​Consumer Blu-ray technology celebrates a decade

High-definition video options now make it possible for home viewers to experience movies at home with a picture and sound quality comparable to commercial movie theatres, and even to own a theatre-quality copy for the price of one or two movie tickets.

Internet video streaming and intangible cloud-based “digital copies” have become increasingly popular over the past few years among those who love movies, but would rather not build a personal collection of discs (which can take substantial storage space). However, streaming HD video sources, as well as HD cable and satellite services, are all highly compressed and thus frequently display distracting digital distortion artefacts. Service may also become erratic or disappear at any time.

The medium of choice for viewers concerned with optimum picture, sound, and reliability is the Blu-ray disc, whether to purchase or simply to rent through a vending machine at a nearby supermarket or convenience store. Like most DVDs, Blu-rays also usually contain supplementary content, enhancing the experience for many movie buffs.

Ten years ago this month (June 20) Blu-ray players were introduced to the consumer market, selling for $1000 and up, with discs typically priced between $25 and $40 each. Players are now typically in the $50 to $100 range. Discs commonly released at $20-$30 retail (often discounted) usually drop to $10-$15 within about a year, and sometimes quickly move on to $5 bargain bins.

Nevertheless, many people still question why they should switch to Blu-ray from standard DVD, which has now been around for 20 years. Some continue to use VHS tapes, an analog 1970s technology. Unlike the VHS to DVD revolution, however, there is no pressing need to replace old DVD copies with Blu-ray copies. Standard DVDs work in all Blu-ray players, and on an HDTV they usually look better than they do using standard DVD players. Blu-ray versions are six times sharper.

Some people claim to see no difference in quality between a DVD and a Blu-ray picture. Blu-rays cannot possibly look any sharper than standard DVDs if displayed on a standard-definition TV monitor. To take advantage of Blu-rays’ superior picture and sound, they must be connected to an HDTV using an HDMI cable. Standard video and audio cables will send only DVD-quality signals, even to HD video and audio equipment.

And on any TV set, SD or HD, if it is smaller than 40 or 50 inches, the average person may perceive no difference in picture quality from a typical viewing position eight to twelve feet or more across the room. The picture must be larger or the viewer must sit closer, at a distance of approximately one and a half to three times the height of the screen (about one to two screen-widths) in order to see much difference.

For example a 40-inch diagonal screen is only 20 inches tall by 35 inches wide, so optimum viewing distance is only two-and-a-half feet to five feet away. A 55-inch diagonal screen is 27 inches tall by four feet wide, and should be viewed roughly three-and-a-half to seven feet away. Sitting much further back is like sitting in the back rows at a movie theatre, pretty much defeating the whole reason for a sharp picture. Longer seating distances call for a larger screen. Theatre screens are typically ten to 25 feet tall by about 18 to 60 feet wide, depending on auditorium size.

Movies made for theatrical exhibition are designed to be watched with a large sharp image. This maximizes details that present important dramatic information to the viewer and can considerably affect the perception of a film’s pacing. Longer durations of takes, especially with long shots, allow viewers time to take in and process more of what’s happening in the scene, such as significant arrangements of actors, props, set pieces, textures, nuances of facial expressions, etc. The same film viewed on a small screen and/or in lower resolution may seem slow and dull because viewers unable to notice those details get impatient for the action to continue.

Films that seem merely diverting time-killers with a small standard-definition image, can suddenly spring to life on a large screen revealing all the details possible from a well-mastered Blu-ray, not to mention their superior sonic potential. Major Hollywood films used directional sound since 1953, and after “Star Wars,” even smaller films started to have stereo. By the 1990s films were exploiting the wider dynamic range, frequency response, and multi-channel capability of digital sound, all of which can be accurately reproduced on a Blu-ray and a good multi-channel (5.1, 7.1, and now “Atmos”) home audio system.

More vintage films continue to hit the Blu-ray market, astounding many viewers with how sharp they look. A properly done high-definition transfer from well-preserved original 35mm film elements can make a 65-year-old or older film look as good as a brand-new movie. People who find this surprising simply don’t realize that today’s modern HDTV video technology is finally catching up to sharpness standards that were already possible on correctly exposed and processed movie film a century ago!

Blu-ray’s 1080p “2K” resolution is virtually identical to most digital cinemas. The new 2160p “4K” Ultra-HD format is about the same as the better big-city digital cinemas, and can display all the information present in most original 35mm film negatives. The trick is finding films with original prints and/or camera negatives, as well as original sound recordings, that still survive in good condition.

It’s a treat akin to using a time machine to be able to revisit movies one saw while growing up (or from before one was born) with a visual clarity and audio quality as good as they had in their original theatrical presentations. It’s also great to catch up with films missed in theatres or that never played locally. Home video made this possible to some extent, but never with the potential to rival a commercial theatre’s presentation until Blu-ray and hi-definition home projectors became affordable.