Blu-Ray V. HD-DVD: What it Means for You

Ok, so maybe you've heard about the debate between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD that has been on the news a lot recently. Assuming that, then, you may or may not understand what the big deal is. I do, and I'd be happy to let you in on it, because I think it's important for people to know.

I have no idea what you're talking about, Ryan.

I'll start off with an explanation of what is going on. The electronics industries worldwide have decided that they want to start phasing out DVD players and DVDs. They feel that they are too old and dated, that they don't have enough space, and that they aren't performing at a high enough quality level. That seems to make enough sense, right?

The problem is that those guys who own the electronics companies can't decided which format to ultimately go with: HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. This decision will without a doubt have an effect on each and every one of us that owns a DVD player, and who wants to continue watching movies at home. What's the difference, you ask? A lot, actually.

And the difference is?

Admittedly, I didn't know the difference until I started following the news popping up about this topic. Basically, a Blu-Ray disc can hold almost double what an HD DVD disc can, which is a pretty big deal. That would seem obvious then, right?

Wrong. Sorry! Blu-Ray players can cost MUCH more than an HD-DVD player can. Contrarily, the movies themselves will probably cost an equal amount for the consumer. If you're one of the lucky owners of a Play Station 3, you already have a Blu-Ray player because Sony had the foresight to invest in this technology. If you have an Xbox 360....

Microsoft has its hands full. The Xbox 360 console does not support Blu-Ray discs, while the PS3 does. If the industry goes with the Blu-Ray format, 360 owners will have to either buy a new add-on for their console or toss it altogether and buy a PS3. This could be a hassle for 360 owners, and Microsoft may lose a good deal of their customers should Blu-Ray be the way of the future.

There you have it, in a nutshell, and really that's all you need to know about it. Personally, I would not be surprised if Blu-Ray won out because of its superior capacity. We'll see, I guess.