What is Blu-ray quality? What is blu ray and how does it differ from the regular format, and what image quality does it provide? Myth busted: Blu-Ray discs are no more expensive than regular DVDs
Which raised a lot of questions and debates.
As part of this material, I want to provide answers to the most popular questions, or rather, the myths that surround this new optical disk technology.
I hope this material will help everyone who wants to clarify the situation for themselves and decide whether to use Blu-Ray now or wait.
So, let's begin!
Myth 1: “Blu-Ray is expensive!”
The most common belief.
Yes, it is understandable that, for example, a regular DVD-R disc costs a couple of tens of rubles, and a BD-R disc costs a hundred. 
But let's start from the price per gigabyte!
It would be fair, wouldn't it?
One DVD-R disc holds 4.7GB of information (to be exact, 4.481GB) and costs an average of 17-20 rubles.
I mean now - only QUALITY discs. It is clear that you can find a blank DVD-R for a price of 5 rubles, but these are “non-name” products that we are not even talking about. But let's get back to the calculations...
One BD-R disc holds 25 GB of information, which is exactly 5 times more than a simple DVD-R can hold.
Now let's multiply the cost of one DVD-R by 5: 20*5=100. 100 rubles (give or take) costs 5 high-quality DVD-R discs.
But that’s exactly how much a BD-R disc costs on average! Maybe a couple of tens of rubles more expensive, but this is rare. This is understandable; price increases may be observed in some stores.
Well, even if you buy a BD-R disc for 130-140 rubles, you can consider that you paid extra for nice bonus: You don't have to split your files into 4.7 GB chunks (like DVDs) and just throw them onto one disc.
This can be an invaluable advantage, for example, when it comes to recording a home photo archive to disk, right?
Myth busted: Blu-Ray discs are no more expensive than regular DVDs!
You can check it yourself. Look at the cost of disks in online stores, look for the price ranges that I indicated.
I, in turn, will provide a couple of links to prove the above price calculations.
Myth 2: “Why Blu-Ray if you have USB hard drives?”
Of course, it would be very incorrect to compare these two completely different classes of information storage devices, but you and I, so be it, will do it. 
Arguments in favor of HDD:
- “Profitable: high capacity and low price”
- “Data storage reliability”
- “Ability to overwrite”
Now let's look at them all in turn.
"Profitable." Again, let's look at our cost per gigabyte. Regular hard A 500 GB disk costs on average 2800-3000 rubles.
A rewritable BD-RE disc costs about 120 rubles: http://meg.ru/shop/UID_4379.html.
We multiply 120 rubles by 20 disks (20 BD-REs of 25GB each is 500GB) and we get 2400 rubles.
It turns out even cheaper! 😉
"Reliable." This is absolutely not true. Take and throw a regular optical disc from the table onto the floor. After that, take and insert this optical disc into your computer. You can guarantee 1001% that it will be read perfectly. 
What happens if you drop it? HDD?
And this fact cannot be ignored: no one has yet canceled accidents. And this accident can cost all the data, which is also important if we are talking about storing valuable data.
Now I am not trying to take several facts out of context and veiledly mix them up. I just want to show that EACH of these devices has its disadvantages.
An optical disc must be handled with care to avoid scratches - this is true. But you need to be no less careful with the HDD so as not to “knock” it accidentally, not to overheat, connect/disconnect it correctly, etc.
The list of pros/cons goes on. And in principle, they all equalize each other.
"Possibility of overwriting." A BD-RE disc can be rewritten almost 1000 times.
I once conducted an experiment with DVDs (their number of permissible rewrite cycles is the same). Got myself a new one DVD disc-RW and "vowed" to only use it until it stopped being overwritten.
The disk has been used very intensively, countless gigabytes have gone through it, but it still writes and reads perfectly well!
Conclusion: 1000 cycles is a lot. Really a lot.
Myth 3: “Blu-Ray is still a new technology, and BD discs are not yet high quality”
Oddly enough, this myth also has no basis.
Firstly, Blu-Ray technology itself has been around for more than 5 years.
Secondly, this has nothing to do with the quality of the discs.
High-quality BD discs are produced such well-known companies, like: TDK, Verbatim, SONY, Panasonic, PHILIPS.
Myth 4: “You need a special program to burn Blu-Ray discs”
This is absolutely not true. BD discs can be burned with the same programs that are designed to work with DVDs: Nero, Ashampoo, etc. Many of them are completely free.
I recommend wonderful multifunctional program with the widest possible capabilities, and also absolutely free: Ashampoo Burning Studio Free.
Myth 5: “You need to carefully select discs for your Blu-Ray drive due to compatibility issues”
Also a statement that has no basis. Yes, sometimes there are cases of incompatibility with certain blanks (mostly with “non-branded” blanks).
Guaranteed protection from this is simple: always buy only branded discs. Always remember that when you buy an unknown, cheapest disk, you are buying LOW-QUALITY media for your valuable information.
Myth 6: “Blu-Ray will soon disappear from the market”
Absolutely untrue.
Yes, not so long ago there was a time when we could all watch the confrontation between two standards: HD DVD and Blu-Ray. However, after a short “battle” it became clear that Blu-Ray is a more promising, convenient, simple and relatively cheap technology.
We can safely say that the era of war is long behind us. Today we have an absolute winner - Blu-Ray, which for the next couple of decades, at least, will not leave the market.
Myth 7: “Blu-Ray today is cheap consumer goods”
The fact that prices for Blu-Ray drives and discs have dropped significantly today does not mean that they are of low quality.
Be careful when choosing a drive: today it is quite possible to buy an excellent drive (the same Pioneer or ASUS) for $100, and it will burn discs excellently.
Epilogue
Well, we have looked at the most pressing and pressing questions about Blu-Ray that users can encounter.
I hope this material was useful to you and helped you clarify a lot of new things for yourself.
If not, ask questions in the comments! 🙂
The most modern types of discs today are Blu-ray and DVD. What are their features?
Blu-ray Facts
Blu-ray is one of the newest technologies for recording digital information on plastic discs using a so-called blue laser beam with a wavelength of 405 nm. This standard was developed in 2006 and soon began to actively spread on the market.
The word Blue is present in the name of the technology in a slightly different form - Blu, since the phrase blue ray the development company - Blu-ray Disc Association - did not have the legal opportunity to register it as a trademark.
Shorter Blu-ray laser wavelength compared to others disk formats allows you to record digital data on a medium using a narrow track - within 0.32 microns. This makes it possible to place data more densely on the disk. As a result, a larger volume of files is written to the media. Thus, a single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB of data.
In this case, the total number of layers on the corresponding media can reach several dozen. Thus, a Blu-ray disc can theoretically store hundreds of GB of information. But among the most popular types of media today are single-layer with a capacity of 25 GB, as well as double-layer, on which you can record 50 GB of information.
The indicated parameters correspond to standard discs with a diameter of 12 cm. But there are also Blu-ray media of a reduced size - 8 cm. The capacity of their single-layer modifications is 7.8 GB, double-layer - 15.6 GB.
Disposable Blu-ray media is called BD-R. There are also rewritable modifications of discs - BD-RE and BD-RE DL.
One more advantage of Blu-ray technology can be noted - the very high speed of reading files from disks - more than 400 Mbit/s. In turn, the recording speed on Blu-ray media can reach similar values and even exceed them when the drive is rotated by a factor of 12X or more.
In practice, using Blu-ray discs, you can ensure stable playback of video data in a resolution of about 1920 by 1080 pixels with a bitrate within 40 Mbit/s with full support for the capabilities of codecs such as MPEG-4 AVC.
DVD facts
DVD standard historically predates Blu-ray technology. It was developed in 1996. DVD drives use a red laser with a wavelength of 650 nm. Therefore, the DVD format is objectively inferior to Blu-ray in terms of ensuring recording density on the medium. The laser track width on DVDs is more than twice that of the Blu-ray standard - 0.74 microns. On a single-layer DVD of the classic size - 12 cm - you can store up to 4.7 GB of information, on a double-layer - 8.5. A mini DVD (8 cm in diameter) holds 1.4 GB of data in a single-layer version, as well as 2.8 GB in a double-layer version.
DVD read and write speeds are about 1.32 Mbps based on a 1X drive rotation ratio. Most of the corresponding devices installed on modern PCs can produce an indicator of about 10-12X. But there are also faster modifications of DVD drives that can rotate at a rate of 20X or higher.
In practice, using DVDs, you can ensure stable playback of a video stream in a resolution of about 720 by 480 pixels with a bitrate of 9.8 Mbit/s with full support for codecs such as MPEG-2.
Comparison
The main difference between Blu-ray and DVD is the reduced laser wavelength. As a result, the newer data recording standard has other advantages: high speed writing, reading data, the ability to place a larger volume of files on the disk.
Having determined what the difference is between Blu-ray and DVD, we will record the corresponding conclusions in the table.
| Blu-ray | DVD |
| What do they have in common? | |
| Same size of running discs - 12 cm ( standard media) and 8 cm (reduced or mini) | |
| Using laser technology to record data on disk | |
| What is the difference between them? | |
| Laser - blue, wavelength 405 nm | Laser - red, wavelength 650 nm |
| Laser track width - 0.32 microns | Laser track width - 0.74 microns |
| The capacity of single-layer media in the standard version is 25 GB | Capacity of single-layer media with a diameter of 12 cm - 4.7 GB |
| Read and write speed - about 36 Mbit/s based on 1X drive rotation ratio | Read and write speed - about 1.32 Mbit/s based on 1X drive rotation factor |
| Provides stable video playback in a resolution of 1920 by 980 pixels using codecs such as MPEG-4 AVC | Provides stable video playback in resolutions up to 720 by 480 pixels using MPEG2 codecs |
Blue-ray is similar in appearance to a regular CD; the same thickness of 1.2 mm and the same diameter of 12 cm. The main difference from conventional CDs and DVDs is the memory capacity; Up to 25 GB of information can be placed on the first single-layer products, and up to 50 on double-layer products. Moreover, if we're talking about oh, then this will be HD (High Definity) content. Today Blue-ray has already appeared with a memory capacity of 100, 128 GB.
Features of Blue-ray technology
To read information in the described system, not a red laser is used, but a blue one. This replacement was caused by the fact that the blue wave has a shorter length, which made it possible to increase the memory capacity by 5 times compared to classic DVDs. The technology involves the use of a laser beam with a wavelength of 405 nm. This made it possible to narrow the recording track to 0.32 µm, resulting in increased recording density.
The second feature of the technology is the reduction of the protective layer from 0.6 to 0.1 mm, which made it possible to carry out the read (write) operation in a more correct mode. The standard diameter of today's Blue-ray disc is the same 120 mm with a memory of 27 GB. For portable devices developers offer products with a diameter of 30 mm and a memory capacity of 1 GB.
Modern Blue-ray formats
The cheapest option is the read-only Blue-ray ROM standard. The second option - BD-R (Blue-ray recordable) can be used for recording only once. This is the most popular product for recordable players. The main purpose of such disks is to preserve and distribute information.
BD-R can be single- or double-layer: production is based on sputtering technology, just like RW discs. The pinnacle of blue ray technology is the BD-RE (Blue-ray Writable) series discs, which can withstand up to 1000 rewrites. These disks use working layers that change their phases. Such material has proven itself well when creating DVD-RW, CD-RW: in conditions new technology All that remains is to adjust the system to the new blue wavelength. BD-RE storage media, due to the possibility of repeated rewriting, are an economically advantageous purchase.
Obviously, Blue-ray cannot be played on a player designed for viewing (listening) to files on CD or DVD media. Therefore, today manufacturers offer universal systems, capable of perceiving as regular CDs, and those created using Blue-ray technology.
We have repeatedly heard mentions of Blu-ray technologies, without having an exact idea about the structure and general characteristics of this phenomenon. Why this format has become so widely popular, and what exactly makes it so good that it's worth abandoning the usual DVDs? Let's figure it out.
What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray (BR) technology is a type of optical media(disks) and is used to store high-definition video and audio files. To fully understand the essence of this technology, you should understand the main nuances:
- The discs received this name for a reason.
The literal translation of the name “Blu-ray” is blue ray (from the English “Blueray”). This is due to the way such media is read. For CD and DVD discs to obtain information from them, red or infrared radiation. But the blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength, which makes it possible to significantly increase the focus and “examine” those parts of the disk that the red beam was not able to see.
- All characteristics have improved significantly.
Due to the possibility of placing it on a disk of the same size (physical) as a DVD more information, managed to achieve Full-HD resolution. These are films that have impressive clarity, overall quality of the video stream and even sound.
With HDTV and a good sound system, it has become possible to increase the effect of watching movies by new level:
- the quality of details on the screen has improved greatly;
- previously blurred background objects have clear outlines;
- the sound has become indistinguishable from the real thing: interference and low quality are a thing of the past;
- the number of FPS (frames per second) was increased from 24 to 60.
With such image quality and video smoothness, Blu-ray instantly became a leader and has no analogues. Even high-quality satellite television is not able to provide content of this level.
- The disk capacity has increased.
Due to the ability to read previously inaccessible sections of information, a BR disc can store 5 times more data than a DVD and 8 times more if the disc is double-layered.
With all these indicators, the full picture opens up: Blu-ray technology allows you to get the highest quality image and sound in all existing parameters. However, the use of BR technology does not always lead to exclusively benefits.
Advantages and disadvantages
Any thing in our world has its pros and cons, and Blu-ray is no exception. To the list of doubts advantages includes:
- accessibility to posting a large amount of information (up to 4 hours of high-definition video);
- amazing quality of video and audio streams;
- more reliable and accurate reading of information;
- additional interactive features;
- backward compatibility(for Blu-ray players);
- usage modern algorithms coding (increases not only the quality, but also the speed of access to information);
- picture-in-picture function.
These and other advantages of the technology in question are described in this video.
However, there are also some minuses related to this format:
- Price.
The key disadvantage of Blu-ray technology is its cost in the market. The discs themselves do not differ much in price (compared to HD-DVDs), but BR players are completely the opposite. Due to the fact that you can’t watch Blu-Ray discs on a regular DVD player, manufacturers put very serious price tags on BR players.
- Number of films.
This technology appeared relatively recently, so although many films are created in Blu-ray quality, their number is still significantly less than in the usual HD-DVD format.
- Loading time.
Depending on the type of menu (the more complex, the longer), loading a BR disk can take up to 90 seconds. Movies with simple menu loads on average in 20 seconds. But this is still a significant minus and the need to dutifully wait for the allotted time in order to switch to the required time period in the film.
- Lack of backward compatibility.
Blu-ray players can play movies recorded on DVDs and CDs without any problems. But you will never be able to watch a movie in Blu-ray quality on a standard DVD player. The way such a player reads information is simply not suitable for this format.
Therefore, it is not enough to buy a disc - you also need a BR player, and the prices for it, let’s not forget, are quite significant.
Features of Blu-ray technology
Despite the identical external components of BR and DVD discs, they have quite a big difference in their characteristics.
What is the difference:
- Blu– ray discs are much more reliable.
They are made of more durable plastic, increasing scratch resistance several times.
- Large capacity.
Thanks to the use of a blue beam for reading information instead of red, the volume of disks has increased. A single-layer BR disk can accommodate 25 GB of data, a double-layer one – 50 GB, then 100 GB and 128 GB, respectively.
In 2008, Pioneer announced 20-layer Blu-ray media. According to the staff, this is equivalent to 500 GB of free recording space, which is an impressive value.
- KVK function.
The key innovation of Blu-ray discs is the ability to view video in picture-in-picture format. Moreover, it is possible to record a High Definition Television (HDTV) program in real time while viewing the contents of the disc itself. And if the BR player has access to the Internet, you can download subtitles, additional audio tracks and perform other actions without interrupting the movie.
- Total quality.
Since there are no analogues to Blu-ray recording, the highest resolution video from other sources will be recorded onto the disc without any loss of quality.
- Editing entries.
BR technology allows you to change, edit and rearrange information recorded on disk in real time. DVDs can only dream of this. This feature also allows you to create separate playlists.
- 3D-technology.
Movies in Blu-ray quality may have a 3D effect. This was made possible due to the large amount of space for data recording. Of course, this does not compare to the cinema, but this is the first “real” home 3D, and not a game with red-green filters (3D Anaglyph).
These features of BR discs are not available for DVD media. This is what makes Blu-ray technology so valuable and opens up many avenues for future changes and improvements. Even taking into account the disadvantages associated with the cost of players, etc., this technology has received worldwide recognition and continues to develop rapidly.
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Translation from HDTV Solutions.com
Cost of Blu-ray players in Lately decreased significantly, transferring them from the category of elite products to the sector of mass demand. Today you can find models with a varied set of additional features at an affordable price for every buyer. This guide will help the buyer decide when choosing a Blu-ray player.
A little bit of history
For those who are not familiar with the history of Blu-ray players, a short historical excursion may be useful. The information received will really help in the process of choosing the player you need.
Blu-ray players are essentially the same DVD players, adapted to play larger discs and equipped with additional features. A main feature Blu-ray discs allow you to record high-definition video on them.
Let's go back to the recent past, when TVs were thin and not flat, and their screen resolution was 480 lines, which is now called standard (SD). To watch films on such TVs, video studios recorded them on DVD discs in a resolution of 480 lines. This format suited everyone until the HDTV TVs that took over the market today appeared.
As an interim solution, manufacturers have equipped traditional DVD players with upscaling technology. standard video 480p with the ability to display a video signal on the TV screen in 1080p resolution.
The presence of upscaling technology in traditional DVD players is considered by many to be the reason why many people do not buy Blu-ray players. (Although, I guess the main reason is their high cost).
I'm amazed at how well players can upscale 480p source material to high definition, allowing you to enjoy old collections on DVD. However, when performing upscaling, the player has limited quantity video information, and calculates the missing information by filling the gaps in the image with increased quality and trying to create a picture as similar as possible to the original, but in high resolution.
But even the latest powerful video processors in best players have limited capabilities for improving images from DVD discs. DVD resolution is not enough to create high-quality, high-definition images. To provide full high-definition images on an HDTV screen, disks capable of storing more data and players capable of reproducing them are required.
A single-sided DVD can hold up to 4.7 gigabytes (GB) of data, which is enough for standard-definition movies but not enough for 1080p high-definition features.
To increase capacity optical disk technology using blue laser was developed. We managed to fit 25 GB of information onto a single-layer Blu-ray disc. Since that time, film studios began recording their films on Blu-ray discs in super resolution 1080p. High-definition video conveys more details, the picture becomes sharper with better color rendering, allowing your HDTV to show off its full capabilities. Naturally, the image provided by Blu-ray discs is much better than that achieved by upscaling a standard DVD.
Blu-ray players appeared in 2006. And for some time there was a so-called war of formats. Toshiba and a number of other companies have developed and began producing HD DVD players that are incompatible with the regular DVD format. (Neither Blu-ray players nor DVDs could read HD DVDs.)
Toshiba capitulated in early 2008 and stopped developing HD DVD players. The end of the format war was the introduction of the first Blu-ray player Toshiba BDX2000.
Blu-ray specification
The stages of improvement in Blu-ray players in recent years are reflected in three specifications called profiles - Profile 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0.
Profile 1.0 provides Blu-ray disc playback and basic interactive functionality. Profile 1.1, also called BonusView, allows picture-in-picture display and secondary audio tracks from BonusView discs. All Blu-ray players manufactured after October 31, 2007 met at least profile 1.1. Several models of profile 1.1 are still being produced.
A little later, BD-Live or Profile 2.0 appeared, requiring players to have a port to connect to the Internet, from where content available for players with BD-Live technology can be downloaded. Let's figure out how BD-Live players work. Built-in hardware and software components allow them to access the Internet directly, without a computer. If available in your home wired Internet, you can connect Ethernet cable from the player to the router. (Some players have a wireless interface for connection).
If you then load a BD-Live compatible disc into the player, a menu containing a BD-Live option will appear on the TV screen. If you open it, the player will connect to the film studio's website and offer you additional materials. For example, for the first disc of Transformers, you can download video clips of interviews with the director and film troupe, and experiment with robots.
Not all Blu-ray Disc movies support BD-Live technology, but those that do offer a variety of extras. Many movies, especially Disney ones, allow you to connect to social networks, so you can chat with friends who are also watching the movie at the same time.
Some viewers aren't interested in BD-Live extras. If you just want to watch a movie without any extras, like on an old DVD player, do not connect your player to the Internet or even choose a player model that supports profile 1.1 (BonusView). Such players are also generally cheaper than models that support BD-Live. Thus, if you are not interested in BD-Live or do not have the ability to connect to the Internet, you can save a little by purchasing a player only with BonusView support.
When familiarizing yourself with various player models, you may come across the term “BD-Live Ready”. Typically, such models belong to profile 1.1, but have an Ethernet port even after replacement firmware the player may become BD-Live compatible.
You should also know that in order to load BD-Live materials, the player must have at least 1 GB of memory. Some models have built-in memory, others like the Sharp BD-HP22U include 2GB of external memory as part of the purchase package. Other players have neither internal nor external memory and leave the solution to this problem to you.
Many people already have flash drives at home and can use them together with the player. In any case, if you plan to use the BD-Live function, make sure that the player has built-in memory; if not, check that the flash drive is included in the purchase.
Compatibility
As I already noted, most of the players sold today are equipped with a wide range of functionality and belong to the 2.0 profile. But let's start looking at players with profile 1.1. The main parameter of the player is compatibility. Almost all Blu-ray players can play DVDs and audio discs. As well as a variety of format options such as BD-R/RE, CD (CD-DA), CD-R/RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R and DVD-RW.
If you don't have any idea about the need to support any of these formats, you probably don't need to worry, because commercial movie and music discs typically don't use them. And if you have similar discs, you should check the player’s specifications for compatibility with this recording format.
USB port and SD card slot
Many manufacturers build a USB port or SD card slot into the player, which allows you to receive content from USB drives or SD cards.
The most frequently used function is playback of photos from flash drives. Some players only allow you to read photos in .jpeg format, others can play music and movies. If you are a fan of the DIVX video format, you may want to look for a player that supports this format. To do this, you will have to study the specifications of the players to find out what files they support. I can imagine the need to view photos and videos from flash drives, but I don’t see the point in listening to music through the TV, for two reasons. First, not all TVs have a function to turn off the screen when listening to music. This will cause your TV to consume additional power. And perhaps more importantly, the audio quality of most TVs is not good enough.
However, if you pass the sound from the player through an audio/video receiver to a separate sound system- it will be much The best decision. Which is akin to another opportunity that is near and dear to many audiophiles who love their analog audio/video receivers.
Analog 7.1 audio outputs
Most inexpensive Blu-ray players only have analog stereo audio output. Therefore, most users take a digital audio signal from the player or through HDMI cable, or from the SPDIF digital output. And this is a perfect solution.
But there are analogue audio purists who choose a Blu-ray player with 7.1 audio outputs, which are found on some high-end players like the Pioneer BDP-320. Usually you pay extra price for this feature. And if there is no need for it, you can find similar less expensive models with only a stereo output.
Network connection
If, having purchased a profile 2.0 player, you want to use the BD-Live functions, you will have to connect it to the network, which will require certain skills.
If you, like me, have a router with network access, but located in another room, then you will have to install a special one from there network cable and connect it to your Blu-ray player.
Another option could be wireless connection. Players such as the Sony BDP-560 have a built-in wireless interface. Others, such as the Samsung BD-P3600, may use a separate wireless adapter, included in the kit. Other users will have to find and buy a compatible wireless adapter.
The next step will require you to perform the procedure software connection with the network, which can vary significantly depending on the equipment used and the method of accessing the network.
Streaming Content
All the previous steps can be an ordeal, but after connecting the player to your home network, all efforts will be rewarded by the variety of materials now available for reproduction. One of the invaluable advantages is the ability to directly play files from your computer or media server that are now received via your home network. But not all players support this feature. In the reference literature on players, you need to look at the possibility of connecting with DLNA devices(Digital Living Network Alliance).
I don't like much of the BD-Live footage I've seen, but I can appreciate how many movie fans would like to see more behind-the-scenes clips and experiment with the interactive features.
I'm more interested in Internet content providers. For example, the LG BD370 player supports connection to Netflix, CinemaNow and YouTube from the main menu. When the player is connected to the Internet, you can use it to watch movies and videos received in streaming format on your TV screen.
I love watching movies, and I'm intoxicated by the ability to instantly download over 17,000 movies from Netflix. If you're a monthly Netflix subscriber, this streaming service is free for you. Other player manufacturers partner with providers like Amazon Video on Demand, whose service is different from Netflix. On Amazon, you either buy the material or pay for the display. For an additional fee, Amazon offers a selection of more than 40,000 items.
With any of these providers, you could watch movies and videos from the comfort of your home, all day long.
Last time streaming video The Internet and devices that offer access to it are developing like an avalanche. The number of TV models that have the ability to directly connect to the Internet is increasing. Various devices and attachments are appearing that provide streaming content from the Internet.
If you plan to receive streaming video from the Internet in good quality, you need a fairly fast and stable connection to your Internet provider, ideally about 10 megabits per second. I know some sites offer a low speed stream of around 2.5 megabits per second. But if someone in your home watches movies on this connection at the same time as you, the quality of the movie may deteriorate. At least try to have 5 megabits per second. To summarize, I want to say that you will be even more satisfied with a super high-speed connection.
Design
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As for the color range of the cases, you can find matte black, glossy black and gray, sometimes with a silver finish. I know designers who struggle with every curve and detail they're not sure about, but most Blu-ray players look the same. And after they began to be often hidden on shelves, their appearance probably does not matter. of great importance when choosing a purchase.
Fine adjustment controls
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I'm guessing that if you feel the need to make adjustments, you turn to the TV first, not the player. If you are a fan of player settings, then, as I have seen, the OPPO BDP-83 has one of the most advanced sets of controls.
Energy consumption
You might think that you shouldn't worry about the power consumption of a device as small as a Blu-ray player. And you are wrong, many have a habit of sucking extra electricity.
For example, I recently dealt with Sony player BDP-S560. Measured disc playback power consumption ranged between 17.3 and 17.5 watts, which is average for such players. 17 watts is a small energy consumption, especially if you use the player three to four times a week.
But there is one trap here. BDP-S560 has a mode quick start(Quick Start), which reduces loading time when the player is turned on. And it increases electricity consumption. If you enable the Quick Start mode, then when the player is switched to standby mode, the measured power readings do not fall below 7.8 - 8 watts. What if it's on the menu system settings disable Quick mode Start, then when the player is turned off, the power consumption drops to almost zero. Do you need the player to run the electric meter for 160 hours a week?
This is one of the reasons why I don't pay attention to how quickly the player loads the disc. For me, the minor time savings with Quick Start enabled does not matter given the constant power consumption.
Reliability
Of course, you should expect your player to handle any content from purchased discs flawlessly. (I will not dwell on the expectations of good playback of the disc that Uncle Vasya burned on his computer). You have to understand that if you save $25 on a new movie release, you can't expect a perfect showing.
It is a reality that some Blu-ray players high class"stumble" on separate content. To be fair, usually the problem areas are associated with special shooting modes and these are where many players tend to stumble. I still think that half of this problem is a flaw in the software part.
The Blu-ray format is still going through growing pains. Manufacturers are exploring new technologies and algorithms for processing and presenting content. Occasionally problems arise. Fortunately, most manufacturers responsibly release firmware updates for their players. And I always repeat, the first time you set up your player, make sure you use latest version software.
I don't want to discourage you from buying a Blu-ray player and enjoying high-definition video and high-quality sound. I just want to make you aware of possible disadvantages. I recommend that when purchasing a player, whether it's $500 or less than $100, you give it a good test run with a few of your favorite movies in both standard and high definition.
Characteristics
I left the talk about characteristics near the end of this guide, but I realized that it was too hot a topic to unceremoniously skip over. But it is also too large and varied to be adequately covered in a few paragraphs.
Let me start with a general statement. When playing discs, the quality of audio and video signal output from the player will be excellent, even if the image is obtained by upscaling the video standard definition.
If you're a critical videophile, I couldn't be more clear about the differences in player performance here. And I believe we will quickly reach common understanding The quality of your HDTV and audio system are more important factors in getting good picture and sound.
Price
And finally the guide about the cost of purchase. I've already heard about $80 Blu-ray players coming out. In this regard, I can say that “you will get what you paid for” and I am not ready to discuss the benefits of such a purchase.
I know that when the first Blu-ray players appeared, manufacturers could inflate the cost by $300 - $400. Now Blu-ray players are quickly becoming common consumer goods, as are standard definition models - DVD players. This does not mean that all models are the same. You definitely have a choice in features and price. And I assure you, you can find excellent quality models for under $200 and even under $150 during the New Year sales.
Control questions
As a summary of the manual, the following are given: Control questions, which are worth considering before purchasing a player.
- You want the player to play rare DVD or CD formats such as BD-R/RE, CD (CD-DA), CD-R/RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R and DVD-RW. Then check the player specification and make sure it supports the required formats.
- Do you need to play photos, music and video files via a USB port or from SD cards? Many players have such capabilities. However, some allow you to play only photos, without music and videos.
- You need 7.1 analog audio outputs. If you are going to buy such a player, know that not everyone uses this sound reproduction option, because players with support for this function are usually more expensive.
- Are you planning to connect your Blu-ray player to the Internet and home network? If not, you can get by with a player that only supports the 1.1 profile if you see one at an attractive price.
- Are you planning to connect to the Internet via a wired or wireless interface? Wireless is more convenient and enjoyable, but players with support wireless interface, as a rule, more expensive.
- Do you want to have Internet access to providers such as Netflix or YouTube? Not all Profile 2.0 players provide the required connection; the list of available providers varies from model to model.