The History of Blu-Ray

Soon after DVDs hit the market in the mid-1990s, HDTVs began to enter the marketplace as well. However, there wasn’t a widely accepted format for recording and playing video with a resolution of 720p or higher. Enter the Blu-Ray: unlike previous optical discs, Blu-Ray discs could hold massive amounts of data, allowing for 4K and HD video playback. In 2002, the Blu-Ray Disc Foundation was formed. Members included movie industry representatives and the Blu-Ray format began to gain traction. Named as such because the discs were produced with a blue laser, the new format gained mainstream recognition around 2006, when the first Blu-Ray players were released. While standard and HD DVDs have mostly lost their mainstream appeal in the age of digital streaming, Blu-Ray discs are still relatively popular among a certain cohort of the population. Why? By adding more layers to the optical disc, the format has been able to evolve and can support 4K UHD playback complete with HDR/Dolby Vision color scale and top-quality audio, such as Dolby Atmos. 4K UHD players hit the market in 2016 and the format is also supported by many gaming consoles. While streaming has certainly cut into the popularity of Blu-Ray discs, die-hard movie fans who want the highest possible audio and video quality still support the format, as do many collectors, so it has not been made obsolete just yet.