For one's high definition needs, Blu-ray is the way to go. This type of disc is the only type of HD disc available. Prior to Blu-ray's monopoly, a separate entity existed which challenged Blu-ray and almost won.
The alternative to Blu-Ray was HD DVD, the format promoted by the company Toshiba. Sony and Toshiba fought for years for the high definition format. At the beginning of 2008, it was clear that Blu-ray would succeed.
Before Blu-ray became the only option, an even number of distributors supported both format options. For years, it was essentially a 50/50 split of the market.
The two format types are more similar than different. They both use 405nm blue-violet laser, which enables large amounts of data to be stored. Blu-ray discs have a higher numerical aperture, so they can emit light over more angles and thus have a greater memory capacity.
Blu-ray discs are also substantially faster than HD DVDs. The bit rate for video on Blu-ray is 40.0Mbits, while the rate for HD DVDs is only 29.4Mbits.
It was not the physical differences that determined the winner of the format war. In early 2008, Warner Bros. decided to abandon the HD DVD format, and since they control the largest portion of the DVD market, this severely hurt Toshiba. Other studios followed Warner Bros. example, and soon HD DVD was left with too few titles to compete with Blu-ray.
The final deciding factor was the incorporation of Blu-ray in to the Playstation 3. Since the game system was so wildly popular, the fact that it supported Blu-ray and not HD DVD was quite important. Of course since both the PS3 and most Blu-ray players are made by Sony, this was not surprising.
It is nearly impossible to find HD DVDs in stores anymore, as the format war officially ended when Toshiba announced it would stop developing HD DVD players in February 2008. Since Blu-ray is a better format, not many people minded the fall of its competitor.
The alternative to Blu-Ray was HD DVD, the format promoted by the company Toshiba. Sony and Toshiba fought for years for the high definition format. At the beginning of 2008, it was clear that Blu-ray would succeed.
Before Blu-ray became the only option, an even number of distributors supported both format options. For years, it was essentially a 50/50 split of the market.
The two format types are more similar than different. They both use 405nm blue-violet laser, which enables large amounts of data to be stored. Blu-ray discs have a higher numerical aperture, so they can emit light over more angles and thus have a greater memory capacity.
Blu-ray discs are also substantially faster than HD DVDs. The bit rate for video on Blu-ray is 40.0Mbits, while the rate for HD DVDs is only 29.4Mbits.
It was not the physical differences that determined the winner of the format war. In early 2008, Warner Bros. decided to abandon the HD DVD format, and since they control the largest portion of the DVD market, this severely hurt Toshiba. Other studios followed Warner Bros. example, and soon HD DVD was left with too few titles to compete with Blu-ray.
The final deciding factor was the incorporation of Blu-ray in to the Playstation 3. Since the game system was so wildly popular, the fact that it supported Blu-ray and not HD DVD was quite important. Of course since both the PS3 and most Blu-ray players are made by Sony, this was not surprising.
It is nearly impossible to find HD DVDs in stores anymore, as the format war officially ended when Toshiba announced it would stop developing HD DVD players in February 2008. Since Blu-ray is a better format, not many people minded the fall of its competitor.
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