What Will Be Next Step After Blu Ray?

Question

All Things Come To An End sure in 20-30 years something will replace it, have they already started?

Answer 1

There won't be one successor.

Blu-ray is only 8 bit colour (same as DVD), and only a slightly broader gamut than DVD. The next logical stage is 10 (or more likely 12) bit colour, and an even broader colour space (xvYCC?). In addition 1440p may be the next step, but it could be greater, or even some form of 3D. Note that Sony and other manufacturuers have already built capability -- at least for 12 bit colour and xvYCC into new HDTVs over the last couple of years.

At the same time downloads will become more of a factor because consumers have clearly identified a preference for convenience and portability. Internet infrastructure is a big issue, but downloads in sub-1080p resolution and with more efficient compression are likely and/or 1080p or higher resolution with lossless audio. Actually XStreamHD promises the latter via satellite by the end of this year. Note the Japanese just launched a satellite that will allow internet download in Asia at 1.2 GB/s! NA and/or Europe may follow.

In the longer term so called 4K video isn't impossible (2160p resolution) ... Sony already make the projectors ... but we'll need VHD (video holographic disk) or something like it to be able to use it at home!

Personally I think we will see Blu-ray 2 in less than 5 years as Blu-ray is forced to differentiate itself from DVD as a premium format (since I don't think it's good enough to replace DVD).

The one thing I'm sure of is we will see a gradual startification of the home video market with a mix of DVD, HD disk and Download/VOD ... and it's coming fast ... nowhere near 20-30 years.

Answer 2

The next incremental step will be Bluray interactive. In the long run, work on true 3d imaging is progressing nicely...

I won't be completely satisfied until we have something similar to the Holodeck from Star Trek - Next Generation.

Answer 3

We're 2 micro tuners one your tumb one on your index finger and be able to watch everything

Answer 4

The next step is already here - AppleTV and other HD download services.

I believe the future of video (regular and HD quality) is in downloads - Blu-Ray lost it's momentum fighting with HD, and will continue to be a niche format.

Answer 5

Movie downloading already exist. It's not the next big step. Blu-ray may not even be around in 20-30 years. Formats are constantly being replaced. Sony is not the only pioneer in technology. Using standard laser technology has reach it's wavelength limitation and cost.

Holographic storage media will likely replace Blu-ray in the future. Using nano materials and nano-optic technology they can put more than 3 Tera-bytes (3000GB) on a CD. Using the entire disc as a  3D storage media.  Companies have been working on this technology for 3 years now. Current disc only use 1-2 thin layers. The rest is unused space.

When this technology is available to the public. You can expect  UHDTV to follow. Ultra High Definition is 7,680 × 4,320 pixels. 16 times more pixels and 4 time the resolution of 1080p. When resolution reaches it's plateau then 3D holographic HDTV's will be next. I'm dreaming again. But the knowledge is already here. Cost is the only thing that 's holding us back from all these wonderful toys.

Answer 6

Yes, they have.  Several companies are perfecting the digital download so that you can download movies, music, games etc from the Internet to all kinds of devices without losing any quality and without it taking forever.  I'd say in 20 years or less, hardly anyone will be using plastic discs anymore.  We'll all have some kind of box hooked up to our TV's that lets you download all kinds of stuff from the net to watch or listen to whenever you want.  Game consoles will take XBox Live's service a step further and will have huge hard drives that you can save all your games on without having to load discs.  

I'm not sure I'll even get an HD DVD player of any kind and just wait for the movie downloading box.  I already have a big collection of "regular" DVD's and VHS movies.  Sometimes I wonder why.  I could rent them from Netflix or Blocbuster or download them onto my computer with some of the online services already in existance.  I do watch some of my collection over again but not very often.  When they figure out how to store the movies, games, music you download in a convienient and more or less permanent way (right now, if your hard drive on whatever device you have them stored in fails, they are gone, although a few sites that let you download stuff for money will let you re-download the same thing again for free if you can prove you bought it in the first place like Riff Traxx does), I'd gladly give up my shelves of DVD's for it.  Think of all the space in our homes we'd free up if we had permanent digital storage of our movies, games, music and books.