Blu-Ray Disc

Blu-Ray or Blu-Ray Disc

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is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was designed to supersede

the DVD format, in that it is capable of storing high-definition and ultra highdefinition video resolution (2160p).
The format was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association. a group
representing makers of consumer electronics, computer hardware, and
motion pictures
Sony unveiled the first Blu-ray disc prototypes in October 2000
The first prototype player was released in April 2003 in Japan.
Its official release in June 2006
High-definition video may be stored on Blu-ray discs with up to 2160p
resolution (38402160 pixels), at up to 60 (59.94) fields or 60 frames per
second.
Blu-ray minimum data rate transfer is 36 Mbps.

What does Blu-Ray means

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It refers to the blue laser (specifically, a violet laser) used to read the disc,
which allows information to be stored at a greater density than is possible
with the longer-wavelength red laser used for DVDs.

Blu-Ray

Media type
Encoding

High-density optical disc

H.262/MPEG-2 Part 2
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
VC-1

Capacity

25 GB (single-layer)
50 GB (dual-layer)
100/128 GB (BDXL)

Read
mechanism

405 nm diode laser

Developed by
Dimensions

Blu-ray Disc Association

120 mm (4.7 in) diameter
1.2 mm thickness

Application of Blu-Ray
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Data storage
High-definition video (2160p)
High-resolution audio
Stereoscopic 3D
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation 4 games
Xbox One games
Wii U games

Whats inside a Blu-ray disc?

In this case, Layer L1 is defined by the Layer L0 plane sandwiched a 25 m thick

Spacer Layer, and the Cover-Layer thickness of Layer L1 is 75 m. Layer L0 for all
Multi-Layer discs is always at the position of 100 m depth. Refer to the later
chapter as 1.4 Multi-Layer disc in detail.

Blu-Ray Formats
BD-ROM

BD-R

The pre-recorded disc or the read-only format disc.

This type of Blu-ray Disc is for replay only and also used for retail for the
distribution of HD movies or mass production copies.
It usually contains movies or re-issued TV shows in High Definition format.

The recordable disc

The data can be written once only and cannot be deleted or overwritten.
It can be used for archival of huge amounts of data or video.
Current practical maximum drive speed is 12x

BD-RE

The rewritable disc

The written data can be deleted and new data can be written.
It offers the same large capacity in a disc format that allows for repetitive
usage.
Current practical maximum drive speed is 12x

*SL Single Layer

*DL Dual Layer
BD-XL

The BDXL format allows 100 GB and 128 GB write-once discs, and 100 GB
rewritable discs for commercial applications.
It was defined in June 2010

*TL Triple-Layer
*QL Quadruple Layer
Advantages of Blu-Ray Disc

High capacity storage of video and data

A single-layer Blu-ray disc that can hold up to 25 GB of data -that's more than two hours of high-definition video or about 13
hours of standard video.

A double-layer Blu-ray disc can store up to 50 GB, enough to hold

about 4.5 hours of high-definition video or more than 20 hours of
standard video.

1080p high definition video support without any quality loss

Uncompressed surround sound

instantly skip to any spot on the disc

record one program while watching another on the disc

create playlists

edit or reorder programs recorded on the disc

Improved interactive features

Disadvantages:

Very Expensive

Blu-Ray 3D

It is created to help define standards for putting 3D film and 3D

television content on a Blu-ray Disc.
BDA officially announced 3D specs for Blu-ray Disc in December 17 2009.
The Blu-ray 3D specification defines a more limited number of frame size
and frame rate combinations than standard Blu-ray. The allowable frame
size/rates for BD 3D are as follows:
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1920x1080 @ 23.976 fps progressive

1280x720 @ 59.94 fps progressive

1280x720 @ 50 fps progressive

Blu-ray 3D uses a new file format called Multiview Video Coding, or MVC,
which is an extension of the MPEG-4 AVC format
MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50%
overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p
resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players.
BD 3D discs are backward compatible with earlier profile Blu-ray Disc
players

Ultra HD Blu-Ray

The Ultra HD Blu-ray can support video at 3840 2160 (4K/UHD) at up to

60 frames per second progressively and High Dynamic Range (HDR) video.
The standard will encode videos under the High Efficiency Video
Coding standard.

Ultra HD Blu-ray disc cannot be played back by the players designed with
Blu-ray Disc Read-Only format (2K/HD) specified in Mar. 2011 because of
incompatibility of video coding methods, content protection systems, Disc
Information
On May 12, 2015, the Blu-ray Disc Association revealed completed
specifications and the official Ultra HD Blu-ray logo.
The 4K-Blu-ray specification allows for three disc sizes, each with their own
data rate:
50 GB with 82 Mbit/s
66 GB with 108 Mbit/s
100 GB with 128 Mbit/s

Encoding of Blu-ray Disc

Video codecs

MPEG-2 - enhanced for HD, also used for playback of DVDs and HDTV recordings.
MPEG-4 AVC - part of the MPEG-4 standard also known as H.264 (High Profile and
Main Profile).
SMPTE VC-1 - standard based on Microsoft's Windows Media Video (WMV)
technology.

Audio Codecs

Linear PCM (LPCM) - up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. (mandatory)

Dolby Digital (DD) - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound.
(mandatory)
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) - extension of Dolby Digital, 7.1-channel surround sound.
(optional)
Dolby TrueHD - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
DTS Digital Surround - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound.
(mandatory)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio - extension of DTS, 7.1-channel surround sound.
(optional)
DTS-HD Master Audio - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)

How Blu-Ray Works?

Discs store digitally encoded video and audio information in pits -- spiral grooves
that run from the center of the disc to its edges. A laser reads the other side of
these pits -- the bumps -- to play the movie or program that is stored on the disc.
The more data that is contained on a disc, the smaller and more closely packed the
pits must be. The smaller the pits (and therefore the bumps), the more precise the
reading laser must be.
Blu-ray uses a blue laser to read and write data. A blue laser has a shorter
wavelength (405 nanometers). The smaller beam focuses more precisely,
enabling it to read information recorded in pits that are only 0.15 microns (m) (1
micron = 10-6meters) long -- this is more than twice as small as the pits on a DVD.
Plus, Blu-ray has reduced the track pitch of 0.32 microns. The smaller pits,
smaller beam and shorter track pitch together enable a single-layer Blu-ray disc to
hold more than 25 GB of information -- about five times the amount of information
that can be stored on a DVD.
The Blu-ray disc overcomes DVD-reading issues by placing the data on top of a
1.1-mm-thick polycarbonate layer. Having the data on top prevents
birefringence and therefore prevents readability problems. And, with the recording
layer sitting closer to the objective lens of the reading mechanism, the problem
of disc tilt is virtually eliminated. Because the data is closer to the surface, a hard
coating is placed on the outside of the disc to protect it from scratches and
fingerprints.

CD vs. DVD vs. Blu-ray

Storage Capacity

CD = 700MB (80Mins)
DVD = 4.7GB
Blu-Ray = 25GB

Size
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All 120mm in diameter.

All 1.2mm in thickness.

Media Type
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CD = Optical Disc
DVD = Optical Disc
Blu-Ray = High Density Optical Disc

DVR
What is DVR?
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DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder.

It is an electronic device that records video in a digital format to a disk
drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SSD or other local or
networked mass storage device.
The term includes set-top boxes with direct to disk recording, portable media
players and TV gateways with recording capability, and digital camcorders
DVRs are classified as consumer electronic devices; such devices are
sometimes referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs).

Usage of DVR

Record a program.

Record an entire series.

View a list of scheduled recordings.
Watch a program you have recorded.
Pause and resume live TV.
Rewind or fast forward a recording or live TV.
Change the rewind or fast forward speed.
Cancel a single scheduled recording or an entire series.
Delete a recorded program.
Change the save time on individual recordings a series of recordings.

Features that must be look into a DVR

1. Frames Per Second

What is frames per second? The frames per second (fps) relates to how many
pictures the DVR will record in a second. Real time recording is about 30 fps on each
camera. To calculate the fps per camera take the total fps in the system and divide
it by the number of video inputs.
2. Hard Drive Storage
How big of a hard drive do I need? The amount of hard drive space is very important
because it will limit how many days of recording you can store before the system
has to start recording over the oldest video. Each DVR will have its storage capacity
listed in the specifications. But this calculation is just a rough estimate as there are
many factors that affect hard drive use. The most critical factor being the
compression format used by the DVR. But also the type of cameras that are
connected to the DVR make a difference (specifically the chip size and resolution)
and also the features that are selected on the DVR. If you use the scheduling or
motion detection features or tune down the frame rate that will extend the storage
capacity of the unit. Even the field of view (what you are recording) will affect the
storage capacity - the more complex the image, the more hard drive space it will
take to capture the complexity.
3. PC-Based vs. Embedded DVR
A PC-based digital video recorder is basically a personal computer that has been
modified with hardware and software to work as a DVR. An embedded digital video
recorder is a machine that has been manufactured specifically to work as a DVR. In
embedded DVRs there is typically one circuit board with software burned into the
chip.

How DVR Works

The DVR converts the analog signal to digital and then compresses it. Many
cameras can be connected to one DVR. DVRs generally come with 4, 8, 16, or 32
camera inputs. The DVR will allow you to view all of these images at once or one at
a time, and all of the video is saved to the hard drive.

Digital Video Recorder Basics

In a nutshell, a DVR is a glorified hard drive inside a fancy box that looks nice in
your entertainment center. The hard drive is connected to the outside world through
a variety of jacks on the back of the box, usually the typical RCA connections that
you would use to hook up, say, a cable box or a VCR.
The television signal comes into the DVR's built-in tuner through antenna, cable or
satellite. If the signal comes from antenna or cable, it goes into an MPEG-2 encoder,
which converts the data from analog to digital (MPEG-2, by the way, is the
compression standard used to fit information onto a DVD). From the encoder, the
signal is shipped off to two different places: first, to the hard drive for storage, and
second, to an MPEG-2 decoder, which converts the signal back to analog and sends
it to the television for viewing.
First, a DVR is tapeless. With a VCR, the device itself is merely a recording tool; the
blank cassette is the media. In a DVR, the media and tool are one and the same.
This is obviously a plus if you never seem to be able to find a blank tape when it's
time to record something, but it can also be a drawback. Because the media is hardwired into the machine, adding additional storage space is not possible. There are
Web sites that offer instructions on how to open a DVR and add a new hard drive,
but beware -- this will definitely void your warranty. Getting more recording time is
easy with a VCR -- just buy another box of blank tapes. More recording time on a
DVR involves buying a new unit.