What is bluray?

I have seen new movies that are about to be released. they say coming soon to dvd and blu ray. I have never heard of blurayWhat is bluray?
While the first response is informative, it's not entirely accurate, and it's not a complete explanation.



Blu-Ray refers to a new format of high-density optical disc which has the capacity to store 5 times as much information as a DVD. The name "Blu-Ray" is derived from the color of the laser which reads the disc.



The format was created by Sony, and is touted as the "next generation" of media format, supposedly to replace DVD. The picture quality provided by blu-ray discs will truly take advantage of high-definition televisions. Blu-ray is capable of displaying images with up to 1080p lines of resolution, currently standard DVD can display around 480 lines of resolution.



The problem here is that another format (mainly developed by Toshiba) called HD-DVD (high-definition dvd) is also on the market. While it doesn't have quite the storage capacity of blu-ray, the question remains that most movies won't need or use all the space available on a blu-ray disc.



Historically, Sony has lost out in every battle it has entered regarding format wars- Beta and Mini-disc are two examples where Sony has not succeeded. This is partly because Sony insists on proprietary rights to their technology; any company which would like to manufacture a machine to use its new format has to pay Sony a licensing fee. This time around, Sony is trying to get things right by getting other partners on board- most importantly, Hollywood (after all, what good is a machine if you don't have movies to play on it?)



This new format war, blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, has been argued by many that it is appearing too quicky; that is, most people are just getting used to DVD, and most people do not have a High Definition television (which is required to take advantage of blu-ray or HD-DVD)



The real tell of the tape, however, shall be with the movies. Currently, the lines are divided. Half of Hollywood has chosen one format over the other, while the rest say they'll release movies on both formats.



The cost for machines is currently $1000 or thereabouts. The Playstation 3, due in the fall, is to have a blu-ray player built in, however it has been priced at 499 and 599. (two models will be available)



The chief issue Hollywood has with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is their concern over copy-protection. Hollywood doesn't want consumers to have access to High-Definition quality versions of its movies. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have both offered their individual solutions to this problem, and studios are now showing support.



Bottom line- there are only about three movies available for either format right now, don't worry about upgrading just yet.What is bluray?
Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson). The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.What is bluray?
both of the above are correct..... HDdvd manufacrtures however cut some costs and built a player that cannot output 1080p, it only outputs in 720p....

720p is 768x1366 in dots on ur screen.... where as 1080p is 1080x1920. 1.05millions dots vs 2.7million dots.

Since there is more resolution to it, u will have a much better picture quality. kinda like digital cameras.



the blu ray players will be able to output 1080p. and they have alot more companies backing that product. and plsu sony has a HUGE hand in entertainment industry nowadays.

oh and by the way HDDVDs have about 15 titles out and blu-ray about 5 i believe.



But i agree wait till the "war" is over to invest in either one. or buy them both.
all correct, but its also a media sony is using for it's next-generation console- PlayStation3