You need an HDTV and a compatible Blu-ray player.
Yes. Blu-ray players are fully backward compatible with DVDs.
No.
We only publish Blu-ray discs for the North American market, and our Blu-ray discs are encoded Region A.
We encode mono and stereo sources using PCM, and we encode surround-sound sources using DTS-HD MA.
No. Some of the first-generation Blu-ray players will not play Criterion Blu-ray discs. A known example is the Samsung BD-P1200. Additionally, the following players exhibit initial loading times of 2 to 3 minutes: Samsung BD-P1400, Sharp BD-HP20U, and Panasonic DMP BD10. This is normal for these players.
Blu-ray discs are extremely sensitive to dirt and fingerprints, so be sure to handle them carefully and avoid getting fingerprints on the playback surface. Even a small, partial fingerprint has been known to cause problems.
If you do need to clean a Blu-ray disc, here are some helpful tips: Be sure to wash, rinse, and dry your hands thoroughly before cleaning the disc. Hold the Blu-ray disc under cool running water (don't use soap on the disc!) and use your thumb or fingertip to clean the surface by gently rubbing from the center outward. Don't use a back-and-forth motion or rub the disc in circles (the motion should be like rays extending from the sun, not like the hands of a clock). After washing, it is important to dry the disc thoroughly, or it will gather lint. Sandwich the disc between several layers of good-quality paper towel and very gently pat dry until all the water has been absorbed from the surface. Do not rub the disc with a paper towel!