Can someone explain this storage space thing for me some more?

[AlexKx]

Can someone explain this storage space thing for me some more? I was curious about films that had many hours of special features. (Now I realize there have been many polls saying no one cares about special features and I don't know one way or the other but personally I won't even purchase a film if it doesn't have as many special features as it possibly can. I also think most of the public feel the same it is just when asked the question do you care more about the special features or the main feature film obviously everyone's going to say the main feature film because the special features wouldn't have any point otherwise. Talk about manipulating the facts so you don't have to deal with something.)

My question is for example when I look at the Blu-Ray two disc set for the latest "Pirates Of The Carribean" (whatever it is Part 2 or 3) release I have been told by the good folks here that it was so great that they (Disney) did not use any space on the first disc for special features so that they could use all the storage space for the highest quality picture and sound or what have you. That's all great but what about the special features in HD quality? And what about the storage space? I keep hearing people say, "No one would ever use more than 50 GB for anything. There's no point....oh it is oh so much space that is oh so ridiculous and obsurd." SO I ask well would more storage space have not been better for the SEVEN hours of bonus features on the second disc so it would have still have fit on that one second disc? And why not increase the storage space so it fits all onto one disc? That's what I don't understand. I have understood that one of the main winning points of Blu-Ray over HD-Dvd IS that it will be able to be increased more and more over time because the blue laser allows such possiblities scientifically whereas HD-Dvd uses the red laser which does not allow such possiblities.

Am I to still understand they can only put 25 GB on ONE side of a disc and that the "Pirates Of The Carribean" Blu-Ray that I am talking about is a dual disc so that it equals to 50 GB or is it that all of the 50 GB are put onto one layer of the disc? I hope you all can understand my ramblings! Good luck!

[Kristin Simard]

You've got some facts wrong, but I'll let more technically oriented people here answer this. (HD DVD uses a blue laser and 50GB Blu-ray is dual layer on one side, not a flipper.)

[pedigree]

here you go lol

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/blu-ray1.htm

[WickyWoo]

The movie is on a BD50, and uses over 45GB of that if memory serves. The extras are on BD-25.

The extras for Pirates were not shot all in HD. Often when you're out in the middle of the jungle or something bringing HD equipment in for a professional production simply isn't practical. Superman Returns for example, the documentary was shot about half and half because they finally got an HD camera halfway through. The master tape is 480 though, because it needs to be consistant.

Discs are already starting to have more and more HD extras

[Maxell]

Extra features are usually shot on a video camera which are usually not HD, but is getting used more often. But the movie itself are usually made on film or high digital resolution, which gives us the blu-ray hd quality.

More space means less compression which translates to a better picture. It also gives you space for multiple audio options, including uncompressed audio which takes up a lot of space, something most hd-dvd movies cant include because of their smaller capacity discs.

[AlexKx]

Ahhh! Thank you all for informing me with all of this! Interesting dah-ling...iiinteresting!