If you have even thought about this question, then at the very least you know that there has been an ongoing controversy about the standard of the next generation of Digital Video Data. If you haven't thought about yet, here's the low down.
Toshiba and Sony both had digital video technologies in the works back in the early 1990s. Toshiba won that battle with the DVD that we all know and love. Sony started working on the future of DVD technology and came up with the Blu Ray Disc. Toshiba was also looking to the future with their answer to the future, HD DVD.
The technical differences between the two new standards are not all that great. Blu Ray discs can hold more data and are more expensive due to a special process needed to create the final layer. The surface layer of HD DVD is the same as current DVDs, 0.6mm. Blu Ray is only 0.1mm thick and has to have a special super strong coating applied to them to keep them from scratching too easily and becoming unusable.
The real difference lies in which movie studio decides to use which technology. For example, two of the biggest movies of the summer, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' and 'Spiderman 3' were released exclusively on the Blu Ray disc format. Even though HD DVD had several of its own exclusive releases, they were not huge hits like these two movies, so Blu Ray got more sales than HD DVD.
Another blow to Toshiba's HD DVD format came when Blockbuster, the movie rental giant, decided to go solely with Blu Ray discs, meaning if you want to rent movies from Blockbuster you have to have a Blu Ray disc player, obviously if you have a Blu Ray disc player you will buy Blu Ray discs. The latest blow to the HD DVD format came just a few days ago when Warner Brothers announced that they would only use Sony Blu Ray format from here on out. Many others in the film industry who have been releasing movies in both formats are expected to decide on an exclusive format very soon. It looks like most of these will choose Blu Ray.
So whether you like it or not, it is starting to look like Blu Ray will be the next big thing. But before you run out and buy a Blu Ray player, it might be worth to wait and see if this prediction will come true or not. Either way, it will be nice to have the battle over formats settled so that consumers will know which player to purchase!
Candice Carlson helps consumers with the latest technology news and reviews. A tech writer for over 3 years, Candice offers guidance through the confusing world of digital entertainment and discovers the best consumer friendly deals out there. If you're thinking about subscribing to a cable tv package make sure you read Ms. Carlson's articles before choosing a cable television bundle
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