Technology changes faster than most of us can keep up. Almost all of us are familiar with regular DVD technology even if we can’t set the clock on it. Blu Ray, the next step up in DVD technology, is now thirteen years old, and not enough people have moved along with it. But you should, especially with Blu-Ray players, fully decked out, costing as little as $49. If you don’t have one, this should be on your Holiday list.

I already have a DVD player. There’s nothing wrong with it. Why would I need a Blu-Ray? I’m not replacing all my DVDs.

Honestly, I never saw a need either, until I got one. I had just upgraded my extensive VCR collection to DVDs, and I didn’t want to start again either.  If you grew up with the old hump-backed TVs and now have an HDTV (the flat kind), if you remember those wiggly VCR pictures, the picture quality of a blu-ray will astound you. But remember: technology often works backward. Your Blu-ray player DOES still play all your regular DVDs, doubling what you can view. It won’t make them miraculously clear like a blu-ray disc, but it will play them just fine. You won’t have to upgrade that DVD of Aunt Bertha’s third wedding.

Thing is, a blu-ray player is SO much more than a lowly DVD player, which is slowly dying away. Not only is the picture clarity far superior, but with the right equipment (cameras, wifi, high-speed cables) you can Skype through it (make video phone calls), surf the internet (yes, order from Amazon right off your TV), access Netflix and other video programs, play music CDs, and flip items from your iPad or phone right onto your Smart TV for large-screen viewing. The downfall: your TV must already accommodate this. If you still have a hump-backed 100-lb picture-tube TV, you’re out of luck for almost everything.

To make it even fancier, there are blu-ray players that can play in 3-D. If you have a 3-D blu-ray player, AND a 3-D TV (AND a 3-D blu-ray movie), yes, you can watch 3-D movies just like in the theater, BUT YOU MUST HAVE ALL THREE. I can’t emphasize that enough. If you don’t have the matching 3-D TV and player, 3-D will not work. But yes, a regular blu-ray disc WILL work in a 3-D blu-ray player; it just won’t be in 3-D. If you think you may ever want to watch a 3-D video, and you have a 3-D capable TV, then get the 3-D blu-ray player. It will play your regular DVDs, your regular blu-rays, AND those fancy 3-D discs.

Now, blu-ray is a double-edged sword. Should you be using it? Yes, if you’re the least bit progressive. The prices are low enough to be a steal, and there’s less of a waiting list for the library’s blu-rays. However, if you’re totally tech and can’t wait for the latest impossible upgrades, 4K Ultra technology is here, and if you’re not building a personal theater room, it’s absolutely affordable.

And the groans begin.  What? 4K what? What the daylights is that?

4K Ultra is the next step in television and DVD technology. 4K Ultra-High-Def (UHD) is mind-blowingly clear television – clearer than looking out your window. If you thought your high-definition TV was amazing, imagine something twice as fantastic – because it truly is working with twice the capacity (1080 pixels for the standard HDTV vs. 2160 for 4K). The picture is mind-blowing, and allows for monstrously larger screen sizes without losing clarity. Next time you’re out shopping, stop by Costco or Best Buy and take a look. If you thought blu-ray was amazing, just wait.

Although your DVD player and your blu-ray DVD player (that one you just went out and bought) cannot play the 4K DVDs, a 4K DVD machine will play your regular blu-ray discs (no, they can’t play them as clear as 4K because the discs aren’t coded that way, but they can upscale them so it’s very close). They are absolutely affordable (you can pick up a 3-D 4K UHD disc player with wifi capacity for as little as $119; a 43” TV goes for as little as $379).

Remember though – nothing works in a vacuum. 4K is fabulous, but if you don’t have all the parts, you’re not going to get the right picture. You must have the 4K TV, the 4K DVD player, AND high-speed 2.0 USB cables connecting the two to get the super-quality picture, otherwise it will just revert to regular HD quality. If your cable company isn’t broadcasting in Ultra High Def, you won’t get the super picture on your TV programs. More importantly, 4K DVDs are already available for purchase, so be careful with what you buy. If you buy a DVD that says 4K, and you don’t have a 4K DVD player, it will not be able to read the disc (I’ve tried it, just as a test).

The holiday season often has good sales on TVs and DVD players; this is the perfect time to make that upgrade. While the library isn’t currently offering 4K discs, we’re getting ready for the eventual upgrade. Will you be ready?