Blu-ray discs
Blu-ray discs are a type of optical disc storage that emerged in the early 2000s as a successor to DVDs, utilizing blue laser technology to read and store data. Unlike DVDs, which rely on red lasers, Blu-ray's shorter wavelengths allow for greater data precision and higher storage capacity, enabling playback of high-definition video. The Blu-ray format was championed by a coalition of major electronics companies, including Sony and Pioneer, and gained significant traction after the introduction of the PlayStation 3, which supported Blu-ray playback. In competition with the HD DVD format, Blu-ray ultimately secured backing from key film studios and major retailers, leading to its dominance in the high-definition home video market. The first Blu-ray players were released in June 2006, and the format quickly became popular, prompting studios to digitally restore and release older films in high definition. Additionally, advancements such as 3D playback were introduced, expanding the capabilities of Blu-ray technology. Overall, Blu-ray discs have significantly enhanced the visual and auditory quality of home entertainment for consumers, making them a preferred medium for film and television viewing.
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Subject Terms
Blu-ray discs
Optical discs that can store a large amount of data and present high-definition video
Seeking to develop a successor to the popular but technologically limited DVD format, several major electronics companies began exploring the possibility of using blue lasers to store and read information on disc storage systems in the 2000s. Blu-ray Discs competed with the HD DVD format early in the decade but eventually gained the support of major film studios and consumer electronics manufacturers, becoming the prevalent format for high-definition home video.
Prior to the introduction of Blu-ray Discs, optical disc technology such as DVDs used red lasers to read and store data. Blue lasers, as used in Blu-ray technology, have shorter wavelengths and focus on a smaller area of a disc, reading a greater amount of data more precisely. This allows such discs to play back recorded video in high definition.
Electronics manufacturers Sony and Pioneer first introduced the DVR-Blue, a high-capacity DVD that used blue laser technology, at a trade show in October of 2000. Two years later, Sony and Pioneer joined with seven other leading electronics companies to form the Blu-ray Disc Founders, devoted to developing the Blu-ray Disc format; the group changed its name to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) in 2004. To help boost consumer interest, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 video game console would be able to play Blu-ray Discs. Electronics manufacturer Toshiba introduced a rival format, HD DVD; however, with the support of film studios such as Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Brothers Pictures as well as retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy, Blu-ray Disc was successful in becoming the predominant format for high-definition home video viewing.
Blu-ray Disc players became available for purchase in June 2006, and films in the format were released beginning in the same month. Sales of Blu-ray Discs increased dramatically as the format gained popularity with consumers. Panasonic introduced the first portable Blu-ray Disc player in 2009. That same year, the BDA introduced 3D film technology on Blu-ray Discs, which allowed the discs to be played back in 3D on compatible televisions.
Impact
The introduction of Blu-ray Discs has increased the visual and auditory quality of films, television programs, and other recorded materials available to consumers. Supported by the leading producers of consumer electronics and the major film studios as well as several independent studios, the medium has gained popularity as Blu-ray players have become more prevalent and affordable. In response to this increase in popularity, many studios have begun to restore older titles digitally and release them on Blu-ray Disc for audiences to experience in high definition.
Bibliography
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"History of Blu-Ray Disc." Blu-Ray Disc, http://www.blu-raydisc.com/en/AboutBlu-ray/WhatisBlu-rayDisc/HistoryofBlu-rayDisc.aspx. Accessed 18 Nov. 2016.
Nazarian, Bruce. Fast Path to Blu-ray. Digital Guy, 2009.
Taylor, Jim, Charles Crawford, and Michael Zink. Blu-ray Disc Demystified. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009.
"What is Blu-Ray?" Blu-Ray.com, 2016, http://www.blu-ray.com/info/. Accessed 18 Nov. 2016.