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Blu-Ray aims to take over from
DVD
New discs hold six times more
By INQUIRER staff: Thursday 13 February 2003, 14:30
A CONSORTIUM OF COMPANIES has started to license
production technology for Blu-Ray in the hope of stealing a march
on competitors. The new discs have enough capacity to hold 13
hours of video.
The discs hold up to 27 gigabytes on a layer that is similar to the
way that DVDs work but the new drives will use a blue laser to read
the discs. Current DVD players use a red laser. Blue lasers have a
shorter wavelength allowing them to focus on a smaller area which
in turn means that more information can be crammed onto a disc.
The gang of nine, Sony, Matsushita, Hitachi, Pioneer, Sharp,
Samsung, LG, Philips and Thomson, pooled their resources in the
hope of creating a definitive standard. Toshiba and NEC are known
to be working on a competing platform but it is looking increasingly
like they will be left in the cold.
There has been no indication yet as to when the first Blu-Ray
players will become available. With the immense take up of DVD
over the last few years, the new format is going to have a struggle to
get going unless it offers something very special.
Blu-Ray aims to take over from
DVD
New discs hold six times more
By INQUIRER staff: Thursday 13 February 2003, 14:30
A CONSORTIUM OF COMPANIES has started to license
production technology for Blu-Ray in the hope of stealing a march
on competitors. The new discs have enough capacity to hold 13
hours of video.
The discs hold up to 27 gigabytes on a layer that is similar to the
way that DVDs work but the new drives will use a blue laser to read
the discs. Current DVD players use a red laser. Blue lasers have a
shorter wavelength allowing them to focus on a smaller area which
in turn means that more information can be crammed onto a disc.
The gang of nine, Sony, Matsushita, Hitachi, Pioneer, Sharp,
Samsung, LG, Philips and Thomson, pooled their resources in the
hope of creating a definitive standard. Toshiba and NEC are known
to be working on a competing platform but it is looking increasingly
like they will be left in the cold.
There has been no indication yet as to when the first Blu-Ray
players will become available. With the immense take up of DVD
over the last few years, the new format is going to have a struggle to
get going unless it offers something very special.
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