These days, purchasing DVDs may seem like a thing of the past, especially now since streaming services like Netflix, Stan and Foxtel are available at a cheap monthly cost. But for those who still like to own a DVD collection, purchasing a DVD isn’t that easy for some.
A lot of people will often stop to think if it’s worth spending a bit extra on a Blu-ray movie DVD or the Blu-ray box-set (if they are buying a series), wondering if it’s worth owning the Blu-ray version. While we can’t answer this question entirely as it is a personal decision, we can give you a bit of a guide as to what you can expect when buying a Blu-ray version compared to a regular DVD.
When the Blu-ray disc was released, it was intended to replace the standard DVD format, due to the fact that it’s capable of storing more data than a regular DVD. Besides the fact that a Blue-ray disc can hold more content, the general purpose of them is to contain high definition content (movies or TV shows, etc), which basically means that anything you watch on a Blue-ray disc will look a lot sharper and clearer than the content on a regular DVD. Blu-ray DVDs can hold up to 5x the amount of content a standard DVD can hold.
A standard DVD can store around 4.7GB of data, equivalent to two hours of standard video content, while a Blue-ray can store up to 25GB of data, equal to 13 hours of standard definition or two hours of high definition. Both standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs both look pretty identical.
Blu-ray discs require blue violet laser beams to read data, opposed to the regular DVD which uses red laser, which is why they require a certain type of player. These days, when purchasing a DVD player, most DVD players on the market are Blu-ray players and they will all play regular discs as well. Most consoles on the market like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One also play Blu-rays. If you’re looking for a Blu-ray player, these are more affordable than they ever have been. You can purchase one for under $150 nowadays. The actual discs themselves are more expensive due to the fact that they have a large storage capacity and higher resolution playback.
All in all, Blu-ray is all about high definition content and quality, so if you’re someone who is all about quality in everything you watch, purchasing a Blu-ray for a few extra dollars is probably the best way to go. However, if you’re purchasing DVDs for your young children, then purchasing a standard DVD is probably the way to go.
