Blu-Ray and HDTV: A Matchless Combo
When high definition television sets initially began showing up in stores about 10 years ago consumers were dazzled at the sharpness HD offered over regular television sets. Since that time millions of men and women have upgraded their TVs to take advantage of wide screen pictures with DVDs and high definition cable and satellite channels. While some people still haven't made the jump, a technology discovery has made even HDTV fans take notice. Developed by Sony, Blu-Ray has pushed TV resolutions to a new level. Just a few years ago, nobody knew what format would become the successor to DVD, but now Blu-Ray has take the crown and I'll tell you why you should think about adding Blu-Ray to your home entertainment system.
Though research started in 2000, Sony and its partners did not release a final commercial product until mid 2006. The name Blu-Ray derives from the blue laser that is used to read data from a Blu-Ray formatted disc. This conflicts with the red laser utilized to read standard DVD discs. But why is Blu-Ray better than existing DVD formats? Although Blu-Ray discs and players don't look any different than standard DVDs, they can save much more info which means clearer picture, better audio, and more special extras. DVDs can hold up to eight gigabytes of information while Blu-Ray discs can hold 50 gigabytes. Quite a difference. The max resolution of a DVD is 720x480 lines while Blu-Ray has a max of 1920x1080 (also referred to as full HD). If you have spent $1000 or more on a 1080p television, you are actually not making use of everything the television can deliver when watching regular DVDs.
Originally costs for Blu-Ray players were well beyond what an average consumer needed to pay. Price tags between $700 and $1000 were common for first generation Blu-Ray players. And, there was another competing standard on the market that made lots of bewilderment. Toshiba and NEC introduced their own DVD follow-up device with the announcement of the HD DVD format. HD DVD, with enough space for 15 gbs., was an advance over standard DVDs but didn't equal the specifications of Blu-Ray. However HD DVD did have some marketplace advantages. First, they made it to the market a quarter before Blu-Ray. Second, HD DVD devices where a little cheaper to produce and had a cheaper price tag as a consequence. Finally, HD DVD had more movie studios on board at launch than Sony did which meant more pictures were initially available while Blu-Ray remained rare.
Sony had a gigantic trick up their sleeve that quite potentially saved Blu-Ray from a Betamax fate. Sony included a Blu-Ray player into their long awaited PlayStation 3 and sold the entire device cheaper than many stand alone players were going for at the time. After that, Blu-Ray commenced making strides till soon it outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 by late 2007. More picture studios began to commit to the Blu-Ray format exclusively, beginning with Warner Brothers in early 2008. Shortly after Toshiba stopped making HD DVD players and recorders. By years end rental firms Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as major stores, announced they would no longer carry HD DVD flicks. Now all major studios release their movies on Blu-Ray. A couple still produce HD DVD and Blu-Ray releases simultaneously.
Prices have fallen significantly during the last few years too. Many big name brand Blu-Ray players from companies like Panasonic and LG can easily be found between $150 and $250. Blu-Ray disc recorders are in the $200 - $400 range and dropping just as quickly. For anyone who likes viewing films from home and has already invested in a high definition TV, now is a wonderful time take a look into adding a Blu-Ray player to your setup. Even people who might be doubtful about Blu-Ray's improvements over DVD owe it themselves to go down to their local electronics store and ask for a Blu-Ray demonstration. The picture clarity and audio fidelity from Blu-Ray is truly outstanding.
comcastcable deals, comcast cable tv offers, comcastcable deals, comcast internet, comcast phone, high speed internet, broadband internet, cable tv, hd, movies,on-demand, cable tv, broadband internet, phone, comcast, comcastcable, comcast cable tv, comcast bundle, comcast triple play, comcast bundles, cable tv, internet, phone, television, movies, hbo, cinemax
No comments:
Post a Comment