The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide For Blu-Ray Disc
June 9, 2020
Blu-ray is a high definition disc format. It hit the markets in 2006 and has since become the leading horse in the race to provide a format for storing high-quality videos. Blu-ray proved to be a major success as it rivaled the older DVD format as the top platform for delivering exclusively enhanced video viewing and listening quality.
Blu-ray pounced onto the golden opportunity provided by the increasing popularity and usage of high-quality flat-screen TVs like LEDs and Smart TVs as the only credible source of high-definition video streaming.
Blu-Ray Disc Ideas You Should Know
What You Need To Know About Blu-Ray Disc?
Blu-ray specializes in enabling the users to experience the extra details in high-resolution images which any other format does not allow.
Blu-ray disc uses Blue laser technology accompanied with highly optimized video processing to produce high-resolution videos and audio formats. The most impressive part about a Blu-ray disc is that it provides an improved video and audio performance in a disc, that is of the same size as a regular DVD.
How Does Blu-Ray Work?
Blu-ray is the successor of LaserDisc and part of a group of storage media commonly referred to as optical discs. Blue-ray disc uses a form factor and the device which reads the disc uses laser technology. These discs have a layer of pits and flat area on the surface, this combination of pits and flat area store the disc’s data in simple binary. The combination of 0 and 1 binary digits are represented by the pit and flat area respectively.
As mentioned earlier, a blu-ray disc uses Blue laser technology. This laser is directed at the disc while the disc is rotating, when the laser light comes in contact with the flat area, it rebounds towards a photoelectric cell. If the laser light hits a pit, it is not rebounded towards a photoelectric cell. The photoelectric cell operates by detecting any passage of light that is directed towards it. According to the intensity of the incoming light, the photoelectric cell can decode the laser’s light into binary data.
Reflected light (from the flat area) is read as 1 while no incoming light (from the pit) is denoted as 0 by the photoelectric cell. The binary data recorded by the photoelectric cell is processed and packaged by the computer as information in the form of a movie or music, etc.
The storage capacity of a Blue-ray disc depends on the number of pits present on the physical disc. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the size of the pits in order to accommodate them in high quantities on the disc surface. The wavelength of laser lights is also pivotal in determining the performance quality of optical discs. Blue-ray discs use blue lasers which have a smaller wavelength than the red DVD lasers or the infra-red lasers used with CDs. The smaller wavelength allows the laser to be focused onto the disc with greater precision which in turn increases the storage capacity of the Blu-ray disc. This intricate mechanism provides a conspicuous picture of how Blu-ray disc works.
What Are The Uses Of Blu-Ray Discs?
The Blu ray discs can be used for movies, TV shows, and video games. It provides high-resolution videos and crystal-clear audio quality which has also made the Blu-ray disc player an optimal choice for Home theatres.
Things You Need To Consider While Buying A Blu-Ray Disc
If you plan on buying a new Blu-ray disc, there are a few things you need to consider in buying a Blu-ray disc before making a purchase. The most important factor to consider is the Blu-ray disc player you own. Any Blu-ray disc you decide to buy must satisfy the compatibility requirements of your Blu-ray disc player.
The best part about Blu-ray technology is the fact that it supports backward compatibility, which means that in addition to using Blu-ray discs, you can also play DVDs and CDs with your Blu-ray player. This is why most Blu-ray disc packages come with a similar DVD version of the title.
Another factor you need to consider before buying a Blu-ray disc is its cost. The average cost of manufacturing a Blu-ray disc is higher than a DVD. This is why Blu-ray discs generally cost more than other video distribution formats like CDs and DVDs.
For consumers, the average retail price for a Blu-ray disc is $20 while a DVD sells for $15. This is not a huge difference considering the drastic improvement in video and audio quality when you upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray. Be sure to keep these important things to know about Blu-ray disc when making a final purchasing decision.
Benefits Of Having A Blu-Ray Disc
The biggest advantage of a Blu-ray disc is the added storage space it is equipped with. This gives Blu-ray discs an edge over other formats like DVDs and CDs. A regular DVD has a storage capacity of 4.7GB whilst a Blu-ray disc can store up to 8.5 GB data. The increased storage space of Blu-ray disc enables developers to place high-resolution videos on the disc, with the highest resolution being up to 1080p. Blu-ray discs are a must-have for movie lovers who enjoy watching behind the scenes footage of their favorite actors.
This is because Blu-ray discs can accommodate hours and hours of special features along with the entire movie on the same disc. This provides users a uniquely personalized experience. Owing to the increased storage space on a Blu-ray disc, it is possible to store more data (video and audio) at a much better quality.
Major Blu-ray disc benefits include video resolution up to 1920*1080 and frame rates at about 29.97 frames per second. Blu-ray disc benefits are manifold.
Types Of Blu-Ray Discs
The quality of video recording improves every year. We constantly require new data carriers with large capacities to create copies and entries of larger files. At the same time, these data carriers, as well as the devices used for working with them, should be effective and affordable.
Primarily, Blu-ray discs can be classified into two basic types: write and rewritable. BD-R discs constitute one writable media (DVD-R and DVD+R). Rewritable media include the BD-RE disc (DVD-RW). The different Blu-ray disc types are described in the following paragraphs.
Best Of Best On The Types Of Blu-Ray Disc.
While surfing on the internet, we came across a lot of searches commonly phrased along the lines of “Blu-ray disc best of best”. The answer to this question is Ultra HD Blu-ray discs because these discs provide high-resolution video and audio services.
Due to system compatibility issues, all Blu-ray players are not capable of running Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Due to this, you need to have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Owing to the increasing competition between different streaming platforms, prices for Ultra HD Blu-ray disc players have gone down quite a bit.
Additionally, these Blu-ray players support backward compatibility which means that you can play regular Blu-ray discs, DVDs and CDs with the UHD players.
For people really looking to build a customized home theatre, Ultra HD Blu Ray is the go-to option. No need for any monthly subscriptions and heavily priced internet connections, just sit back and enjoy your Blu-ray disc best of best movie collection.
What Are The Types Of Storages Of Blu-Ray Discs?
A typical Blu-ray disc is made out of recyclable plastic and has similar dimensions as that of DVDs and CDs. There are a few different Blu-ray disc storage types. The differentiation of the Blu ray disc storage types is based on the number of layers on the disc.
A Blu-ray disc comprising of a single layer can hold up to 25 GB of data, similarly, a dual-layer Blu-ray disc has the capability to store information on top of each layer. Therefore, a double-layered Blu-ray disc can carry up to 50 GB of data. Blu-ray disc storage types with more than 2 layers are also available.
These include triple-layer discs that can store up to 100 GB data and quadruple-layer discs with storage capacities up to 128 GB. Another classification of Blue-ray disc storage types is on the basis of different types of Optical Blu-ray discs like BD-R, BD-RE, BD-XL, and Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Where To Buy Affordable Blu-Ray Disc?
Every day there is increasing competition between different streaming platforms and high-performance video delivery formats. This has proved to be beneficial for customers looking for affordable and high-quality blue-ray discs.
Because there are a lot of counterfeit products in the market, it is sometimes difficult to get your hands on authentic Blu-ray discs. But with highly reliable online e-commerce websites like Amazon and Best-Buy, you can find affordable and high-quality blue-ray discs which are 100% genuine.
During festivities like Christmas and Black Fridays, Blu-ray discs of your favorite movies, TV shows, and games can be purchased at minimal prices, starting at $3 on Amazon and other retail websites.
How To Take Care Of Your Blu-Ray Disc? (Taking Care Of Your Blu Ray Disc)
If you’ve got a huge collection of Blu-ray discs, you’ve definitely invested a lot of time, effort and money to build that collection. Therefore, you would want to protect your investment for years to come.
To make sure that your Blu-ray collection is functional and not just a show-piece, you’ll need to provide some basic care and maintenance to your discs to make sure they work smoothly.
Taking care of your Blu-ray discs will require a bit of effort and time but it will ensure the functional longevity of these discs. For starters make sure that you handle all of your discs by the outer edge of the center hole, this might seem really obvious, but it plays an important part in taking care of your Blu-ray discs.
Remember to avoid touching the surface of the disc because it can cause long term damage to the information stored on the disc. Always remove dirt, fingerprints, and liquid using a piece of clean cotton fabric. Take the fabric and wipe in a straight line from the center of the disc towards the outer edge.
Make sure that you don’t clean the disc by wiping around it. Lastly, always put your discs back in the case or sleeve immediately after using it. Be sure to store them upright in a cool, dry, dark area because laying your discs down flat for long periods of time and exposing them to heat and humidity can ultimately harm them.
Your giant collection of Blu-ray discs may become hard to manage without a proper storage facility. As the Blu-ray disc uses minimal space, having a practical and stylish disc shelf can go a long way in taking care of your Blu-ray discs.
Blu-Ray Discs Frequently Asked Questions
There are a lot of forums on the internet filled with Blu-ray disc FAQs. Usually, these are the common queries a lot of people have regarding Blu-ray technology in general. Following is a list of the most common Blu-ray disc FAQS:
1. What is Blu-Ray?
Blu-ray disc (BD) more commonly known as Blu-ray is the name of an optical disc format. It is known for providing High-quality video and audio content in the form of movies, TV shows, and video games. The introduction of Blu-ray technology has resulted in the reduction of demand for other video processing formats like DVDs.
2. Why the name Blu-Ray?
The name Blu-ray is derived from the Blue laser technology that is used in the functioning mechanism of the Blu-ray discs. The alphabet from the spelling of Blu-ray was purposely removed in order to avoid copyright issues.
3. How much data can you fit on a Blu-Ray Disc?
The data/storage capacity of a Blu-ray disc depends on the number of layers. A Blu-ray disc comprising of a single layer can hold up to 25 GB of data, similarly, a dual-layer Blu-ray disc has the capability to store information on top of each layer.
Therefore, a double-layered Blu-ray disc can carry up to 50 GB of data. Triple-layer discs can store up to 100 GB data and quadruple-layer discs have storage capacities up to 128 GB
4. What are the Blu-Ray Disc’s speed and feeds?
The Blu-ray speed and feeds are really impressive. The Blu-ray disc can conduct data transfer at a lightning rate of 36 megabits per second for data and 54 megabits per second for movies.
This rate of data transfer is unparalleled by another video processing format including DVDs. The technical superiority of its working mechanism makes the Blu-ray speed and feeds ahead of its time. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have even faster video processing and data transfer capabilities.
5. Which video codecs does Blu-ray support?
The common types of video codecs supported by Blu-ray discs include MPEG-2, H. 264/MPEG-4 AVC, SMPTE VC-1. Thus, for the Blu-ray discs to function properly on your devices, it is essential to ensure that you have one of these video codecs installed on your viewing device.
6. What are the features of Samsung Blu-Ray Disc Player?
The Samsung Blu-ray player comes equipped with features like quick start mode, BD wise and full HD 1080P resolution for DVDs. It also supports a full range of audio formats including Dolby surround sound.
7. Who are Blu-Ray Disc association members?
The Blu-ray disc association consists of a board of 20 members. The list of the members is as follows:
- Sony Corporation
- Xperi Corporation
- DTS
- Hitachi-LG Data Storage
- Intel Corporation
- Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- LG Electronics Inc.
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Oracle Corporation
- Panasonic Corporation
- Pioneer Corporation
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Sharp Corporation
- Dolby Laboratories
- Technicolor SA
- Toshiba Corporation
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- The Walt Disney Company
- Warner Bros. Entertainment
- Lionsgate
8. Which is Better? Samsung BD-J5700 Curved Blu-Ray Player with Wi-Fi OR Sony 4k Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Disc Player?
According to market sales and customer reviews, Samsung BD-J57000 Curved Blu-ray Player with Wi-Fi has a significant lead over its rival Sony 4K Wi-Fi Blu-ray disc player.
This is because Samsung has introduced a lot of additional features with this model. The Blu-ray disc player comes equipped with a mechanism that video codes Blu-ray support and makes it extremely user-friendly.
9. When & Where the new Sony Bdps3700 streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player with Wi-Fi (2020 Model) released?
The new Sony bdps3700 streaming Blu-ray disc player with Wi-Fi (2020 model) was released in the USA on 19th January 2020. The SONY Blu-ray disc player has been a major success.
10. What’s the new oppo Udp-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player?
The new Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray disc player is a premium quality affordable Blu-ray disc player released in 2017.
Its affordable price and exclusive features like Stunning 4K image quality, exceptional levels of depth and clarity, big and dynamic sound and user-friendly interface have affirmed it as an industry giant.
11. How to fix the error when your Blu-Ray Disc needs a library for AACs Decoding and your system doesn’t have it?
- First Visit: https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ – however, be warned that the site does not have an SSL certificate. Even though we did not find any malware on the files that were on the website, we still urge you to take precautions. Download the files at your own risk.
- Download the KeyDB.cfg file
- Move the file to your clipboard and then run the version of the VLC media player you’re using.
- Open a Run dialog box using the shortcut Window key + R.
- Copy the KeyDB.cfg file into a new folder named AACS.
- Open your downloads folder and copy the libaacs.dll file to your clipboard.
- Open the install location of VLC and paste it there. The default location is C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC (64 bit) or C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC (32-bit).
- Open VLC and open the Blu-Ray disk that was previously causing the issue.
Hopefully, that wasn’t too confusing. Just follow these steps to ensure that “Blu-Ray Disc Needs A Library for AACS Decoding Issue” is resolved.
And that concludes our buyer’s guide for purchasing a Blu Ray disc. We hope we answered some of your quires that you guys may have had regarding Blu Ray discs. Remember to do your own research as well as make your final purchasing decision. Weight the pros and cons of getting a Blu Ray disc and see whether it’s a good investment for you. Cheers!
