What is the difference between blu-ray and DVD ?

[super soaker]

Hi, i would like to know the difference between Blu-ray and DVD the only thing i know is that blu-ray is bigger in size as compare to dvd. and can i play my dvd on blu-ray player ?


Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Killen]

Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next-generation optical disc format. The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc.

DVD discs are the same diameter (120mm) and thickness (1.2mm) as a Compact Disc, but that is where the similarities end. A single DVD disc has the capability to store up to 13 times the data contained on a CD, on one side! If you factor in DVD's capability to utilize both sides of a disc for data storage, you have an information marvel that offers 26 times the power of a Compact Disc!

Here is a difference between blu-ray and DVD

[Maxforu]

Wikipedia has a couple of articles that explain the differences in some detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvd