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So, given that we do have a need for an HD video disc format and Blu-ray is now the only one, it would be logical to expect a flurry of PC makers installing Blu-ray drives, or at least offering them as an option. And we are indeed starting to see this happen. Though still nowhere near the very low price of DVD drives, Blu-ray readers are now cheap enough wholesale to be added to a mid-range PC without making the total price tag look substantially higher, and a number of makers, large and small, are taking the opportunity to offer something extra to differentiate their systems.

Sony, most predictably, has announced a Blu-ray option for several VAIO laptops, and the VGX-TP2 - an £899 big brother to the pie-shaped PC that we reviewed in issue 201 - has Blu-ray as standard. The same goes for the top model in its all-in-one desktop L series, at £1299. Blu-ray is particularly appropriate to machines like these, which are sold as all-round home entertainment systems.

Dell has announced availability of its new Inspiron 1525 laptop with Blu-ray starting at £729, but a Blu-ray option is conspicuously absent from the exciting new XPS One all-in-one desktop (reviewed in next month's Computer Buyer), at least in the UK. Buyers in the States can specify it, and Dell says we'll get our chance later in the year. British PC maker Mesh is fitting Blu-ray as standard on some models and as a £70 option on others, with many other system builders following suit.

As for the most important names, rumours abound, but at the time of going to press the consensus was that

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Microsoft was not seriously looking at adding Blu-ray to the Xbox 360 (though third parties may launch compatible drives), while Apple was in talks with Sony about adding Blu-ray to Macs, though with no outcome announced.

Upgrading to Blu-ray

If you're not ready for a new PC, you may want to add Blu-ray to your current system. This is the same process as installing any other optical drive. It's unlikely to be practical with a laptop, although it may be possible. With a standard desktop system, it's just a matter of opening up the case, identifying a free full-size drive bay, fitting the new drive, and connecting up the required power and data cables from your motherboard.

If you don't have a spare drive bay, perhaps because your PC is more compact, an alternative is to remove the existing optical drive and replace it with a Blu-ray unit. Current Blu-ray drives can also read and write all the CD and DVD formats.

Whichever upgrade route you take, it's vital to check that your PC is capable of playing Blu-ray movies. Only fairly recent systems are likely to have the necessary processor and graphics specs. System requirements will be listed by the drive maker, but in general you need a dual core processor and a graphics card with at least 256MB of its own memory; integrated graphics won't do it.

There's a further complication if you want to play back your movies on a modern monitor or HDTV connected to your PC using a digital DVI or HDMI port. Both your PC's graphics card and the monitor itself must support the HDCP copy protection system that's used on Blu-ray movie discs. If not, movies won't play. You can get around this by using an analogue monitor connection (the 'D-sub' or 'VGA' port), but quality may be limited.

Burning your own Blu-ray discs

You could also consider a drive that writes Blu-ray discs as well as reading them. Blu-ray writers have been available since 2006, when Sony introduced the BWU-100A, but they were prohibitively expensive until recently. Last month, however, we reviewed the LG GGW-H20L, which at around £169 including VAT is reasonably affordable.