Next generation optical technologies have once again created a competition between two rival formats, in the same way as VHS vs Betamax, or DVD +R vs DVD -R. The new rival formats are Blu-ray and HD-DVD. They both have some pros and cons, but what are actually the differences between these two new formats?
Via Arena published an article in which both new formats are explained, to help the consumer avoid getting lost in the "jungle" of new technologies:
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The difference between video and DVD is pretty startling. The difference between normal TV transmission and HD is also pretty impressive. Consumers want to be able to record in HD format and also purchase movies in HD format. Whilst HD capable screens are quite commonplace in electronic stores these days, HD media players and recorders are still thin on the ground. |
The new optical technologies can create some confusion, because both are similar, but at the same time there are some substantial differences that can make it rather hard for the end-consumer to select the right technology to buy.
In fact, both new technologies use a blue laser instead the red-lasers used in current DVD technologies, but video is encoded in a completely different way: Blu-ray video is encoded in MPEG-2, an older digital video format. HD-DVD uses VC-1, a much newer format developed by Microsoft. More details can be found here.
The "war" between these two rival formats is far to be concluded, and there is still not a "winner". But in the meantime, those interested can read the complete article here.Source: Via Arena
