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Introduction

Blu-ray came out in 2006 and is a significant upgrade over the previous DVD format of portable video and data storage using a physical disc. A number of factors prompted the introduction of Blu-ray technology including: The limitations of DVD storage capacity , demands for higher resolution, desire for better image quality and the larger home TV screens that were becoming popularly available.

What Are Blu-ray Films?

Blu-ray movies feature high definition video and audio as well as advanced interactive features.

The name "Blu-ray" refers to the ‘blue’ laser (which is actually violet in colour) used to read the video.

How Does Blu-ray Differ From DVD?

This violet short wavelength allows higher density storage of data when compared with DVDs which use red laser. As a result, DVDs only support standard definition and don't have enough space to allow for film storage at high definition (HD). Whereas single-layered DVDs only offer around 4.7GB of storage, Blu-ray provides 25GB of storage on a single-layered disc. Blu-ray discs also last longer because they’re more scratch-, shatter- and smudge-resistant compared with DVDs even though they share the same dimensions.

All in all, blu-Ray is a far superior quality video storage format in every way.

Image Quality

As you can see in the comparison of image quality below from a scene from Lord Of The Rings, the Blu-ray image to the right allows for sharper, more vivid images with more intense and natural colours. Blu-ray allows sharp, crisp and clear images that are more life-like.

Video Format and Specifications

Blu-ray is high-def (if you’ll pardon the pun) by definition. That means that you can view Blu-ray videos on large screens with no loss in image quality. Blu-ray will display up to full high-definition (HDTV 1080p/1920p or even) and ultra high-definition resolution (2160p). The newer Ultra HD Blu-ray format released in 2015 displays at 4k (2160p) so is ideal for 4k screens.

Compared to standard definition, which is the resolution used in DVDs, HD (high definition) offers up to six times the amount of detail:

Audio And Video Formats

Blu-ray also supports a wide variety of video and audio encoding formats called codecs. However, all will be able to be played by your Blu-ray disc player or Blu-ray compatible computer. For the technical gurus out there, here’s a list of compatible formats:

Supported Blu-ray Video Formats include:

MPEG-2

MPEG-4 AVC

SMPTE VC-1

Supported Blu-ray Audio Formats Include:

Linear PCM (LPCM)

Dolby Digital (DD)

Dolby Digital Plus (DD+)

Dolby TrueHD

DTS Digital Surround

DTS-HD

Blu-ray Playback

To play a Blu-ray disc, you’ll need a dedicated Blu-ray disc player connected to a screen or else a Blu-ray compatible computer. This hardware is available at most electronics stores.

Movie Availability

Almost any mainstream film that is distributed globally will be published in Blu-ray these days.
Local video stores will stock Blu-ray discs (often alongside DVD’s). You can generally purchase Blu-ray discs wherever videos are sold.

Additional Features

Thanks to the extended storage capacity of Blu-ray discs, look out for added features in your discs such as extra/extended scenes

Region-Specific Video

Similar to DVD, Blu-ray has region-specific encoding meaning certain discs can only be played in certain global regions.
Region A: North America, South America and South East Asia.

Region B: Europe, Africa, Middle East, French territories and Greenland.

Region C: The rest of the world including Russia, Asia, and China.