What Will A Blu-ray Player Will Do For My Movies?

If you have invested in a high-definition television already and then signed up for high-definition television channels, you are probably looking for the best blu-ray player. This page is a very basic, low-tech guide to blu-ray players. I have not chosen one as 'the best blu-ray player.' Instead, I have shared some of the information that I have learned about players in general and links to more valuable information from the experts.

While creating this page I learned a lot about blu-ray; my husband is pleased. I knew very little about it beforehand but could see a need for a very basic page that will help individuals like myself with little or no knowledge of blu-ray technology and, perhaps, technology in general. My most important discovery? Well, that must be that the best blu ray players do allow you to watch your favorite movies in the very best possible quality from the comfort and safety of your home!

A note about the spelling of 'blu-ray' movies. There is a lot of confusion (I had to figure it out myself) and you will no doubt see it these movies and players referred to as blue-ray, bluray, blueray, blu ray and blue ray but it is really properly spelled 'blu-ray.' You will be more successful with your searches online if you spell the term correctly.

If you already know a lot about blu-ray players, you may well know more than what is on this page! Please choose to share some of your knowledge through the comments box!

I wish you Happy Blu-ray Viewing!

Once a hard choice now made quite simple.

You should definitely buy a blu-ray player because in January 2008, HD-DVD or high-definition DVD conceded the battle to blu-ray. That means HD-DVD is finished. I assume that it also means both HD-DVD players and discs either are no longer in production or will cease production shortly.

If you are wondering about streaming movies, there are definitely people doing this but surveys indicate that more people prefer blu-ray discs to streaming movies which means that the move to blu-ray is on.

In the last six-months, blu-ray manufacturers have made valuable advances to entice us into buying their technology. The cost of players has dropped significantly and so has the cost of the discs. Amazon (who I am most familiar with) as well as other companies are offering amazing package deals -- sometimes bundling free discs with players and other times bundling groups of discs.

The movie companies, including Disney and Imax, have increased the release of movies on blu-ray format and now there are over 1,000 movies available on the format. It certainly appears that blu-ray has arrived!

A high-definition television! To make the most of your blu-ray player, you will definitely need a high-definition television. Together, they will be an unbeatable team!

Blu-ray offers up to six times better resolution than DVDs did. They provide even better quality than your high definition television channels. If you value the best quality picture, you are going to love blu-ray.

To understand why blu-ray discs provide better pictures, you need to know the difference between high definition signals known as 1080i and 1080p. Both offer the highest resolution possible today with a television but they are different.

1080i signals are 'interlaced' meaning that the pictures on the screen are displayed half a screen at a time. This picture flips many times a second so that one half and then the other half is displayed. Sounds odd, but this happens so quickly that your eye cannot tell it is going on although you may sense a very slight flicker.

1080p signals are 'progressive' meaning that screen displays the entire picture which updates many times a second so that there is only a full image rather than halves. The result is that the pictures from 1080p are absolutely steady.

Most high-definition televisions support 1080p but the only method for obtaining progressive-scan high definition pictures is from a blu-ray. The signal from your provider -- be it satellite, cable or phone -- can only stream at 1080p.

Along with the fantastic increase in picture quality comes an increase in sound quality. High definition video has high definition audio, as it should. Because blu-ray discs have so much more space on them, the music can be stored uncompressed which translates directly into better sound for you and me.

The two companies involved with the sound are Dolby (they are familiar to me) and DTS (who are not familiar to me.) Each of these companies has a new sound format for blu-ray simply meant to deliver high quality that can be as good as the original from the studio.

It would not be too bad if the choices were that simple -- Dolby and DTS but no, there are a whole bunch of options which I will NOT go into here other than to list them: Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution, PCM, Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio.

Simply put, you can expect much better sound quality with your blu-ray player. If this issue is important to you, I recommend you follow this link for a very thorough discussion of these sound options.

Because of the larger storage capacity of a blu-ray disc, these discs can hold a larger selection of extra features.

Version 1.0 players bring you the ability to watch more content or play games while you watch the movie. For instance, you can see how the movie was made as you watch it. If you do not need or want all of the extras, you can save some money (perhaps $100 or so) by buying this version.

Version 2.0 players bring you a new feature know as BD Live and 1 gigabyte of memory. This allows you to access much more content. With your blu-ray player conntected to the internet, you can access the content that is available.

The Sony Playstation 3 -- plays blu-rays and can be upgraded to Version 2.0 with an online upgrade.

The prices have come down quickly. If you have not looked lately, be sure to look now. A simple standalone player can be had for around $200.

In terms of the costs of the discs themselves, Casino Royale is available on blu-ray from Amazon for $12.99 or on DVD for $10.00. There is not much difference left then, is there?

New release blu-ray discs do, of course, cost more. The Star Trek blu-ray disc is $19.99; DVD, $14.99.

"The Sony PlayStation 3 is the most recommendable Blu-ray player available today. Some home theater die hards will insist on a standalone player, but everyone else should stick with the PS3 until standalones cost much less and perform comparably." -- Matthew Moskovciak, CNET Reviews

If you are interested in the gaming aspects of the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), then it seems like choosing the console may be one of the best blu-ray players. The PS3 at $399 costs more than many standalone players but some consider it one of the best choices. To check out the PlayStation's and its blu-ray capabilities or to purchase it from Amazon, click here.

As I said originally, I am not a tech expert. I have put some time into gathering some basic information for you here because I know that the questions about blu-ray are swirling around out there. Because I am not an expert, I have made a real effort to include links that I have found useful. Please use them to educate yourself.

With that in mind, I would love to hear what you thought of this page. I should add that this page is a work in progress; blu-ray is already changing and evolving...

Thank you for visiting!