Format Wars: The Next Generation
How Blu-ray beat HD DVD with a thin blue laser. By Craig Elliott Hanna | March 2009
Manager, The Authoring House at Disc Makers
Over the past several years, recordable and rewriteable DVDs (DVD±R, DVD-RW) have quickly become a viable and reliable format for the archiving and backup of digital information. But, as with its predecessor the floppy disc, the capacity required to handle today's personal and business storage needs is steadily outgrowing DVD-R's 4.7-8.5 GB capacity. So, can Blu-ray step in and supplant DVD as the next archiving format?
There has been much talk about Hi-Definition and its superiority over standard definition video. And with the DTV switchover imminent, HD video will be the standard format for many years to come. But improved picture and sound quality comes with a price. Hi-def video requires massive amounts of storage space, and DVDs can't provide the needed capacity. Clearly, a format with a superior compression scheme and greater storage capacity needed to be developed. So began the next generation DVD format war.
The history of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray
On January 7, 2002, Toshiba announced a next generation optical disc with a capacity of 30 GB. This new Hi-def format would come to be known as HD DVD.
On February 19, 2002, nine companies – including Sony and Philips – announced a preliminary specification for Blu-ray, an optical disc with a capacity up to 50 GB.
Both of these new formats utilized a blue laser and not the red laser currently used with CDs and DVDs. In October 2002, both formats were demoed and companies began lining up behind one or the other. The Next Generation format war had begun. Then on September 21, 2004, Sony announced their Playstation 3 would utilize Blu-ray technology, thus giving the format a huge advantage.
Not to be outdone, The HD DVD camp announced several motion picture studios – including HBO, New Line Cinema, Paramount, Universal, and Warner Brothers – were putting their support behind HD DVD. The only hold-out was Disney. If Disney chose HD DVD, the format war would have been over quickly and this article would be about HD DVD and not Blu-ray. But Disney chose Blu-ray, keeping the format alive and prolonging the war.
Several more times the balance would shift in favor of one format or the other, with major companies vacillating between the new formats. But finally, in 2008, after much discussion and wheeling and dealing, several major studios jumped ship and signed on to the Blu-ray format. Toshiba conceded defeat and Blu-ray was declared the winner of the next generation format war.
Blue and red lasers
Blu-ray – also known as Blu-ray disc (BD) – is the next-generation format developed to deliver High Definition video content and/or large amounts of data. The name Blu-ray refers to the laser used to read the disc. A BD uses a shorter wavelength (blue) laser as opposed to the red laser used for DVDs and CDs. Because of the smaller size of the blue laser, BD utilizes smaller pits and lands than are used on DVDs. Pits and lands are the method by which information is stored on an optical disc. Because the pits and lands are smaller, they can be placed closer together resulting in more information being stored on the same size disc as a normal DVD.
Highlights of BD include 6x the resolution of DVD, 7.1 channels of uncompressed audio, BD-Java and internet connectivity, interactive audio, and complex menus. As a result of these different optics and faster disc rotation, a BD can store 5x more data than a DVD. A standard single layer DVD holds only 4.7 GB (4.5 binary). A BD-25 (single layer Blu-ray disc) has a 25 GB (23.28 binary) capacity. A BD-50 (dual layer) holds up to 50 GB (46.57 binary) of information. This larger data size makes Blu-ray ideal for archiving and backup.
Storage and maintenance
The Blu-ray format can contain any type of computer data as well as high definition audio and video. BDs feature an improved disc coating with increased resistance to scratches and smudges, helping to keep data safe and secure from damage. They can be stored in a wide range of environments and temperatures ranging from 4° to 122° Fahrenheit, but it's advisable to store them in a cool dry place avoiding temperature extremes. If the discs are stored in an environment different from the operating environment, the discs should be placed in the operating environment for at least two hours before use.
BD discs are quite stable, and aging tests show the lifespan of replicated discs will last 50 - 300 years and BD-Rs will last 20 – 250 years (10 years before recording). As with all estimates, these numbers are sometimes controversial and as more studies are done, they may change. Besides, computer storage media often become obsolete long before the media physically deteriorates. As with any type of blank media, the lifespan of a BD-R is subject to the type of dye and the quality of manufacturing. To ensure the longest lifespan, make sure you purchase the highest quality discs.
As with all disc formats going back to vinyl, Blu-ray discs should be handled by the edges only. Care should be taken to make sure discs are not bent or dropped when removing them from their cases, and when not in use should be kept in a dark environment (especially BD-Rs as the dye layer is sensitive to light). Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions on care and storage.
