Have you ever wondered what that Blu-ray disc is, when you saw it sitting right next to the good old DVD, in that electronics store? Well, to be brutally honest, you aren’t the only one wondering about the same question. A lot of people have been asking what Blu-ray is and how it is different from the DVDs we have been using for a long time now.

What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray is, essentially, a new optical disc format, which can support packing in of huge amounts of data into one optical disc. A single layer disc holds about 25GB of data and a dual layer disc holds about 50GB of data. These discs can not only hold more data, but are also extremely useful for holding High Definition movies.

This format has been developed by a combination of big names in the technology sector- Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Philips, Samsung, HP, Dell, Apple, Sharp, Pioneer, LG, TDK and Thomson. These brands come together under the umbrella of Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA).

How Blu-ray works
While on the outside, the Blu-ray looks exactly similar to the traditional DVD disc. However, while the DVD uses a red laser to read and write data from and to the disc, the Blu-ray uses a blue laser. This solves the mystery behind the name Blu-ray! The blue laser has higher precision, which allows it be focused on one spot without getting confused by the data around it. The Blu-ray format uses this precision advantage to pack in more data in the disc. A single layer DVD holds about 4.7GB of data, while a dual layer one can hold a bit more than 8GB of data. However, a single layer Blu-ray disc can store about 25GB of data, while the dual layer goes up to 50GB. Pioneer is working on a 20 layer disc, which can hold about 500GB of data on one disc.

Advantages of Blu-ray
The Blu-ray has a lot of advantages over the traditional DVD disc.

Bigger Storage space: As we have illustrated above, the Blu-ray disc has a huge advantage over the older generation DVD disc. Maximum of about 8.5GB versus a current maximum of 50GB, there really is no competition.

High Definition movies:  Thanks to the ability to carry more data, the Blu-ray discs are perfect for high definition movies. The DVD can hold a maximum of 480p (720x480 pixels) while the Blu-ray will be able to hold movies in the 1080p resolution (1920x1080 pixels). For the movie buffs, this is superb news. Apart from the resolution advantage, Blu-ray discs are also capable of working with high-res audio formats like DTS-HD and Dolby True HD. Most Blu-ray movies have high-def audio as well.

Backward compatible hardware: Okay, this one is a largely hardware specific point, but all Blu-ray players, be it the standalone ones or the drives for PCs/laptops, these drives will read almost all DVD and older optical drives (assuming they are not scratched or damaged). Essentially, when you buy a Blu-ray player, your older DVDs will run perfectly on it.

Disadvantages of Blu-ray
While the newer Blu-ray format has its advantages over the older DVD format, it has its share of limitations and drawbacks as well.

The cost: The Blu-ray ecosystem is quite expensive. A standalone Blu-ray player will cost you anywhere upwards of Rs 8k, depending on the configuration and how many features have been stripped down. A Blu-ray movie will cost anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. Contrast this to a standalone DVD player and the discs. A decent DVD player will be available from about Rs 2,000, while a movie DVD will cost anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 500. 

Limited library: The limited availability of movies on the Blu-ray format is something which is changing quite fast. Studios are re-releasing popular Hollywood movies in the Blu-ray format. However, the availability of Bollywood flicks in this format is still very limited.

Lack of compatibility: Unlike with a DVD disc, you cannot always carry this with you to your friend’s place and hope it will work. Blu-ray discs cannot be read by the traditional DVD drives, and most people haven’t upgraded largely due to the high cost of acquisition.

Blu-ray compatible hardware
Since Blu-ray discs need dedicated compatible hardware, you will need to buy one which best fits your requirement.

For the PC/laptop: Essentially, you will be swapping the existing optical drive on your computing device with a Blu-ray capable one. These drives require no intervention during the hardware driver detection and installation (assuming you have the latest gen Operating System in play!). Once installed, you are good to go. As for the installing the hardware, we suggest you check with the PC/laptop manufacturer as to which drive is compatible with the device, and the safest method of installing it.

Stand-alone player: On the outside, this one looks like a DVD player, but since it can throw blue coloured lasers, this one is the more loaded of the two! Connect this to your TV using the HDMI cable, slot in a disc and you are good to go.

Blu-ray Home Theaters: We have seen DVD based home theaters. However, swap that DVD player with a Blu-ray capable one and we have a completely updated hardware, complete with home theater speakers for the complete listening experience. Philips, Sony and Samsung offer these Blu-ray home theater setups, with prices starting from Rs 19k.

Playstation 3 console: This one serves a dual purpose- console for the hardcore gamer, and the Blu-ray player for the movie buff. We find these traits in the same person as well, at times, and this makes the PS3 a superb deal. For about Rs 20k (depends on whether you pick up the older gen PS3, or the newer PS3 Slim), you get both devices.