...The Best Picture .........The Best Sound ...............The Best Movies
				About the Blu-ray Disc Format
			Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson). The name Blu-ray is derived from the underlying technology, which utilizes a blue-violet laser to read and write data. The name is a combination of "Blue" (blue-violet laser) and "Ray" (optical ray). The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience. The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write this type of disc. Because of its shorter wavelength (405 nm), substantially more data can be stored on a Blu-ray Disc than on the DVD format, which uses a red (650 nm) laser. A Blu-ray Disc can store 50 GB, almost six times the capacity of a DVD. Blu-ray was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group of companies representing consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion picture production. The standard is covered by several patents belonging to different companies. The Blu-ray Disc format can deliver pristine picture quality with the capability of full high definition resolution of 1920x1080p. This equates to a picture image 6x the resolution of a standard DVD format. In addition to the pristine high-definition images, the Blu-ray Disc format also delivers Superior Sound - up to 7.1 channels in high fidelity audio. With up to 7.1 channels of high definition surround sound and option for up to 32 streams of audio, Blu-ray Disc is an amazing experience for your ears. Blu-ray Disc delivers concert and music videos to your home theatre in amazing quality. Disc Structure Blu-ray uses a "blue" (technically violet) laser operating at a wavelength of 405 nm to read and write data. Conventional DVDs and CDs use red and near infrared lasers at 650 nm and 780 nm respectively. The blue-violet laser's shorter wavelength makes it possible to store more information on a 12 cm CD/DVD sized disc. The minimum "spot size" on which a laser can be focused is limited by diffraction, and depends on the wavelength of the light and the numerical aperture of the lens used to focus it. By decreasing the wavelength, increasing the numerical aperture from 0.60 to 0.85 and making the cover layer thinner to avoid unwanted optical effects, the laser beam can be focused to a smaller spot. This allows more information to be stored in the same area. In addition to the optical improvements, Blu-ray Discs feature improvements in data encoding that further increase the capacity. (See Compact disc for information on optical discs' physical structure.) Region Codes Regions for Blu-ray standard Blu-ray discs may be encoded with a region code, intended to restrict the area of the world in which they can be played; similar in principle to the DVD region codes, although the used geographical regions differ. Blu-ray players sold in a certain region should only be able to play discs encoded for that region. The purpose of this system is to allow motion picture studios to control the various aspects of a release (including content, date, and, in particular, price) according to the region. Discs may also be produced without region coding, so they can be played on all devices. Region Code Areas A: North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. B: Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, plus all of Oceania. C: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia. Additional Information on Format and Movie Titles For more information about the format, check out the official Blu-ray Disc website accessible via our main page. Also check out our Blu-ray movies section which offers information about new and upcoming Blu-ray releases, as well as what movies are currently available in the Blu-ray format. Thank you for visiting Blu-ray Studio Plaza...
					Blu-ray Studio Plaza and Ocean View Publishing are not affiliated with the Blu-ray Disk Association, Sony Pictures, The Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers Studios, Universal Studios or any other corporation affiliated with this format. All trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners