The Complete Guide to Blu-ray: Everything From Understanding the Technology to Buying a Blu-ray Player to Troubleshooting Tips
For the highest quality home video system there is no real choice but Blu-ray. Yet, in order to know if you should upgrade, you need to understand a lot more about the technology. You need to know what type of player to buy and where to get Blu-ray movies. Beyond movies, Blu-ray is also an important computer technology used for storage and backup. These articles create a complete guide to Blu-ray so that you can make an informed decision.
Understanding the Technology
Most of us understand that Blu-ray means high-definition video, but there is far more to the technology than simply knowing it looks better than DVD. A true understanding of the technology includes where the technology has come from, how it works and whether you need a Blu-ray player at all. So, let’s start with the basics.
- A Brief History of Blu-ray
- 1080p, 1080i, 720P, 60hz, 120hz – What Does It All Mean?
- What is Blu-ray? A Look at Blu-ray Disc Camcorders
- Blu-ray: What is It & How Does It Work?
- Blu-ray Disc Operations
- Can You Play a Blu-ray on a DVD Player?
- How Does a Blu-ray Disc Work?
- Does your Home Theater Need a Blu-ray Player?
- Blu-ray and DVD: Which Reigns Supreme?
Finding a Player
Once you have decided Blu-ray is the best choice for your home theater, the next question is what Blu-ray player you should get. Whether trying to find the cheapest player or looking at specific devices, these articles can help you locate the best possible option for your home theater.
- Where to Find the Cheapest Blu-ray Disc Players
- 10 Best Blu-ray Disc Players
- The Lowest Blu-ray Player Prices
- Comparing Blu-ray Home Theater Sources: Players, HTPCs, and the PlayStation 3
- Best Samsung Blu-ray Players
- Looking for a Blu-ray Player? Check Out the Sony BDP-S550
- Review of Marantz UD7006 Super Audio CD/Blu-ray Disc Player
- A Review of the Marantz UD5005 Blu-ray/DVD Player
- Blu-ray DVD/VHS Player Combo: Panasonic’s DMP-BD70V
Movies
It doesn’t matter how good your Blu-ray player is if you don’t have access to the movies you want. This could mean rebuilding your DVD collection as Blu-ray disks or joining a DVD club that has Blu-ray.
- Rebuilding Your Film Collection on Blu-ray
- Find and Select a Blu-ray DVD Club
- Looking for a Blu-ray or DVD Club? Try Netflix!
- Not All Blu-ray Discs are Equal - Why Some Look Better Than Others
Sound Quality
As important as video is to Blu-ray, the improved storage capacity of Blu-ray means it can improve the sound of movies considerably as well. Just like with the video though, you will need a system optimized to play the Blu-ray sound to get the best quality. That means understanding how to set up your home theater system to take advantage of Blu-ray sound.
- Blu-ray Home Theater Systems With Wireless Rear Speakers
- Selecting Blu-ray Surround Sound Systems
- Best Home Theater Sound and Features: Upgrade to Blu-ray or Improve DVD Setup?
Advanced Features
While it is easy to think of Blu-ray as nothing more than high-definition DVDs, there are a lot of other features that are, more or less, unique to Blu-ray. These include things like 3D, BD-Live and augmented reality movies. If you are looking at a Blu-ray player then understanding what features exist is important in finding the best device for you.
- New Advances in Blu-ray, DVD and DVR for Home Theater
- What is BD-Live?
- Top 5 3D Blu-ray Players
- 3D Blu-ray Players: Helpful Buying Guide
- Blu-ray Titles With Augmented Reality: Paramount Movies Augment Your Reality
Troubleshooting
Any new technology has glitches and problems and Blu-ray is no exception to that rule. A Blu-ray player is, in part, a powerful computer. This means it can freeze, overheat or simply fail. In order to get the full value out of your player you need to understand how to deal with the most common of the problems these devices face.
- 5 Ways to Cure Blu-ray Freezing Issues
- How to Troubleshoot a Sony Blu-ray Player
- Avoid Blu-ray Player Overheating Issues
On the PC
While movies are what Blu-ray is best known for, it is not the only use for the technology. Blu-ray players are becoming more common in computers as well. A good Blu-ray drive makes a great storage device as well as allowing you to play movies on your computer. Yet, while they have become common, choosing a Blu-ray drive can be even more complicated than buying a good player because you need to understand both the computer and the drive.
- Turning Your PC Into a Blu-ray Player
- Playing Back Blu-ray Media in Windows 7
- Where to Find Blu-ray Programs for Windows
- Making Your PC Ready for Blu-ray
- Choosing a Blu-ray Drive for Your PC
- Top PC Blu-ray Burners
On Non-Windows Computers
For those who don’t use Windows, having the ability to use Blu-ray to back up their data and watch movies is still important. So, whether you use a Mac or Linux, if you want to use Blu-ray on these platforms these articles are the best place to start.
- Enjoy Blu-ray Discs on Your Linux Box
- Best Blu-ray Burning Software for Macs
- Compressor Tips: Converting Video for Blu-ray Disc Authoring With Apple’s Compressor
- Playing Blu-ray High Definition Content on Your Mac Mini
PlayStation 3
While there are a lot of good Blu-ray players, one of the best and most popular is the PlayStation 3. The PlayStation costs the same, or even less than, many Blu-ray players and has the ability to play video games as well. So, if you’re considering both Blu-ray and a video game system this can save you both money and space.
- How to Set Up and Use the PlayStation 3 BD Remote Control
- Why the PlayStation 3 is an Essential Part of Your Home Entertainment System
- Sony PlayStation 3 Remote Control for Blu-ray and DVD Movies
Authoring
Blu-ray is a great medium for storage. In addition, Blu-ray movies are expensive. This makes the ability to burn data onto Blu-ray disks extremely useful. This may mean ripping basic information onto a disk or it might mean backing up a movie. Either way, once you have bought the Blu-ray drive for your computer, it is time to understand how to use those drives.
- Complete Blu-ray Ripping Guide
- Blu-ray Disc Authoring
- How to Back Up a Blu-ray Movie
- Best Free Blu-ray Authoring Software
- How to Create a Blu-ray Movie With Imgburn
References
- Image, Blu-ray Disk, WikiCommons
- Image, Blu-ray Logo, WikiCommons
- Image, courtesy of Amazon.com, PlayStation Remote