Earlier this year, in an echo of VHS' victory over Betamax, Blu-ray won out over HDTV DVDs as the high-definition format of choice. Since then, Blu-ray has grown in popularity.

Blu-ray is a high-definition disc format that will probably take over from DVDs in the same way DVDs took over from video.

To make the most of movie-watching on an HDTV, you really need to play Blu-ray discs.

Blu-ray discs have more storage (more deleted scenes! Yay!) and are better quality than DVDs. The name comes from the blue laser which is used to read them (as opposed to the red laser of DVD players). They are also easier to use, with menus which allow you to navigate the disc without ever leaving your movie.

Blu-ray provides up to 7.1 channels of high definition surround sound, whereas DVD uses 5.1 channels, losing more of the sound quality from the original source.

Blu-ray discs have a protective coating, meaning they are more durable and less vulnerable to scratching.

Over 500 titles are available on Blu-ray, with more being released.

In order to play Blu-ray discs, you'll need a Blu-ray player (caution: not cheap), which will automatically also play standard DVDs - so there's no idea to replace your entire collection. Unless you want to of course.

Sony's Playstation 3 comes with Blu-ray capability, so you may have a player without even knowing it! Get a high-definition TV and you're all set.

Or wait until prices come down, as I'm doing...