Blu-ray disc players Review

Reasons Why You Should Try Blu-ray Discs

2008-03-17T04:43:00.000-07:00

Author: Michael Zeet

People have always recognized the need for file transfers by
means of discs. Although flash drives are now available for
people to freely share their multimedia data and files, discs
are still considered to be highly preferred because of its
flexibility. Discs can be used in all types of medium. You can
play it on a component, a CD player, or on a laptop or desktop
computer so that you can finally see what's inside of it. Discs
also provide a safer way to store data. One can safely store
data on a disc without having to worry about it being erased.
Unless duly authorized, data on discs will stay as they are
recorded.

But this is not reason enough for people to celebrate. At
present, discs are taken up further with the introduction of
blu-ray covers eventually brought about by blu-ray technology.
Blu-ray discs are deemed as the new and upgraded version of
DVDs. It boasts of a greater capacity when it comes to storing
valuable data. It now has better capacity when it comes to
recording information with its 25 GB memory capacity for each
layer. Dual blu-ray covers can even hold as much as a whopping
50 GB of information in all. And this is not the only capacity
of blu-ray discs because it can be expounded further into
multi-layers thus amounting to a maximum of 200 GB memory
capacity. This is actually the main feature which sets blu-ray
discs apart from the competition. It can be used and flexibly
fitted in with additional layers for extended memory usage.

When it comes to speed, blu-ray discs will also be leaders in
their own right. Whether packed inside the player to read or for
writing on files, blu-ray discs has a speed of reading 36
megabytes per second which is still notched on a 1x speed. The
elevated system of numerical aperture found in blu-ray discs in
also expected to enable it to function way better in terms of
recording and speed of rotation. Moreover, blu-ray discs also
see no need in using cartridges or jacket casings which are used
to protect the usual type of discs. Due to its hard coating,
blu-ray discs are made more resistant to unwanted fingerprints
and scratches which are believed to damage the quality of the
stored data.

In addition, blu-ray discs can also be played even without the
aid of an internet connection. Anybody can pretty much treat it
like a regular type of disc in terms of playback conditions. One
will only need to use an internet connection in playing blu-ray
discs is there are certain features available online or for
upgrade purposes. But in any other case, blu-ray discs can be
played and recorded on comfortably without having to use an
internet connection.

And of course, blu-ray discs are also deemed more useful because
it is set to follow suit under a mandatory managed copy format.
In effect, consumers will eventually be able to produce legal
copies of bu-ray films to be transferred via their home network.
Because it is a mandatory feature, all movies will be subject to
such feature.

About the author:
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Going Head To Head: Upconversion Vs. Blueray

2008-03-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Author: Michael Hehn

In the fast world of electronics and gadgets, upconversion vs.
blueray is the latest controversial battle. These two powerful
technologies have been very useful and remarkable in a lot of
ways but belonging in the same category has placed them in a
tight competitive situation. Will blueray finally replace
upconversion or is it too sophisticated for the majority?

Upconversion Vs. Blueray Details

Blueray is an optical disc format originally developed by BDA or
Blu-ray Disc Association which is a manufacturing group focusing
on electronics, media and computers. The format was improved to
allow recording, playback and rewriting of HD or high-definition
video. Due to the use of blue-laser technology, storage capacity
is significantly increased compared to conventional DVDs by up
to five times more. There are single-layer discs that can store
around 25 GB while a dual-layer disc can store twice as much.

Upconversion is an HD-DVD process which uses optical disc
formats originally developed by Toshiba and NEC. Ironically, it
also uses much of blue-laser technology to boost storage
capacity. Upconversion vs. Blueray has posed a number of
problems to consumers since supporting companies like Sony,
Toshiba and NEC among others have chosen sides. The rivalry of
the two next-generation formats pushes consumers to choose
between the two. At present, there is still no universal format
when it comes to ultimate HD experience.

Upconversion Vs. Blueray: Choosing Your Side

Here are some differences in the upconversion vs. Blueray
battle. Blueray has a storage capacity of 25 GB on a single
layer disc compared to upconversion's 15 GB. Blueray's
dual-layer disc can hold up to 50 GB while upconversion can hold
30 GB. Both technologies use blue laser with a wavelength of 405
nm. Blueray has a numerical aperture or NA of 0.85 while
upconversion has 0.65. Both discs measure 120 mm in diameter and
are 1.2 mm thick. Protection layer is only 0.1 mm in blueray
discs and has a hard coating compared to the thicker 0.6 mm in
upconversion with no hard coating.

Data transfer speed for both devices are almost identical at
around 36 Mbps but Blueray discs have an advantage in video and
audio transfer at 54 Mbps. The two tie at the top in terms of
video resolution at 1920x1080 (1080p). Maximum video bit rate is
40 Mbps for Blueray while upconversion is at 28 Mbps. Video
codecs are similar for both supporting MPEG-2, MPEG4-AVC and
SMPTE VC-1. As for audio codecs, both are also identical
supporting Dolby and DTS Digital Surround. Upconversion vs.
Blueray seems to be a race to the finish and the days of
standard DVD will soon be over. People only need to determine
which best suits their needs and is most convenient and
practical.

About the author:
Michael Hehn is the webmaster of http://ipodaccessoriessite.com,
a site that offers a wide range of useful and helpful
information about ipod
accessories. Visit his site for more free tips to choose the
ipod accessories for you and your family.

HD DVD and Blu-Ray Burning

2008-01-17T02:55:00.000-08:00

Author: Amit Raju

Article:
This article explains high definition video recording. Some of
you may wonder what HD brings to the table, so here it is. The
maximum resolution that a normal DVD can produce is 480i. The
resolution of High Definition goes up to either 720p or 1080i,
far beyond the capabilities of a standard DVD recorder. The
older DVD recorders can not record HDTV broadcasts at full
resolution because of this restriction.

High Definition recording is done either on Blu-ray Disc,
HD-DVD, or on a Hard Drive. Some newer models will combine both
technologies, however. Both Blu-Ray discs and HD-DVDs deliver
true high definition.

By the way, the name 'Blue-Ray' comes from the fact that the
frequency of the laser that reads the disc is so high that it
reaches the blue end of the spectrum.

You might have heard about the big battle taking place between
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray right now. It's reminiscnet of the old VHS
vs. Betamax fight in the '80s. So hoe do you choose between
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray?

The choice may affect your purchases for the future as to what
type of HD camcorder you buy, what type of discs you use, and so
on.

Sony is the producer of Blue-Ray, and this technology used in
all of their recorders and players, as well as the new
Playstation 3. Not surprisingly, PS3's biggest competitor - the
xBox 360, uses HDDVD discs. HDDVD came first, so those who have
already taken the plunge will be relieved that prices on HD-DVD
discs, recorders, and players are falling rapidly.

Blu-ray discs can hold more data or video than HD DVD
counterparts, but they are more expensive. Further muddling your
decision is the fact that some Hollywood studios have decided to
work with HDDVD (Paramount, Universal and Warner), while others
have settled on Blu-Ray (Sony Pictures, MGM/Columbia TriStar,
Fox, Warner, and Lions Gate). The quality of both Blu-ray and HD
DVD discs varies with the film itself, but titles available on
both formats generally have similar video quality.

Of course the dilemma may be moot, soon, as new dual-format
players have been announced. So you may not be forced to choose
between the two in the end.

About the author:
Amit Raju owns and operates http://www.hdburn.net, a site
focusing on High Definition Dvd
Recorders.

Bluray Review...for the Non-Techie

2008-01-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Author: Alison Smith

Article:
You Are Gonna Love Blu-Ray...

...I do. And no, I am not a person who knows about resolution,
pixels, 1080p etc etc. I leave technicalities to the other
half.....ok maybe I have absorbed a little by
osmosis....remember that from school - osmosis, that is, not
Blu-Ray.

We have recently bought a PS3 and I am just discovering many
films all over again. I don't love it because of the technical
jargon, I just love it because the picture looks great, the
sound is fantastic and hey who needs an excuse to watch movies.
We have also got a Toshiba HDDVD player and the same applies.
Check out my other lens for the lowdown on HDDVD.

Enter the world of Blu-Ray and you won't be disappointed. I mean
watch the shenanigans that go on in Open Season and your sides
will be aching all night.

Each week I am going to add a pocket sized review on either a
hit or miss film. This won't be going too much into detail on
technical film quality, although that might get mentioned, but
will tell you succinctly whether I think the film is great or as
my report card used to say about by French lessons 'could do
better'. I will then give you a chance to vote it a 'hit' or a
'miss' - but of course we won't all agree, that's what makes
life so 'tres magnifique'!

About the author:
Alison Smith: Check Out these Non-Jargonesque reviews:
http://www.squidoo.com/blurayforthenontechie

Merry Christmas to you!

2007-12-21T04:50:00.000-08:00

This is a little Christmas cheer from me to you all! Thank you for reading my blogs and hope you have fun this holiday season! If you would like some holiday tips or perhaps a new recipe, stop on over to my other blog here:
http://sunnyskysadventures.blogspot.com/2007/12/delicious-and-simple-christmas-treat.html

Free Comments & Graphics

Sony PlayStation 3 Console: An Amazing Gaming Console

2007-12-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Author: Jacob Marshal

Article:
The Sony PlayStation 3 games Console is the third game in the
range of game consoles launched by Sony. This most sought after
gaming system is powered by real-time 3D computer graphics,
which are enhanced by the Cell processor.

The Sony PlayStation 3 game console is available with 20 GB and
60 GB and carries features like multiple flash card readers.
Enjoy hi-tech entertainment features and high definition
multimedia interface. These features allow you to use your
PlayStation 3 with high-end televisions and conventional
televisions. Store your essential files like music, video and
images in the 60GB removable hard disk. The PlayStation 3 offers
an 'always-on' online experience. Hence, you can access your
Sony PlayStation 3 from anywhere if you have an internet
connection. The features of the PlayStation include text and
video messaging, multiplayer gaming, voice chatting, browsing
the internet and downloading content. With the built-in Blu-ray
disc player, you can enjoy hi-end entertainment like games and
movies.

The PlayStation 3 offers an amazing array of multimedia
activities, without even inserting a game. It has outstanding
memory capabilities and is the most powerful video gaming
console in the market. The Sony PlayStation 3 can also be used
for online gaming for free. Hence, you can download games or
videos from the internet to the hard drive. This in-demand
gaming console allows you to store and watch your own videos and
surf the internet with the PlayStation 3 Internet Browser.

The Sony PlayStation 3 offers an exciting experience in
interactive gaming.

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How to avoid being a casualty of the Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD war

2007-12-10T04:06:00.001-08:00

Author: Andrew Regan

Article:

With the advent of a new generation of high density discs to
replace DVDs, it is easy for consumers to be confused about
which format to upgrade to. The two competing formats, Blu-Ray
and HD DVD, both offer a significant upgrade in video and audio
quality; but as standalone players for both formats can retail
for several hundreds of pounds, it is understandable that
consumers do not want to end up buying the new Betamax.

In terms of technical performance both formats are similar, and
show little discernible difference to the average consumer. A
dual-layer Blu-Ray disc offers 50GB of storage space, compared
to 30GB on a dual-layer HD DVD disc, but as of yet, only 40% of
Blu-Ray releases are dual-layer, with the remaining 60% being
single-layer discs utilising 25GB of storage space. Still, even
when comparing a 50GB Blu-Ray disc with a 30GB HD DVD, the
difference to consumers will be minimal. Both formats support
the MPEG-2, VC-1, and H.264 formats for video compression, and
Dolby Digital, PCM, and DTS for audio compression. As a result,
this battle of formats is going to be waged mainly via the
titles available and the price and quality of players.

Initially, both formats were supported by all of the major
studios, but as different studios have different stakes in the
two formats, major studios started to drop formats. For example,
Sony, owner of Columbia and TriStar Pictures, is one of the
major developers of the Blu-Ray format, and has decided to drop
HD DVD for its releases. Thus, Spiderman 3 is only available for
Blu-Ray, something which will surely irk Spidey-loving HD DVD
adopters. Releases on both formats tend to be priced similarly,
a little more than their standard DVD counterparts.

When it comes to the players, a lot has happened, even in the
past year. The first generation of standalone players for the
two formats, released last year by Toshiba, Samsung and
Panasonic, were seen as pricey and more aimed at early adopters
than the general public, and have already been discontinued.

The latest generation of players have generally been seen as
more value for money, but the smart money says to look elsewhere
for now. Sony decided to include Blu-Ray playing capability for
the Playstation 3
Console, which was undoubtedly a wise business move. It
means the 5 million current PS3 owners already have a Blu-Ray
player and gives those unsure which format to switch to an
incentive to buy a PS3 as a low-risk option - even if Blu-Ray
does go the way of the Betamax, they still have a
state-of-the-art gaming console. In a similar tactic, consumers
can now buy an HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, which can also
connect to a high-end PC via a USB connection.

As for now, Blu-Ray has the edge in the format war. Figures by
Nielsen VideoScan, Gfk and the Nikkei, show that Blu-Ray is
outselling HD DVDs at a ratio of 2 to 1 in the US and Europe and
a ratio of 9 to 1 in Japan. This does not mean the battle is
over just yet - a lot can still happen, particularly if Nintendo
should decide to throw their hat in the ring by announcing an
external player for either format for the Wii (a drive for
normal DVDs will be released next year).

Hopefully at the end of the format war, the ultimate benefactor
will be customers and not the corporations, but until then
alternatives to standalone players can provide an affordable way
to enjoy the best video and audio quality available for home
viewing.

About the author:
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is
a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

The Best Game Consoles

2007-12-06T11:06:00.001-08:00

Author: Paul Abbey

Article:
Because there are so many different game consoles now available
it can become quite confusing as to which may be the best one
you can purchase. Not only are those which you can use solely at
home but now you have the added option of choosing whether you
want a portable version also. All the top manufacturers which
includes Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft now have both portable and
stand-alone versions of their games consoles available.

However below what we are going to do is take a look at the
latest incarnations of the stand-alone models, including the
Nintendo Wii, Sony's Playstation 3 and of course not forgetting
Microsoft's XBox 360. We will look at each one starting with the
least expensive of all the three models that we have just
mentioned.

Nintendo Wii This is the cheapest of all the latest games
consoles to come on to the market and it has a price of around
$250. Although many did not think it would be able to compete
successfully with Sony's and Microsoft's it does seem to be
standing its own ground. The reason why this has been as
successful as it is because it feels more like a toy rather than
a video game and this may well be down to the controller's that
come with it.

Compared to both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 the controller
for the Wii looks more like a TV remote control rather than what
you would normally expect with a games console. This allows for
more movement for the person who is playing the game that they
loaded up on to their Wii.

Microsoft XBox 360 This one has been on the market for longer
than the other two models it has had a chance to gain a loyal
following. Although not as inexpensive as the Wii, it does not
actually command the high prices of the PlayStation 3. Currently
you can expect to pay around $300 for this console. Moreover,
because it has been on the market for much longer you have a
larger selection of games to choose form compared to the other
two models.

Nevertheless, as with both the Wii and PlayStation 3, you can
get online with this console and if you go to the XBox Live
Arcade, you will actually be spoilt for choice with a large
selection of more classic arcade games to choose from as well.

Sony PlayStation 3 Of all the consoles, we discuss in this
article this is the most expensive even though recently Sony
actually reduced the prices. You can still expect to pay around
$500 for this particular games console. Nevertheless, if you are
looking for one which games with great quality graphics because
it contains a Blu-ray Disc Player.

This means that unlike the XBox 360 where you need to purchase
the HD DVD add on for around $200 in order to watch any high
definition movies you have on it. However, because of what is
contained within the PlayStation 3 game console already you
don't.

Yet which ever of these game consoles you choose will depend
upon what you want to use them for. For those who are interested
in playing active games such as the tennis pro one's the Wii may
be the ideal choice, but for those who are more in to the
intense racing games the XBox 360 or PlayStation 3 will be your
preferred choice.

About the author:
P Abbey owns and operates
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Consoles

Downloading and Playing Games

2007-11-27T06:53:00.001-08:00

Author: Soli Katir

Article:
Ok, now that you know your options, you can stop reading and
start downloading games for your PSP. Downloading and playing
games on your PSP is very easy even for the technically
challenged. You can pass time by downloading Java games,
polyphonic ringtones, etc.

Among the different age groups, the young people are more
interested in downloading of mobile phone games than the older
lot. Your First Option For Downloading Games For PSP You will
find websites that are completely and absolutely free to down
load games for PSP. Download Free Games For PSP Option 5Alright
your final option for downloading free games for PSP.

Today is the day to start downloading games to your PSP. I must
emphasize that although I am focusing mainly on music/songs
here, I would also urge you to consider a downloading site that
offers not only music but movies and even games. However, they
are very much interested in subscription offers for the
downloading of mobile phone games.

Most casino games are offered by casinos with bonuses and
sometimes free cash just for downloading the software and
becoming a registered player. However, please take care to note
that although downloading and installing an emulator isn't
(technically) illegal, downloading certain "free" console games
so that you can use them on your PSP emulator may be. This model
would cost around $600 and should be able play Blu-Ray discs
along with downloading and playing games.

Silicon Seeds (an online mobile games site) also claim that
Spain is the second biggest market in Europe for downloading
mobile games. However, with women getting adept at downloading
games with each passing day, it can be safely said that the
market for mobile games for women, although small, is growing.
Finally, by downloading free mahjong games on the Internet, you
just get something to pass the time.

Once you have registered, that's it, time for you to start
downloading as many free PSP games as you like. They seem to
provide the better sites and information about downloading
games. Online casinos can be divided into three groups based on
their interface: Web-based casinos are websites where users may
play casino games without downloading software to the local
computer.

About the author:
Soli Katir
http://www.solikatir.com/Unlimited-Games-download.html These
sites will guide you through an unlimited sharing of games.
Download and play!

Has Sony Already Won The Hd Format War With The Release Of The

2007-11-19T11:10:00.001-08:00

Author: Gary Ruplinger

Article:
Can the Playstation 3 Help Sony and Friends Win The HD Format
War?

Quiet as things have been, it'd actually be hard to tell that
there is a format war going on right now for high definition
discs. There's Toshiba (among others) on one side with its
HD-DVD format and then there's Sony (among others) with its
Blu-ray format. Both offer far higher disc capacity than
standard DVD players and much high quality images and sound.

So far neither HD-DVD nor Blu-ray has made much progress making
it into consumers' homes.

However, that's all about to change.

With the release of Sony's third generation gaming system, the
Playstation 3, millions of homes will have a Blu-ray player in
them. Sony made the decision to include its new Blu-ray player
in the Playstation 3 rather than go with a PS3 proprietary
format or a DVD player that it included with the PS2. Although
Sony's decision to include a Blu-ray player in their new PS3 has
caused them many problems, including forcing the company to take
a much higher loss on each unit than expected* and with
production problems due to shortages of the blue diodes needed
to make the players, this strategy will likely pay off in the
long run for Sony.

In fact, one would have to wonder how Toshiba could even compete
with Sony's ability to get Blu-ray players into the homes of
millions of Americans. Toshiba has no game system that people
will line up to buy.

Given what's likely to happen, it would seem that the answer is
no. So far neither format has really shown to be leaps and
bounds better than the other. In fact, both are about
equivalent. Are consumers who already have a Blu-ray player with
their PS3 really going to go out and buy an HD-DVD player from
Toshiba? Not likely. However, many owners of one of Toshiba's
players will likely go out and buy a Playstation 3 to keep up
with the latest gaming technology. It would seem as if Toshiba's
HD-DVD format is destined to be another technology relic like
betamax and DVD-Audio.

Also, it appears likely that the PS3 will help to drive
increased sales of Blu-ray movies since PS3 owners will have a
Blu-ray player and will likely want to own their movies in a
higher quality format since they have the player. Even those who
don't have the high definition equipment will likely buy some in
the hopes that in the future they will have the equipment to
fully take advantage of the new technology or even merely for
bragging rights.

*It is customary for game system manufacturers to take a loss on
the sales of the gaming units when they're first released in
order to allow more people to purchase the system. The companies
know they can make there money back when consumers purchase
games for these systems. Also, over time, the prices of the
components to make the systems come down so that eventually the
manufacturers do make a profit on each system sold.

About the author:
Gary Ruplinger is the editor of PS3ASAP.com and Bluraytips.com.
If you want to learn how to get
a PS3 before Christmas without having to pay $2,000 on eBay
or camp out for 2 days at a store, then be sure to visit
PS3ASAP.com right away.

Gadgets and appliances for home entertainment

2007-11-13T10:24:00.001-08:00

Author: Geoffrey Arado

Article:
As technology became part of our lives the desires for it are
getting a up a bit higher. Entertainment is really captivating
the hearts of many people. We can either classify ourselves in
to what would best fit for us whether in music, video, or
gamings. The battle between the technology and the humanities
does not end up just there. The economy is becoming the subject
of the this system. Yesterday was Science, but for today and in
the future, it is technology. For the computer savvies,
everything should be portable. What they have on their computers
must get out from there and bring the entertainment anywhere
they want. With the help of technology, all these things are
possible. To cite few examples, here are the latest trends of
technology when it comes to entertainment gadgets.

I believe everyone knows an IPod, and it is obvious that it was
made for people who are inclined to music. It was developed by
Macintosh and really hit the market and almost everyone is
craving to have one of this, for some reason it is a fad
nowadays. The competition on the market is getting higher, the
Microsoft unveil their newest Zune player and it is quite the
same as IPod but they have enhanced its features to appear
better. With Zunes media player, it is possible to convert DVD
format and have it stored on its drive.

For those who haven't heard about the Blu Ray technology, it
came from the fact that the laser beam which reads the data from
the new discs is blue violet, instead of red which is used for
current DVDs and CDs. This new blue laser is at the heart of Blu
ray disc technology and have a shorter wavelength than a red
laser, which makes it possible to read data with greater
precision. Apparently the Blu-ray versus HD DVD battle isn't
enough, another contender came at hand it is futuristic DVD, the
HD VMD or what they call DVD ultima. It was developed by
London-based New Medium Enterprises which brings 1080p video to
High Definition TV screens for less than $200, which would
potentially make it the least expensive. It is capable of
holding more data than traditional DVDs because of the inclusion
of two more data layers, where each layer gives the discs an
extra 30GB of storage space.

Introducing the latest DVD player, Harman Kardon recently also
unveiled their brand new Cinespecial 29, bringing a high end DVD
player and the uber powerful AVR 350 A/V receiver in a totally
new industrial design. The 7.1 channel AVR 350 receiver comes
with a couple of HDMI 1.2a inputs that offer the ability to send
and receive video signals in full HD 1080p. Other features
include the EzSet/EQ automatic-calibration system, A/V Sync
Delay for synchronizing audio and video signals, as well as the
integration of The Bridge interface with expanded iPod audio and
video playback, docking station, and remote control capability.

Want something different for your DVD player? Lets take a walk
on KiSS 1600 DVD player, this player invokes a different
experience since it comes with the ability to stream media over
a wired Ethernet connection or through the integrated WiFi
adapter something that no other player can't do. You must first
install the sharing application in all computers that you want
to stream from before getting started. Features include a USB
socket behind, DVD upscaling capability via HDMI or component.

It is amazing how technology works in our lives. Once, it will
just knock on our doors and tell us "hey I got new gadgets
available for you". In different area of our house we can place
our gadgets may it be in kitchen, dining area, and in our Salas.
The continuous development of new gadgets are giving people a
heart beat of owning one.

About the author:
Im Geoffrey Arado. 22 years old

Battle of the HD Formats

2007-11-07T04:48:00.001-08:00

Author: Steve Morris

Article:
We are all asking the same question who will win the HD format
war, will it be the HD DVD which is cheaper to produce but lacks
the capacity of the more expensive but larger Blu Ray Disks.

Blu-ray was created by the Blu ray Disc Association, an
association of major electronic companies including , Panasonic
as well as Sony, the intention was to produce a high capacity
alternative to DVD's

HD DVD was developed along similar lines by the DVD forum,
another association of high level electronic manufacturing
companies in the opposing camp we have companies including
Toshiba and NEC, HD DVD is there replacement for standard DVD's.

If cost was not a factor in the equation Blu Ray would win hands
down due to its lager size, a Blue ray Disc can store up to 50
GB of data where a HD DVD can store up to 30 GB of data this
gives the Blu Ray an approximate 40% capacity advantage over the
HD DVD

Unfortunately, cost is included in the equation and the HD DVD
is Cheaper to produce then its lager counterpart, latest
information hints that the cost of production of a Blu Ray disk
is approximately double that of a HD DVD disk. As with any new
technologies, the cost normally start out expensive and come
down in price as the manufacturing process becomes streamlined.
This I would imagine happening with both HD DVD and Blu Ray

Ultimately it is the consumer that will decide the fate of these
two new technologies as they did in the VHS and Betamax wars
with VHS coming out as the victor ( Sony also developed the
Betamax format). Sony may have leaned a lesson from that time as
the betamax tapes did not have the storage capacity but
supposedly produced a better quality recording then the VHS
Tapes. At the time it wasn't the quality that mattered to the
public they wanted to store as much as they could on one tape.
Now Sony is backing the larger capacity storage medium.

The Sony Playstation 3 comes with a built in Blu Ray player with
the ability to go right up to 1080p resolution, having this
inbuilt in its next generation Games console is a great way of
getting the format accepted by the general public. The PS3 is
not only a great games machine it's also a great Blu Ray player
with outstanding picture quality. Microsoft who is batting for
the HD DVD format has released an add on HD DVD drive for the
Xbox 360 to try to even the score.

I do have a thought on whose going to win and I believe that to
be Blu Ray ,in time the manufacturing costs will come down and
then you are left with the choice of a big capacity disk or a
small capacity disk which one you going to choose? With the cost
of both the HD DVD players and the Blu Ray Players coming down
in price I personally would go for the more is more adage a
lager capacity equals more content better picture longer running
time. I have listened to a few discussions and the word is that
we have engineers from both camps working on multilayered disks
where you may be able to fit up to 100 hours of video on a Blu
ray disk and approx 60 hours on a HD DVD disk, whole seasons of
the sopranos on one disk. With this amount of viewing, I will be
putting my feet up dimming the lights and slipping a Blu Ray
disk into my PS3 and looking forward to my High Definition
future.

About the author:
Steve Morris runs href="http://gogiddy.co.uk">http://gogiddy.co.uk the UK
Shopping search Engine

HD DVD vs. Blu-ray Disc

2007-11-05T04:14:00.001-08:00

Author: Geoffrey Arado

Article:
DVD is very successful, and would definitely be around for quite
sometime. However, as implemented. It is not a high definition
format instead its just a typical output video. With the new
technology it is now being enhanced to provide people the best
quality of entertainment they ever wanted.

All the actions, all the adventures that we have right now can
definitely make you say I've got everything I want in an
entertainment. But what if there is something your eyes is
missing, something perfect, with 6 times resolution of standard
dvd. You are about to enter to entire the new world. Collect
clips of your favorite scene while the movie is playing. Go
behind the scene. Change camera angle High def and fully
connected online that allows you to download contents. The
future of high definition is here. Everything yow want just got
a whole lot better, spectacular high definition feature. You can
now own the movies you want with the entire new level of
interactivity. Below are the difference between Blu ray disc and
HD DVD,

Blu-ray Disc It is the next generation optical packaged media
disc format. It was named as Blu-ray for the reasons that the
laser beam which reads the data from the new discs is blue
violet instead of red. This so called blue laser disc technology
has a shorter wave length than a red laser, that makes it
possible to read data with greater precision. The format was
developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of
high-definition video, as well as storing large amounts of data.
Great privilege of watching

HD DVD

The HD (High-Definition) DVD standard is designed to be the
successor to the standard DVD format, and is derived from the
same underlying technologies. It is a next-generation optical
disc format, featuring a significant increase in storage
capacity facilitating support for high definition (HD) video and
audio. The HD DVD name is derived from its origination as a
high-definition extension of the DVD optical disc format.

Technical Specification

Storage capacity Blu Ray Disc 25GB single layer 50GB double
layer HD DVD 15GB single layer 30GB double layer

Laser wavelength Blu Ray Disc - 405nm (blue laser) HD DVD -
405nm (blue laser)

diameter Blu Ray Disc - 120mm HD DVD - 120mm

Disc thickness Blu Ray Disc - 1.2mm HD DVD - 1.2mm

Protection layer Blu Ray Disc - 0.1mm HD DVD - 0.6mm

Hard coating Blu Ray Disc - Yes HD DVD - No

Data transfer rate (data) Blu Ray Disc - 36.0Mbps (1x) HD DVD -
36.55Mbps (1x)

Data transfer rate (video/audio) Blu Ray Disc - 54.0Mbps (1.5x)
HD DVD - 36.55Mbps (1x)

Video resolution (max) Blu Ray Disc - 1920 x 1080 (1080p) HD DVD
- 1920 x 1080 (1080p)

Video bit rate (max) Blu Ray Disc - 40.0Mbps HD DVD - 28.0Mbps

High-Def Market share

From the average consumer's stand-point, there is little
difference between the two technologies. Both formats offer
support for HD audio and video and they both have the potential
to emerge as the sole successor to DVD. Some of the major
differences are BD's higher production costs and superior
storage capacity of 23.3GB per layer vs HD's 15GB.

Other Interesting facts:

* The Nichi Corporation, who holds the design patents to the
Blu-ray's laser system, sits as an associate member of the HD
DVD Promotion Group.

* Even though Apple sits on the Blu-ray Board of Directors, its
DVD Studio Pro software supports authoring HD DVD media.

* Blu-ray, unlike HD DVD, requires a hard coating on its discs
because it's 0.5m closer to the surface. The polymer coating it
uses, called Durabis, was developed by TDK and is supposedly
extremely resilient and fingerprint resistant.

* The Java platform is mandatory on Blu-ray as it's the standard
for menus/multimedia (i.e. all Blu-ray systems must support JVM)

* DVD version of the Xbox 360 is rumored for the future.

* The first consumer Blu-ray device in the US market is expected
to be the PlayStation 3.

About the author:
Geoffrey Arado recommends the DVD
section of dvd.tv which has the best pick on movie releases
Visit dvd.tv today and get the best deal in latest movie archive

Are DVD Players Extinct?

2007-11-02T03:50:00.000-07:00

Author: Melanie

Article:
Those who've been through the 'chuck out your VHS' scenario
could be forgiven for thinking that the whole thing will happen
all over again with DVDs. Having bought all the same movies
twice over, - once for their VHS and again for the DVD, it is
understandable that some people may want to rush out and buy
multiple DVD players to stash away in their wardrobes, rather
than have to buy another set of the same movies in whatever new
format pops up.

Hopefully, this may not be necessary - not yet, anyway. Why?
Blu-ray players are actually backwards compatible with DVD. And
HD DVD players are also backwards compatible to DVD players -
and no, that doesn't mean you have to watch your favourite movie
backwards. It does mean that most Blu-ray players will support
upscaling of DVDs to 1080p/1080i. So your DVDs will look better
than ever. At last the customers have been taken into
consideration.

So rather than stock up on diminishing supplies of DVD players,
think about changing over to Blu-ray. The fantastic HD
(high-definition) quality gives 5 times the amount of detail
compared to SD (standard definition). Blu-ray offers 50GB of
storage plus other features too numerous to go into.

About the author:
Look for a dvd
players in the href="http://au.shopping.com/xCH-electronics">electronics
category on Shopping.

Is Blu-Ray Just More Planned Obsolescence?

2007-10-15T09:03:00.001-07:00

Author: C R Ellsworth

Article:
Planned obsolescence, or built-in obsolescence if you are in the
UK, is the decision by a manufacturer to purposely design,
manufacture and distribute a consumer product to become obsolete
or non-functional specifically to force the customer to buy the
next generation of the product. This plan will be implemented
before the 'Next Generation' is even off the drawing board.
Planned obsolescence is of course, very beneficial for a
manufacturer because it means a customer can't just buy a
product once and have it last for many years thereby never
having to buy again - the life of the product's usefulness or
functionality is fixed, so that at regular intervals the
customer must pay money again and again, and yet again to either
the original manufacturer for newer junk, or buy from the
competition who probably also uses planned obsolescence.

I can't believe we are still using motors and movable parts that
wear out. The technological advances of the last few years have
led to media that can hold Giga bytes of data in volatile and
non volatile storage with no moving parts.

So, does BluRay fit into this scenario? That remains to be seen
because the new technology is so fresh.

The most intense competition in the next-gen optical video disc
format wars is between HD-DVDs and Blu-ray. Blu-ray is backed by
the Blu-ray Disc Association, of which Sony is a member. Not
only a format for HD video and audio, Blu-Ray is a
higher-capacity storage format. HD DVD at this point is being
out sold by Blu-ray. Blu-ray has sold 500,000 more discs.

Is this just a case of 'The Newest Toy' or 'Grass is Greener'?
You can expect Blu-Ray to parallel the rising popularity of HDTV
and it may replace legacy systems unless the onrush of other new
toys overtakes Blu-Ray. If you are an audiophile you may
remember when DAT (Digital Audio Tape) was anticipated as the be
all, end all of sound. Today DAT is used in some tape backup
situations and not much else.

If a 10-year life span for the Blu-ray format is projected, what
comes next? Very likely another phase of planned obsolescence.

SSD is the future, count on it, it does however have hurdles to
pass before it can replace spinning drives. A Solid State Drive
(SSD) is a non-magnetic alternative to a spinning drive. SSD is
based on flash memory. Unlike a traditional drives with spinning
magnetic media and flying read/write heads, a SSD is designed
with flash memory and needs no moving parts.

The major difference between these storage media is that SSD is
not optical (like a CD/DVD) or magnetic (like a floppy, zip or
hard disk) but is a solid state semiconductor much like EPROM or
battery backed RAM.

This is not new technology. It's been around for 20 years in
other applications. NAND flash memory is the core technology of
the removable USB storage units called USB flash drives, as well
as many memory cards available today. 65-nanometer and low
voltage chip technology have allowed manufacturers to make
smaller versions of the traditional flash chips. In
functionality, NAND can simply be considered a silicon version
of a spinning disk drive. This is known as a Solid State Drive,
SSD or Solid State Disk, a volatile or non-volatile solid-state
memory device used as electronic storage for data.

While not technically a disk, the label Solid State Disk is used
in that the device can be used as a replacement for the disk
drive in many modern applications. SSDs are a viable substitute
for the common spinning disk drive, which has moving parts
causing slower memory access. SSD doesn't have the mechanical
limitations that limit search times on magnetic or optical
drives, so the concept of an SSD drive is appealing when
considering noise, speed, power consumption, and reliability.

Considered a drawback in PC disk replacement NAND flash memory
allows only sequential access while NOR flash memory allows
random access. In storage and playback of video entertainment
this may eventually be a non issue.

The SSD can read 300 percent faster (53 Mb/s) and write 150
percent quicker (28 Mb/s), more than twice the speed of
comparable spinning drives. SSD is an innovative NAND
flash-based equivalent for traditional disk drives. It is
capable of reading data at a rate of 56 Mb/s and writing speeds
of 32 Mb/s, two times as fast as standard drives.

Plus and Minus for SSD:

* Limited write cycles. Typical Flash storage will typically
wear out after 100,000-300,000 write cycles, while high
endurance Flash storage is often marketed with endurance of 1-5
million write cycles (many log files, file allocation tables,
and other commonly used parts of the file system exceed this
over the lifetime of a computer). Special file systems or
firmware designs can mitigate this problem by spreading writes
over the entire device, rather than rewriting files in place.
**If the software or firmware intelligently staggers writes over
the entire device, for large SSDs, even with continuous writes,
the endurance limit may not be reached for decades. Envision
your favorite movie or movies on SSD. Write cycles per cell = 1.
If you erase and write over the old recording that's 2 more. Or
the Entertainment may be on a Flash Stick and plugged into a
player with a SSD for output to your entertainment system. *
Price - As of early 2007, flash memory prices are still
considerably higher per gigabyte than those of comparable
conventional drives - around $10 per GB compared to about $0.30
for mechanical drives. **As with any new technology, once
manufacturers sense a demand and manufacturing cycles are
optimized prices will come down. One of my early 'upgrades' was
a 100 Meg hard drive at a cost of an extra $200 dollars over the
original 20 Meg drive. The OLPC XO-1 uses a SSD rather than a
mechanical drive. This is the XO-1 PC Configured as the $100 PC
or One Laptop Per Child - PC. It uses SSD and Linux so Microsoft
and legacy drive makers will try to squelch this innovation.

* Capacity - The capacity of SSDs tends to be significantly
smaller than the capacity of HDDs. **This will also be mitigated
by technological advances, see above note on hard drive upgrade.
* Lower recoverability - After mechanical failure the data is
completely lost as the cell is destroyed, while if normal HDD
suffers mechanical failure the data is often recoverable using
expert help. **Is this mostly a 'Straw Man'. How often is it
worth the recovery price charged by the expert. For 'Enterprise
Systems' where the core business is endangered by loss of data,
Raid Technology is a better and more cost effective solution. *
Vulnerability against certain types of effects, including abrupt
power loss (especially DRAM based SSDs), magnetic fields and
electric/static charges compared to normal HDDs (which store the
data inside a Faraday cage).

**More Straw Man debate. I've lost many disk drive formats due
to power fluctuations, brown outs etc. The Faraday Cage can be
and should be used where needed. It is not excluded in the case
of SSD. Our daily environment is saturated with RF and other
signals. Some are even calling this a form of pollution. The
system may be vulnerable to EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse), but as
this would most likely come from an atomic detonation, your
movie would be interrupted anyway. Let's apply some commonsense.
There are far fewer differences in manufacturing costs of HD DVD
and Blu-Ray players than the retail prices suggest. The
differences between BlueRay and DVD will be promoted and many
BlueRay systems will be sold. For the average home viewer the
difference may be barely noticeable. In the HDTV format the
differences won't be evident unless your display is 55" or more.
I know that if you spend much time watching commercial TV, the
effort to convince you that we all need 120" screens with
Surround Sound and Bass Boost is hard to resist, but will that
marketing effort convince enough consumers to part with that
much cash?

So eventually the battle will play out. Technologies used by
legacy manufacturers will be pushed. They have the resources and
marketing power to keep alive their profitable version of 'what
we need'. Other modes of presenting the same information are
always hard to get off the ground. Performance is often the
deciding factor after the cost is ameliorated and of course
marketing will make or break any product, process or technology
regardless of merit.

A quick summary:

SSD (Solid-State Drive ) is an advanced NAND flash component
replacement for traditional drive technology.

Flash-SSD is can be a direct replacement for a mechanical drive.
It is also secure and reliable as a method for storing
electronic data.

The SSD can read 300 percent faster (53MB/s) and write 150
percent quicker (28MB/s) more than twice the speed of standard
spinning disk drives.

The SSD is extremely rugged, able to stand up to degradation
from vibration and shock and at the same time perform at
temperatures in the extreme from -20 to 80 degrees Celsius, (-4
degree Fahrenheit to 176 degree Fahrenheit).

SSD is already used in UMPC (ultra-mobile personal computers)
and will be included in the OLPC.

I've been intrigued with Planned Obsolescence since it was
adopted as a strategy by Detroit Auto Manufacturers. They're
antiques now, but Detroit used to turn out great steel
automobiles that would last indefinitely with attention to
tune-ups, lube jobs, brake jobs and oil changes. BTW these Cars
could be had for much less than a years salary.

About the author:
Webmaster of Informational Sites and Blogs since 2000
C R
Ellsworth is retired from Corporate America and living in the
'Great Northwoods'
href="http://www.wirelesshometheatresystems.com">Wireless Home
Theatre Systems
href="http://www.dblsundog.net">Tired of Feeling Tired? /> ReportZon

Playstation 3 - Play Beyond (Storage)

2007-10-11T03:54:00.001-07:00

Good Explanation of the Blu-Ray and comparisons

Blu-Ray: How HD-DVD And Blu-Ray Differ

2007-10-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

Author: Ben Anton

Article:
DVDs continue to be the prominent medium for home theater
entertainment. The technology is being refined and improved upon
by a number of manufacturers, making its future slightly
uncertain though it is definitely clear that it will continue is
one format or another. Many of you have probably been hearing
about Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs and their path as the next
generation of DVDs. The discrepancies between the two are
confusing many home theater buyers, so it's important to know
just what each of these new technologies has to offer so that
you can make an informed decision on what to purchase and when.

Let's start by discussing just what Blu-ray is. Chances are, if
you've stepped into any of the leading home theater and
electronics stores in the country, you've seen Blu-ray discs
advertised in the DVD section. In truth, Blu-ray discs are
somewhat like traditional DVDs, except that they have the
ability to record, rewrite, and playback high definition (HD)
video that is compatible with the growing number of HD
televisions finding their way into home theaters every year.
Unlike traditional DVDs, Blu-ray discs can hold nearly five
times as much data. On a single layer disc, they can hold 25GB
of data, and 50GB can be stored on a dual layer disc. By being
able to hold so much more, Blu-ray discs are able to easily
store the advanced information necessary to provide content in
HD format.

HD-DVD offers the same technology, though it isn't able to hold
as much information as Blu-ray. Developed by Toshiba and NEC, it
is able to hold three times as much data as traditional DVDs.
While this may be less than Blu-ray, the data capacity of
HD-DVDs still exceeds the amount needed to watch major
blockbusters in high-definition. HD-DVD also came out much
sooner and was first quoted to be the successor to the standard
DVD format. HD-DVD is completely compatible with HD-DVD players,
which in turn are compatible with HD televisions. High
definition technology is certainly the wave of the future for
home entertainment, and HD-DVD was the first disc technology
formatted for it.

Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs use a new form of laser that
improves on what the standard DVD used. While older, standard
DVD models used a red laser to transfer content from disc to
player to screen, these two technologies use a blue-violet laser
instead. The main benefit with using blue-violet lasers is that
they have a shorter wavelength than red lasers. This means that
they can be focused with a much higher rate of accuracy.

As you can see the differences between these two formats are
very few, In short, Blu-ray is able to hold more information
than HD-DVD, but HD-DVD has been around for much longer and
still holds an adequate amount for any applications currently in
the market. Both formats use blue-violet lasers to better read
the information.

The biggest question right now is which format will end up on
top. Blu-ray has the added advantage of being backed up by some
major players in the movie business. Seven of the eight major
Hollywood movie studios have released films in Blu-ray format
recently, while five of them are releasing films exclusively on
Blu-ray. HD-DVD has the backing of several major consumer
electronics manufacturers but does have some ground to make up
with the production companies. However, with the added
experience of being in production longer and having consumers
more familiar with the name, it's very possible for them to pull
ahead. The race to be the top home entertainment format will
continue on and the consumer will simply need to wait to see
which one wins. In the meantime, players are available for both
formats and some manufacturers have players that satisfy both
formats available.

~Ben Anton, 2007

About the author:
Check out more information on href="http://www.ronnysaudiovision.com/home-theater-news/home-the
ater-review-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-2007-09-12/">HD televisions and
players available through Ronny's href="http://www.ronnysaudiovision.com">Eugene home theater
design and retail store.

2007-10-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Title: What In The World Is Blu Ray?

Author: Brandon Mouhot

Article:
Commonly referred to as Blu-ray Disc, this new next-generation
optical disc exceeds current mainstream DVD by leaps. Blu Ray
incorporates the enabling of rewriting, recording, and playback
of HD (high definition) video. In addition to being able to have
a malleable HD format, Blu Ray also can store a whopping 25GB of
data!Now thats just on a single layer disc, the dual layers will
support an astonishing 50GB! Consumers will benefit tremendously
by getting products with very advanced video and audio
enhancements embedded in the media. This technology was
developed by Sony and Phillips in a joint research project.

Blu ray technology incorporates an actual blue-violet laser that
is more precise in nature than current red laser manufacturing
processes. This new laser is able to focus light more tightly
thus creating more space on a disk for data. This allows for
more complicated, astounding quality data to be implemented into
the disk. 180 of the worlds leading consumer electronic
companies now support Blu Ray products. New feature films are
beginning to be released by Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate, and
MGM in Blu Ray.

Blu ray technology may take several more years to be embraced by
the public. Current cost to make a Blu ray disc have been
estimated at 10x more than that of a current DVD disk. The
issues associated with the higher cost of Blu-ray discs are the
thinner surface layer. Production facilities have to be modified
or replaced in order to make the discs.

Blu Ray does have some tough competition to beat. HD-VMD and
HD-DVD is also new on the scene with tightly competing specs and
performance. These two formats are also much less to manufacture
because they still are using red laser technology. Blu Ray has
the advantage in this case with its implementation into laptops
and computers,and camcorders.

Blu Ray disk players start around $400, where as the other
formats are selling at about $150. Whats interesting about these
new formats is that there is a secret war taking place on which
format becomes king. The Nichi Corporation, who holds the design
patents to the Blu-ray's laser system, sits as an associate
member of the HD DVD Promotion Group.Even though Apple sits on
the Blu-ray Board of Directors, its DVD Studio Pro software
supports authoring HD DVD media. Its a strange circle of
relationships associated with Blu ray. It will be interesting to
see how this all plays out in the next few years.

About the author:
Brandon Mouhot writes on easy ways to copy DVDs. You can learn
more by visiting my blog, Copying DVD's Is Easy

http://dvd-burning-software.blogspot.com/

New in News

2007-09-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

Blu-Ray Disc Players Review

2007-09-04T07:08:00.001-07:00

Looking for a movie player? It can be confusing trying to find the best kind with so many to choose from.

We have tried out many different kinds of movie players, such as the (antique) :) VCR player, the famed DVD player, and now technology has really outdone itself with the new blu-ray disc player.

Why do we like blu-ray? We think the workmanship is second to none on this product and you can't help but notice when you are walking through the electronics department at your local store and taking a double take at the television screen. I have been talking about this ever since I saw the first one on display and I am not kidding you, if you have not gotten the chance to see one, it is like watching a 3-D movie without the glasses! It just... pops out. Unbelievable to me. I never though you could get any better than the DVD player but they have done it, and it makes me wonder... wow, what are they gonna come up with next? 4D??? Its amazing and well worth it.

Aside from the beautiful images you will see on blu-ray, they have been converting all of our favorite movies to blu-ray now so don't worry, there are plenty of movies to choose from. And of course, most new release movies come out on blu-ray disc now as well, and you can find many blu-ray disc players by clicking here