14 DAY TRIAL // Shoppers might be overwhelmed The Blu-Ray Disc Association announced that during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 2006, that will take place in USA, many electronics devices that use the Blu-Ray technology will be presented, though these products won't be available for consumers until the spring of 2006.
Blu-Ray officials claim that, during CES, many companies will announce their compatible devices, but they will respect the proposed products shipment date, meaning the spring of 2006.
Many members of the Blu-Ray disc association like Disney, Fox, Sony, Pioneer and Panasonic showcased during a press conference some interactive features that allow Blu-Ray users to play games or to connect to the Internet while watching a movie.
The Blu-Ray technology competes against the HD-DVD one, both offering numerous advantages in comparison to the traditional DVD. Commercial equipments that will use HD-DVD technology are scheduled for market launch in February or March 2006. If the two equipment types will be launched in stores at the same time, their competition might overwhelm buyers.
Blu-Ray can hold up to 27 GB on a single layer disc and supports many additional features like advanced copy protection mechanisms, but they are more expensive to produce than the HD-DVD. The latter can hold up to 15 GB on a single layer disc.