One day the Blu-ray disc came into our lives, which was an incredible change. It is a format that Sony had under its arm and that was popularized by the success of the PlayStation 3 , as well as by the introduction of high definition (HD) video . We thoroughly review what Blu-ray is to teach you thoroughly.
As technology advances, new needs arise that manufacturers must respond to. Blu-ray emerged to respond to the needs of high definition video, which were characterized by requiring more capacity in reproduction media due to the increase in quality.
The origin of the Blu-ray disc
The Blu-ray disc is a high-density optical disc that was invented to store many gigs of data created by HD video . However, it is not a technology that emerged overnight, it has a great story behind it.
Blu-ray grew out of the union between Sony and Pioneer , but credit must be given to the creator of blue laser diode technology: Shuji Nakamura , an engineering professor at the University of California Santa Barbara .
Without such technology, Blu-ray would not have emerged, nor would it have been unveiled by both brands at the CEATEC exhibition in 2000.
PlayStation 3 at CEATEC 2006
In 2002 , Blu-ray Disc Founders was founded, which announced the “Blu-ray” project. DVD Forum refused to accept the proposal (8 votes to 6) of Blu-ray as the successor to DVD.
Following this event, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) was founded by Hitachi , LG , Panasonic , Pioneer , Philips , Samsung , Sony , Sharp, and Thomson . Later, the BDA would reveal all the physical specifications of the disks.
Already in 2006 , the first Blu-ray discs hit the market, but they encountered 2 problems : their useful life is low and there are not enough players on the market.
For one thing, DVDs were the standard of the day, which used a red laser that had a much longer wavelength than violet light. This is one of the key differences so that a Blu-ray disc can store 10 times more data than a DVD.
The first Blu-ray discs came in capacities ranging from 25 to 50 GB , compared to 4.7 GB for a normal DVD . This “small” difference was a brutal generation jump, but it was not a cheap transition.
The fight for standardization
As with all innovations, a Blu-ray disc was much more expensive than a DVD. However, the most versatile player of all was the PS3 , since you could play movies on the console.
This resulted in an increase in the prices of movies recorded in this format, such as the acquisition of PS3 video games (a new game was going to cost € 70).
As for consoles, the arrival of the Blu-ray marked a new era because the graphic change of a new generation video game, compared to another on PS2 or Xbox, was brutal.
As for movies , people began to talk about HD and Full HD formats , resolutions that were a novelty at that time. The change from 480p to 720p was brutal, which brought an increase in demand for televisions very important.
The move to the 16: 9 aspect ratio began to take place with the first 32-inch CRT televisions, but it ended with the arrival of the 720p and 1080p formats.
With all the above, there was a key moment that could end with the Blu-ray: the appearance of the HD-DVD . If you look at it, a Japanese tech giant is missing from the list of companies that founded the BDA: Toshiba . It teamed up with Microsoft to release the HD-DVD format, which would replace DVD.
The key was in the film industry, which was divided into 2 : some chose HD-DVD and others Blu-ray . Finally, the latter ended up prevailing over the former.
What is Blu-ray?
With all this, it is time to say what exactly is the Blu-ray disc. It is a 12-centimeter diameter optical disc that was released for high definition (HD) video playback.
Compared to a DVD (or HD-DVD) the data layer of a Blu-Ray disc is placed closer to the laser lens , creating less distortion. This enables higher precision and very high storage densities.
Blu-ray is manufactured as a single substrate disc , as opposed to the DVD manufacturing process. This fact has 2 main consequences : lower production costs per disc and less production time .
If we take a look at this disc, we will see that its dimensions are identical to those of CDs and DVDs . It was this small similarity that allowed for a smooth and uncomplicated transition because it suited the teams. The problem was not the size, but rather that it required specific players to be able to reproduce the disc.
What is it for?
The main uses of Blu-ray are for HDTV recording, HD video distribution , data storage, and digital asset management . On the other hand, one of the most recurrent uses is video games , since Sony continues to use this format. Interestingly, Blu-ray has survived because it has adapted to social needs, offering support for 4K video thanks to the capacity of its discs.