A large number of films and other video content is available in the Blu-ray Disc and more are released every week. Currently, about 5,000 titles are available on Blu-ray. Prices for the titles are about $5-or-$10 more than current DVDs, older and catalog titles are sometimes heavily discounted, so watch for Blu-ray Disc sales. Prices for movies, just as for players, are expected to go down over time as competition heats up and more disc quantities of each film are produced.
Currently, all of the major studios are releasing content in the Blu-ray Disc format, with smaller studios also joining in. The list of both current and catalog titles is growing on a weekly basis.
Don't Give Up On DVD!
Also, remember that Blu-ray Disc players can play standard DVDs as well. In fact, you can play your standard DVDs in an upscaled mode that will approach the quality of high definition resolution. Also, almost all Blu-ray Disc players are compatible with standard CDs. However, there may be some exceptions. If you require this compatibility, check to see if the official Compact Disc logo is on the front panel of the player, or that you at least ask the salesperson. To make sure, you can sometimes download the user manual from the manufacturer's website ahead of time, or, better yet, bring a CD with you to the dealer and make sure it plays.
Content Streaming and Network Media
In addition, a growing number of Blu-ray Disc players are now incorporating additional playback features. Additional playback on some players may include reading audio, video, and still image files via a USB port from Flash Drives, and some players can also stream audio and video content directly from the internet from services such as Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Amazon Video-on-Demand, Pandora, and Rhapsody. If you are interested in these capabilities, check out if a specific player offers some or all of these playback options.
Also, some Blu-ray Disc players can also access content stored on other devices, such as a PC, connected by a home network. One way to find out if a specific Blu-ray Disc player has this capability is to check to see if it is DLNA certified.
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