Streaming video may be the wave of the future but optical discs aren't ready to concede defeat just yet. During the IFA trade show on Friday, the Blu-ray Disc Association said it is nearing completion of a version of its optical disc technology that can support high-resolution 4K videos.
They plan to license the new technology by mid-2015 which will enable the first 4K Blu-ray players to arrive on store shelves in time for the holiday buying season.
4K Blu-ray discs will offer much more than a simple boost in resolution. Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association global promotions committee, told CNET that the new specification will also improve color gamut dramatically. It'll also offer a higher dynamic range which will make details in highlights and shadows more visible.
But, will that be enough to keep customers interested?
Optical discs were once the preferred method to watch television shows and movies at leisure. Obtaining and watching media was convenient enough - something that couldn't be said about the early days of streaming and custom-built home theater PCs.
Today, however, there's no shortage of streaming outfits to choose from and while bandwidth still remains an issue for some, the quality of streams are generally good enough for most. Or in other words, most are willing to sacrifice quality in exchange for not having to deal with the hassle of obtaining physical media.
Do you think 4K Blu-rays will have a place in the industry or is the association just wasting its time trying to compete with streaming providers like Amazon, Hulu Plus and Netflix?