Market is flooded with numerous digital versatile disc (DVD) players, small devices that play video and music for us. Most DVD players have to be attached to a TV to show video but now some players are arrived with an attached LCD screen and stereo speakers. DVD players play both audio and video format discs.

The quality of any audio or video output on a screen is highly influenced by the format of the disc which is being played in the player. There are some optical disc formats which are supported by one or other disc players and DVD players. They are compact disc (CD) formats, DVD formats, MP3 formats and others. These days some companies are coming up with a next generation optical disc format players. These next generation optical disc formats are known as Blu ray or Blu ray Disc (BD). These are high density optical disc formats. Blu ray Discs store digital information and also High Definition (HD) Videos.

The name ‘Blu ray Disc’ is quite unusual, this name is derived from the Blu violet laser which used to read and write this type of disc. More data can be stored on a Blu ray Disc than on a DVD. This is because of the shorter wavelength of Blu-violet laser, which is 405 nanometer. Almost 25 Gigabytes (GB) can be stored on a single layer BD. This is over 5 times the capacity of a single layer DVD which can store almost 4.5 GB only. On a dual layer BD we can store up to 50 GB data.

BD optical disc format was jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). BDA is a group of the world’s leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers. These include Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson. Blu-ray is supported by 180 of the world’s leading technology companies. These companies are major names in consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies.

The BD format has broad support from the major movie studios. In fact, majority of the prominent movie studios have released movies in the Blu-ray format. These are Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM. Six studios are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format; they are Disney, Fox, Sony, Warner, Lionsgate and MGM.

Several electronic companies are offering products that can read and write CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. Companies like Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Pioneer, Sharp and LG are coming up with players with BD/DVD/CD compatible optical head. BD players are becoming popular due to that simple reason which is quality. On BD players we can play DVD also, it looks even better than before. So Blu ray DVD players are the latest buzz word in the entertainment scene, it produces clear picture with vivid colours and sharp sound.

Due to the quality it is offering, BD players are on high demand. Day by day, the demand of this next generation technology is increasing. This makes its production cost to fall. Sony Company is taking advantage from this fact and is reducing the price of its BD players. Several companies are coming ahead in manufacturing next generation BD players. Electronics Company Toshiba sells its high-definition (HD) DVD player in much less price than BD players of Sony. Now Sony is trying to get ahead in the market so it has cut £50 off the price of its BD player.

Sony‘s Blu-ray discs are supported by companies like Samsung, Dell and Apple, while NEC, Sanyo and others are supporting Toshiba’s HD DVD. We can say that the war of formats is on. Both HDD and Blu-ray systems have almost equal functionalities, both stores large amount of data, both produce high quality image and audio, and both use a blue laser to read information. Only one difference is there, that is of price. So the price cutting step of Sony can be one added advantage of Sony BD players.

It is sleek, it is thin, and it took the US by storm in 2004. At issue, of course, is the dual screen, portable original style Nintendo DS. Followed in 2006 with the next generation of even thinner and sleeker looking technology, the Nintendo DS Lite, consumers eagerly gobbled up the lite version, but did not forsake the original one either.

In stark contrast to the Game Boy mimicry of the Nintendo DS stands Sony‘s PlayStation Portable, the PSP. It hit the American market in 2005, and even as the Nintendo DS had a head start and already established brand name recognition, PSP garnered a small market share. It failed to really take off until Sony releases the PSP Slim and Lite in 2007, which sent its sales through the roof worldwide – albeit for a limited period of time.

This of course begs the question any discerning consumer must ask: which system is better? Right on the heels of this line of questioning must be the inquiry over which system is most likely to be more appropriate for the 10 and under age group. After all, handheld gaming devices are now the after school activity of choice for youngsters facing lengthy commutes, or prolonged grocery shopping trips with mom.

Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP: Just the Specs

Nintendo DS operates on a 67 MHz platform that accepts GBA cartridges and DS game cards. Game Boy owners rejoice! The system features four MB in storage and connects to Wi-Fi, and WLAN. The DS Lite is cosmetically enhanced and offers a few more bells and whistles, such as an extension of the battery life and a larger stylus, but the bottom line technology is pretty much the same.

The DS features two screens with a 256 x 192 pixel resolution, which is formidable for a handheld device. A rechargeable battery enables game play on the go, and fully charged batteries support about 10 hours of play, although this number is affected by the sound volume, the use of one or both screen, and even wireless activities.

Sony PSP operates on MIPS technology and plays Sony specific universal media discs, making this a premier mode of on the go entertainment system. Storage requires the use of memory sticks. Users may connect their PSP to Wi-Fi, USB, and also IrDA, which gave some false hopes as to the future of the gadget.

Somewhat of a dud when compared to the DS, the PSP Slim and Lite has added significant upgrades, namely a doubled internal memory, which makes it a real player in the handheld gaming market. On the other hand, the 480 x 272 pixel resolution is nothing to scoff at. The most commonly expressed complaint is the somewhat limited battery life that – fully charged – extends only to about five hours of game play or video replay, and about 10 hours of strictly audio replay.

Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP: Game Libraries and Associated Options

DS offers the user choices. There is of course the ability to play DS and Game Boy Advance games; yet there is also the option to use PictoChat and even utilize DS Download Play.

Secondary functions of the DS are an alarm clock and an input mode that remembers some personal preferences with respect to choice and name.

PSP plays UMD discs and therefore doubles as a mini movie theater. In addition to playing games or watching movies, the user may choose to display a photo slide show, listen to music, and of course download upgrades. Initially the slow internal memory frustrated gamers who had to wait for games to load or for the system to switch between tasks, but since this has been corrected it is no longer a valid problem.

Games for the PSP are a mix of Sony‘s who’s who, and a compilation of lesser known characters: there are “2 Xtreme,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “World Series Poker,” “NHL,” “NBA,” “FIFA,” “Crash Bandicoot,” and of course “Grand Theft Auto.”

DS offers backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance, thereby entering the market with a sizeable game library already intact. Currently boasting about 600 titles, gamers may find some similarities with PSP but also a lot of oldies but goodies. There are “FIFA,” “Barnyard Blast,” “Call of Duty,” a soon to be released “Crash Bandicoot,” and of course the ever popular “Mario.”

Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP: Consumer Appeal

Even as the demographics are not etched in stone, it is quite apparent that both handheld game consoles are targeting different audiences that overlap only slightly. In a step that has baffled industry insiders, the rumors surrounding the futures of both devices outline an embrace of the divide, rather than an attempt to bridge the gap and woo away members of the other demographic.

Starting out at $149.99 and later dropping to $129.99, the Nintendo DS is reasonably priced, and consumers who – worldwide — bought more than 80 million of these portable game consoles agreed. The vast numbers of games, the backward compatibility with Game Boy, and of course the availability of kiddie and teen favorites, such as “Mario” and “Crash Bandicoot,” make this a favorite for parents.

This unit has a prolonged useful life in that it may grow with the interests of an elementary school kid and continue on being used when she is in her teens, or until the next unit model comes out. There are several games that are waiting for release, and the homebrew underground has gone wild in creating cards that allow for the playing of movies and other software.

The Sony PSP originally made a rather impressive splash but, once the novelty wore off, sales were sluggish when compared to the DS. Retailing at $169.99, it is pricier than the Nintendo system, and market watchers estimate that worldwide about 26 million units have been sold thus far. Sony is banking on promises that would add GPS capabilities to its units as upping the sales, but the critics are still unsure.

Since many of the PSP games are aimed at the teen and adult market, this is not the kind of gadget parents would buy for the younger set. In addition, the added online connectivity makes this the premier system for the independent young adult who is not under too much parental supervision.

Parents have come to see the DS as the next logical step of the Game Boy system, while teens are viewing the PSP as the natural extension of the PS3. This puts both systems before slightly different demographics, and it is apparent that for the parent driven market share, the DS is the system of choice, while the teen market is willing to do the extra chores and spend the birthday money to afford the PSP.

Nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP: What Does the Future Hold?

It is unlikely that the PSP is going to transcend its target audience and it is evident that Sony is not even trying to broaden the handheld console’s appeal. Instead, it is seeking to cement consumer loyalty by introducing a PSP 3000, differentiated from the PSP and Portable Slim and Lite by the moniker PSP Brite.

Sony concentrated on the quality of its LCD screen and is timing the release of the PSP Brite to coincide with the pre holiday sales rush in October of 2008. The cost is $169.99 for the bare bones model, which will not be released until after the bundle version for $199.99 makes its debut.

True to form, the bundle is paired with the movie “National Treasure 2,” platform game “Ratchet & Clank,” which earned a debatable ESRB E10+ rating, a single player puzzle game download coupon, and a memory stick. The alternate bundle substitutes the “Everyday Shooter” game which is considered a somewhat more difficult shoot ‘em up game.

Nintendo is unlikely to improve upon its DS Lite in the very near future, and accordingly original style DS owners breathe a sigh of relief that there is no immediate upgrade to the console in sight. In its place there is a good chance that yet another special version will be released. Consumers may remember that the latest such release took place in June of 2008 when the “Guitar Hero: On Tour” special edition DS hit store shelves at a cost of $179.99.

Although there is no immediately verifiable buzz on the gaming forums, there are some rumors that another special edition may coincide with the planned PSP Brite release, but thus far the rumors are unsubstantiated.

It’s been going on for a couple of years now. Stores have been carrying both Blu-Ray and HD DVD disks, manufacturers have been making both types of drives, and people have been talking about them both.

However, Blu-Ray players can’t play HD DVD’s, and HD DVD players can’t play Blu-Ray discs. At the end of the day, they both do the same thing (play a high-definition movie on an HDTV), so why the feud? Well, it’s a matter of who got their first. Two companies developed and successfully marketed a working high definition delivery system, and they both took off! But, as we all know, only one can survive, and in the battle of Blu-Ray vs HD DVD player computability, it seems Blu-Ray has won the fight.

The major movie rental chains have decided on Blu-Ray as their high definition disk of choice, and electronics retailers are selling Blu-Ray players instead of HD DVD players. The battle is over, and a victor has been decided: Blu-Ray won.

However, that leaves a little bit of a dilemma. Thousands of people have already bought an HD DVD player, and some movies have come out on it already. Though as many newer movies may not be coming out on this format, it is still an alive and kicking video format, even if it has lost the battle.

Though it might make more sense to choose Blu-Ray so that you’ve got more choice in movie selection, when looking at a Blu-Ray vs HD DVD player, the choice really is up to you. The price of HD movies and players has recently took a dive, so it can be a great time to buy and watch some great movies with the family in HD!

You own a Playstation 2 but aren’t quite sure what other items to buy with it. What games should you buy? Do you need extra controllers? Are memory cards required? Are any other accessories required? Follow these directions below and you can answer all your questions and start enjoying your console to the fullest.

Games – After choosing the system, the biggest decision is what games will you buy to go along with it. The Playstation 2 console is just an expensive DVD player if you don’t buy games, so you need to address this question right away. The first way to choose games is pick something related to a hobby of yours outside of gaming. Do you play football, skateboarding, like cars, or fishing, like a particular movie? There are games for all of these hobbies, movie tie in games, and many more. The second option for choosing your games is start with a list of the most popular games released on the Playstation 2. They are:

Grand Theft Auto Vice City, Final Fantasy X, Madden 2006, Splinter Cell, Gran Turismo 3, and SOCOM Navy Seals

These games aren’t made for everyone, so be sure you check the ratings and descriptions before buying one. The Playstation 2 has one of the broadest game lists of any system so you are bound to find a game that exactly fits your particular likes.

Controllers – The Playstation 2 console originally came with one controller out of the box but two controller slots. Buying a second controller can be a great investment, especially if your friends play games too or multiple people in the house play. The small investment will greatly increase your enjoyment of the system because you can play with friends at the same time. If you buy a multi-tap adaptor you can use four controllers at the same time. Unless you buy the multi-tap adaptor there is no need to buy more than one controller.

This is a great time to mention the difference between Sony brand controllers and third party controllers. Sony contollers are more reliable, while third party controllers are less expensive but can break easier. I only recommend buying Sony brand controller for the most part. The one exception to this is Logitech brand controllers. Logitech makes a high quality wireless controller that is very reliable.

Memory Cards – You will need at least one memory card to save your games on the Playstation 2. The Sony brand 8 MB memory card can save quite a bit of game data. Unless you play lots of sports games, you will only need one memory card. If you really love your sports games, be sure to pick up a couple extras because they need lots of space to store all the data needed to play an entire season.

Accessories – The Playstation 2 has lots of other accessories you could buy including network adaptors, steering wheels, and even a hard drive. The most useful of these is the network adaptor which plugs into the back of the system and allows you to connect to the internet for online games. Many of the most recent games on the PS2 support online play so you will need this network adaptor. (Quick side note: if you buy a Slim PStwo system you do not need to buy this adaptor because it is already built into the system). The other accessories for the PS2 have their uses too but are not quite as beneficial as the network adaptor.

These directions should have helped you choose the games, controllers, memory cards, and accessories you want with your Playstation 2. Now get out there and enjoy your new gaming purchase.