Blu-ray Basics: Using The High-Definition DVD Format On Your PC

Now that the war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is over and PC makers are adding Blu-ray as a regular option with new systems, people are asking: What's the big win with Blu-ray?

Obviously it's being pushed as the next big way to get your hi-def entertainment fix. But it also comes with copy-protection strings attached which may make it a tough fruit to tear into on the PC side. And while it promises up to 50-Gbytes per disc (and potentially more than that), that much storage also comes at a premium cost.

To help answer your questions, here's a review of how Blu-ray shapes up in two key areas in the PC world: in overall content delivery and as a data storage medium.