Blu Ray and HD DVD Comparison

Although the format battle involving Blu Ray and HD DVD is now over, there is still plenty of confusion among the general public concerning both platforms. At the end of the day, the best consumer product triumphed but why did Blu Ray come out on top. Keep reading for a Blu Ray and HD DVD comparison together with a few of the reasons for the so-called format battle.

According to Pioneer executive and chairman of the Blu Ray Disc Association, Andy Parsons, "When DVD was initially introduced it was anything but the perfect product". He went on to point out, "There were numerous doubters that said there was little possibility of overtaking VHS." Now, he said, the same is happening with Blu Ray, the natural evolution in audio-video technology. The Blu Ray vs HD DVD format showdown finally finished when the entertainment titans switched sides and Toshiba announced that it would no longer be developing the HD DVD player.

To begin with, when looking at the Blu Ray vs. HD DVD main features, you will see that Blu Ray discs have far superior storage space. In the past, DVDs were first designed to accommodate 4.7 GB of information on a single-layer, and later, the double layer boosted storage capacity up to 8.5 Gigs. HD DVD guaranteed to more than triple that, providing 15-30 GBs. Blu Ray DVDs, however, can accommodate an impressive 25-50 GBs of information, meaning that they make use of more advanced coding to incorporate more audio tracks and more stunning visual information, in addition to including more extra features. You will notice the high definition of a HD DVD or Blu Ray disk at once. Ordinary Dvd disks supported a resolution of 720x480 pixels, while High definition TV offers 1920x1080 pixels.

The next significant distinction between Blu Ray and HD DVD was their alliances. Early on, motion picture companies, suppliers and distributors understood that they would have to be aligned with the new technology. Nonetheless, could Blu Ray and HD DVD exist together? It would be costly, let alone extremely confusing for customers. When the DVD format initially arrived, there was no mistaking a VHS tape and a DVD on the shelves. Having said that, with Blu Ray discs and HD DVD discs appearing almost the same, potential customers would obviously have to scrutinize the packaging to make certain they were not buying the wrong thing. Standard DVDs will continue to play on the new machines, but manufacturers are working on phasing out the old DVD format, releasing all new films as Blu Ray discs. In the Blu Ray vs. HD DVD showdown, Paramount/DreamWorks and Universal initially supported the HD DVD format, whereas Warner Brothers, Disney, Sony, Lions Gate, Fox and MGM signed exclusive deals with Blu Ray. In the end, Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD and conceded defeat.

Several advocates see the Blu Ray disc player as training wheels for the technologically illiterate. According to Dan Silverberg, vice president of high-definition media development at Warner Brothers,"We can make use of HD discs to educate customers to move into digital, but it is a transition." He went on to say that "Downloaded material will happen, but the customer will get faster lessons into video-on-demand, and so on by having a Blu-ray player or HD DVD."

Although the Blu Ray vs HD DVD showdown is officially finished, the Blu Ray vs. downloading war could have just begun.