The bidding war between Toshiba and Microsoft vs. Sony is finally over. You can officially breathe a sigh of relief and plan to purchase that new Sony Blue Ray player. The fact that 75% of all major motion picture companies have agreed to release new films only in the Blu Ray disc format may be enough to get many consumers buying the PlayStation 3, which includes the Blu Ray technology for less than the cost of a stand alone BR Disc player. Just as DVDs and Dolby Digital Surround Sound were a whole new experience, so is the Blu Ray disc compared to HD-DVD.As movie fanatics, all we really crave is the ultimate experience: audio so loud and precise it sounds like the action is happening all around us, and with colors so vivid and details so pronounced we feel the people and places are just in front of us. We want to be immersed in another world for one hundred and twenty minutes. When new DVD players first came out, we were glad we didn’t have to rewind anymore and manufacturers rewarded our open-mindedness by packing the HD DVDs with bonus features, previews and extra sound options. Now, with the advent of Blu Ray disc technology, we’re asked to make another upgrade, but this time in the name of larger storage capabilities, bolder high-definition colors, advanced 7.0 sound and better quality encoding. As a reward, we’ll get more interactive features, not to mention a stunning home theater experience with the new Blu Ray media.

Perhaps you’ve just purchased your first Blu Ray player and want some quintessential Blu Ray DVDs to jumpstart your collection and showcase all that BR has to offer. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Peal” is a great high-definition BR disc to start off your collection. The Blu-Ray features include games and activities, a movie showcase, a backstage special, a “making of” feature and outtakes reel. Sea movies in general should only be viewed in top-quality color and 7.0 surround sound. (Given that tidbit, you may want to add “Master and Commander” to your list too). You’ll love the high def detail and impressive audio in the sci-fi classic “The Fifth Element.” For action-packed brag-worthy Blu Ray disc titles, check out the “Spiderman” trilogy, “X-Men” and “Troy” to show off your new machine to guests.

It looks like the future belongs to Blu Ray and if you want to how off that new HDTV you are going to want a Blu Ray disc player. Before you go pick one out though, there is an alternative and that’s to buy a Playstation 3 that comes with a Blu Ray player built in. The Playstation makes full use of its Blu Ray capabilities with stunning graphics within its game play so why not get a new games console to go with the new HDTV?

Is this the death throe for the age of the stand-alone movie player? Some speculate that laptops or USB devices and downloading will be the way of the future. The Kanguru Flash Drive Max has created a toothbrush-sized USB device that holds 64 GB of storage, so perhaps further advances will allow a plug-and-play format and faster, more legit software, that can take you from your laptop to your television set in mere minutes. Another idea is that improvements will be made with the cable networks’ “Movies On Demand” feature that has yet to impress. Right now, the prices are basically the same as a video rental, and corporate executives have overlooked the fact that many people actually enjoy going to the movie store to browse the latest releases. Not to mention that the selection of movies is nowhere near as great as Net Flix or Blockbuster Online, nor are the movies as portable. Whatever the future holds, the industry has made up its mind: the Blu Ray disc is in, so either buy it and continue stockpiling your movie collection, or be left behind!