This is a debate that has being going on for several years. Even now that the war has seemingly been won by Blu-Ray, there are many people that are still waiting on the sidelines to see which one really proves itself in the industry. For those of you who are a bit confused about the debate, it refers to the newer DVD formats that were brought out to replace the standard DVD format. In general, it is agreed that Blu-Ray is the better format. Here is some more information about both formats and some reasons why Blu-Ray has come out on top.
The Features of the HD-DVD
The High Definition DVD format was the first new format to hit the market. It was backed by Microsoft and relatively cheap to produce in the short term. In addition to Microsoft, the format was supported by Toshiba, Sanyo, NEC, Memory-Tech, NBC Universal and Viacom, which is made up of Dreamworks and Paramount. The HD DVD format features a 15 GB single-layer capacity and a 30 GB dual=layer capacity. During the development of the format, the theoretical maximum limit is up to 60 GB. The HD DVD is compatible with previous standard DVD formats and has a maximum resolution of 1080p. It has exactly the same compression as the Blu-Ray format.
What Advantages Does the Blu-Ray Format Offer
The Blu-Ray format is also compatible with previous DVD formats. It has the same maximum resolution as the HD DVD of 1080p and has a compression of MPEG-2, AVC MPEG-4, and VC-1. The biggest difference with the Blu-Ray format is the disk capacity. On a single layer, it has a capacity of 25 GB and 50 GB on a dual layer. The theoretical maximum capacity is as much as 200 GB. An impressive feature of Blu-Ray disks is that re-writeable disks can record and playback video simultaneously.
Perhaps what has swung public opinion overall is that Blu-Ray received much more industry backing. It was originally developed by Sony and has subsequently been backed by Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, Sharp and TDK. In the movie industry, it has been backed by Disney and MGM which is now owned by Sony, Fox and Warner Brothers. This is an impressive array of industry support.
What Blu-Ray Offers
Initially, HD DVD produced a higher quality output but Blu-Ray took away that advantage by changing to the same compression format as HD DVD. Initially, the debate centered only around movies and being able to play them on the best format. Blu-Ray, however, has become the preferred format for computer users. Some proponents of HD-DVD argued that the size of the disk was not that important as long as the movie fit on the disk. Indeed, that is not really something worth arguing about. But the fact remains that Blu-Ray offers 40 percent more capacity than HD DVD. This means that additional scenes and movie features can be added to a Blu-Ray disk because it has a greater capacity. With marketing and promotion playing such a large role in the movie industry, this was certainly a trump card in Blu-Ray’s favor. New releases can be promoted and trailers can be featured on the same disk. Editorial comments or background information on how a movie was made can also be included on the disk. This type of information is often very attractive to consumers who are renting or purchasing the DVDs.
As Sony developed its Playstation 3, the design included a built-in Blu-Ray drive. This meant that if you purchased a Playstation 3 then you simultaneously received a Blu-Ray player. This was a very smart marketing move on the side of Sony. It not only promoted the sales of the new Playstation 3; it also improved and increased the acceptance levels of the Blu-Ray format.
Following in the Footsteps of the Industry Leaders
Sony is a company that has done well in its innovation and technology development. With the backing of Disney, it made many businesses in the movie industry take notice of Blu-Ray. When Warner Brothers made their announcement that they were supporting the Blu-Ray format over the HD DVD format, it made quite a significant impact on the industry. Several high-profile retailers such as Wal-Mart and Netflix followed suit. In a short space of time, these retailers started supporting and only stocking the Blu-Ray DVD format. Since then, more and more companies and retailers have been switching exclusively to Blu-Ray DVDs.
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