Blu-Ray Vs. HD-DVD: What Makes the Difference?

A common question that technologists face in most of the consumer electronics forums is whether blu-ray or HD-DVD would win over the other. With seven major movie studios supporting the Blu-ray format, it is expected that Blu-ray will go ahead and replace HD-DVD. But what makes the difference between Blu-rays and HD DVDs, and why is so intense a format war is on between them? As we are well aware of, DVDs have been perhaps the most popular inventions in the field of entertainment electronics. Both Blu-ray and HD-DVDs claim to be successors of DVDs. Both of them are optical storage technologies. Let's go ahead and probe into what the features of each of them are and what makes this format war so passionate.

Let's look into the differences between Blu-ray and HD-DVD in the technical aspects. Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD use the same kind of blue-violet laser of 405-nanometer wavelength. This feature makes them capable to store more data than a normal DVD, though the dimensions remain the same. However, when compared to HD-DVD, Blu-ray packs data into a tighter single-spiral on the disc. As a result it can carry more information than HD-DVD. In other words, a single Blu-ray disc can carry more digital pits than an HD-DVD. This difference in technology makes the two formats incompatible to each other. Another difference between the Blu-ray and HD-DVD is in their capacities. A double-layer Blu-ray can contain about 50 GB of data, as compared to the 30 GB capacity of HD-DVD. In short, Blu-ray discs have about 30% more capacity than HD-DVDs. So also, the coating on both these discs is different. HD-DVD has a surface layer of 0.6mm thickness, whereas the coating on a blu-ray is only about 0.1mm.

Finally, let's consider the differences between Blu-ray and HD-DVD on the basis of cost. The Blu-ray discs are priced higher than the HD-DVDs. The thinner surface layer is one of the factors that cause the higher price. So also, the difference in outer layer calls for modification or replacement of production facilities. The hard coating on the surface of the disc is another factor causing higher cost. So, in short, going in for Blu-ray disc means more data at more cost. The price of the Blu-ray disk player is also more than that of HD-DVD.

Having considered all these differences between the Blu-rays and HD-DVDs, if you were to invest into one of them, which would be your choice? If you are looking at lower cost, you need to go in for HD-DVD. On the other hand, if you are looking for additional features and higher-end technology, Blu-ray should be your choice compared to the 30 GB capacity of HD-DVD. Blu-rays and HD-DVDs have come into existence with the invention of HDTV, which required high disc storage capacity. In spite of the differences between Blu-rays and HD-DVDs, there have been supporters for both formats from the major players in the consumer electronics and computer industries. Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson have been strong supporters of Blu-ray. HD-DVD, on the other hand, was created by Toshiba and supported by Microsoft, HP and Intel. They differ in their modulation techniques also.

Sources :

1. http://www.blu-ray.com/info/
2. http://www.hddvd.com/