What Is the Difference Between HD DVD and Blu Ray?

Understanding what is the difference between HD DVD and Blu Ray can be a hot button issue. For several years a debate has been going about the merits of HD DVD and Blue Ray, leaving the consumer confused about which product is best suited for personal use.  Both HD DVD and Blu Ray emerged as improvements on the general visual format of the DVD, providing a better picture quality on a TV.  As technology progresses forward, these new formats for viewing DVDs are being heavily marketed to buyers who may not know the differences between them.  Fortunately, both of the DVD formats have a similar aim: the improved visual quality of film and television, but how do they differ?

There are several key differences between HD DVD and Blu Ray. These differences include:

• Image
• Storage
• Support

Understanding each of these differences further can help you to make a more informed viewing choice when it comes to your movies and media.

Image

The most important distinction that can be made between HD DVD and Blu Ray is the DVD player and TV set used to watch the DVDs. 

• For the best visual results, HD DVDs should be viewed on HDTVs using an HD player, both of which work with the format of the DVD to show the clearest, brightest, most precise image possible. 
• Blu Ray discs will also only work on a specific Blu Ray player, and should be viewed on a high definition television set for the best image.

Storage

Storage is also an important difference between HD DVD and Blu Ray. 

• HD DVDs store less gigabytes (GB) of information than Blu Ray discs. 
• HD DVDs can store approximately 30 GB of information and the Blu Ray format can store up to 50 GB on one disc.
• In both instances, there is a higher amount of data stored on either Blu Rays or HD DVDs than on standard DVD discs or CDS.

Support

• It is also important to note when considering what the differences are between HD DVD and Blu Ray that a few film studios, in particular Dreamworks and Paramount, are the only companies that support the HD DVD format.  On the other hand, the Blu Ray format is supported by a number of studios, including 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. 
• This means that certain studios control which format a movie is released in on DVD for the general public. With a significantly lower number of supporting studios, HD DVD is released and used much less often than the Blu Ray disc format.

Why Blu Ray Is Winning Out

Though both of the DVD formats will provide a clearer, more vibrant image than the standard DVD, there are definite benefits that make Blu Ray the stronger competitor.  With an equally stunning picture, a larger storage capacity for digital information, and a larger margin of support from film studios, Blu Ray has become the better option for a new DVD format.

So, now you know what are the differences between HD DVD and Blu Ray and you also have a better idea of which is the emerging technology that is the chosen wave of the future.