So What Is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray (not Blue-ray) also referred to as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is a name associated with a next-generation optical disc format jointly created by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a collection of the world's leading consumer electronics, PC and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson).
The format was produced to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as wel as storing large amounts of information. This data format provides over five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs which enable it to keep up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of sophisticated video and audio codecs will offer customers an unprecedented HD experience.
While present optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new data format utilizes a blue-violet laser instead, consequently the name Blu-ray. Despite the distinct kind of lasers applied, Blu-ray products can simply be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical pickup unit.
The benefit of utilizing a blue-violet laser (405nm) is that it has a shorter wavelength as compared to a red laser (650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater accuracy. This enables data to be packed much more tightly as well as stored in less space, so it's possible to fit increased data on the disc although it's the same dimension as a CD/DVD. This together with the change of numerical aperture to.85 is what enables Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB. Recent development by Pioneer has pushed the storage capacity to 500GB on a single disc by utilizing 20 layers.
Blu-ray is now supported by about 200 of the world's major consumer electronics, personal pc, recording media, game as well as music companies. The format boasts support from all Hollywood studios and many smaller studios as a successor to today's DVD format. Quite a few studios have additionally proclaimed they will commence releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD, as well as a continuous slate of catalog titles every month..
The format was produced to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as wel as storing large amounts of information. This data format provides over five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs which enable it to keep up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of sophisticated video and audio codecs will offer customers an unprecedented HD experience.
While present optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new data format utilizes a blue-violet laser instead, consequently the name Blu-ray. Despite the distinct kind of lasers applied, Blu-ray products can simply be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical pickup unit.
The benefit of utilizing a blue-violet laser (405nm) is that it has a shorter wavelength as compared to a red laser (650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater accuracy. This enables data to be packed much more tightly as well as stored in less space, so it's possible to fit increased data on the disc although it's the same dimension as a CD/DVD. This together with the change of numerical aperture to.85 is what enables Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB. Recent development by Pioneer has pushed the storage capacity to 500GB on a single disc by utilizing 20 layers.
Blu-ray is now supported by about 200 of the world's major consumer electronics, personal pc, recording media, game as well as music companies. The format boasts support from all Hollywood studios and many smaller studios as a successor to today's DVD format. Quite a few studios have additionally proclaimed they will commence releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD, as well as a continuous slate of catalog titles every month..
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