Blu-ray is an optical disc technology developed by a group of electronics manufacturers, now known as the Blu-ray Association – such a catchy name. Their idea was to develop a technology that was superior to the existing DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW and DVD-RAM disc formats. Blu-ray technology uses a shorter wavelength blue-violet laser rather than a red laser, for both reading and writing data. This means that the laser light can be more sharply focused on the surface of the disc, leading to smaller pits, these being the grooves used to store digitally encoded video and audio. This new format also has the ability to hold significantly more data. Blu-ray is currently supported by 200 or so major manufacturers worldwide and with Toshiba withdrawing its competing HD DVD format in March 2008, obsolescence is no longer an issue. So unlike the Beta vs VHS battle, Sony won this one.

Blu-Ray Player Buying Considerations

Blu-ray player quality is much better than standard DVD players, however, this does depend on how the audio signal is reproduced and audio support does vary quite widely from player to player. Blu-ray players transmit digital audio signals to an AV receiver or a TV set via HDMI or optical or coaxial cable. All Blu-ray players support Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM digital surround sound formats and are therefore capable of decoding the soundtracks of commercial Blu-ray discs, but if you want to enjoy additional soundtrack formats, such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio, bear in mind that support for these formats tends to be available only in the more expensive Blu-Ray Players.

One aspect of Blu-ray players that many buyers find confusing is the profile that is used to describe the revision of the Blu-ray specification with which the player complies. Blu-ray is a new technology, and as such, Blu-ray player technology is still evolving. Early players were designated Profile 1.0, but this was replaced shortly afterwards by Profile 1.1, which supports picture-in picture functionality and subsequently by Profile 2.0 or BD Live.

BD Live requires that a Blu-ray player has an Internet connection, which can be used to downloadable movies and other blu-ray compatible content. Profile 2.0 also demands an increase in storage capacity from 246MB to 1GB. The Profile 2.0 specification does not state in what form this storage should be supplied however, so you may find players with integral storage, USB ports or SD memory expansion card slots.

If all this sounds a little confusing, don’t worry, help is at hand. Have a look at this website for everything you ever wanted to know about Blu-Ray Players including news, products reviews, buying guides and loads more.

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