| The home theater experience is not quite complete | | | | such as Bonus View (picture-in-picture), online games, |
| without a Blu-ray DVD Disc Player. Mainly because | | | | access to chat rooms and downloads. Not all Blu-ray |
| Blu-ray players raises your entertainment level with | | | | DVD Players will support these features. Earlier Blu-ray |
| glorious High Definition images and sounds. But which | | | | DVD Players did not have to support any new "bonus |
| blu-ray player is the best one for you? Like DVD | | | | features". Three categories, known as Profiles, have |
| Players, different Blu-ray Players come with many | | | | been established to distinguish between the different |
| different features - some may even require additional | | | | types of Blu-ray DVD Players. Now, any Blu-ray Profile |
| accessories, so choosing the right one is very | | | | will play a Blu-ray disc but with different Profiles you |
| important. Below is an outline of the common Blu-ray | | | | get different extra features available to you. There are |
| features to help you choose the right Blu-ray Disc | | | | three types of Profiles. |
| player for your home entertainment setup. | | | | Profile 1.0 |
| High Definition - 1080p: | | | | Profile 1.0 is very basic with no extra features available. |
| If you have purchased a HDTV set you are probably | | | | After Nov 27, 2007 all of Blu-ray DVD Players |
| familiar with the terms 720p,1080i and 1080p. If not, | | | | released were required to support Profile 1.1. |
| basically what you need to know, is that 1080p is the | | | | Profile 1.1 |
| highest video resolution available to you. And right now, | | | | Profile 1.1 is the mandatory requirement of all Blu-ray |
| Blu-ray players are the best source to get this | | | | DVD Players. Profile 1.1 Blu-ray Players have 256 MB |
| resolution, even High Definition television broadcasts | | | | of local storage. They have the picture-in-picture |
| cannot compete with the visually stunning and clear | | | | function, mostly refer to as Bonus View. This is used |
| images produced with a Blu-ray Player. Of course, | | | | to show a smaller picture within the movie. Mainly used |
| Blu-ray Players alone don't give you these superior | | | | when a director or actor is giving commentary about a |
| images, you will also need a High Definition TV set | | | | particular movie. This movie itself is being displayed in |
| capable of displaying 1080p which will give you the | | | | the larger picture. Obviously a secondary video and |
| clearest picture possible and this is what you should | | | | audio decoders are needed for the smaller picture. |
| aim for. However, if you don't have a 1080p High | | | | Most major studios now have this feature in all their |
| Definition television, all Blu-ray Players have the ability | | | | standard Blu-ray releases. |
| to select the resolution that best suits your HDTV. A | | | | Profile 2.0 (BD-LIVE) |
| High Definition TV with a display of 720p or 1080i will | | | | Includes all the features of Profile 1.1 with an increase in |
| still give you a remarkably clear picture. | | | | local storage to 1 GB. Profile 2.0, which is also know as |
| High Definition Sound Quality: | | | | BD Live, has the ability of an internet connection, |
| The next big feature that draws people to the Blu-ray | | | | usually through an Ethernet port. So it is capable of |
| Player is AUDIO. Dolby Digital and DTS are the | | | | interactive features when playing a Blu-ray disc. |
| common formats you may be familiar with since these | | | | Features such as movie-related games, downloading |
| are provided on a DVD Player. Blu-ray has these | | | | the latest trailers, chat rooms and other content. Most |
| formats plus superior new versions of them. First, | | | | of the newer models are more likely to be Profile 2.0. |
| there is Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD. They are an | | | | Online Streaming: |
| improvement over the standard Dolby Digital and DTS | | | | Some of the newer Blu-ray Disc Players offer online |
| since they offer higher bit rates and more efficient | | | | movie and music streaming from Netflix, Pandora, |
| compression which gives you better sound quality. And | | | | YouTube, Amazon-On-Demand and others. In order to |
| both are capable of 7.1-channel surround sound. Keep | | | | use this feature you would need subscriptions to these |
| in mind, most movies produced today still only go to | | | | places and a broadband internet connection. Some |
| 5.1-channel surround sound, so if you do not have a | | | | Blu-ray Players even allow you to add it to your home |
| 7.1-channel surround sound system, there is no need to | | | | network, providing access to other digital content |
| go out and purchase one. | | | | stored on your computer. |
| Second, is Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, | | | | Final consideration: |
| which uses a "lossless" compression codec, which | | | | The last thing you may want to look for in choosing a |
| means once it's decoded it is identical to the studio | | | | Blu-ray player is what other type of media can it play. |
| master. Providing you with the best possible sound, | | | | For example, you're probably used to your DVD player |
| matching the movie audio you get in a theater. There | | | | being able to play CD-Rs or CD-RWs. Listening to |
| is also PCM. This is an uncompressed audio format, | | | | MP3 or WMA files on your DVD player. Not all Blu-ray |
| which again matches the original studio master. | | | | Players have these capabilities. Or they may be able |
| Not all blu-ray players support the new audio formats. | | | | to play MP3s on a CD but not on a DVD disc. You |
| Most can support them, but they are not required to. | | | | would have to look to see if the Blu-ray Disc Player |
| The three audio formats you will find in every Blu-ray | | | | has any of these capabilities. |
| Disc Player is Dolby Digital, DTS, and PCM. Therefore, | | | | In summary, here are the Key Points to remember |
| to get the optimal sound performance, it is wise to | | | | when choosing a Blu-ray disc player: |
| choose a Blu-ray Player that has one or more of the | | | | - Does the Blu-ray Player support Full 1080p Play |
| following audio formats: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby | | | | Back? |
| TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master | | | | - Do you have a HDTV capable of displaying 720p |
| Audio. | | | | resolution or Higher. (1080p is the best) |
| Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD can be decoded | | | | - What Audio formats are supported by the Blu-ray |
| internally in most Blu-ray Players. Players internally | | | | Player? |
| decoding DTS-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio is rarer | | | | - What Audio Outputs does the Blu-ray Player have? |
| but the number is increasing. While decoding internally is | | | | - How are you connecting the Blu-ray Player to your |
| great, you do need to know, not all Blu-ray Players that | | | | Home Theater Receiver, via HDMI or multichannel |
| have built-in surround sound decoding have | | | | analog connection? |
| multichannel analog outputs. So a HDMI cable would be | | | | - What Profile does the Blu-ray Player have? (Profile 2 |
| needed to take advantage of the Blu-ray Player's | | | | / BD-Live is the best option) |
| internal decoding. If your home theater receiver does | | | | - What type of media and video formats can the |
| not have HDMI inputs, you will need to get a Blu-ray | | | | Blu-ray Player use? Does it play MP3's? Can it play |
| Player with multichannel analog connections. | | | | CD-R/RWs or DVD-R/RWs? |
| Having a Blu-ray Player with these new Audio formats | | | | - Does the Blu-ray Player have Online Streaming |
| is just one side of the story. These new audio formats | | | | capability? |
| also need to appear on the Blu-ray movie disc. This is | | | | Answer all these questions and finding the right Blu-ray |
| nothing to worry about, because since 2009 almost | | | | DVD Player for you will become a lot easier. |
| every blu-ray disc manufactured and released have at | | | | ... |
| least one or more of these lossless formats (Dolby | | | | For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Playerstry |
| TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and PCM). | | | | this handy comparison guide:blu-ray dvd players |
| Blu-ray Profiles: | | | | Or try downloading our handy Blu-ray Buyer's Guide |
| Blu-ray disc have all the same bonus features that is | | | | here:blu-ray buyer's guide |
| on a regular DVD disc. Things like deleted scenes, | | | | Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if |
| alternate endings and trailers. But it also has special | | | | thisresource box stays attached. |
| interactive features different than the DVD disc. Things | | | | |