FAQ

Blue Laser Technology FAQs

BD: The high capacity that Blu-ray Disc offers for HD video can also be applied for data storage applications.  The BD format maintains consistency between replicated and writable versions, so a BD-ROM, BD-RE and write-once BD-R  formats all offer the identical storage capacities in both single and dual layer forms.  Blu-ray is backward compatible with DVD-ROM.

How does your technology support consumer or commercial applications?

BD: Blu-ray Disc’s most significant application is the large scale publication and distribution of high definition motion pictures, games, music and other audio/visual content.  As with the CD for music and DVD for standard definition AV, the next generation optical format enables the highest possible quality for HD visual content as well as a convenient way to store and reproduce a large quantity of material without requiring the inconvenience of spanning it across multiple discs.  Rewritable and write-once versions of BD allow both consumer and commercial users to store vast quantities of AV content, digital images, compressed music files and other data.

HD: HD DVD will be convenient for consumer and commercial applications and can provide a wide range of capacity to be used to store content. Also, advanced video features by HD DVD-Video will provide a flexible and productive application environment.  Disc creation tools, manufacturing lines, and verification systems will be ready this year.  HD DVD technology uses similar technology to DVD, therefore compatibility with DVD is attainable.

How soon will each format reach the market?

HD: By the end of 2005.

BD: The rewritable version of the Blu-ray Disc format, BD-RE, is already shipping in Japan for use in set top HDTV recorders.  The BD-ROM and recordable formats are likely to ship in other regions of the world by early 2006.

Will players and recorders be available supporting your technology?

BD: Yes, many manufacturers in the Blu-ray Disc group have shown prototypes of both HDTV set top video recorder/players as well as recordable computer drives.  Users should have a wide variety of products to choose from. 

HD: Yes, we expect to launch products in early 2006.

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