FAQ

Blue Laser Technology FAQs

How many different types of read or write formats exist using blue laser technology?  There are three primary formats.  Please see the following list with links to white papers provided by representatives of the respective technologies.

            UDO http://www.plasmon.com/downloads/pdf/udofacts.pdf
            Blu-Ray Disc http://www.blu-raydisc.com/Section-13628/Index.html
            HD DVD http://www.toshiba.co.jp/tech/review/2005/01/index.htm

Why is the industry proposing a change from red laser to blue laser technology?  The advantage of blue laser technology is a much narrower wavelength of laser light that can create smaller pits and tracks on the disc resulting in higher capacities than existing DVD technology.

What advantage does each format offer?

For Video

BD: The Blu-ray Disc (BD) format’s 0.1 mm read-through cover layer allows the use of a higher numerical aperture 0.85 objective lens that can read and write the smallest microscopic features on a BD disc surface.  This yields a capacity of 25GB per layer – 25GB for single layer, 50GB for dual layer, etc. – that provides more space for storing more high definition audio/video programs and “bonus features” that have become increasingly common on standard definition DVDs.  Many, if not most of today’s DVD titles now include more than one dual layer DVD-9 disc, indicating that the content industry outgrew the original DVD-5 disc more quickly than expected.  We expect the same trend is likely in high definition content releases of the future. 

HD: HD DVD Video provides excellent quality high definition pictures using the most advanced compression scheme together with advanced navigation system including interactive features and Internet connectivity.

For Data

HD: HD DVD family provides flexible capacity selection corresponding to the content providers’ needs including red laser DVD-ROM. Recordable media has family of ReWritable and Recordable discs.  ReWritable disc has 20GB capacity and Recordable media employing dye media for recording layer has 15GB/30GB(dual layer: tentative) capacity;  Because it can utilize the spin coating method already used in DVD recordable production, low-cost disc manufacturing can be realized. (Existing DVD equipment can be modified to produce HD DVD discs.

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