If you like entertainment, then you'll love Blu-ray movies. Vivid picture, clear audio and loads of bonus features make Blu-ray discs the unbeatable way to enjoy your favorite films, concerts, TV series, cartoons and more. If you want to know more about Blu-ray movies and you're wondering if you should upgrade to Blu-ray, then this Blu-ray movie buying guide is for you.
Blu-ray discs store more than five times as much information as regular DVDs, and all of that extra storage space means that Blu-ray movies have features your old DVDs could never hold. And if you have a high-definition television, only Blu-ray movies will let you take advantage of your TV's full capabilities.
What are some the features that Blu-ray discs have?
DVDs had actor and director commentaries, making-of featurettes and deleted scenes, and those are all on Blu-ray movies -- plus much more.
Where you would normally get eight or 10 deleted scenes, the director can now choose to include every last second that was left on the cutting room floor, even adding a full director's cut of the feature on the same disc as the theatrical release.
If you love the songs on the movie, you'll want to watch the videos, and there's room on a Blu-ray disc for music videos from the soundtrack
Interactive games based on themes from the film are a perfect complement to family movies. Kids already love watching movies over and over again; throw in a game where they get to play as their favorite character, and it could be months before you have to put another movie into your player.
Of course, grown-ups can also enjoy the interactive games. Your next viewing party will be immeasurably improved by the trivia and puzzle games available on many Blu-ray releases.
New Blu-ray discs have BD-Live, and with the right Blu-ray player, BD-Live lets you connect to the Internet and download even more content.
DVDs were easily scratched, but Blu-ray discs have a new hard-coated surfaces, developed specifically for Blu-ray, which makes them more resistant to scratches than DVDs.
When you buy Blu-ray movies, you're getting way more than just the movie.
To fully experience Blu-ray movies, you will need:
An HD television: While Blu-ray players are capable of playing through older televisions, you will want an HDTV or HD-ready TV with at least 720p, 1080i or 1080P resolution to get the best picture that a Blu-ray movie is capable of.
An HDMI cable: You have a few options when it comes to the cables you connect your television and your Blu-ray player with, but to experience the clearest high-definition sound and video using only one cable, your choice should be an HDMI cable.
A Blu-ray player: Blu-ray discs won't play on standard DVD players, so you will need a Blu-ray player to watch Blu-ray movies. For more information about Blu-ray players, read our Blu-ray Buying Guide.
Blu-ray movies: Once you have experienced the high-definition picture and high-definition audio that all packed on to one disc, you'll only want to watch Blu-ray movies. Start your Blu-ray library with your favorite movies, and be sure to get a few that will really show off what your new set-up is capable of, like a movie with beautiful scenery or one with lots of special effects.
Not only does every major new release come out on Blu-ray, but the back catalog of older films offered on Blu-ray is increasing daily, ensuring that you'll be able to own all of your favorite movies and TV shows in the highest quality format available.
What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray discs are the new standard for movies and television shows in high definition. They're high-density optical discs that are the same size as DVDs but have more than five times as much storage capacity. Blu-ray discs achieve this amazing amount of storage capacity because the "grooves" where the information is stored are spaced much closer together than they are on DVDs. DVDs and CDs are read using a red laser, while Blu-ray discs are read with a blue laser, which gives them their name. This blue laser is of a shorter wavelength than the red, which is what allows it to read information that is packed so closely together on the disc. Think of it as the difference between the needle on a turntable and the nearly invisible laser in your CD player.
How is Blu-ray different from HD-DVD?
Blu-ray was beaten to the market by the now defunct rival brand, HD-DVD. The resulting "format war" was reminiscent of the one between VCR and Betamax, with a victory for Blu-ray that was just as decisive as the one for the VCR. In early 2008, Warner Bros. (the last major studio that still released HD content in both formats) announced that it would no longer release films in HD-DVD, switching permanently to Blu-ray. This was great news for people who had held off on buying an HD player for fear of picking the wrong one and ending up with a very expensive paper weight. Now you can rest assured that Blu-ray media is the industry standard.
What is the future of Blu-ray?
Though you're already guaranteed to get the best picture and sound quality as well as in-depth features, the future of Blu-ray holds almost limitless possibilities for the creative minds of the film industry. Some companies have already developed 100 GB quad layered discs, capable of storing over seven hours of HD content, that are playable on existing players. There are even 400 GB, 16 layered discs in development, though they can't be played on existing players; however, this was the same problem facing the developers of the 100 GB disc, so don't rule it out.
If that's not enough to whet your appetite, by 2014 it's predicted that 1TB (a terabyte is 1000 GB) will be available, leaving imagination as the only limit for what HD content can be put on one disc. As for the more immediate future, Blu-ray players integrated with HDTVs as well as portable Blu-ray players are scheduled for release as early as late 2009. These convenient products were previously only available for DVDs and should help make switching to Blu-ray even easier.
The only way to watch Blu-ray movies
You'll need a Blu-ray player to be able to watch your new Blu-ray movies, and for the best prices on Blu-ray players, you only need to shop on Overstock.com. Discounted prices on new and refurbished Blu-ray players let you bring home high-definition entertainment without the high prices.
Play the movie, play the game
One of the deciding factors in the format war was the inclusion of a Blu-ray player on the Playstation 3, allowing people to get the highest quality video player and video game system in one purchase. With a Playstations 3, you can watch your favorite action movie, and when it's over, you can play a game with all of the same action -- and maybe even the same characters.
A Blu-ray disc library that reflects who you are
Your video library can say a lot about you, so make sure that it accurately reflects your personality:
A library of classic comedy movies says you appreciate a sense of humor.
An award-winning film collection shows you enjoy the finer things in life.
A shelf with foreign films says that you have international tastes.
A collection of science fiction and fantasy movies lets people know that you have a lively imagination.
A Blu-ray library with several musicals lets people know that you are an optimist.
The classic children's movies that you loved as a kid and the latest releases that your child loves now say that you are young at heart.
What do your Blu-ray movies say about you?
