Assignment #5

"DVD Recording"

HD DVD recording is done either on Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD or Hard Drive (as in a regular PC), although some of the latest models combine both technologies. The Blue-Ray disc and an HD-DVD player deliver the real high definition experience on the size of a normal DVD disc. The basic principle of operation using a Blue-Ray disc is the following - during data writing, an optical laser stores code on the disc while it spins, modifying its surface, from the centre of the disc outwards. The hollow areas are considered as '0', while the flats are '1'. Everything is binary in the world of computers so this is how this idea is implemented in the case of DVDs and Blu-ray. The laser is basically what burns those depressions on the surface of the disc, so the higher the frequency of that laser, the more 0s and 1s can be stored on the surface, hence - greater disc capacity. The name 'Blue-Ray' comes from the fact that the frequency of the that laser is so high that it reaches the blue end of the spectrum. That was the brief technological breakdown, now let's review the top blu ray recorders.
There is a big battle taking place between HD-DVD and Blue-Ray as to which technology will prevail and become dominant on the market. Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD is the battle between standards and respective companies behind those standards. Now as a consumer, you must make a choice between HD-DVD and Blue-Ray. Which format will you choose? The choice will reflect on your next purchases for the future as to what type of HD camcorder you will buy, what type of discs you will buy and so on. Sony is the company behind Blue-Ray as this technology used in all their recorders and players, as well as the new Playstation 3. As you can probably guess, PS3's biggest competitor - xBox 360 by Microsoft uses HD-DVD discs. HD-DVD is the technology that came first, so those who have already taken the plunge can rejoice from the fact that prices on HD-DVD discs, recorders and players are drastically falling.
HD DVDs come in three different versions: single- or dual-layer HD DVD-only discs; twin-format discs (with a standard dual-layer 8.5GB DVD on one side and a 30GB dual-layer HD DVD on the other); and hybrid discs (a single-sided disc with a standard 4.7GB layer that plays on any DVD player as well as a 15GB HD layer).
Blu-ray discs can hold more data or video than HD DVD counterparts and for the very same reason, are more expensive. The thing is that some Hollywood studios have decided to work with HD-DVd (Paramount, Universal and Warner), while others have decided on Blu-Ray (Sony Pictures, MGM/Columbia TriStar, Fox, Warner, and Lions Gate). quality of both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs varies with the film itself, but titles available on both formats generally have identical video quality.