New Products and Technology: The New Frontier in Video

The year 2009 marks the end of an era for videophiles in a number of ways. On February 17, all over-the-air broadcasters in the United States are expected to have switched their signal from analog to digital, rendering obsolete sixty years of television technology. The main reason for the switch: highly efficient digital technology frees up valuable spectrum for other uses like emergency radio service. As a bonus for viewers, digital pictures and sound are much clearer.

If you use cable or satellite, the transition won’t affect you. If you depend on over-the-air broadcasts, however, you will need to purchase an inexpensive DTV converter box and attach it to your set to continue to receive a signal. You might also consider buying a DTV antenna to improve your reception.

This year also marks the end of the line for VHS tapes. In December 2008, the biggest wholesaler in the United States announced that it would discontinue distribution of movies in VHS format to its large retail customers. But even as the DVD format triumphs, a rival is waiting in the wings. Last year, Blu-ray emerged as the heir apparent to DVD, with all the major studios issuing movies in the Blu-ray format and the price of many Blu-ray players falling below $250.

Blu-ray is like DVD on steroids. Although they are identical in size, a Blu-ray disk can hold six times more information than a DVD disk. This means that Blu-ray can produce images that are much higher in resolution than current DVDs, particularly important if you have a large widescreen high-definition television (HDTV). Sound quality also steps up a notch, because Blu-ray can accommodate very high-quality audio files.

A Blu-ray disk is roomy enough not only to allow higher audio and video fidelity but also to enable the viewer to manipulate more information at once. With a DVD, for instance, you can either watch a movie or select items from the DVD menu. With Blu-ray, you can do both at the same time.

To take advantage of Blu-ray, you need an HDTV capable of 720p resolution and a Blu-ray player, but with only 1,000 movies available in Blu-ray (as opposed to 90,000 DVD titles), there’s no rush to switch to Blu-ray. If you are in the market for a new DVD player, however, it makes sense to consider upgrading. Because Blu-ray can play DVDs perfectly, you’ll be able to enjoy the current generation of DVD movies while the Blu-ray library continues to grow.

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CNET has a clear, in-depth guide to the pros and cons of Blu-ray.