HD-DVDs, or High Definition DVDs, are being billed as the new standard of the next generation optical discs that deliver high definition video in a DVD form. HD-DVDs, just as Blu-ray Discs, utilize an ultraviolet laser eye with a shorter wavelength than the standard red laser used in current CD and DVD players. This shorter wavelength allows the eye to be concentrated on a finer point on the disc and gives HD-DVDs and Blu-ray Discs their extra storage capacity.
Blu-ray Guide:
Blu-ray Discs are the next generation optical discs that enable the recording, rewriting, and playback of high definition video as well as the storage of large amounts of data. Blu-ray Discs derive their name from the use of a blue or ultraviolet laser eye which has a shorter wavelength than the standard red laser used in CD and DVD players. This shorter wavelength allows the eye to be concentrated on a finer point on the disc and gives Blu-ray Discs their extra storage capacity. Since the ultraviolet laser eye's shorter wavelength can be focused on a smaller area, the data can be compressed as well to accommodate this higher precision.
