except now your watching movies in glorious High Definition.
The main selling feature of the blu-ray format is it has five times more storage capacity than DVDs. It can hold 25GB (single layer) and 50 GB (dual layer), which allows for recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video. On a Dual Layer Disc you get over 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video on a 50GB disc and over 22 hours of standard-definition (SD) video on a 50GB disc, whereas a DVD disc can only hold about 8GB of data, far less then a blu-ray disc.
So the question that should be asked is not why should I change to a Blu-ray player, but rather why not change? The Blu-ray disc offers superior picture, sound and special features. And most leading companies now produce players that will read CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray. They also have a feature called ‘upscaling DVD’. The blu-ray player will convert your DVD discs, which have standard DVD resolution (480i), to High Definition standards (720i-1080i). But this upconversion is not the same as a Blu-ray image because it is not as detailed or life-like as a high definition blu-ray image.
The blu-ray disc also offers you bonus views and BD-live, where you can get extra online content such as updated movie trailers and interactive online games. The fact is, since the dismissal of the HD-DVD format, Blu-ray disc is the strongest competitor in the world of High Definition. To get the most viewing pleasure from your HDTV, Blu-ray disc will always come out on top over DVD discs.
By: Curtis Hoskins
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For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: bluray dvd players
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Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
For the latest information on buying your own home karaoke machine try here: buy home karaoke
Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Blu-Ray Players Loading Times
One item that seems to always arise when discussing Blu-ray Players, is the loading of the Blu-ray Disc. Why does it take so long for the Blu-ray disc to load? And when it does load, why does the movie start to play immediately? Why are there no opening menus first?
The first thing you need to realize is the disc is more complex than a DVD. The Blu-ray disc holds larger amounts of data since it has five times more storage capacity than DVDs. It can hold 25GB (single layer) and 50 GB (dual layer) of data. With this amount of space for data the menus are more intricate and interactive. It can even make use of animation and special audio effects. Since a Blu-ray Disc will have picture-in-picture and online BD-Live, all features a DVD disc does not have; it takes a while for the Player to load these extra features into its memory.
As for the Blu-ray Disc playing the movie right away, instead of the Blu-ray menu, has to do with how the Blu-ray Disc is written and nothing to do with the Blu-ray Player itself. People who are coding the Blu-ray disc decides if the disc will play the movie or the menu first. The reason each disc will have a different loading time is because Blu-ray discs are coded differently from each other.
However, Blu-ray Players will load discs at different speeds depending on how fast the processor is in each Player. Some of the fastest Blu-ray Players are Sony’s PlayStation 3, Oppo’s BDP-83, Samsung BD-P3600, and LG BD390. Some of these players can load certain Blu-ray movies in 20 seconds. One way to make sure your Blu-ray Player is loading the disc as fast as possible is to update its firmware. Updating the Players’ firmware will likely increase loading times since manufactures are always looking to improve playback on its products.
By: Curtis Hoskins
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For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: bluray players Or view our Videos on our Blu-ray YouTube Channel here: top blu-ray players
Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Blu-Ray For Your PC – Choosing a Blu-Ray Drive
You’ve heard of blu-ray discs, and players, but have you heard of blu-ray drives? These are PC drives which allow the user to play blu-ray CDs on them. Blu-ray drives come as either internal or external drives, depending on the type of system and set-up you have. The cost of these drives can be from a 100 to 500 dollars; the more expensive ones usually have more interesting features. With a blu-ray drive, you can enjoy crystal clear, high definition programming in front of your computer.
The blu-ray drive is a great invention, especially for people who are used to sitting in front of their PC for hours every day. They use it to surf the net, watch DVDs, burn data on blank CDs. Some even use it to manufacture CDs, using disc duplication towers. All of the media content on it makes it a hot spot, giving you more freedom and entertainment. It’s only reasonable to use it for blu-ray discs as well.
You can find external blu-ray drives which can be hooked to your PC with USB cables. These external systems give a high amount of space, giving you more convenience. You can use them not only to watch movies, but also to store and record a blu-ray disc’s content.
On the other hand, Internal blu-ray drives can be set-up inside your PC. Just like external drives, they can allow you to store, record and watch movies on blu-ray discs. It’s ideal if you want a space-saving and compact option.
External and internal blu-ray drives come in several types, and all of them are keeping up with the evolving technology. Since blu-ray discs are evolving, the drives are also being updated as well.
Here are a few examples of blu-ray drives.
· Lite-On 4X SATA Triple Writer – This is an internal drive, and can read and write blu-ray discs. It’s ideal for backing up, and can support discs with 50 GB amount. It plays dual layer discs and DVDs.
· BDU-XIOS Internal Drive from Sony – It’s affordable, it can play DVDs and blu-rays and works great with a video card and HDCP screens. Many reviews claim that it’s not very updated.
· 6X Blu-ray External Drive from LG – It can burn DVDs CDs, and BDs in the same place, and has 50 GB of playback and recording. However, it’s not available for Mac, only for Windows XP and Vista.
The type of drive you get depends on your needs. Take a look around and read reviews to find out which will suit you best.
By: Noemi Zenitram
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The Next Step Up in Entertainment – Blu-Ray Disk Players
Ever since the birth of the DVD, the entertainment industry has never been the same. It was the most successful format the industry has ever used, due to its ability to store more data, and play more life-like videos. With this format, we were able to enjoy more quality images and videos that far surpassed the VCD. Who would have thought that technology would take the DVD a step further? How is this possible? This leap is possible only through a special format, the blu-ray disk. However, like the DVD, it can only be played by a special player, the blu-ray disk players.
You may ask yourself, what is the difference between the two formats? The disks look the same, are exactly the same in size and dimensions. The only difference between the two is their storage capacities. A large capacity DVD can hold up to 8.5 GB of data. A blu-ray disk can store up a whopping 25 GB of data. However, what how is this significant? Isn’t 8.5 GB enough for storing videos? Yes, it is sufficient for ordinary movies, but not for high definition movies. High definition consumes a significant amount of disk space, and regular DVDs just will not do. Furthermore, just like DVDs, you will need a special type of player. To enjoy a blu-ray disk, you will need blu-ray disk players.
High definition is now the next step up in entertainment. You can enjoy more life-like pictures again and again on your wide screen. The quality of these high definition movies and shows far surpass the quality of movies and shows on DVDs. So, prepare to enjoy videos and movies so life-like, they seem to happen right in front of you. This is only made possible by the next step up in entertainment, blu-ray disk players.
By: Sue Chambers
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Blu Ray disk player can be a great gift idea for any occasion or must have for your home theatre.
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3 Things You Need to Know About Blu-Ray Disc Players
Q: Why is it called Blu-ray?
A: This is because Blu-ray Disc players and PC drives, and also Sony’s PlayStation 3, use a blue laser beam to read data from discs. DVD
The Evolution of Blu-Ray – How the Blu-Ray Disc Was Born
By now, you have probably heard of Blu-ray or Blu-ray discs and players, but do you know how this high definition technology came to be born or developed? It’s a fascinating story, with some major battles thrown in for good measure, a story that is well worth reading even if you’re not a tech junkie.
In order to truly understand Blu-ray, you have to go back to the early 80’s when CDs or Compact Discs were introduced. CDs were a giant leap forward if you compared it to the current media at the time; mainly because the CD offered more storage, better sound quality and quickly became the universal standard for pre-recorded, recordable and rewritable media. CDs had around 650MB of storage capacity which was revolutionary at the time for data storage and retrieval.
However, no technology stands still, especially when you consider our insatiable need for more compact storage and higher quality images. Hence, we had the introduction of the DVD in the 90’s which had a 5-10 X increase in capacity over the CD. The DVD allowed for high quality, standard definition video distribution and recording, not to mention accommodating larger data application. Another key element to this seamless transition, was that the DVD spec used the same factor as the CD which allowed for full backwards compatibility. These key factors would not be lost on the development in the next generation media; this being the Blu-ray Disc.
The beginnings of the Blu-ray started in the mid ’90’s with the introduction of HDTV sets. Consumers soon realized there was no media capable of recording or playing back High Definition
content. There were no mediums that could store HD codecs, with the exception of JVCs Digital VHS and Sony’s HDCAM; but nothing practical like the CD and DVD media.
However, it was known that using lasers with shorter wavelengths you would be able to create optical storage with higher density. With this knowledge, Shuji Nakamura invented practical blue laser diodes. Its commercial use was delayed by a patent lawsuit, but eventually the Blu-ray disc became available and the next step in the evolution of storage media began.
The Difference: The benefits of Blu-ray Discs versus DVDs.
Although blu-ray disc are the same physical size of a DVD or CD, they are capable of storing and reading much more data. The reason behind this is its use of a blue laser as opposed to the red laser used by DVDs and CDs. The blue laser has a shorter wavelength, a smaller aperture lens and a thinner cover layer on the disc that makes it possible to create a smaller beam spot size capable
of storing and reading much more data on the disc.
Of course, no discussion would be complete without mentioning the very heated battle between the two opposing technologies: Blu-ray vs HD-DVD. Each disc format have major backers, behind Blu-ray stands Sony, Dell, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung… and backing HD-DVD we have Toshiba, NEC and some major movie studios Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and New Line Cinema.
While many believe Blu-ray has won the battle and will probably become the dominant high definition technology. (Beta anyone?) The main argument being storage space, since Blu-ray offers 25 GB for single-layer and 50 GB for dual-layer; this is compared to HD-DVD which gives 15 GB for single-layer and 30 GB for dual-layer.
This is Blu-ray’s strongest playing card, a single layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB of data. This is compared to the 4.5 GB on a standard DVD. As mentioned before, a dual layer Blu-ray disc can hold 50 GB. This amount of storage allows the disc to capture a full 1080p High Definition image. It has a resolution of 1920 by 1080 progressively scanned pixels. A standard DVD has 720 by 480 pixels. Another benefit of the Blu-ray disc is it has a much wider bandwidth than a DVD. It can produce signals at speeds up to 48 Mbps. This is 6 times quicker than DVD’s 8 Mbps.
Furthermore, remember your old DVD’s will not be obsolete, as Blu-ray players can play DVD’s. Blu-ray players can upscale regular DVD’s standard definition images and convert them to a higher resolution which is needed on a HDTV. This process greatly increases picture quality, although it doesn’t actually increase resolution. The quality of the players up scaling function is often the determining factor in the quality of the image that is converted.
Considering all these points and features, the future of Blu-ray looks very bright indeed. Blu-ray discs and players will probably be around for quite some time or until another more advanced technology takes its place! But for now, we can all fully enjoy the superior performance and visuals Blu-ray offers us.
By: Titus Hoskins
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…
For a more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide:
Blu-ray DVD Players Or try checking out the latest deals on Blu-ray Players here: Best Blu-ray Deals.
For a more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide:
Blu-ray DVD Players Or try checking out the latest deals on Blu-ray Players here: Best Blu-ray Deals.
Copyright © 2008. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Panasonic DMP – BD85K Blu-ray Player Review
Panasonic has revealed its new Blu-ray Players coming out this year. One of which is the DMP-BD85, currently available to purchase. A good sign for consumers is that Panasonic has made some significant improvements to their players this year. For example the DMP-BD85 has better audio processing and Vera Cast has increased its online services to provide us with more movies and TV shows.
Besides Vera Cast, the Panasonic DMP-BD85 comes with a great set of features and functions. Some of them include Adaptive High Precision 4:4:4 and HDMI Jitter Purifier. These features help provide the DMP-BD85 to achieve the best possible image and sound quality when playing a Blu-ray disc via the HDMI cable. If you are concerned about energy consumption, the DMP-BD85 has a feature called Viera Link Eco Function. The Blu-ray Player will turn itself on/off depending on the status of your TV set.
Video Quality: You can connect the DMP-BP85 via the HDMI, Component and Composite video outputs. HDMI will give you the best results for image quality. As mentioned earlier, the DMP-BD85 Blu-ray Player has features that help with the image quality. Another such feature is the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus. This feature keeps the movie’s original colors crisp and clear. The DMP-BD85 provides all the standard up scaling of DVDs to 1080p. On a Blu-ray Disc it provides images at 1080/24p with no requirement of up conversion on compatible TVs.
Audio Quality: You can connect the audio for the DMP-BD85 via HDMI, the 7.1-channel Analog Audio out, or the Digital Audio out (1 Optical, 1 Coaxial). The Blu-ray Player can decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Panasonic seems committed to trying to provide the best sound possible. Along with it’s HDMI Jitter Purifier you get the Digital Tube Sound Simulator (producing warm fuller sounds), Dialog Enhancer, Audio DAC: 192kHz/24bit, Night Surround Mode, and Dynamic Range Compression. Providing you with many options to choose from to get the optimal sound.
All these video and audio features combine to give you a stunning home movie experience. Visuals are filled with vibrant and deep colors. Sounds come across as rich and full. Allowing you to enjoy movies at the highest level. Movies can be watched either by a disc or you can take advantage of the Panasonic’s Vera Cast. With Vera Cast, you can access great online content. It provides online services such as Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand (new to Vera Cast this year) to stream movies. You also can access YouTube, Picasa, and many more great online sites from the VIERA Cast screen. The Panasonic DMP-BD85 has an Ethernet Port to connect to the Internet. Or you can connect using a wireless USB adapter included with the player. You simply plug it into one of the two provided USB ports. Plugging it into the USB port in the rear of the Blu-ray player is probably the best option.
THE PROS: The Panasonic DMP-BD-85K has great audio and video quality. Easy to setup and has Vera Cast which allows you to access Netflix, Amazon-On-Demand, YouTube, Picasa and other online sites. It is Wi-Fi ‘Ready’ (Includes USB Wi-Fi Adapter), so no LAN cable is required. It has a “Digital Tube Sound Simulator mode”, along with other great audio features, which provides great realistic sounds.
THE CONS: No DLNA feature and some of its competitors like Samsung BD-C6500 have Built-in Wi-Fi. DMP-BD85K is only Wi-Fi ‘Ready’, meaning a Wireless LAN Adapter is needed. However, you do not need to purchase one because a USB Wireless Adapter is included with the DMP-BD85K. But it would be nice if it was built-in the Blu-ray Player.
THE FINAL WORD: If you are looking for a Blu-ray Player with excellent Video and Audio quality at a reasonable price, the DMP-BD85 might be the player for you. With the addition of Netfix and Pandora to Vera Cast, it is an improvement on Panasonic’s 2009 models. It has DVD up scaling, Wi-Fi ‘Ready’, 0.5 Second Quick Start mode, HDMI Jitter Purifier and much more. The Panasonic DMP-BD85K provides you a stack full of great features. — Price you should look for when purchasing — Under 250.00.
By: Curtis Hoskins
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For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: bluray players Or view our Videos and blu-ray player reviews here: Blu-ray Player Reviews Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Inexpensive Blu-Ray DVD Players Mean True Home Theater Today
Inexpensive Blu-Ray DVD players are becoming more and more common these days. Even though HD DVD technology is still relatively new, the flood of players into the market has made manufacturer competition quite intense. Sure, you can still buy a two thousand dollar Blu-Ray DVD player, basically the opposite of an inexpensive player, or, you can spend three hundred dollars or less and get an inexpensive Blu-Ray DVD player that will bring the same HD movies into your home.
HD DVDs make your home theater a true home theater system. Because high-definition picture is the standard today, playing movies at home was a bit lagging until Blu-Ray HD DVD technology was created and standardized for high-definition movie viewing. Before then, no matter how great your high-definition TV was, playing DVD movies on that awesome system was restricted to low-definition quality. The only way to get around that was to order HD movies from your cable or satellite provider, but we all know that just isn’t the same.
The number of titles that are available as Blu-Ray HD will keep your inexpensive Blu-Ray DVD player quite busy. At present, there are thousands of titles. Before long, HD DVD will be the preferred format for DVDs. That transformation is in full swing right now. With the next holiday season, more friends and family member are going to be asking for Blu-Ray DVDs exclusively. Just like the switch from VHS to DVD, and tape to CD, inexpensive Blu-Ray HD DVD players are making the switch from DVD to HD DVD
Editor’s Pick – LG BD390 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player
Besides being one of the best Blu-ray players of 2009, the LG BD390 is one of the best entertainment gadgets to add to your home entertainment system. First of all this model has an amazing Blu-ray performance. It played Blu-ray and DVD movies very well and was also very fast in loading the movies. In fact, it is almost twice as fast as some other brands of Blu-ray players out there (no names shall be mentioned).
The LG BD390 also comes with a wide variety of features to make it a well-rounded entertainment unit. For one, it is one of the very few Blu-ray players in the market that has built-in wi-fi connectivity. This means that the player can play streaming content straight from the internet without the need of a LAN cable. Once connected, you can view content from sites like YouTube, CinemaNow and Netflix. It has on-board decoding for DTS HD and DolbyTrueHD sound formats as well as analog 7.1 outputs. This model also comes with 1GB of built-in memory.
The LG BD390 Blu-ray players sport a reserved look, with a black glossy front and an overall look that would subtly fit into the design of any space. On the front, there is a USB port where you can connect a USB drive of hard drive to the player (for viewing any downloaded content). When it was launched a couple of months ago, the LG BD390 was quite pricey making it less of an ideal choice for price-sensitive customers. Now, you can buy one of these for just around $237 each. Talk about getting the best at a bargain!
By: Tim Pecunia
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For more product info and customer reviews, visit LG BD390 Blu-ray. For reviews and info on other DVD and Blu-ray players, visit http://dvd-planets.blogspot.com
3D Coming to Blu-ray Players
What if you could bring your home theater experience into the third dimension? Wouldn’t 3D be the next logical step in home entertainment, especially when you consider 3D has become more popular with movie goers with the advent of Avatar? Actually, the timing seems just right for the Blu-ray format to be extended with 3D encoding and many leading companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and Samsung have announced they will be unveiling new HD 1080p 3D Blu-ray Players for 2010.
What does this mean for the average consumer?
Well for starters: if you just purchased a Blu-ray Player and new HDTV, you will have to replace them with the upgraded 3D versions. Ouch! That is, if you want to take advantage of this new technology since according to the final 3D specifications given by the Blu-ray Disc Association, you will need a specialized 3D HDTV display as well as a 3D capable Blu-ray Player to make this new technology function. However, all 3D Blu-ray discs will be backwards compatible, meaning you will still be able to play them in 2D with current Blu-ray Players. There is also good news for owners of Sony’s PlayStation 3 since it can be upgraded to become 3D capable and play the new Blu-ray disc.
The specifications for the 3D Blu-ray also includes 1080p resolution and the use of the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec to store 3D. This will mean it can provide full 1080p frame for each eye and only need around 50% more storage space compared to the 2D disc. Also, 3D playback will be compatible with any type of 3D display.
However, there are some major drawbacks that may hurt the 3D Blu-ray format’s success in the market place. As mentioned you will need to purchase 3D Blu-ray Players and HDTVs that are not “3D Ready” will have to be replaced or setup with new specifications. It is reported the new specification needed will provide the same quality with plasmas, LCDs or projectors. In addition, IR emitters and glasses will also be needed with your new 3D Blu-ray system. Then there is also the problem with content. Content for 3D Blu-ray Players will be scarce for some time and this fact alone may prevent the 3D Blu-ray Player from catching on any time soon.
Despite this fact, if users find the 3D Blu-ray experience superior to anything currently on the market, they will vote with their pocketbooks and switch to 3D viewing. Home entertainment keeps advancing and if 3D is seen as a step forward, the masses will follow.
By: Curtis Hoskins
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For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players, try this handy comparison guide: bluray DVD players
Or try downloading our handy Blu-ray Buyer’s Guide here: blu-ray buyer’s guide
Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Or try downloading our handy Blu-ray Buyer’s Guide here: blu-ray buyer’s guide
Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.