BLURB:
Although Blu-ray and HD DVD are both high-definition media formats that rely on blue-laser technology, there are some important differences between them. One of these is capacity. Because a Blu-ray player utilizes a shorter wavelength blue-violet laser than an HD DVD laser, it can focus even more closely to read more densely packed data. This allows a Blu-ray disc to have higher capacity. A standard HD DVD can hold 15 GB per side (30 GB on a dual-layer disc), whereas Blu-ray can hold 25 GB per side (50 GB on a dual-layer disc). More capacity per disc could mean more extra features included with movies, higer quality audio, or more interactivity wityh titles should the studios choose to incorperate these features on the discs they release.[End quote]
The Blu-Ray players are priced at $1K. That is historically comparable to the cost of other media when new.
Significantly, movies issued on Blu-ray are similar in cost to those issued on DVD when it was new, or on Laserdisc.
All these prices will come down. The Blu-Ray disk will hold more than five times what a DVD will hold, whch will make it the standard for backing up computer files. This space is needed because of the growth in video content on home computers.
I was looking at my hard drives: I have over 100 GB of photos from just one year of shooting with my KM 7D. It would take me about 150 CDs or 25 DVDs to back that up, but only about 5 Blu-Ray disks. Which do you think is most convenient?
The new media always cost much intially. Blank CDs appeared costing about $7 each when they were new! (They probably cost pennies each to make.)
Blank DVDs were similarly expensive at first: now good (Taiwanese, not mainland Chinese junk) ones are readily available for about 35 cents @.
Sony may have a winner with Blu-Ray.
BUT (very important!) the format designer does not always reap the profits. Many manufacturers will be making and selling Blue-Ray equipment. The royalties are only a small proportion of the sales price of a player or recorder.
I am reminded that Zenith designed the system we use for stereophonic FM broadcasts; and when this became known, I rushed out and bought Zenith stock. Everyone benefited from this innovation, except Zenith, which was run into the ground by inept management, and eventually sold to a South Korean company. The value of my stock went from $18/share to $0 (nothing). Not one of my better investments!
Sony will make more money just selling those movies than on the format royalties. The importance of the format is that it will make the movies desirable. A good movie, even an old one, will look great on Blu-Ray. The garbage dumps will fill with discarded VHS tapes: just wait and see!
we will see, we will also see what kind awful copy protection comes with it. I'm hoping to skip both of them and go to holographic storage. :)
See this also:
Japan's Ricoh finds way of reading both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats - report