DVD vs. Blu-Ray: You’ll Be Surprised Who the Winner Is
While many consumers might assume that Blu-ray is superior to the DVD format just because it’s new, they’d be hard pressed to explain why Blu-ray tops the older format. In fact, in a head-to-head matchup between Blu-rays and DVDs, the older format has some critical advantages over its newer rival.
More than a decade after its introduction, just 44 percent of U.S. households with broadband Internet access own a Blu-ray player, according to Fortune Magazine. The DVD market remains extraordinarily resilient, with about 87 percent of households owning a DVD player, according to Statista.
Among electronics connoisseurs – the kind of folks who insist on a non-region DVD player and know exactly what parts of the world require a 110 to 220 converter to safely use American gear – DVDs remain highly popular because of a number of advantages this format holds. DVDs and DVD players have distinct advantages in price and availability, and there are a number of lesser known advantages this resilient format has over its newer rival.
DVDs vs. Blu-Ray
If you’re on the fence concerning whether to purchase a Blu-ray player or upgrade your current DVD player to a newer model, consider these facts before committing to a purchase:
- The picture is great, but not that great. It’s easy to see the difference in quality between Blu-ray discs and DVDs, but the gap between them isn’t as profound as some technophiles would have you believe. Higher-end DVD players can provide picture quality close to that of a Blu-ray player and at a much lower cost. When choosing between DVD and Blu-ray, ask yourself, “Do I really need to see my favorite Hollywood stars’ pores that badly?”
- There’s a price advantage. DVDs and DVD players remain significantly less expensive than Blu-rays. On average, Blu-ray discs tend to cost $10 more than DVD versions of the same film. In fact, some great DVDs of popular Hollywood films can retail for less than $5. In today’s challenging economy, saving money is important. Sticking with DVDs will help you shave a few dollars off of your monthly budget.
The price gap between DVD players and Blu-ray players is even greater. An average quality Blu-ray player will set consumers back about $250 to $300, while a high-end device will cost thousands of dollars. Top quality DVD players can be found for less than $500, and average quality devices can be purchased for under $50. This big price gap makes a DVD player the better choice for a cost-conscious consumer.
- Blu-ray is buggy. Although it’s been on the market for a decade, Blu-ray continues to be problematic for its users. There are widespread complaints about Blu-ray playability issues centering around load times for the players. Blu-ray also poses some technology difficulties. While DVD players are fairly simple to operate, many Blu-ray players come with added features that require a high-speed internet connection and a fair degree of technical savvy to enjoy.
DVD players have evolved. Top quality up-converting DVD players can provide a viewing experience very close to the quality offered by Blu-ray players. If you’ve already invested quite a bit of money in your current collection of DVDs, upgrading to a better DVD player may be a better move than purchasing a Blu-ray player and buying new copies of your favorite movies.
- Blu-ray availability is not universal. Most films are available in DVD format, while Blu-ray still has a lot of catching up to do. Most new releases are on Blu-ray, but there are generations of beloved movies that have yet to see a Blu-ray release. Owners of DVD players have a much broader selection of viewing options to choose from than folks with Blu-ray players.
- You’ve already made a TV investment. There’s really not much point in investing in a Blu-ray player unless you also own a high-end television set. A widescreen HD television is a pretty significant home theater investment, often costing $1,000 or more, and that’s on top of the $250 you’ll pay for a Blu-ray player. For most consumers, a DVD player will provide good quality picture and sound at a reasonable price.
- DVDs remain highly convenient. DVDs are a great medium for portable media storage. While digital download is rapidly taking up a greater share of the video market, there are lots of situations where digital download just isn’t a practical option. For example, if you’re going to an area with little or no internet connection, or if you want to strictly control the types of content your children watch. In these situations, DVDs remain the portable storage media of choice for video content, thanks to their ubiquity, low cost, and convenience.
- Blu-rays are going to be a short-lived fad. If anything truly supplants DVDs, it’s going to be direct digital downloads. The adoption of this technology continues at a rapid pace, as more and more communities gain access to fast internet speeds. At best, Blu-ray is just a placeholder technology between DVDs and digital download technology. Its expense and the inconvenience involved will likely keep it from being a major format.
History of DVD
The DVD was originally developed by Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Philips in 1995. The technology was preceded by other optical disc formats, such as LaserDisc, which was developed in the late 70s and popularized in the 80s. The DVD was a compromise between Philips and Sony, which had developed competing products. Computer giants IBM, Apple, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft told the companies that they wanted a single format, prompting the companies to agree upon a single format for DVD products.
DVDs quickly became the format of choice for home video viewing. DVDs provided better picture and sound quality, a better data lifespan, and interactive features unavailable on the then-dominant VHS format. VHS stored data on magnetic tape, and this format was responsible for the rise of the home video industry, as it provided the first easy and convenient means of watching recorded videos in a home format. VHS first hit the market in the mid-70s and reached its peak popularity in the 80s and 90s. VHS still has some residual popularity, thanks to its comparative ease in recording, compared to DVD.
History of Blu-Ray
Blu-ray was developed in the early 2000s, and the first consumer Blu-ray players and discs hit the market in 2003. Blu-ray was developed to allow the storage of high-definition and ultra-high definition video. The name refers to the violet laser used to read the disc.
Because a violet laser is used instead of a red laser, information is able to be stored at a greater density on Blu-ray discs, thus allowing them to accommodate high definition and ultra-high definition video.
Blu-ray has seen adoption by not just the home video industry, but also the video game industry, which uses Blu-ray discs to store information for modern games with high-quality graphics.
The average household spends about $1,500 on home entertainment each year, including electronic devices and video content. To make that investment worthwhile, consumers searching for Blu-ray or DVD players need to find a supplier with a good track record of providing quality electronic products. There are many DVD and Blu-ray players on the market, and, while many are good, there are quite a few cheap knock-offs being sold.
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