FAQ (Credit to sKyWiR3pT3lTd)What is Blu-ray?
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. For more general information about Blu-ray, please see our What is Blu-ray? section.
Why the name Blu-ray?
The name Blu-ray is derived from the underlying technology, which utilizes a blue-violet laser to read and write data. The name is a combination of "Blue" (blue-violet laser) and "Ray" (optical ray). According to the Blu-ray Disc Association the spelling of "Blu-ray" is not a mistake, the character "e" was intentionally left out so the term could be registered as a trademark.
The correct full name is Blu-ray Disc, not Blu-ray Disk (incorrect spelling)
The correct shortened name is Blu-ray, not Blu-Ray (incorrect capitalization) or Blue-ray (incorrect spelling)
The correct abbreviation is BD, not BR or BRD (wrong abbreviation)
What Blu-ray formats are planned?
As with conventional CDs and DVDs, Blu-ray plans to provide a wide range of formats including ROM/R/RW. The following formats are part of the Blu-ray Disc specification:
BD-ROM - read-only format for distribution of HD movies, games, software, etc.
BD-R - recordable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.
BD-RE - rewritable format for HD video recording and PC data storage.
There's also plans for a BD/DVD hybrid format, which combines Blu-ray and DVD on the same disc so that it can be played in both Blu-ray players and DVD players.
What video codecs will Blu-ray support?
MPEG-2 - enhanced for HD, also used for playback of DVDs and HDTV recordings.
MPEG-4 AVC - part of the MPEG-4 standard also known as H.264 (High Profile and Main Profile).
SMPTE VC-1 - standard based on Microsoft's Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.
Please note that this simply means that all Blu-ray players and recorders will have to support playback of these video codecs, it will still be up to the movie studios to decide which video codec(s) they use for their releases.
What audio codecs will Blu-ray support?
Linear PCM (LPCM) - up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. (mandatory)
Dolby Digital (DD) - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (mandatory)
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) - extension of Dolby Digital, 7.1-channel surround sound. (optional)
Dolby TrueHD - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
DTS Digital Surround - format used for DVDs, 5.1-channel surround sound. (mandatory)
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio - extension of DTS, 7.1-channel surround sound. (optional)
DTS-HD Master Audio - lossless encoding of up to 8 channels of audio. (optional)
Please note that this simply means that Blu-ray players and recorders will have to support playback of these audio codecs, it will still be up to the movie studios to decide which audio codec(s) they use for their releases.
What are the Blu-ray shipment rates?
APAC Shipping Rates:
Standard
Per Shipment: $4.99
Per Item: $3.99*
Estimated delivery: 17-31 days
Expedited
Per Shipment: $13.99
Per Item: $3.99*
Estimated delivery: 12-19 days
Priority Courier
Per Shipment: $29.99
Per Item: $3.99*
Estimated delivery: 2-4 days
* Additional shipping and handling charges apply to media items of unusual size or weight.
What are the audio streaming support and how to perform passthrough?
HDMI
PCM Mode:
Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> PS3/BDP [DECODER**] ---> Multich PCM ---> AVR [DAC-AMP] ---> Speakers (Lossless)
Bitstream mode:
Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> PS3 ---> Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM 2.0 ---> AVR [DECODER**-DAC-AMP] ---> Speakers (Lossy)
Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> BDP* ---> Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> AVR [DECODER**-DAC-AMP] ---> Speakers (Lossless)
OPTICAL/COAXIAL
PCM Mode:
Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> PS3/BDP [DECODER**] ---> PCM 2.0 ---> AVR [DAC-AMP] ---> Speakers (Lossy)
Bitstream Mode:
Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA/Multich PCM ---> PS3/BDP ---> Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM 2.0 ---> AVR [DECODER**-DAC-AMP] ---> Speakers (Lossy)
*Secondary audio turned-off
**Except PCM 2.0/Multich PCM
Where can i view the Amazon & Other retailers deal everyday ?
Check the following thread , thanks to Blu-ray.com :
Movies & TV DealsWhere can i find Chinese Language Blu-ray movies over the web?
You can find / buy them from YesAsia :
http://www.yesasia.com. You can also find some from Amazon.com
Where can i find English Language Blu-ray movies over the web?
You can find them all at Walmart.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, Futureshop.co.ca, Frys.com, Bestbuy.com and more list to be updated