Technology is a wild thing. It seems that as soon as one acquires the latest piece of equipment it is already outdated with something multiple times more efficient than the old, making it the “must have” technological item of the season. Look at how quickly the iPod is updating itself – it is unfathomable to think what a technological object such as the iPod may one day evolve into. Many people have acquired elaborate DVD collections which sequentially replaced the VHS, but something else is coming, and its name is Blu-ray.
According to Blu-ray.com, “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).”
Using blue laser light instead of red, the “Blu”-ray disc is able to hold much more information on the disc than a DVD, although they are comparable in size. Because blue violet light has a shorter wavelength than red light, it is able to focus with more precision allowing more data to be read on a single disc.
The Blu-ray disc will eventually replace the DVD, but not just yet. Many companies have created devices that will read both Blu-ray and DVDs for the time being. Also mentioned on the Blu-ray website, “Seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) have released titles in the Blu-ray format.”
When the eventual switch happens, people will have to get a player that is Blu-ray compatible or else they won’t be able to play the vast majority of movies coming out. Universal is the only studio not supporting Blu-ray, but they are involved in HD-DVD, a similar product to Blu-ray that is being developed by Toshiba and NEC. Paramount has so far supported both formats.
How much do Blu-ray players cost? Right now, they are approximately $250. However, for those interested in video gaming, the Playstation 3 is Blu-ray compatible and costs $500, which allows you to play video games as well. Because the technology is so new, the price is high. Over time the price will go down however, and with the use of players that can play both DVDs and Blu-ray discs the transformation to only Blu-ray will be a lot smoother.
For example, when movie companies decide that they want to release only a certain kind of formatting for their films, people don’t have a choice but to update to the latest technology. Whether this is just a way for both industries to make more money, or actually improve the quality of movies that much more (Blu-ray discs are HD quality and DVDs are not) it is unclear. However, it seems that the next generation will most definitely be watching their films with this blue laser light.