Blu-Ray: the future of high-definition movies
Manufacturers, movie studios settle on Sony's Blu-Ray technology instead of Toshiba's HD DVD as standard for players and discs
Just about everyone loves a good movie, especially if the movie has such great picture quality that it forces you to gulp convulsively, in fear of your life, as the bomb in the movie starts ticking down...
Some movie formats provide higher-quality movie experiences, of course, and while everyone wants to see that really awesome flick about (insert movie plot of choice) what they don't want to see are low-quality images. That begs the question: What exactly do you have to do to see a high-quality movie these days?
Well, your choices have narrowed quite a bit in the last few weeks: a revolutionary technology called Blu-Ray is officially the new standard for the best quality movies, viewed right at home.
High definition, or HD, technology offers a movie-viewing experience that is almost like real life (or sometimes even better) - a technology with "the look and sound of perfect," according to Toshiba, which manufactures HD discs and players.
High definition works by packing more information into a disc. Traditional DVDs (and CDs) are read by a red laser, while HD readers use a blue laser. Going back to basic physics, blue light has a shorter wavelength - the light is actually smaller - than red wavelengths.
By using blue laser with smaller wavelengths, discs can store more information because it can be packed in more densely. This technology translates either to more data stored on a disc, or more pixels for images and movies, or a greater density of sound information for music and soundtracks. Better pictures require more memory, which is exactly what HD technology allows.
Two format options for high definition movies have emerged: HD DVDs and Blu-Ray DVDs. In the short term, this means that you have to choose whether to buy an HD DVD player or a Blu-Ray player for your home; it also means that many movies are released in both formats. But there can be only one high-def master in the long run, as has become clear in recent weeks.
Some movie formats provide higher-quality movie experiences, of course, and while everyone wants to see that really awesome flick about (insert movie plot of choice) what they don't want to see are low-quality images. That begs the question: What exactly do you have to do to see a high-quality movie these days?
Well, your choices have narrowed quite a bit in the last few weeks: a revolutionary technology called Blu-Ray is officially the new standard for the best quality movies, viewed right at home.
High definition, or HD, technology offers a movie-viewing experience that is almost like real life (or sometimes even better) - a technology with "the look and sound of perfect," according to Toshiba, which manufactures HD discs and players.
High definition works by packing more information into a disc. Traditional DVDs (and CDs) are read by a red laser, while HD readers use a blue laser. Going back to basic physics, blue light has a shorter wavelength - the light is actually smaller - than red wavelengths.
By using blue laser with smaller wavelengths, discs can store more information because it can be packed in more densely. This technology translates either to more data stored on a disc, or more pixels for images and movies, or a greater density of sound information for music and soundtracks. Better pictures require more memory, which is exactly what HD technology allows.
Two format options for high definition movies have emerged: HD DVDs and Blu-Ray DVDs. In the short term, this means that you have to choose whether to buy an HD DVD player or a Blu-Ray player for your home; it also means that many movies are released in both formats. But there can be only one high-def master in the long run, as has become clear in recent weeks.
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