Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson).

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 BDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.

BD is a medium that can tie together all of the communication tools that you have been using in business. Before you could only use them separately, but now there is a format that allows us to combine all of these elements in a powerful and user-friendly way:

Video
Sound
Animation
Slide Shows
Foreign Language Versions
Interactive Presentation

All of these elements can be assembled and distributed on a single disc. That disc is BD - the Blu-ray Disc. WHY SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING AT BD?
The combination of high data capacity, instant access, exceptional audio and video quality and support for multiple languages marks BD out as the format of the future. BD delivers presentations that really involve your audience, and the flexibility this medium offers is amazing. You can reuse the same resources to solve any number of presentation requirements, delivering a vastly improved message and real cost benefits.

Save money: You are probably spending large sums of money on marcoms support and training. With BD you can make better use of your media spend. You will also be able to archive a vast quantity of information onto a single disk because of the huge data capacity of BD.

Involve your audience: Interactive communication is the way to get your audience really involved. And involving your audience, combining sound, visuals and choice will bring a much improved retention rate for your message.

The new standard: Soon all PCs will come with a BD instead of a DVD device. A BD player for the boardroom or the home costs as little as $450 and prices are coming down fast! It won't be long before all businesses and most homes have a BD system playing high quality sound and vision - the new standard.

Distribution made easy: Never before has there been such a reliable, user-friendly distribution medium. BD is the answer to many of the problems businesses have been struggling with for years. BD is the format of the future - today, and by using it you are sending a clear message to your customers that you are ahead of the game.

Brand Building: Use BD for point-of-sale demonstrations and information kiosks. Combine BD players with plasma screens to create video billboards delivering music and video for retail, reception and leisure applications. You can also synchronize players together to create video walls.

Market Awareness: Use BD to create interactive company introductions, press kits and corporate reports. Control BDs from inside your current presentation software - adding high quality video to your presentations in an easy and flexible way.

Product Training: Reduce the cost and inconvenience of producing multiple language CDs and videotapes. Up to 32 subtitle language tracks and eight audio tracks can be added to the same BD disc, reducing the number of versions that need to be produced for different countries. Use BD to create discs for product demonstrations, catalogues, manuals and information systems.

Staff Training: Stop worrying about the technology and focus on the message. BD players offer excellent ease of use, and are ideal for employee orientation, training materials and lecture support resources. You can access exactly the images you want, when you want them. Video can be indexed with chapter points, and users can choose the path that is most appropriate for them. You can jump to any section instantly, and because BD includes features such as perfect freeze frame, exceptional picture quality and superb sound, you can deliver professional presentations with ease.

Delivering Excellence: Anchor Video Productions offers a complete BD service, taking projects from concept, through design and programming, to duplication of the finished master. We help you get real value from your investment in new presentation technologies, and make it easier for you to deliver a more dynamic message to a greater number of people.