DVD ROM Compatibility and Blu Ray
Blu Ray has been given much attention these days. It is basically the newest in the optical disc scene, and stands to represent the move to replace the DVD status quo standard. With the rising popularity of broadband internet, and the backup practices of many broadband users, Blu Ray stands as an avenue for backup solutions.
The first generation of optical discs came about in the early 1970s, in the form of large video laser discs. By the 1980s, the CD ROM was introduced, boasting an impressive 700 megabyte data storage capacity. By the 1990s, DVDs or digital video discs came to become very popular. Boasting a similar form factor to that of CDs, DVDs could store up to 4.7 gigabytes of data storage, with dual-layer DVDs capable of storing up to 8.5 gigabytes of data.
In 2006, the Blu Ray disc was released, boasting an impressive storage capacity of up to 25 gigabytes, with dual-layer Blu Ray discs capable of storing up to 50 gigabytes of data. Its impressive storage capacity, combined with advance audio and video codec technologies, make Blu Ray the ideal medium for High Definition videos, which have become quite popular. Storing a movie in HDTV, or High Definition Television, format would simply come naturally with Blu Ray discs.
The major difference between Blu Ray and DVD and CD is that a blue laser is utilized in its successful operation. Since blue lasers have a shorter wavelength to that of the red lasers utilized by DVDs and CDs, the beam of a Blu Ray laser could focus on a smaller area, making it possible to store more data in an area similar to the size of a regular DVD disc, or CD disc.
Since a newer laser is utilized in its successful operation, DVD ROM compatibility features is quite impossible, making Blu Ray disc non readable on standard DVD and/or CD players. Although, a backward DVD ROM compatibility is possible on Blu Ray players, meaning a Blu Ray player could deal with DVD discs, as well as with CD ROM discs. Issues with DVD ROM compatibility has somewhat discouraged many with regards Blu Ray, but with the impressive potentials featured by them, DVD ROM compatibility issues could be easily ignored.
All in all, even with the DVD ROM compatibility issues when talking about Blu Ray discs, Blu Ray is sure on its way into becoming the next status quo optical storage medium.
