Blu-ray Technology

Welcome to Bluray360.com, an online source for everything you need to know related to Blu-ray Disc (BD) technology. Bluray360.com contains various Blu-ray tech related information, reviews, news, guides about Blu-ray hardware, movies, software, and much more.

Blu-ray is the name of the next-generation optical disc which was developed by the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association). This is a group of the leading personal computer, electronics and media manufacturers, including Hitachi, Apple, JVC, Dell, HP, Pioneer, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Sony, Sharp, Thomson, Philips and TDK.

The Blu-ray was developed for recording purposes, playback of HD video and rewriting. It is also capable of storing huge amounts of data. The Blu-ray offers over five times the amount of storage space compared to the DVD disc. On a single layer Blu-ray disc information stored can be up to 25GB and on a dual-layer disc it can hold up to 50GB. With this extra capacity and the combination of advanced audio and video codecs it will present you extraordinary high-definition experience.

Your current optical discs such as DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD and DVD-RAM solely rely on a red laser to read and write information, where the new Blu-ray format uses a violet-blue laser instead. That is where the name Blu-Ray comes from. Although there are different lasers used, Blu-ray can easily become compatible with DVDs and CDs using a CD/BD/DVD optical pick up device. With its 405nm wavelength laser, it is a benefit using the violet-blue laser than the standard 605nm red laser. This also makes the Blu-ray possible to focus the laser with great precision. This simply means that data is packed tightly and is stored in the least possible space, which makes it possible to fit more information on the disc even though the size corresponds with the sizes of CD and DVDs. Because of this and the change of the numerical aperture 0.85 is what makes Blu-ray discs hold 25GB and 50GB of data.

Blu-ray is currently being used by over 175 of the world’s consumer electronics, recording media, music companies, and personal computer and video game companies. The format has broad support from today’s major DVD format successor. Paramount, Disney, Lionsgate, Warner, Fox, Sony and MGM are all the supporting Blu-ray. Movie companies have earlier announced releasing movies on Blu-ray discs as well as catalogs every single month.