When HD sets first started appearing on the market about 10 years ago people were dazzled at the clarity hi-def delivered over regular TV sets. Since that time thousands of people have bought new televisions to enjoy wide screen flicks with DVDs and high definition cable and satellite programming. While many folks still haven’t made the jump, a recent technology breakthrough has made even HDTV aficionados take notice. Developed by Sony, Blu-Ray has pushed TV quality to a higher level. Just a couple years back, nobody knew what standard would become the inheritor to DVD, but now Blu-Ray has won the battle and I’ll tell you why you should think about adding Blu-Ray to your home entertainment system. With the latest digital HD cable television package specials adding Blu-Ray to your High Definition TV setup can lift your home viewing experience into the next stage.

Though research started almost a decade ago, Sony and its partners didn’t present a final commercial product till mid 2006. The name Blu-Ray comes from the blue laser that’s utilized to read data from a Blu-Ray formatted disc. This contrasts with the red laser utilized to scan regular DVD discs. But why is Blu-Ray an improvement over existing DVD formats? Even though Blu-Ray discs and players don’t appear any different than standard DVDs, they can save much more data that means sharper picture, improved audio, and more special features. DVDs can hold up to eight gigabytes of data while Blu-Ray discs can hold 50 gigs. Quite a difference. The maximum resolution of a DVD is 720x480 lines while Blu-Ray has a maximum of 1920x1080 (also known as full hi-def). If you have spent $1000 or more on a 1080p TV, you’re really not exploiting all the television can deliver when viewing regular DVDs.

Originally costs for Blu-Ray players were far above what an average home user wanted to pay. Price tags between $700 and $1000 were not unusual for first generation Blu-Ray players. And, there had been another competing standard on the market that made plenty of perplexity. Toshiba and NEC produced their own DVD successor with release of the HD DVD standard. HD DVD, with a storage capability of 15 gigs, was a step up over regular DVDs but couldn’t meet the specifications of Blu-Ray. But HD DVD did have some market authority. First, they made it to store shelves three months before Blu-Ray. Second, HD DVD devices where a little cheaper to make and had a cheaper price tag as a consequence. Lastly, HD DVD had more picture studios on board at launch than Sony did which meant more pictures were initially available while Blu-Ray remained scarce.

Sony had one huge ploy up their sleeve that quite possibly saved Blu-Ray from a Betamax destiny. Sony included a Blu-Ray player into their highly anticipated PlayStation three and sold the whole device cheaper than many stand alone players were going for at the time. Soon after, Blu-Ray started making strides till soon it outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 by late 2007. More movie studios started to commit to the Blu-Ray standard totally, starting with Warner Brothers in early 2008. Straight after Toshiba stopped making HD DVD players and recorders. By the end of 2008 rental companies Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as major shops, announced they’d no longer carry HD DVD films. Now all major studios release their pictures on Blu-Ray. A couple still produce HD DVD and Blu-Ray releases at the same time.

Costs have fallen dramatically during the last few years too. Many name brand Blu-Ray players from corporations like Panasonic and LG can easily be found between $150 and $250. Blu-Ray disc recorders are in the $200 - $400 range and dropping just as fast. For anyone who likes viewing movies at home and has already invested in an HDTV, now is a fabulous time to have a look at adding a Blu-Ray player to your setup. And Blu-Ray is icing on the cake if you have made the digital jump with a cable Television package bundle that includes Hi-Def cable, high-speed broadband, and telephone service. Even people who could be doubtful about Blu-Ray’s enhancements over DVD owe it themselves to go down to their local home entertainment store and ask for a Blu-Ray demonstration. The picture sharpness and audio fidelity from Blu-Ray is truly outstanding.

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