What is Blu-ray ?

High definition is the next wave of entertainment technology that has already started to shape what we watch and how we watch it. When DVD was launched in 1997, the world was introduced to unparalleled picture quality, unprecedented interactivity in the home-viewing environment, and a revolutionary mode of content delivery – digital video on a small plastic disc.

Today, however, the technology to bring HD into the home is here, and with it comes a new era of digital content delivery – the Blu-ray Disc. While maintaining the same features and functionality you've come to love in DVD, such as interactive motion menus, multiple audio streams, added content, and more, Blu-ray allows for much more content on disc, greatly improved interactivity, internet connectivity, and of course, high-resolution audio and video.

While NTSC video on standard-definition DVD allows for a screen resolution of 720x480, high-definition video allows for a native widescreen aspect ratio with a maximum screen resolution of 1920x1080 – that’s up to 6 times the resolution of standard DVD!

Blu-ray also offers a wealth of improvements over standard definition DVD. Menus function much more like a CD-ROM or website - offering advancements such as true color images, cascading sub menus, animations and dynamic elements. Buttons can have sounds and animated states, graphics can appear over video, and programming logic can handle far more complicated computations allowing for advanced games and other interactive features.

How can I use Blu-ray?

Blu-ray is being used in many of the same settings as DVD. While Hollywood and independent film companies are taking advantage of the consumer's desire for high-definition content, there are a host of applications where higher-resolution video are more effective than the traditional standard definition picture. These can include trade shows, kiosk displays, sales presentations, video distribution… you name it. The versatility of Blu-ray gives you the flexibility of producing almost anything imaginable.

A major feature that will set Blu-ray apart from standard DVD is the internet connection capabilities that will be available in future Blu-ray profiles. Discs that take advantage of this feature will allow the disc itself to become a launching pad into a wealth of content that can be changed and updated on a regular basis – all without the need to produce a new disc. For the first time ever, playable content, such as movie trailers, alternate endings, deleted scenes, and even alternate subtitles, will be able to be downloaded by the player – with little or no interaction by the viewer!

Here are just a few of the applications where Blu-ray excels: