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Disc Formats Each Have Their Own Value

By: Robert Thomson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Different media, different formats: while you might expect the industry to automatically switch to new disc versions which offer a much higher storage capacity, the truth is the older formats are still quite useful.

Not so long ago, the big battle was between that dark colored non-sticky magnetic tape (mostly known as cassettes) vs. the funny looking shiny silver drink coaster with the hole in the middle [CD's]. Though they looked like a futuristic 45 record, you couldn't just throw them on a record player - which, in itself, had been replaced by the tape player.

The media content remained constant, but the storage and playback format grew up and improved. Music cassettes became music CD's, and video tapes evolved towards the DVD. Since music and movies could now contain more content, and you could jump straight to the sections you wanted to hear or see; the public wanted even more.

With HDTV now replacing the lower resolution televisions and computer monitors, the industry needed even more storage to hold all the additional data for higher quality displays. Blu-Ray discs fill that requirement, with about five times the storage over DVD's.

So why hasn't the DVD completely replaced the CD, and why haven't they both been replaced by Blu-Ray discs since it can hold far more information? They're the same physical size, so replacement or upgrading would seem an obvious evolution. Even with costs running so close (the difference is almost negligible), why isn't the smaller capacity version just being dropped?

Quite simply, they still meet the needs for which they were created. Music doesn't require the same mass storage that video requires. And as for DVD's, rather than primarily containing movies and video, the public has found they're a great inexpensive way to store their important files and software backups.

The smartest strategy, however, was in the realization that rather than new technologies completely replacing the old, the public was more accepting if the new players could also run the older medium. Each new stage ensured backward compatibility, and so the previous collection(s) of discs were still quite functional.

CD [low storage capacity]

When CD storage was first introduced as the next big music medium, the cassette still held on strong for awhile. CD's tended to skip a lot when the player was jostled. However, once the CD player manufacturers added memory buffering in the 1990's, people very quickly switched from the analogue recorded tapes to the superior sounding digital CD.

Since great quality audio doesn't generally require more than the compact disc provides, it remains the current inexpensive media of choice for music.

DVD [medium storage capacity]

Shortly into the 2000's, the Video DVD provided movie watchers with excitement as they could not only access scenes quickly (rather than winding and rewinding VHS movies), they also leapt for the discs with all the 'Bonus Content'.

Another great advantage was the quality didn't deteriorate with every play or viewing like the worn out video tapes. The digital recording remained intact, whereas VHS tapes would dry out, fray with wear, and was far too sensitive to outside magnetic interference. Placed near a speaker, the magnet could even inadvertently erase parts or the entire tape.

The happiest bonus for the average user showed up when they realized DVD's could be used for more than just movies - they also provided a very inexpensive way to backup and store the user's important computer files and content. This helps to increase the longevity value and usability of DVD's as a great storage medium in homes and businesses.

BLU-RAY [high storage capacity]

Blu-ray Discs are so-named due to the blue laser used to read and write to the disc. Because Blu-Ray uses a much smaller wavelength (405 nanometers [nm] compared to the DVD red 650nm laser), it can store substantially more data than a regular DVD.

When High-Definition became the most exciting new buzzword, there was a huge battle for Hi-Def delivery market. Blue-Ray and the HD DVD both fought to be the accepted choice (with HD DVD as the first out of the gate), but once the PlayStation 3 launched onto the market and included full Blu-Ray capability, the battle was pretty much won.

With the larger storage available on a Blu-Ray disc (25GB for a single layer, 50GB for a dual layer disc), video finally had the breathing room needed to provide Hi Def content. The Blu-Ray supports a 1920x1080 resolution, while the standard DVD is still limited to 720x480 (NTSC), 720x576 (PAL).

THE CHOICE IS YOURS - WHY NOT PICK THEM ALL

While each disc type has great value for its own specialty, it's still important to consider the versatility of your player and recorder. CD systems can only handle CD's. DVD machines can handle both DVD and CD needs.

The key is Backward Compatibility! That's where Blu-Ray covers all your bases. It doesn't matter which disc medium you need for your task, the Blu-Ray system can do them all, plus meet all your massive disc storage demands. Just pick the right medium for whatever the task requires, big or small.

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