The gradual evolution of optical disc technology saw the advent of DVDs. DVDs changed the entire entertainment experience. People could watch the latest blockbusters from the comfort of their homes on their latest high-definition DVD players, with unrivaled picture quality and audio output. DVDs are everywhere, and so are DVD players. You have high definition DVD players with all kinds of features. The future is in emerging technologies like Blu-ray and advanced optical discs.
Blu-ray Discs
Blu-ray, popularly known as BD or blue-ray discs, is a state-of-the-art optical disc developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The group consists of leading giants in consumer electronics, PC and media manufacturers, such as Philips, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, HP, Hitachi and Panasonic, to name a few. The format allows the recording, rewriting, and playback of high-definition (HD) video. One of the main advantages that the technology has over conventional DVDs is that it allows for greater storage capacity. It can hold up to 25 GB on a single layer disc and 50 GB on a double layer disc. The technology also incorporates advanced video and audio encoding for the ultimate HD viewing experience. The name Blu-ray is used because the format uses a blue-violet laser, rather than a red laser as is the case with traditional DVDs.
Another great advantage of the Blu-ray format lies in the fact that all the technology is backward compatible. Now you can play your old CDs and DVDs through a BD/DVD/CD compatible drive. The blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength than a red laser, allowing it to focus on an area of the disc more precisely. Data is also packed onto the surface of a disk more tightly. This accounts for the disk’s ability to store more data, even though it is the same size as a traditional CD.
The technology is supported by some of the world’s leading manufacturers. In fact, many major movie studios have already announced Blu-ray titles. Warner, Disney, Sony, MGM, and Paramount are among the major studios that have adopted the format. Some of the famous titles include movies like Desperado, Fantastic Four, Hero, Kill Bill, and Lethal Weapon. In fact, Sony has released a mass-produced model, which has already hit the market. Several other leading brands have also announced their intentions to launch Blu-ray format models.
Blu-ray movie codes are different from DVD region codes. So you have North America, South America, Japan, and East Asia excluding China making up Region 1, followed by Europe and Africa making up Region 2. China, India, and Russia making up Region 3.
A big downside to the Blu-ray format is that many standard DVD players can’t read the discs. However, this problem is being fixed in the form of backward compatible players. The growth of Blu-ray Disc is expected to drive the growth of home theater segments to unprecedented levels.
Advanced Optical Discs
Another technology, or format to be precise, that is giving the Blu-ray format a fair run for its money is the Advanced Optical Disc (AOD) format. It has been created by Toshiba in collaboration with NEC. Although it is considered the main rival of the Blu-ray format, ironically, it is supported by the DVD forum which includes nine members, who are ‘Blu-ray disc founders’. While a single-layer disc using this technology holds about 15 GB of data, a dual-layer disc can hold 30 GB of data. 20 GB of data can be compressed in the recordable version.
This format also uses the blue laser, the difference is the higher compression of the video stream. One of the main advantages of the AOD format over the Blu-ray format is the fact that the AOD format will cost you less. Although not much is known about the format yet, if one were to go to the Toshiba-NEC team, then the players would be smaller than those that use the Blu-ray format.
Capable of playing high-definition DVDs, some models using Toshiba’s AOD format have already hit the market. They are priced at around $500-$800. However, available details on the progression of the technology are sketchy at this time.
industrial trends
Industry analysts believe that the Blu-ray format will dominate the masses in the near future. There are other related technologies that are also trying to be introduced, such as Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) technology. This technology is still in a research stage and claims to have a much higher storage capacity than Blu-ray and HD DVD formats.
The researchers are also working on many other technologies. Some of them claim to be working on a technology with a storage capacity that is, believe it or not, 100 times that of a DVD. The technology consists of making discs with a three-dimensional structure instead of the traditional two-dimensional DVDs. With data storage and protection gaining in importance, research is being done along several lines. Most of these research activities have the potential to revolutionize the home theater market.
Since the convergence of various features is the current trend, there are various models of DVD players already available in the market, which have gaming options in addition to playing DVDs. The growing popularity of home theater systems is driving research in this field.
Filmmakers are also increasingly relying on digital formats for both the making and showing of films. Digital video and audio outputs are considered far superior to existing traditional methods and offer viewers an enhanced cinematic experience.