Top 10 Reasons to Buy Blu-ray

Are you leaning Blu-ray or HD DVD in this brewing format war? These ten points make the case that Blu-ray is best.

Blu-ray vs HD DVD remains one of the hottest topics in the world of consumer electronics. With both sides vying for the top spot, it’s become clear neither will quit until their format is deemed King of High-Def.  This can be overwhelming to the average consumer. No one wants to invest in the format doomed for extinction. We reached out to the Blu-ray Disc Association and asked for ten reasons why Blu-ray is best. (In case you missed it, we did the same thing with HD DVD - “Top 10 Reasons to Buy HD DVD”.)

1. Today’s best movies - With support from the 6 of the 8 major Hollywood studios, the biggest hits are on Blu-ray.  Through October 2007, 19 of the year’s 20 best selling high definition movie titles are available on Blu-ray Disc - the majority of them available in high definition only on Blu-ray Disc.  Titles such as 300, the Harry Potter Series, the Matrix Trilogy are just some of the titles currently available or coming soon to Blu-ray Disc.  And, titles such as the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the Spiderman Trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars and Ratatouille are available in high definition only on Blu-ray Disc.

2. The broadest range in player options - The biggest names in consumer electronics, particularly in DVD and HDTV - Hitachi, LG, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp and Sony - all support Blu-ray Disc, giving consumers a range of hardware choices from their favorite brands.  HP, Acer, Sony VAIO, Panasonic, Philips and Pioneer offer consumers an array of desktop, notebook and computer drive choices.

3. Every Blu-ray Disc player delivers full 1080p picture quality, the benchmark for high definition.

4. Blu-ray delivers the best possible picture quality of any high definition source.  Because of its superior storage capacity (50GB - 6 times more than dual-layer DVD), Blu-ray Disc can use higher bit rates, which allows pristine video, uncompromised audio quality, and compelling interactive features.

5. It sounds as spectacular as it looks.  With support for the latest audio codecs, including Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio and uncompressed linear PCM, Blu-ray can deliver true lossless audio so you hear every sound with crystal clarity.

6. Blu-ray uses BD-J (BD-Java) to create a new entertainment experience.  From pop-up and animated menus to picture-in-picture and interactive features right in the movie, Blu-ray brings a new dimension to home entertainment in a way that let’s viewers enjoy the features on their own terms.  Enable them when you want to interact with your favorite film or save them for later when you just want to relax and enjoy the film.

7. Blu-ray’s capacity advantage means the high-quality that consumers demand from high definition can be maximized in every area.  There is enough room on the disc for a full feature film with the best possible picture quality, 7.1 surround sound lossless audio (with multiple channels) and a host of bonus features, without having to sacrifice in one area to make room for another.  And, 50GB is just the beginning.  Blu-ray has room to grow as the creative community develops increasingly innovative (and space intensive) content and features.

8. Blu-ray gives gamers a big bang for their buck.  Playstation 3 is the only gaming console built on a high definition platform, so every PS3 doubles as a Blu-ray player for your favorite high definition movie titles. With recent price drops and a host of new gaming titles scheduled for release, the PS3 is great for gamers as well as for those interested enjoying great high definition movies.

9. The discs can take a beating.  Anyone with kids is painfully aware that DVDs are not always handled with care, causing potential damage and playability problems.  Blu-ray Discs have a special hard coating that helps to protect discs from scratches, fingerprints and a myriad of other punishments that kids (and adults) can dish out.

10. Blu-ray is the safe buy.  Counting set top players and PS3s, there are more than 3 million “Blu-ray households” in North America alone, and this number grows on a daily basis.  On the software side, Blu-ray Disc is the best selling high definition format in the United States by a margin of 2 to 1 thus far in 2007, with a similar sales advantage in Europe and an even greater advantage in Japan.  Blu-ray Disc is the safe bet to become the successor to DVD.