What is blu ray and how does it differ from the regular format, and what image quality does it provide? Difference between Blu-ray and DVD

The era of CDs is gradually fading into oblivion and becoming history. The latest technological breakthroughs of yesteryear have been Blu-ray discs. What it is and how it works will be discussed in this article.

A little history

The technology is based on the use of a new type of laser for reading. It is blue in color, hence the name Blu-ray, translated as “blue ray”. This new laser can not only read, but also write data onto denser layers, allowing more information to be contained in the same area.

Blu-ray technology was officially introduced in 2002. But not all companies decided to join the new standard. For example, Toshiba and NEC announced the creation of their own format - HD DVD.

Over time, both technologies developed in parallel. However, Blu-ray still won in the end.

Blu-ray Specifications

A single-layer disc can hold up to 25 GB, a double-layer disc can hold up to 50 GB, a triple-layer disc can hold up to 100 GB, and a quad-layer disc can hold up to 128 GB. In 2008, Pioneer announced 20-layer disks that can store up to 500 GB of information.

In everyday life, discs of the BD-R, BD-RE standard with one-time and multiple rewrites are most often used.

Disc coating

Many people probably know that on Blu-ray media the data layer is located very close to the edge. This fact greatly influenced the durability of the disks, since any scratch or crack could damage it. In 2004, a new polymer coating appeared that could reliably protect data on Blu-ray discs.

Technologies and standards

As Blu-ray evolved, many standards and related technologies changed. The old reading and writing standards were replaced with new ones.

BD-LIVE

This technology was developed by Sony. With its help, interactivity was brought to Blu-ray. It is now possible to access certain content - for example, additional materials for a movie or games. To do this, you had to go to a certain page on the Internet.

LTH-Type

This approach has simplified and reduced the cost of producing Blu-ray discs. The idea is to use the same materials as when creating regular CDs. However, it is worth considering that not all Blu-ray players can play them correctly. But the creators have solved this problem too - you just need to update the firmware of your device.

Despite the fact that this type of disc has significantly simplified and made the technology cheaper, there are still some disadvantages - the recording speed has decreased slightly.

BD DL

One of the important stages in the development of Blu-ray. The technology made it possible to increase the amount of space available for recording to 50 GB.

BDXL

The use of 3- and 4-layer disks made it possible to increase the volume up to 128 GB. It is worth saying that ordinary Blu-ray players of the BD standard cannot read BDXL, while there is backward compatibility.

3D Blu-ray

With the advent of 3D technology, it became necessary to somehow organize this approach in relation to Blu-ray. This is how the Blu-ray 3D standard appeared, which is backward compatible. At the heart of the technology is a method of compressing both video sequences for each eye, which allows efficient use of disk space without loss of quality.

Programs for Blu-ray

There is a large amount of software for playing the Blu-ray standard. They can be viewed without the physical presence of a Blu-ray player, for example on a Windows computer.

Cyberlink PowerDVD 12

This program combines a DVD and Blu-ray player, a music player, and a tool for storing a multimedia library. Available in several different versions depending on capabilities. It has a functional, but at the same time simple and intuitive interface. Can reproduce data from computer hard drives or directly from media. A bit demanding on system resources.

Corel WinDVD Pro 11

Quite a popular program for watching videos in different formats. It has the ability to play Blu-ray 3D, DVD and many other formats known today. The program can convert a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional one. It does not have the most intuitive and user-friendly interface, which takes some getting used to. When purchasing the boxed version of the program, the user will receive 3D glasses as a reward.

TotalMedia Theater 5

Like other programs, it is capable of playing a wide range of different video and audio formats. Including Blu-ray with 3D support. Can convert two-dimensional videos and pictures into 3D. The program uses SimHD technology, which can improve the quality of the played video by absorbing noise.

KMPlayer

A good omnivorous multimedia player. Capable of playing a large list of formats. Reads DVDs and Blu-ray. The graphical interface and especially the settings are a bit confusing, so you need to get used to the controls to work properly.

Hardware players

An article about what Blu-ray is would be incomplete without mentioning devices that can play Blu-ray discs directly. Here's a short overview of them.

Samsung BD-J5500

A simple and affordable player for playing Blu-ray discs. Has access to the Internet via Smart TV, has a wide range of supported Blu-ray formats, and is able to read other multimedia files.

The outputs are an HDMI port, as well as a separate coaxial port for audio. There are also USB and Ethernet ports.

As users note in their reviews, the device is very compact, reproduces all declared formats without any problems, and has excellent quality.

Among the negative responses, one can highlight the absence of any indication on the device body. However, some people liked it on the contrary, since nothing shines in the eyes and does not distract from viewing.

LG BP450

A bright representative of the budget segment of Blu-ray players. The resolution of the output signal can vary from 720 to 1080. HDTV technology is used for scaling. There is Internet access via Smart TV. The device supports all known Blu-ray standard formats. You can control the player using HDMI.

Judging by the reviews left by users, the device represents a good price/quality ratio.

Sony BDP-S5500

Inexpensive option from a well-known brand. Screen resolution up to 1080 is supported and Internet access is available. All known Blu-ray formats can be played on this device. In addition to the standard USB and Ethernet ports, you can use Wi-Fi.

Users gave the gadget a good reception and noted that the quality is high despite the low price. In particular, many liked the convenient control panel, automatic noise reduction system, clear sound, support for all known video and audio formats.

Panasonic DMP-BDT460

The price for this device can reach up to 10 thousand rubles. But the device’s hardware is also slightly better than its analogues above.

In particular, the player can play video in 4K format. Has Internet access via Smart TV. In addition, it makes it possible to read data from external drives. For connection there are two HDMI outputs and one for transmitting an audio channel.

To connect external devices there are USB and Ethernet ports, as well as a built-in Wi-Fi module.

Users rated this device in their reviews. They noted the high quality of playback, 3D support, and smooth images in dynamic scenes. However, there were also those who noted a slightly noisy drive, the inability to play some formats from external media, and rare “slowdowns” during operation.

Pioneer BDP-LX88

One of the leading manufacturers of many players has introduced many different functions and technologies into this model.

It's worth starting with high resolution playback - 4K. Inside there are many built-in decoders capable of working with a wide variety of audio and video formats. Therefore, the list of supported files and standards is simply huge - the producers took care of their potential viewers.

The outputs include two HDMI, two stereo audio outputs, one audio optical and one audio coaxial. There are two USB ports for reading from flash drives, and Ethernet for connecting the Internet via cable. DLNA support will allow you to play media files remotely from other devices.

User ratings are mostly positive. The quality of video and sound playback is ideal. There are no slowdowns or freezes. However, the price may seem high for some, and it is not surprising - the cost of the device starts from 55 thousand rubles.

T+A K8

The cost of this model is slightly less than a million rubles - 833,000. This is due to the fact that the device is simply packed with the most modern technologies and, in addition, acts as a receiver, and not just a player.

Image scaling occurs using HDTV. Naturally, the device has support for Smart TV. Resolution can reach up to 1080 pixels. The player is “omnivorous”, that is, it is able to read all known media formats and disc standards.

The output options are HDMI, 7.1 type audio output, coaxial audio output and headphone jack. There is also an audio input. Two USB ports allow you to connect external media and play data from them. The DLNA function will help you play data from other devices wirelessly.

Additional features include the presence of FM radio.

As for reviews, there are quite a few of them, apparently, as well as the owners of this model. But those rare ones that are available on the network note the excellent performance of the body and components of the device. All elements are made of high-quality plastic, the controls are intuitive and functional. The sound and video quality is excellent. During playback and operation of the device, no “brakes” or freezes are observed. True, many are confused by the really high price.

Conclusion

The article examined Blu-ray technology in detail: what it is, how it works and what players exist. Despite the fact that at one time it was progressive and breakthrough, now, with the advent of various large-capacity drives on the market, interest in Blu-ray is fading.

Perhaps enthusiasts and collectors in the future will remember Blu-ray and what it is, but people of the new generation will most likely find themselves immediately in the era of solid media and storage drives.

HD DVD (High Definition Digital Versatile Disc) is a new format capable of storing large amounts of information and displaying high-quality images and videos. Using advanced technology, HD DVD is built with denser layers and reads with a thinner laser than conventional DVDs, allowing it to store five times more data than a standard DVD - 15GB single-layer/30GB dual-layer.

Why is HD DVD better than standard DVD?

High definition (HD) images are brighter, incredibly clear, and look very realistic. This stunning level of detail cannot be reproduced on standard digital video disc, which has a resolution of 480p (or 480 lines). HD DVD can store the amount of data needed for high-quality video in 720p (720 lines) / 1080i (1080 interlaced lines) resolution, allowing you to watch video programs with greater vibrancy and higher quality than ever before.
Plus, when you buy a movie on DVD, you usually get not only the movie, but also additional features such as a commentary track by the director, actors, or documentary cameramen (depending on the disc, of course). On HD DVD there is the potential for previously unrealized special features: imagine, for example, interactive content - where a director explains a shooting scene on screen while the movie continues to play in the background. With enhanced quality and additional audio and video capabilities, HD DVD is a huge step forward in DVD format technology

What is Blu Ray?

Blu Ray is a new format capable of storing large amounts of information and reproducing high-quality images and videos. Using advanced technology, Blue Ray is composed of denser layers and reads with a thinner laser than conventional DVDs, allowing it to store five times more data than a standard DVD - 25 GB single layer / 50 GB dual layer.

What's the difference between HD-DVD and Blu Ray?

Although Blu-ray and HD DVD are both high-definition formats based on blue laser technology, there are several important differences between them.
The first is size. The Blu-ray player uses a laser with a shorter wavelength than HD DVD. Therefore, more data fits per unit surface. As a result, a single-layer disc can contain 25 GB of data (HD DVD - 15 GB), a double-layer disc - 50 GB (HD DVD - 30 GB)
The second difference is content. Several major studios have stated that they will only support one media format. For example, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (including MGM and Tri-Star), Twentieth Century Fox and Disney will release films only on Blu-ray, while Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and HBO will only release films on HD DVD, Paramount announced the release of films in both formats.
Although the formats are incompatible with each other, they share high quality video and audio tracks, new additions to films, and intuitive and more interactive disc management compared to standard DVD.

HD DVD

The HD format attracts those buyers who require an increased level of detail and quality in films, games and other digital media materials. Increased scanning lines, increased video resolution and superior audio quality are the qualities that differentiate high-definition content from standard-format content. Here are some of the distinguishing characteristics
materials in HD standard:

Compared to 525 scan lines per image
standard definition, image frame
with high definition contains from 720 to 1,080 lines
sweeps.
Support for advanced video formats,
including MPEG-2 SD/HD, H.264, VC-1.
Support for formats that provide high
sound quality, including PCM (Pulse Code
Modulation, pulse code modulation),
Dolby TrueHD (MLP), Dolby Digital+, DTS HD.

The result is an immersive viewing experience when viewing HD content. The image appears to extend beyond the screen and looks surprisingly vibrant. Until recently, movies and other content in HD format were not available to consumers. The reason for this is simple: storing highly detailed images requires more storage space than a typical DVD disc can handle. The HD DVD format is one of the new generation DVD standards; This type of media is designed to increase storage capacity, allowing you to store a complete HD movie along with special HD features on a single HD DVD disc.

CAPACITY: DVD VS HD DVD

The capacity of a standard single-layer DVD is only 4.7 GB, or up to 2 hours of a typical movie. Dual-layer DVD with a storage capacity of up to 8.5 GB allows regular movie playback of up to 4 hours (240 minutes) without changing discs. Compared to these values, HD DVD disc capacity is significantly larger. An HD DVD disc can have up to three layers. Each layer holds 15 GB of high-definition content, giving a maximum capacity of up to 45 GB. A single triple-layer HD DVD disc can store up to 12 hours of HD recording. For HD movie lovers, this means there's still room on the disc for special HD features. Of the HD DVD features, the support for iHD, an interactive HD format, is especially interesting. One example of the interactivity this feature provides is when a video is superimposed on a movie that is playing. Regular DVDs often include commentary by the director, actors, producer and other technical staff. An HD DVD can play video commentaries, giving the viewer complete insight into the making of the film. Clearly, HD DVD is an excellent medium for high-definition content.

HOW IS AN HD DVD DISC STRUCTURED?

In general terms, an HD DVD disc is structured in the same way as a DVD disc and consists of two back-to-back discs.
substrates with a diameter of 120 mm and a thickness of 0.6 mm. Like DVD technology, an HD DVD disc stores information as a series of microscopic notches arranged in a long spiral across the disc. Data is recorded on a layer spaced 0.6 mm from the surface. This means that HD DVD discs can be produced using methods that are currently used in DVD technology. Therefore, HD DVDs are compatible with DVDs, which means that the HD DVD drive can also read DVDs. So what's the difference between HD DVDs and DVDs? The answer is simple. Unlike DVD technology, which uses red lasers, HD DVD technology uses blue lasers to increase storage capacity. Due to the shorter wavelength of the blue laser (405 nm instead of 650 nm in DVD), its use allows more information to be stored on an HD DVD disc. Reducing the wavelength is important because it reduces diffraction, allowing for more precise focusing on the read-write surface. Difference
about the same as between writing with a thick felt-tip pen and a ballpoint pen. Here, HD DVD technology presents fine, precise and clear ballpoint pen writing. As a result, blue laser technology can record and store more data on a disc of the same diameter than a conventional DVD.

How is the HD DVD format evolving?

HD DVD ROM players are now commercially available, allowing fans to view and play HD content. This is good news for players and movie lovers. The next step will be the introduction of the ability to record discs in HD DVD format. This innovation will allow users to burn materials to discs. For those who want to create their own HD content, personal collections of HD content, or simply take advantage of increased storage capacity for backup, these future developments will be a major breakthrough. As the distribution of HDTV and HD recordings over broadband connections continues to gain popularity, access to HD content for recording and playback will increase. Users will be able to create their entertainment in HD format.
Microsoft has stopped supporting the HD DVD format, reports techPowerUp. Representatives of the corporation reported that HD DVD drives for the Xbox 360 game console have been discontinued.
Toshiba announced that after reviewing its overall financial strategy, management has made the final decision to cease production of HD DVD players and recorders. “We had no chance to win this fight. If we continued to persist, our consumers would be affected,” said Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida.
But the film company Universal Pictures, one of the few film studios that supported HD DVD, almost immediately after the official announcement from Toshiba, also announced the decision to discontinue the release of HD DVD and switch to Blu-ray. Most likely, Paramount will follow the example of Universal Pictures. As for studios such as Walt Disney, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and MGM, they initially only supported the Blu-ray format.

Blu-Ray

Variations and sizes

A single-layer Blu-ray disc (BD) can store 23.3, 25, or 27 GB - enough capacity to record approximately four hours of high-definition video with audio. The dual-layer disc can hold 46.6, 50, or 54 GB - enough to record approximately eight hours of HD video. Also in development are disks with a capacity of 100 GB and 200 GB using four and eight layers, respectively. TDK Corporation has already announced a prototype of a four-layer disk with a capacity of 100 GB. The BD-RE (BD Re-Writable) standard will be available along with BD-R (Recordable) and BD-ROM formats. Almost all optical media manufacturers have announced their readiness to release rewritable and recordable discs at the same time as the BD-ROM format enters the market.
In addition to the standard 12 cm discs, 8 cm disc variants will be released for use in digital cameras and video cameras, with a planned capacity of 15 GB for a dual-layer version.

Technical details

Laser and optics

Blu-ray technology uses a blue-violet laser with a wavelength of 405 nm to read and write. Conventional DVDs and CDs use red and infrared lasers with wavelengths of 650 nm and 780 nm, respectively.
This reduction made it possible to narrow the track by half compared to a conventional DVD disc - to 0.32 microns - and increase the data recording density.
The shorter wavelength of the blue-violet laser allows more information to be stored on 12 cm discs of the same size as a CD/DVD.

Comparison of effective “spot size”.

The effective "spot size" on which a laser can focus is limited by diffraction and depends on the wavelength of the light and the numerical aperture of the lens used to focus it. Reducing the wavelength, using a larger numerical aperture (0.85, compared to 0.6 for DVD), a high-quality two-lens system, and reducing the thickness of the protective layer by a factor of six (0.1 mm instead of 0.6 mm) made it possible to carry out better and more correct flow of read/write operations. This made it possible to write information to smaller points on the disk, which means storing more information in the physical area of the disk, and also increase the read speed to 36 Mbit/s. In addition to optical improvements, Blu-ray Discs also feature improved encoding technology that allows them to store more information.

Hard surface technology

Due to the fact that on Blu-Ray discs the data is located too close to the surface, the first versions of the discs were extremely sensitive to scratches and other external mechanical influences, which is why they were enclosed in plastic cartridges. This shortcoming raised serious doubts about whether the Blu-ray format could withstand the HD DVD standard, its main competitor. HD DVD, in addition to its lower cost, can exist without cartridges just like the CD and DVD formats, making it more understandable to consumers and also more interesting to manufacturers and distributors who may be concerned about the added costs of cartridges.

The solution to this problem appeared in January 2004, with the introduction of a new polymer coating that gave the discs incredible protection against scratches and dust. This coating, developed by TDK Corporation, is called "Durabis", and allows the BD to be cleaned with paper towels - which can damage CDs and DVDs. The HD DVD format has the same disadvantages, since these discs are based on old optical media. According to press reports, “naked” BDs with this coating remain functional even when scratched with a screwdriver.

Codecs

The codec is used to convert video and audio streams and determines the size that the video will occupy on disk. Some or most of the video discs that appear at the beginning will use the MPEG-2 codec.
Currently, the BD-ROM format specification includes support for three codecs: MPEG-2, which is also standard for DVDs; MPEG-4 H.264/AVC codec and VC-1 are a new rapidly developing codec created on the basis of Microsoft Windows Media 9. When using the first codec, it is possible to record about two hours of high-definition video on one layer, the other two are more modern codecs allow you to record up to four hours of video on one layer.
For audio, the BD-ROM supports linear (uncompressed) PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS-HD and Dolby Lossless (a lossless data compression format also known as Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP).

Compatibility

While the Blu-ray Disc Association does not oblige player manufacturers, it does strongly recommend that they enable Blu-ray devices to play DVD format discs to ensure backward compatibility.
Moreover, JVC has developed a three-layer technology that allows both the DVD and BD physical areas to be applied to a single disc, thus creating a combined BD/DVD disc. Prototypes of the discs were shown at the international consumer electronics show (CES), which took place in January 2006. If it can be introduced into commercial use, it is possible that buyers will have the opportunity to buy a disc that can be played like in modern DVDs. players, and in future BD players, obtaining pictures of different quality.

Region codes

Blu-ray video movies will have different region codes than DVDs. According to the latest press reports, they will be as follows:
Code———Region
1 or A North America, South America, Japan and East Asia (excluding China)
2 or B Europe (except Russia) and Africa
3 or C India, China, Russia, and all other countries.

Copyright protection systems

The Blu-ray format uses an experimental security element called BD+, which allows the encryption scheme to be dynamically changed. Once the encryption is broken, manufacturers can update the encryption scheme, and all subsequent copies will be protected by the new scheme. Thus, a single cipher break will not allow the entire specification to be compromised for the entire period of its life. Mandatory Managed Copy technology will also be used, which allows users to make legal copies of video information in a secure format; this technology was developed by HP and requested its inclusion in the format. It was the lack of the ability to dynamically change the encryption scheme that made it possible to create the DeCSS program, which became a real curse of the film industry: once the Content-Scrambling System (CSS) was cracked, all subsequent DVDs were cracked without any problems.
The next level of protection that discs have is a digital watermark technology called ROM-Mark. This technology will be hard-coded into the drives' ROM during production, preventing the player from playing without a special hidden tag, which the Association claims will be impossible to counterfeit. Thus, through strict regulation and licensing of factories, disk manufacturers will be selected, to whom special equipment will be supplied.
In addition to this, all Blu-ray players will be able to produce a full video signal only through an encrypted interface. This means that most early HDTVs that were sold without HDCP-capable interfaces (HDMI or DVI with HDCP support) will not be able to play high-definition video from Blu-ray discs.

FAQ

– What is Blu-ray?

Blu-ray is known as Blu-ray Disc with the abbreviation BD - a new generation optical disc.
This format was designed for recording, dubbing and playing back high-definition (HD) video, which of course takes up a lot of data on the disk. Blu-ray has more than 5 times the storage density of regular DVD5 and can store more than 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc for Blu-ray movies.

– Why Blu-ray?

The name Blu-ray was taken from technologies that rely on blue-violet lasers to write and read data. The format name is the result of a combination of the words Blue (blue, blue-violet laser) and Ray (ray, optical ray). The Blu-ray Disc Association urges you to ignore the missing letter “e” in the format name, as this was one of the conditions for registering Blu-ray as a trademark.
Correct abbreviations and format name spellings:
Blu-ray Disc, but not Blu-rayu Disk
Blu-ray, but not Blu-ray
BD, but not BR or BRD.

– Who developed Blu-ray?

The Blu-ray format was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of leaders in the fields of consumer electronics, personal computing and multimedia production,
Which has more than 180 representative companies around the world. The current board of directors has representation in the following companies:
Apple Computer, Inc.
Dell Inc.
Hewlett Packard Company
Hitachi, Ltd.
LG Electronics Inc.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Pioneer Corporation
Royal Philips Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Sharp Corporation
Sony Corporation
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
TDK Corporation
Thomson Multimedia
Twentieth Century Fox
Walt Disney Pictures
Warner Bros. Entertainment

– Price for Blu-ray products.

Yandex will help you with the current price difference.

– What Blu-ray disc formats are planned for release?

Based on the needs of the existence of CDs and DVDs in various formats, Blu-ray plans a wide range of formats, including ROM/R/RW. These formats will be specific to Blu-ray:
BD-ROM is a read-only format; this format will distribute high-definition movies, games, software, etc.
BD-R is a format that is designed for recording high-resolution video and any other data onto a blank disc.
BD-RE (RW) is a format that can erase data on the disc and write new ones.
There are also plans to release a BD\DVD-compatible format that could make DVDs and Blu-ray Discs playable on Blu-ray players and DVD players.

– How much data can be recorded on Blu-ray?

Single-layer disks can store 25 GB of data.
Double-layer disks store 50 GB of data.
To make sure that Blu-ray has a very flexible layer structure, which can lead to the highest data storage density, in the future it is planned to release multi-layer discs with sizes from 100 to 200 GB (25 GB per layer) by adding layers.

– How many videos can you fit on Blu-ray?

A dual-layer Blu-ray disc can hold about 9 hours of high-definition video and about 23 hours in regular DVD5 quality.

– How quickly can you read/write information to Blu-ray?

Given the Blu-ray specification, 1x speed has a throughput of 36Mbps. Since BD-ROM movies require a minimum bandwidth of 54Mbps, the minimum speed will be 2x (72Mbps). Since Blu-ray has a huge potential for high speeds, a correspondingly larger numerical aperture (dispersion) adapted to Blu-ray. Consequently, a larger numerical aperture means that a Blu-ray disc requires less writing power and less drive spin-up than DVD and HD-DVD require to achieve the same data transfer speed. If previously recording media files was limited by the recording speed, now it’s the other way around - the limiting factor for Blu-ray is the performance of your computer. This is why BDA already has plans to increase speeds to 8x (288Mbps) and more in the future.

– What video codecs does Blu-ray support?

MPEG-2 – more suitable for high-definition video, also used for playing DVD and HDTV recordings.
MPEG-4 AVC – part of the MPEG-4 standard, also known as H.264 (Low and High Profile)
SMPTE VC-1 is a standard based on Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.

There are no films in Blu-ray format, because... This is a type of disk on which there is a set of data encoded in a certain way.
The analogy with DVD video is usually MPEG-2 + AC3 collected in a special format for playback on DVD players. Thus, it is correct to say not “film in Blu-ray format” but “film on Blu-ray disc”.

– What audio codecs does Blu-ray support?

Linear PCM (LPCM) – up to eight-channel uncompressed audio. (Required)
Dolby Digital (DD) – using DVD, five-channel immersive audio (Required)
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) is an extension of Dolby Digital, seven-channel audio with an immersive effect. (Optionally)
Dolby TrueHD – Lossless audio up to 8 channels.. (optional)
DTS Digital Surround – uses DVD, five-channel audio with an immersive effect. (mandatory)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio is an extension of DTS, seven-channel audio with an immersive effect. (optional)
DTS-HD Master Audio – Lossless audio up to 8 channels. (optional)
Please note that Blu-ray players will have support for the above audio and video codecs, but everything will depend on the decision of the film studios - which of these three codecs is better to use.

– Do you need a box for Blu-ray?

No, the development of new hard surface technology can help eliminate the need for disc boxes. The new coating makes the disc surface more durable and protected from scratches and finger contact compared to DVDs. A new error correction system makes Blu-ray longer lasting and more reliable than regular single-use DVD.

– Do I need an Internet connection for Blu-ray?

No, you don't need an internet connection to play Blu-ray movies normally. The Internet may only be needed if you want to add some features by downloading new add-ons, download movie trailers, etc.
Also, the Internet may be required for authorized copying of Blu-ray movies to a PC.

– Do I need an analog signal converter for Blu-ray?

No, Blu-ray players do not require an analog signal converter unless the video contains the Image Constraint Token (ICT) feature. This feature is not part of Blu-ray, but is part of the AACS copy protection system that is also present in HD DVD.
Film studios will choose on their own whether to include this feature in the release or not.
The good news for now is that Sony, Disney, Fox, Paramount, MGM and Universal will not use ICT.
As for other studios, they will most likely use this option in their releases. If so, then on the boxes with films there will be an indication whether this copy is protected or not.

– Is Blu-ray data backup supported?

Yes, data backup is part of the Blu-ray format.
This function will be available to owners of disks to make legal copies from them and, if desired, distribute them within the boundaries of their home network.

Differences between Blu-ray and DVD (table).


Capacity

Laser wavelength
Numerical aperture
Disc diameter
Disc thickness
Protective layer
Hard surface
Data transfer rate:
Regular data
Audio and video		10.08 Mbps<1x
Video resolution	1920×1080 (1080p)	720x480/720x576 (480i/576i)
Video bitrate
Disc thickness
Protective layer
Hard surface
Data transfer rate:
Regular data
Audio and video		36.55 Mbps<1x
Video resolution	1920×1080 (1080p)	1920x1080 (1080p)
Video bitrate
Video codecs


Audio codecs

	Dolby Digital Plus	Dolby Digital Plus

	DTS Digital Surround	DTS Digital Surround

By now, various TV manufacturers have already presented quite a lot of demo clips in 4K resolution, which look spectacular on the screens of all ultra high definition (UHD) TVs and are absolutely breathtaking. But can we expect the same level of clarity for regular 4K films that weren't shot to deliberately highlight the high resolution of the panels? Not to mention that many films go through additional video processing after filming to “soften” them, giving them an image closer to the film original, unlike those crisp and very cleaned up promotional materials.

We weren't able to get Sony's new FMP-X1 media player loaded with UHD Hollywood movies, but were instead able to borrow a signal generator preloaded with clips from the 4K films After Earth and Total Recall. Of course, these example clips don't correspond to actual full-length films and may not accurately represent most 4K movies on screen, but they give an idea of what we can expect.

After Earth

This is what the Earth looks like after our era on the screen of a Sony Bravia KD-65X9004 UHD TV. All screenshots (screenshots) were taken using a Canon EOS 600D DSLR camera equipped with an EF 23-105mm F4 L lens at ISO100. Please note that the images shown have only been cropped and resized compared to the original images. No additional processing was used.