The Technology Behind Blu-ray

Blu-ray blew off the DVD Association yet garnered more support from the industry than HD DVD. Then Samsung released its Blu-ray player ... complete with picture-blurring chip error. Does this mistake mark the beginning of the end for the latest high-def format? By Scott Wilkinson

Introduction

In the struggle to become the next optical-disc format, Blu-ray Disc (BD) suffered the first blow as HD DVD launched in April to generally good reviews, at least in terms of picture and sound quality. (The slow-as-molasses behavior of the Toshiba player was another matter; see our comprehensive coverage of HD DVD's introduction and review of the Toshiba HD-XA1.)

Now, it's Blu-ray's turn. The first player to become available in the United States is Samsung's BDP1000 ($1000), which made its retail debut on June 25, though some stores jumped the gun and started selling it the week before. Eager buyers snatched initial shipments from shelves as soon as they were stocked, demonstrating once again that consumers are hungry for high-def content to watch on their new HDTVs.

Next: What Is Blu-ray?