The Differences Between DVD and Blu-ray

Though we’ve been in the age of Blu-ray discs for several years now, some may still be wondering what makes a Blu-ray disc so different from a DVD. Much like how DVDs advanced past CDs and VHS tapes in the late 90s, Blu-ray is the next step up after DVDs. The differences between DVD and Blu-ray discs give Blu-ray a clear edge above the competition but by how much? Let’s take a look at how much of an advancement Blu-ray discs were to the digital media industry.

Storage Capacity

The most important difference that came with this advancement in technology was the upgrade to the space on the disc itself. With more disc capacity comes more on-disc features and higher video playback quality. While DVDs have only 8.5 gigabytes of space at maximum, dual-layer Blu-ray discs have 50 gigabytes of space. This means that videos require less compression on Blu-ray, allowing for high definition and support for HDTVs.

Blu-rays can also hold 3D movies, which is something that DVDs couldn’t quite accomplish. They can also use multiple video codecs, such as MPEG-2 (which is what DVDs use), MPEG-4 AVC, and SMPTE VC-1.

Blu-rays can run video at 1080p resolution—DVDs could only run videos at 480p. For perspective: the default quality of a YouTube video (720p) is of a higher quality than a DVD’s highest resolution.

Red Laser vs. Blue Laser

True to its name, Blu-ray disc readers and recorders use a blue laser to read the disc instead of the previous standard red laser. Lens technology also improved, allowing for a smaller, more precise laser beam that records high-density, petite pits. Recording in smaller pits allows for more content on the disc, hence the larger capacity.

Blu-Rays Are More Secure

It’s impossible to talk about the differences between DVD and Blu-ray without mentioning the differences in security. With DVDs, anyone with a disc reader in their computer could read the disc and burn copies of the disc with great success. Physical piracy was a problem with DVDs, which perhaps drew many movie studios’ attention toward Blu-ray.

With Blu-ray, you can encrypt the data, which—while not infallible—is a far more secure system than is possible with a DVD. This makes it more difficult to burn copies of the discs and adds more steps to pirating.

However, the full transition to Blu-ray hasn’t been a fast one—Blu-rays are still the more expensive option, and many people cannot afford their price tag. Instead, they opt for HD-DVDs or digital copies, which are more affordable. The price of DVDs has dropped tremendously, which is likely the only real benefit they have over Blu-rays.

Whether you’re upgrading content on a DVD to a Blu-ray or require other video digitizing services, DiJiFi is here to help. We can both transfer data to a DVD or Blu-ray and we can convert DVDs and Blu-rays into digital files to suit your project needs.