DVD was the fastest technology uptake by consumers in history. Not any more. The shift from DVD to Blu-ray will mirror the shift from VHS to DVD, only faster.
People see Blu-ray as the next logical step from DVD. It makes perfect sense, with picture and sound quality literally twice as good as the previous format, but it’s hard to know just what the future holds. Is it just a momentary step until we download everything from the internet, or is it the next big thing?
According to industry figures from the US and Europe, it not only will be the next big thing, it already is.
The Blu-ray (BD) is outselling the DVD at the same comparative time. In the US, in 1999, 21 million DVD players had been sold. In 2009, 24 million BD players had been sold. While the GFC has had a dampening effect on the world’s economies, in the US, BD player sales rose by 90.8 per cent for 2009.
To put this into perspective, DVD was the fastest technology uptake by consumers in history. Not any more. The shift from DVD to BD will mirror the shift from VHS to DVD, only faster. But what form will that move take?
Firstly, industry insiders speak of the ‘capability gap’, which means that more and more people are buying High Definition televisions (HDTVs), but not everyone has bought BD players yet. In Europe, 50 per cent of households have HDTVs, but only six per cent have BD players. So people aren’t getting full value for money out of TVs that cost thousands of dollars. A BD player that takes full advantage of 1080p resolution is the next logical step.
3D at home
BD will not only make HDTVs worth their money, but will open up a whole new era of entertainment that includes online social networking and 3D. 3D? At home? It’s happening right now.
You will be able to buy a 3D HDTV, and a BD disc that plays 3D content in 2010. Major manufacturers like Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba and Samsung are not only working on 3D TVs – they have them built, waiting for new 3D broadcasting and content.
BD technology will allow you to see the highest current resolution (1080p) in each eye, meaning that the image will look better than the best current picture – in 3D. These BD players are just a generation away, and will be available as the new 3D HDTVs hit the market. 3D BD and 3D HDTV will change the way we watch movies at home.
With 3D, disc buyers don’t have to worry about being leapfrogged by downloadable movies: current bandwidth levels cannot cope with the massive amounts of data required.
The Sony PlayStation 3 (which has a built in BD player) has lead the way with online functionality. Statistics show 66 per cent of PS3 users use BD-Live, a way for Blu-ray discs to update the information that comes with the movie. With DVDs, what you bought at the shop was what you got. With BD-Live, the disc’s content is updated via an internet connection, every time you play the disc.
The next generation of BD players (not just the PS3) will let you interact, chat with friends and even talk to the filmmakers as you watch their film. You’ll be able to make ringtones, cut video clips and share them virally on the internet on social networking sites like Facebook.
Film studios are currently hard at work devising content that takes advantage of these BD capabilities, but it’s a fair bet that the best is yet to come.
5 of the BEST Blu-ray movies
1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009, Paramount)
The incredible HD ‘making of’ features gives us an exclusive entrée into Michael Bay’s larger-than-life world.
2. Quantum of Solace (2009, Fox)
Fast-paced action and a pumping soundtrack is even better on the Blu-ray. With James Bond, it’s at its best.
3. Star Trek (2009, Paramount)
Fly around the Enterprise in super HD graphics, marvel at Ben (Star Wars) Burtt’s brilliant sound design, and get a live NASA news feed via BD-Live.
4. Twilight (2009, Sony)
The Blu-ray contains an exclusive interview with author Stephanie Myer, and the lush photography looks its best in HD.
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009, Fox)
The first film to utilise the BD-Live function to continuously update cast and crew information – no matter when you watch it. The on-screen trivia track will delight and inform.
THIS MONTH’S BLU-RAY RELEASES
Feb 3 Fame
Feb 3 Looking for Eric
Feb 4 Couples Retreat
Feb 4 Gamer
Feb 4 The Final Destination
Feb 10 Coco Avant Chanel
Feb 10 Julie & Julia
Feb 24 Moon
Feb 24 Saw 6
Feb 10 In the Electric Mist
Feb 10 Outlander
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