The Blu-ray Disc Association is fast at work developing a version of Blu-ray media that can support 4K resolution. They will be releasing the new technology next year either in the spring or summer to compete against the grow trend of streaming media.
There has been a major move to streaming media due to the cross platform support capabilities and quick access to mass libraries of content at a click of a button. The drawback however is the compression to make it happen. Blu-ray has the ability to deliver 4K content with little to no compression, allowing for greater detail. Another plus is that you physically own the product you purchase, therefore have a tangible asset vs a virtual asset that vanishes into air if you ever pass from the Earth (god forbid).
By the end of next year, you will see a flood of 4K Blu-ray players hitting the market for the holiday season. It’s uncertain how successful the push will be as the industry moves further into streaming media and the ISP market pushes for gigabit internet or faster.
The new format will support current 50GB discs as well as high capacity discs that will be following shortly. It will take advantage of the new H.265/HEVC compression technology. With it comes updates to the digital rights management (DRM) to help combat illegal copying of the media.
