Video Format War: Blu-ray vs. Streaming

06.10.2011
Just as Netflix and its customers are , Blu-ray discs and players are growing in popularity. The two trends seem incongruous, so what gives?

The Blu-ray format is holding its own, say analysts--and that isn't likely to change anytime soon. What has changed, the experts note, is this: Streaming video services are becoming more reliable and more popular. The causes? ISPs are boosting their bandwidth capacity, more devices and services to pipe video to your living room via the Internet are coming to market, and Hollywood is increasingly offering popular on-demand content, making it more widely available.

So how is the high-definition Blu-ray format bucking the trend toward streaming? For millions of videophiles, high-quality video still counts, and so do the advanced features that Blu-ray discs and players offer.

"For me, Blu-ray has great picture quality and awesome special features," says Dallas Rostad, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. "And being able to go online and get information about the film is a plus."

Norm Bogen, a media analyst for , estimates that about 18.5 million Blu-ray players will ship in 2011, up from 12 million in 2010. Sony, which makes Blu-ray players, is also bullish: Sony spokesperson Neil Manowitz estimates that the number of U.S. households with Blu-ray players will jump by 30 percent this year.