All About Blu-ray BD Players
Blu-ray, the next stage in audio visual evolution - find great prices and info on our range of models. Make sure that you get the Bluray disc player that meets your needs at the very best price by checking out the merchant and Ebay links on the individual product pages.
We've compiled information on some of the most popular Blu-ray players and maufacturers, given you the chance to check for the best deals all in one place. We've also added a special section for budget players, so as you can get into the exciting world of HD Blu-ray viewing without spending a fortune. We hope you find your next player via our site, you'll love its picture quality to bits.
Blu-ray BD Player By Section
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| Panasonic Blu-ray Players | Samsung Blu-ray Players | Sony Blu-ray Players |
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| Budget Blu-ray Players |
About Blu-ray Players And The Blu-Ray Format
Blu-Ray is a media format that provides High Definition video and audio playback, which is of a far superior quality than that of conventional DVD. Although the discs are of a similar size to DVD discs, the comparison to the DVD format is quite difficult to balance. The Blu-Ray disc can, dependent on size, store more than 10 times that of DVD, and a Blu-Ray Disc (BD) player can provide a playback and audio quality that far outstrips anything that a DVD player could ever hope to achieve.
Blu-Ray players use a 405nm shortwave violet laser (although it appears to the naked eye to be blue – hence the name), as opposed to the DVD which employs a red 605nm laser, the shorter wavelength results in a substantial increase in the amount of data that can be stored. This has led to the main companies supporting High Definition DVD, in particular Toshiba, ceasing all development and manufacture in this area to concentrate instead on the Blu-Ray Disc production. The Blu-Ray Disc player is now likely to become an industry standard with other older formats likely to become obsolete. This has been further assisted by the major names in the electronics industry joining forces to further develop and lead the way under the name of the Blu-Ray Disc Association.
Certainly Blu-Ray production of both hardware and discs has increased substantially and is likely to continue to do so, many film studios are now choosing to release films only in this HD format and no longer to release in HD DVD. It appears that Blu-Ray disc is the victor, and this is also supported by the reported increase in sales of this media amongst retailers.
The beauty of the Blu-Ray disc is that it also usually allows for backward compatibility, which means that older formats whether audio or video, can be played and at an enhanced quality. Though not compulsory as an industry standard it is certainly recommended by the Blu-Ray Disc Association. The progress in the development of Blu-Ray disc production means that it is very likely that a single BD/DVD disc will be released eventually offering the purchaser a choice of either Blu-Ray or DVD playback. The benefit is not only to the industry in cost savings, but also to the consumer who already has a DVD player and is waiting to upgrade to BD.
Although quality of the BD format is exceptional there are associated problems for the consumer, in particular certain discs may have codes embedded allowing for playback only in certain geographical areas. Although an irritation to the end user this has become necessary to allow the continued release schedules for the film industry. A further embedded code developed as BD+ can prevent copying or tampering of discs and in certain instances will allow the publisher to restrict playback to only one machine. The benefits to the film industry are evident with counterfeiting being a multi million pound problem for film studios. Certainly for the average consumer, the restriction to one BD player could cause an inconvenience as most people are likely to want to continue to share their film collections with their relative or to transfer to use on a new BD player in the event of upgrade.
