Blu-ray Disc for Video

What is the quality of Blu-ray Disc video?
Blu-ray Disc offers HDTV video quality that far surpasses any other medium or broadcast format available today. With High Definition video with a resolution of up to 1920x1080 and up to a 54 Mbit/sec bandwidth (roughly double that of a normal HDTV broadcast), no other format can match Blu-ray Disc's video quality. Furthermore, due to the overwhelming capacity of a Blu-ray Disc, no tight compression algorithms that may alter the picture quality are required, as with other formats that offer less recording space. Depending on the application, Blu-ray Disc also supports other video formats, including standard definition TV.

How much video will fit on a Blu-ray Disc?
As with DVD, this depends on the decisions on the usage of video bandwidth, the number of audio tracks and other criteria made by the author of the disc. Furthermore, the choice of the used codec also influences playback time. On average, a single-layer disc can hold a High Definition feature of 135 minutes using MPEG-2, with additional room for 2 hours of bonus material in standard definition quality. A double-layer disc even extends these numbers up to 3 hours in HD quality and 9 hours of SD bonus material. Using any of the advanced codecs, these numbers can even be significantly increased.

Do I need an HDTV to use Blu-ray Disc?
In order to view a Blu-ray Disc, you need a TV that is HD-Ready, that is: equiped with an HDMI input port.

How does Blu-ray Disc region coding work?
Contrary to DVD, the Blu-ray Disc region coding system divides the world into only 3 regions, called regions A, B and C. The usage of region coding on a Blu-ray Disc movie title is a publisher's option. A Blu-ray Disc player will play any movie title that does not have region coding applied, plus all titles of its corresponding region.

Region A:
- North America
- Central America
- South America
- Korea
- Japan
- South East Asia

 Region B:
- Europe
- Middle East
- Africa
- Australia
- New Zealand

 Region C:
- Russia
- India
- China
- Rest of World