Take Entertainment To The Next Level With Time Warner Cable Tv

When HD sets initially began cropping up in stores in 1998 folks were dazzled at the clearness HD delivered over standard television sets. Since that point millions of men and women have upgraded their TVs to take advantage of wide screen movies with DVDs and high definition cable and satellite broadcasts. While many folks still haven't made the leap, a technology breakthrough has made even HDTV backers take notice. Developed by Sony, Blu-Ray has pushed television quality to the next level. Just a few years gone, no one had a clue what format would become the inheritor to DVD, but now Blu-Ray has won the battle and I'll tell you why you should consider adding Blu-Ray to your home entertainment system.

Though research commenced almost ten years ago, Sony and its partners failed to release a final commercial product until mid 2006. The name Blu-Ray derives from the blue laser that is utilized to read data from a Blu-Ray formatted disc. This is in opposition to the red laser utilized to read regular DVD discs. But why is Blu-Ray an improvement over current DVD formats? Although Blu-Ray discs and players don't look any different than normal DVDs, they can store much more data that means clearer picture, better audio, and more special features. DVDs can hold up to eight gigabytes of information while Blu-Ray discs can hold fifty gigs. Big difference. The maximum resolution of a DVD is 720x480 lines whereas Blu-Ray has a maximum of 1920x1080 (also called full hi-def). If you've spent $1000 or more on a 1080p television, you're actually not making use of everything the set can deliver when watching regular DVDs.

In the beginning prices for Blu-Ray players were well above what a typical user needed to spend. Price tags between $700 and $1000 were common for the first Blu-Ray players. Plus, there was another competing standard on the store shelves that made a lot of bewilderment. Toshiba and NEC introduced their own DVD follow-up device with release of the HD DVD format. HD DVD, with a storage capability of 15 gigabytes, was an improvement over standard DVDs but didn't equal the specs of Blu-Ray. However HD DVD did have some marketplace advantages. First, they made it to the market a quarter before Blu-Ray. Second, HD DVD devices where a little less expensive to produce and had a cheaper price tag as a consequence. Lastly, HD DVD had more Hollywood studios on board at launch than Sony did which meant more flicks were initially available while Blu-Ray remained scarce.

Sony had one gigantic trick up their sleeve that quite possibly saved Blu-Ray from a Betamax destiny. Sony incorporated a Blu-Ray player into their highly anticipated PlayStation three and sold the entire device for a bit less than many stand alone players were going for at the time. After that, Blu-Ray began making strides till shortly it outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 by late 2007. More Hollywood studios began to commit to the Blu-Ray standard exclusively, starting with Warner Brothers in early 2008. Shortly after Toshiba stopped making HD DVD players and recorders. By the end of 2008 rental corporations Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as major retail outlets, said they'd no longer carry HD DVD films. Currently all major studios release their movies on Blu-Ray. A few have continued to produce HD DVD and Blu-Ray releases concurrently.

Prices have fallen significantly over the past few years also. Many big name brand Blu-Ray players from firms like Panasonic and LG can easily be found between $150 and $250. Blu-Ray disc recorders are in the $200 - $400 range and falling. For anyone that enjoys watching movies from home and has invested in a high definition television, now is a fabulous time to have a look at adding a Blu-Ray player to your home entertainment system. Even those who may be skeptical about Blu-Ray's enhancements over DVD owe it themselves to go down to their local electronics store and ask for a Blu-Ray demonstration. The picture clearness and audio fidelity from Blu-Ray is truly excellent.