The introduction of high-definition television raised the bar for viewers. Nearly half of the televisions available for purchase today offer high-def resolutions, which allow TV watchers to take note of even the smallest details like the color of a Major League Baseball player's eyes! Nearly all cable television and Direct TV companies offer channels in high definition. Now, however, movie buffs and serious gamers can own their favorite selections in high-definition video as well.
Blu-ray movies and DVDs have brought a new edge to video recordings, and many users are starting to compile their collection of new releases, favorite video games, and classic DVD recordings in Blu-ray. Although still a little more expensive than standard DVDs, Blu-ray disc players have become so much more affordable that they are predicted to be one of the largest selling items for the holiday season!
Blu-ray disc players feature a blue-violet laser that will play both Blu-ray discs and conventional DVDs (which DVD players read with the use of a red laser). This means that, unlike other technologies, collectors won't have to choose between technologies, but can keep their old selections while adding to the list of favorites with new masterpieces which can be found in blu-ray buying guides.
As a general rule, Blu-ray disc players will play back DVD recordings in a resolution of 480p. Some, however, only play these recordings at a resolution of 480i. In contrast, Blu-ray movies can be watched in high-definition 1080p. This offers a much higher image resolution and much greater clarity.
A number of Blu-ray players also support playback for other file formats, including MP3 files or JPEG images that have been burned onto DVDs. These players also accommodate CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. Potential buyers should check the manufacturer's information to be sure that the Blu-ray player they are considering will support the alternative file formats in which they are most interested.
PlayStation 3, a video game system manufactured by Sony, plays Blu-ray video games. This game console, however, also plays Blu-ray movies. As a result, many Sony PlayStation3 owners use these gaming consoles as the center of their home entertainment systems.
Blu-ray Players are excellent, affordable additions to any home theater system. The most prominent movie studios have continued to release their old stand-by classics on DVD, but most are also now available on Blu-ray discs as well. The latest releases are often typically available on both Blu-ray and DVD as well.
One other way in which a Blu-ray disc is superior to a DVD is the amount of video that can be stored on a disc. A standard DVD will hold between 4 and 5 GB of video data; this will permit an average of about 2 hours of playing time. In contrast, a Blu-ray disc will hold about 50 GB of video in high definition. This allows about nine hours of high-quality playing time, which leaves room for tons of extra features with each movie.
Blu-ray Home Theater Systems
Adding a Blu-ray player to a home theater system isn't difficult, but be sure to purchase all of the necessary output devices for supporting all of the system's components. For example, choose a Blu-ray player that is compatible with the system's speaker system. Media buffs with top-knotch speaker systems will find themselves extremely satisfied with the audio fidelity of blu-ray surround sound. Blu-ray players that feature analog audio and surround sound, as well as digital audio, S-video, and composite systems, are very versatile and easy to integrate with an already existing home theater system. After all, there's no sense in starting over and rebuilding an entirely new home theater system if the existing one is already top-notch!