Blu-Ray technology is not only the latest but, since Toshiba withdrew its HD-DVD competing product from the market, the greatest replacement for CDs and DVDs.

The HD-DVD versus Blu-ray war had close parallels between the VHS versus Betamax contest of the video era in the early 80`s.

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This type of struggle between huge multinationals is not only interesting for business insiders. The emergence of a clear winner in this battle allows the industry standard to be clearly defined and allows consumers to invest their hard earned cash with confidence.

As fascinating as it is to watch two corporate giants slug it out head-to-head, there are some industry analysts who feel that the “format war” is a meaningless sideshow. Many industry insiders feel that more and more consumers will choose to download their home movies from either the internet or from their cable TV suppliers.

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Without delving into too much technical detail, the new Blu-Ray technology is actually quite similar to CDs or DVDs. One key difference is that, instead of using a red laser beam to read and write information, it uses a blue-violet beam. It is from this that it derives its name.

The blue laser beam has a shorter wavelength than the “traditional” red one and this allows the laser to be focused on a more precisely defined target on the disc surface. This permits the information to be packed more closely together and effectively increases the storage space of the disc.

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The end result is that all of the additional information required for new high definition television (HD TV) can be packed onto one disc and the consumer can enjoy high quality movies on their great big LCD TV set. The extra disc space will also allow lots of room for the cut scenes, alternative endings, interactive games, interviews and “the making of…” type of bonuses which have now become expected since the advent of “special edition” dvds.

A dual layer Blu-Ray disc can store around 50 GB of information - which is approximately six times more than a dual layer DVD. Four layer Blu-Ray discs capable of holding 100 GB of information have already been demonstrated and TDK announced that they have created a working experimental disc with a capacity of 200 GB. 250 GB discs are currently under research.

In order to play Blu-ray DVDs a special Blu-ray disc player is required. Whilst not compulsory, most manufacturers have been producing Blu-Ray disc players which have the capability to play both audio CDs and standard DVDs in addition to the newer Blu-Ray format.

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It is interesting to note that the most popular Blu-Ray disc player is undoubtedly the Sony PS3. Ten million units have shipped so far and it seems as if Sony’s decision to make their new console not just a gaming machine but a home entertainment system has paid dividends.

Considering that Toshiba shipped approximately one million HD DVD machines, the tenfold difference in potential customer base is so large that Sony’s triumph was more a matter of time than a great surprise.

In the long run, the adoption of a clearly defined industry norm can only be good news for consumers. There should be no concerns regarding compatibility and the cost of the players will tumble as other big players commit to the new Blu-ray format.

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