TECHconnection
The buzz about
Blu-ray, HD DVD
By Marc Saltzman
Q: What are those new DVD formats, and why
should I be interested?
A: Your DVD movies look good—at about twice the
resolution of films on VHS tapes—but they’re not
really “high-definition.” And since you’ve likely invested in a gorgeous new HDTV, capable of displaying 720 or 1,080 lines of resolution instead of your
DVDs’ 480 lines, the market is ripe for a new disc
format. Actually, there are two of them: HD DVD
and Blu-ray Disc. And not unlike the Betamax versus
VHS war in the early ’80s, they are vying to replace
the DVD.
Because both of these technologies can store
more data on the same-sized 4.7-inch disc (read by a
blue laser instead of your DVD player’s red laser),
HD DVD and Blu-ray can deliver true HD video
clarity. Watching a high-def movie is like putting on
a pair of prescription glasses for the first time. Both
of these high-definition formats also offer better-sounding audio tracks and other bells and whistles,
such as the ability to pull up movie options while the
film is playing instead of exiting to a main menu.
These discs can also store more bonus material.
And yes, both Blu-ray and HD DVD offer backward compatibility, so they’ll play your current DVDs.
In fact, these high-definition players can also “
upcon-vert” your existing DVDs to double the output resolution, which means the movies will look much better
than when played on a regular DVD player.
So which format should you choose? While it’s
too early to declare a winner, there has been a lot of
activity lately. For example, video rental giant Blockbuster announced in the early summer that it will
carry Blu-ray titles, not HD DVD.
But HD DVD machines are generally less expensive. On average, an HD DVD machine may be $100
or $200 less than a Blu-ray player. Some video game
systems offer high-definition movie support; the
Sony PlayStation 3 can play Blu-ray discs, while the
Microsoft Xbox 360 offers an inexpensive accessory
that can read HD DVD discs.
Another big question is what equipment you
need if you jump into this new technology. You can
connect a high-definition player to an analog TV, but
you won’t get as much out of it until you upgrade
your television.
Both Blu-ray and HD DVD boxes offer the “
legacy” connection types, such as composite cables (the
red, white and yellow cords). But to take full advantage of the enhanced video and audio quality, you
should connect the machine to an
HDTV, preferably via an HDMI
(High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable, which can carry
the latest versions of display and
sound signals. For the very best
results, use the new high-def
player with a 1080p HDTV.
If you want surround
sound, which is highly recommended for an immersive
movie-theaterlike experience, you
will need to connect the high-definition DVD player to a compatible stereo system with
at least a 5. 1 speaker system: a center speaker (where
80 percent of the movie’s dialogue comes from); left
and right front speakers; left and right rear speakers;
and the subwoofer speaker—the . 1—which delivers
the rumbling bass.
Aside from assessing your budget, a good way to
figure out which one is for you is to take a look at the
movie selection offered by each camp. Some movie
studios release films in both HD DVD and Blu-ray
formats. Keep in mind that the discs themselves are
about $10 more expensive than DVDs.
Note: There are no Blu-ray or HD DVD recorders for TV yet—just players—but it’s a different story
for your computer. Just as your computer can read
and record to DVDs, many laptop and desktop computers these days support one of the two HD formats. HP and Toshiba, for example, offer HD DVD
support on some models, whereas Sony, a key backer
to Blu-ray, includes Blu-ray recorders in select laptops. This means you can watch high-definition
movies on your computer and also copy (“burn”)
data to recordable discs. Blu-ray discs store up to
50GB of data, while HD DVD discs can store up to
30GB. By comparison, a DVD can store up to 8.5GB
of data.
It may sound like jargon soup, but just remember, the higher the number the better, since you can
fit more information on the disc, such as photos,
music, videos or documents. C
JOHN HRYNIUK
Ask Marc
Saltzman
Questions about
electronics or computers
you purchased at
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Tech Connection
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The Costco Connection
Costco carries Toshiba HD DVD and Sony Blu-ray
Disc players at selected locations and online at
costco.com. A wide selection of movies in both formats is available online and in the warehouses.
Marc Saltzman,
a leading high-tech
reporter, contributes to
more than three dozen
prominent publications, appears on radio
and TV, and is the
author of 13 books.
