What does this mean for me?
The limited capacity of DVDs results in video and audio files being compressed to fit on a disc. This causes a quality reduction in the picture and/or sound. The greater capacity of BD discs allows for pristine picture quality and virtually full spectrum audio.
Compatibility
Blu-ray Disc™ offers a convergence of technology and compatibility among a new generation of high definition movies, video players, video recorders, personal computers, and gaming systems.
And what about your current library of DVDs and CDs? The Blu-ray Disc generation of home entertainment products will be backward-compatible with your CDs, DVDs, and other optical disc formats.
Flexibility and Interactivity
The technology built into each Blu-ray disc gives you, and industry professionals creating high definition content, the tools to create a viewing experience that up until now has not been possible for home entertainment. For example:
•Multiple video layers can now be on the screen at the same time. A presentation layer, customizable by a studio, allows the content creator to place graphics on the screen on top of the video or alongside it. Sitting on top of that layer is the Blu-ray navigation layer that will allow you to interact with the menu while the video is playing.
•Support for Java applications allows the video layer to be re-sizable providing even greater flexibility. Imagine the possibility of watching a movie and playing an interactive game related to the movie—all at the same time.