Blu-Ray Technology - Part X

Will Blu-ray replace VCRs?
Yes, as VCRs don't support recording of HDTV programming consumers will soon need to replace them. Blu-ray recorders combined with hard drives offer a very flexible alternative for those that want to record HDTV. While HD-DVRs already allow consumers to record HDTV, the amount of HDTV programming that can be recorded and archived is limited by the size of the hard drive. Blu-ray recorders will offer a solution to this problem as they allow consumers to record the video to Blu-ray discs and then free up the hard drive. This should make them popular among people that want to archive a lot of their HDTV recordings. The Blu-ray recorders will also offer a lot of compelling new features not possible with a traditional VCR:

Random access - instantly jump to any place on the disc
Searching - quickly browse and preview recorded programs in real-time
Create playlists - change the order of recorded programs and edit recorded video
Simultaneous recording and playback of video (enables Time slip/Chasing playback)
Automatically find an empty space to avoid recording over programs
Improved picture - ability to record high-definition television (HDTV)
Improved sound - ability to record surround sound (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc)

What about Blu-ray for PCs?
There are plans for BD-ROM (read-only), BD-R (recordable) and BD-RE (rewritable) drives for PCs, and with the support of the worlds two largest PC manufacturers, HP and Dell, it's very likely that the technology will be adopted as the next-generation optical disc format for PC data storage and replace technologies such as DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM.