Blu-Ray like BD is a more commonly known name for the Blu-Ray Disc developed and championed by Sony as the successor to the DVD format. With up to 50GB of storage available on a dual layer disc this format is typically used for Hi-Def Video and data storage applications.
Where did the name Blu-Ray come from?
The reading and writing of the Blu-Ray disc is taken care of by a blue laser and this is what led to the naming of the disc format. To look at the Blu-Ray disc is identical in it’s physical shape and size to a DVD or audio CD.
The Blu-Ray laser operates on a shorter wave length to traditional DVDs which use a red laser and this goes some way to allowing the storage of nearly 6 times as much data as a DVD.
Who is responsible for the Blu-Ray format?
Blu-Ray was triumphant in a format war that mirrored the 80′s Betamax vs VHS tape formats. HD DVD was the other contender in the Hi-Definition format war but in February 2008 it’s main supporter Toshiba threw in the towel which brought an end to battle.
The Blu-Ray Disc Association is a group of manufacturers and film studios who are tasked with developing the Blu-Ray format going forward.
How popular is Blu-Ray
The following table represents the availability of Blu-Ray disc titles as at January 2009:
| Country | Available Titles |
| United Kingdom | 1410 |
| United States of America | 1500 |
| Australia | 890 |
| Japan | 720 |
What are the Blu-Ray Disc technical specifications?
| Media Type | High Density Optical Disc |
| Encoding | MPEG-2, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, and VC-1 Capacity |
| Capacity | Single Layer – 25GB, Dual Layer – 50GB |
| Block Size | 64kb |
| Read Mechanism | 405 nanometres Blue Laser:
|
| Developed by | Blu-Ray Disc Association |
| Usage |
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Are Blu-Ray Discs Region Encoded?
Like the DVD, Blu-Ray discs can be region encoded to restrict the availability of certain titles to region specific hardware.
The region coding for Blu-Ray discs is:
- A: East Asia (except Mainland China and Mongolia), Southeast Asia, the Americas and their dependencies.
- B: Africa, Southwest Asia, Europe (except Russia), Oceania and their dependencies.
- C: Central Asia, East Asia (Mainland China and Mongolia only), South Asia, central Eurasia (including Russia) and their dependencies.
How long does it take to record a Blu-Ray disc?
The table below gives typical details of how long it will take to write a Blu-Ray disc using your Blu-Ray Recorder:
|
Drive speed |
Data rate |
Write time for Blu-ray Disc in minutes |
||
|
Mbit/s |
MB/s |
Single Layer |
Dual Layer |
|
|
1x |
36 |
4.5 |
90 |
180 |
|
2x |
72 |
9 |
45 |
90 |
|
4x |
144 |
18 |
23 |
45 |
|
6x |
216 |
27 |
15 |
30 |
|
8x |
288 |
36 |
12 |
13 |
|
12x |
432 |
54 |
8 |
15 |
Where can I learn more about Blu-Ray?
If you are still left looking for answers about Blu-Ray then please visit the official website of Blu-Ray at Blu-Ray Disc
