TDK Announces 100GB Blue Laser Disc Technology

June 6, 2005

TDK has developed a prototype recordable Blu-ray Disc with revolutionary 100GB capacity. By far the most advanced optical media ever developed, the prototype 100GB bare Blu-ray Disc doubles both the capacity and recording speed of the current Blu-ray Disc specification. Blu-ray’s industry-leading capacity means a single disc can store a vast assortment of content without making quality compromises. A single, prototype 100GB Blu-ray Disc can store approximately 9 hours of high definition video.

Recently unveiled in Tokyo, Japan, TDK’s new prototype Blu-ray Disc records data at 72 megabits per second, double the 36Mbps rate of the current Blu-ray Disc specification. The increased speed has been accomplished through recent advancements in disc recording layer formulations. The initial Blu-ray Disc standard allows for 25GB single layer Blu-ray Discs and 50GB dual layer Blu-ray Discs. To achieve 100GB capacity, the prototype Blu-ray Disc incorporates four 25GB layers. Like all Blu-ray Disc media, TDK’s prototype 100GB Blu-ray Disc is single sided.

Hideki Hirata, TDK Engineering Manager, noted, “Anticipation surrounding the release of the bare Blu-ray Disc format continues to grow. Although there’s been considerable speculation regarding next-generation Blu-ray Disc capacities, TDK is the first to successfully achieve 100GB in a working, prototype disc. TDK’s development of a prototype 100GB Blu-ray Disc with double the recording speed of the current specification validates the company’s position as a leader in extending the capabilities of optical media.�

TDK technologies are redefining state-of-the-art optical media specifications and performance. The company’s advanced sputtering technology played a key role in enabling the creation of the prototype100GB Blu-ray Disc. Additionally, TDK’s new inorganic film formulation provides absolute stability with narrow track pitches and high recording densities, such as those employed by the Blu-ray Disc format. The formulation’s optical qualities are so stable that TDK has already been able to achieve 6x (216Mbps) recording speed in the lab with blue laser media.

Because Blu-ray Disc media’s data tracks are quite narrow even in comparison with DVD media, precise, stable interaction between the laser and the recording material is especially critical to ensuring error-free recording and playback. That’s why TDK developed DURABIS, an innovative hard coating technology that makes bare Blu-ray Disc media a reality by protecting the disc surface against common contaminants such as scratches, fingerprints and dust adherence.

DURABIS increases the scratch resistance of Blu-ray Disc media by a factor of 100, as demonstrated in rigorous testing. Because the DURABIS coating technology rapidly discharges static electricity, the discs also resist the accumulation of dust.

TDK’s creation of DURABIS has eliminated the need for cumbersome cartridges to protect the media’s recording layer and is allowing the development of bare Blu-ray Disc media. Eliminating the need for a cartridge will minimize manufacturing costs. What’s more, with DURABIS coating technology allowing the production of bare Blu-ray Discs, the format will allow for the same user experience as with today’s CDs and DVDs.

As a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association Board of Directors, TDK has played a key role in the development of Blu-ray, the next generation optical media format that will not only change the way we experience home entertainment and computing, but will also create unprecedented business efficiencies.

3.6 /5 (16 votes)  

Rank 3.6 /5 (16 votes)
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Japan scientist makes 'Avatar' robot

A Japanese-developed robot that mimics the movements of its human controller is bringing the Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar" one step closer to reality.

Electronics / Robotics

created Feb 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 12

Intel packs performance and reliability into its latest SSD 520 series

Intel Corporation announced today its fastest, most robust client/consumer solid-state drive (SSD) to date, the Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series (Intel SSD 520), a 6 gigabit-per-second (gbps) SATA III SSD ...

Electronics / Hardware

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 4

Google rumored to have built Heads-Up-Display glasses prototype

(PhysOrg.com) -- 9to5Google is reporting that they have received a tip from someone they believe to be a reliable source saying that Google is working on a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) pair of eye-glasses. The per ...

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

created Feb 08, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (8) | comments 2 | with audio podcast weblog

Apple to debut 'iPad 3' in March: report

Apple will unveil a new version of its market-ruling iPad table computer in March, according to a report in Dow Jones-owned technology blog All Things D.

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 1.9 / 5 (21) | comments 0

New Kindle Touch is an impressive e-reader

When it comes to reading digital books, tablets are all the rage. But there's a lot to like about simple e-readers, which over the past year have become both a lot cheaper and a lot less clunky.

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1


Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear

A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.

Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...

Anonymous briefly knocks CIA website offline (Update 2)

The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was briefly inaccessible on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.

Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket

A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.

Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings

(AP) -- Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law.