Posts Tagged ‘Blu-Ray’
Question Asked: Do Blu-ray Players Play Regular DVDs?
Great question, and one I’m sure many people are wondering the answer to.
Yes, Blu-ray players also play regular DVDs. Not only will they play regular DVDs, but they’ll also play CDs, DVD-Rs, and DVD-RWs.
In fact, you’re probably pretty safe putting any type of video disc in your Blu-ray player, and it should work. The only types of discs that I can think of that won’t work are computer games or HD-DVDs.
So you don’t need to worry about keeping that old DVD player hooked up once you pick up a Blu-ray player. The Blu-ray player will replace your existing player, and thensome.
Question Asked: Why Are Blu-ray Discs So Expensive?
Great question. I often ask myself the same thing when walking through the DVD aisle at Best Buy.
The answer, actually, is quite simple.
Blu-ray
Back in the ’90s when the first DVD player came out, not only were the discs extremely expensive, but the players were.
I remember paying around $1200 for my first DVD player back in 1996. A friend of mine still has it, I believe. Those first six DVDs that I bought (there were only six available when I got my first DVD player), were about $25 each, compared to today, when you can get a DVD for $10.
In time, the prices will come down on both the players, and the Blu-ray
Once the companies that developed the technology have made back all the money they’ve spent on making Blu-ray
If you’re asking yourself if it’s worth it or not, it is. Spend the money. Anyone who likes movies deserves to watch them in Blu-ray
Question Asked: How much better is Blu-Ray?
I’ll admit it. I bought HD-DVD in hopes that it’d win the format war. Unfortunately, it didn’t, and I had to go out and buy a Blu-Ray player. After all, I’m a movie buff, and want the best experience I can get, right? I’m glad I did. While there’s very little noticeable difference between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, the difference between Blu-Ray and standard DVD is noticeable to anyone.
Check out the images below from the standard DVD of Spider-man 3 *Blu-ray on top, regular DVD on bottom*:
If you can’t see the difference in the Blu-Ray version, then maybe upgrading isn’t worth it to you. It’s pretty evident how much better it is, to most people. For more Blu-Ray vs. DVD comparisons, check out this site I found.
Blu-Ray (like most High Definition formats) has superior sound to standard definition. Many Blu-Ray discs have better than 5.1 surround sound (some I’ve looked at have 7.1 soundtracks). While you may not be able to take advantage of seven channels of audio (yet), someday you will be.
How much better is Blu-Ray, was the question. I’m assuming it means versus standard DVD, which is how I wrote this post. Also see What’s the difference between high definition and standard definition from last week.