Last week, we took a look at whether or not it was time to go HD with your marketing materials. The answer was a firm "It depends." However, what we can do is firmly compare the technical specifications of BluRay versus standard DVD, and help you understand the differences.

First, let's take a look at the chart:



Let's take a closer look at some of these numbers.

Maximum Resolution: You'll see that DVD has a maximum resolution of 480p. The "480" refers to the number of lines that comprise the picture's vertical resolution. The 'p' refers to the fact that the video is progressive rather than interlaced (i). Progressive vs. interlaced is a complex topic in and of itself, so let's just say it refers to how the video is displayed for now. You'll see that BluRay has more options, including 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. These are common high definition standards. A regular DVD is capable of displaying 345,600 pixels on screen at any given time. At 1080p resolution, a BluRay is capable of displaying 2,073,600 pixels. This capacity for six times more pixels means that the image can be drastically sharper, clearer and more detailed.

Disc Capacity: Disc capacity refers to the amount of data that can be stored on a disk. You'll see that BluRay has about four times the capacity for data than standard DVD. This enables it to hold more video, more audio, and more data. BluRay also supports significantly higher audio standards than regular DVD.

Player Prices: DVD players are significantly more accessible and lower priced than BluRay. The average price of a DVD player is about 100 bucks, and some are significantly less expensive. It's hard to find a BluRay player for less than around 400 bucks. They are expected to drop in price and become more common in the near future though.

Labels: 1080i, 1080p, 720p, bluray, disc capacity, dvd, hd, maximum resolution

Now that the decision between Blu-ray and HD-DVD is behind us, we're running out of reasons as to why Hi-Def discs should be avoided. The "wait and see" attitude most of us have taken over the past couple of years has now expired with the recent Blu-ray victory. Warner's move to the Blu-ray camp earlier this year spelled the end to the HD-DVD effort.

Entertainment releases are moving more and more to Blu-ray for the obvious revenue generation reasons that benefit the rights holder. Standard definition DVD releases will continue as long as Blu-ray's market share remains low. Once Blu-ray player penetration reaches critical mass, the pendulum will swing quickly.

For the corporate world, standard definition DVD is still the clear market leader. Corporations still state, "we never asked for HD" as a common response when questioned about any impending transition to High Definition. Don't forget that corporations would need to shoot and edit in HD if they want to take full advantage of Blu-ray offerings. For many companies, that would be a budget buster.

Let's not forget the advantages of HD media - it offers greater storage capacity, higher quality video, and the ability for more interactive features than standard DVD. If visual quality is at the heart of your presentation, then perhaps it's time for you to take a harder look at HD.

The bigger concern facing Blu-ray HD media is the lack of compatible players. High definition media does not play in standard DVD players. It requires a special player and a high-definition display to get the maximum benefit from the medium. The battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray delayed most consumers' consideration of any purchase.

HDTV's are becoming more and more common. Recent estimates show that somewhere between 27 and 36 percent of US homes now have an HDTV, and surveys have shown that over half of US households plan to have one by the end of 2008. With the transition to digital signals for broadcasts in 2009, many people will be in the market for new televisions, and it's likely that a good percentage of them will make the transition then.

Sales of Blu-ray players are now increasing, and some project that they'll outsell DVD players in 2009. However, there is a large number of existing DVD players and it will take a good while for Blu-ray sales to outpace standard DVD. Some analyst's project that this will happen in 2012.

Of course, at VTI we offer Blu-ray high definition authoring, mastering and reproduction as well as all standard definition DVD work. Because we have the strong desire to stay on the "bleeding" edge, we are always early adopters.

Moving to HD media is a decision that will need to be made on a situational basis. It's clear that the market is heading towards HD, but it's still a long way from there. Standard DVD and HD are both good choices for different reasons at the moment.

Labels: blu-ray, hd media, hd-dvd, hdtv, hi-def, standard definition dvd

The Graphics Department at Video Transfer often receives common, yet important questions about how to produce properly formatted artwork for CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, and more. With that in mind, we have created a section with frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help those submitting artwork for multimedia projects. Our FAQs page also includes downloadable .EPS & .PDF template files for your artwork creation. We'll be looking to expand the number of FAQs on this page, so please visit back often!

The video & multimedia world has been talking about high definition for years. We all know that Hollywood sees high definition through the world of 35mm film but for many, video still aspires to be as good as film when it "grows up". Many that work in the film industry think video will never be as good as 35mm. Then, there's the new breed of creative mind that says HD video is plenty good enough and they have made video their choice. Lower production costs and immediately viewable dailies may be a driving force behind their decision. We have seen many corporate users shooting and editing in HD video as well as some low budget film productions. Our corporate clients have shown us a steady increase in their use of Sony HDCAM, Panasonic DVCPro HD, and Sony XDCAM HD in our six facilities across the U.S. While we are not fans of the Canon, JVC or Sony HDV formats, we have seen some budget conscious productions use this low cost entry into the HD world. As we gear up to offer more HD formats and services, I would like to know which HD video format you believe is best for corporate television and why? I look forward to your posts.