Blu-ray: the complete guide to everything you need to know about Blu-ray and Hi-Def
Upgrading to the new Blu-ray Disc format is like making that VHS to DVD switch all over again. But this time it"s DVD that now looks blocky and out-of-date. Getting started with Blu-ray. 1. What is Blu-ray? 2. What products offer Blu-ray playback? 3. How much does Blu-ray hardware cost? 4. Is there regional coding on Blu-ray? 5. Which studios support Blu-ray? 6. Is Blu-ray recordable? What about the alternatives? 7. Why not just buy an upscaling DVD deck? 8. Why did Blu-ray beat HD DVD? 9. Can Blu-ray decks play CDs and DVDs? 10. Will all the HD DVD discs come out on Blu-ray? Will my television play Blu-ray? 11. What sort of display do I need? 12.Do I need a Full HD screen for Blu-ray?
Pioneer updates its Blu-ray players.
Pioneer"s new range of Blu-ray players - the robust, piano-black machines boast impressive audio and visual capabilities, but it all comes at a premium. Features-wise the BDP-05FD and BDP-51D are jam-packed. Superior sound Pioneer has managed to squeeze in support for all HD audio formats - an industry first. Superior sound. This means that Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD Master Audio all move a look in when it comes to watching your chosen Blu-ray Cd with superior sound. As with Pioneer"s preceding players, there"s added interactivity with its Kuro range of TVs and AV receivers giving, the company states, "the most true-to-life reproduction of HD feature films.
Toshiba HD-A3, HD-A30, HD-A35 HD DVD and SD DVD players
The Blu-ray camp struck a vast gain just before CES when Warner Brothers announced they would be moving exclusively to Blu-ray by mid year, tipping the scales majorly in Blu-ray's favor. Then, in Feb 2008, Toshiba announced it would discontinue the development, manufacturing and marketing of HD DVD, officially ending the format war. They did, however, confirm that they would confidence the warranty of all HD DVD players. While it may seem an empty effort to conversation them pdq since HD DVD has removed itself from the race, these third generation players from Toshiba own a performance response at crazy low prices to be reckoned with and deserve the unabridged story.
Buffalo announces new Blu-ray HD DVD combo.
Buffalo Technologies has today announced a new double/triple format optical disc drive that can read and write Blu-ray and standard DVD and also read the now defunct HD DVD format. The BRHC-6316U2 Combo Drive boasts single and double layer Blu-ray read/write speeds of up to 6x, along with HD DVD read speeds of up to 3x; and DVD read/write speeds of up to 16x. Using the impel dual-layer Blu-ray discs can be used to store up to 50GB of data. The combo ride can be hooked up to any PC via a simple Plug&Play connection via USB. The drive and uses Buffalo"s patented TurboUSB technology to further boost transfer speeds. Could be a neat babyish impression for anyone who built themselves up a sizeable congregation of HD DVD titles they don"t de facto wish to sell at a loss and then interchange at a premium.