Analyzing The Difference Between DVD Player And Blu Ray Player Systems

We are increasingly encountering people who are interested in understanding the difference between DVD player and Blu Ray player systems. Admittedly, it is not easy to differentiate the two, going by appearances alone. That is because, in many ways, DVDs look like Blu Ray discs. Subsequently, the DVD players also, in many ways, look like the Blu Ray players. Matters are not made any easier by the fact that many of the companies that make and sell DVD players also make and sell Blu Ray players. And this relationship extends beyond the hardware aspect. That is because, at yet another level, the companies that make and sell Blu Ray player software are also, in many cases, the companies that make and sell the (typically embedded) DVD player software.

When all is said and done, in order to understand the difference between DVD player and Blu Ray player systems, you need to start by appreciating the differences between the DVDs and the Blu Ray discs. It turns out that those differences (briefly stated) are in terms of things like resolution of images, the underlying laser technology, the storage capacity and in terms of the physical construction of the discs. In almost all these aspects, Blu Ray discs are seen to be superior to DVDs. And that is hardly surprising, seeing that, in a way of speaking, Blu Ray discs are meant to upgrade DVDs.

Digging deeper, we come to learn that the differences between DVD and Blu Ray player systems are in terms of:

• The color of lasers used in reading media: in this regard, it emerges that Blu Ray player systems – as their name suggests use blue lasers to read the (Blu Ray disc) data, whereas DVD players use red lasers for the same purpose. Now there are major implications here. The implications are brought about by the differences in wavelength between blue and red. In terms of wavelengths, blue is substantially shorter than red. The shortness of the wavelength associated with the blue rays used in Blu Ray players means that such players are able to make more precise readings. This in turn means that the data in Blu Rays can be more closely packed. And that is ultimately what leads to the situation where Blu Ray discs that are just as big as DVDs carry substantially more data. Thus, contrary to what many of us imagine, the superiority of Blu Ray disc players is not, for the most part, attributable to Blu Ray player software. Rather, that superiority is attributable to the manner in which the Blu Ray players are built, at a physical level (though the software does play a very crucial role in bringing out that superiority).
• Versatility: in this regard, we have a situation where Blu Ray players are backward compatible (such that they can also play ordinary DVDs), whereas DVD players are not normally upward compatible (meaning that they can’t play Blu Ray discs). For the most part, this is a good thing. But it can present challenges in some scenarios. Let’s say, for instance that you want to play blu-ray on PC. And let’s say that, like most PCs in the market, your PC was made before the advent or widespread adoption of Blu Ray technology. In that case, you are likely to have read difficulties in your attempt to play blu-ray on PC.

Annabel Lee is a movie fanatic who loves watching her favorite movies using her prized possession - a Blu-ray player and HDTV. She has her own blu ray player software that can play blu-ray on pc.