Just as VHS and Beta duked it out in the 1980s for supremacy in the world of video playback, so too did HD-DVD and Blu-ray compete to supersede the standard DVD in the early part of the 21st century's first decade. Blu-ray won the battle, and is poised to become the next-generation optical disc storage medium.
The name "Blu-ray" comes from the fact that players use blue-colored laser light to read the information stored on the disc. The use of this technology permits up to six times more data storage than a conventional DVD.
Blu-ray discs are available in two basic types: single layer and dual layer. A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25 gigabytes of data, and a dual-layer disc can hold double that amount. A third format is also available: the so-called BDXL Blu-ray disc, which can store as much as 128 gigabytes of data.
While the individual specifications for Blu-ray players vary significantly from one to the next, there are six standard features or "profiles" that a player either is or is not capable of performing. These include persistent memory, local storage capability, video decoders, audio decoders, virtual file systems and Internet connectivity.
When you're shopping for a Blu-ray player, keep in mind that these machines, like DVD players, are subject to regional usability. In other words, Blu-ray discs and players are designed for media in a specific part of the world, and what works in one region may not work in another. There are three regions: A, B and C. Region A covers the Americas, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Region B covers Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, Australia and New Zealand, while Region C covers the rest of the world. To ensure full compatibility, make sure any Blu-ray player you are considering is intended for use in the region in which you live, or has universal playback capabilities.