| The companies continue to promote Blue-Ray and | | | | from today's DVDs. |
| HD-DVD disc. The problem is in, that this good news | | | | In HD-DVD disc the middle layer is positioned on 0.6 |
| actually are the next headache for us - the end | | | | mm from down surface (protection layer), the same |
| users. Let's return few years ago. At that time we | | | | structure like DVD disc. That means that new players |
| saw similar comedy war with the same weapons | | | | for HD-DVD can be vice-versa compatible with |
| different standards for DVD format. At the end, now | | | | current DVD discs. |
| we have several DVD formats - DVD RAM, | | | | By capacity factor of Blue-Ray disc will be offered in |
| DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, etc. | | | | three variants: BD-ROM, BD-R and BD-RE. Each of |
| Because now only can guess, what will happen with | | | | the discs will have two different types - single layer |
| Blue-Ray and HD-DVD disc and devices I will shortly | | | | (23.3, 25 and 27 GB) and double layer (46.6, 50 and |
| introduce you their main parameters and advantages. | | | | 54 GB). Except this, by specification the technology |
| At this moment with absolutely certainty we can say | | | | will offer multi layered discs, the largest of which will |
| that the physical dimensions of new discs will be the | | | | be 100-200 GB (for four and eight layers). For |
| same as the current known CD and DVD disc. The | | | | owners of digital cameras will be available 8 cm discs |
| main difference is in the smaller wavelength of the | | | | with 15Gb capacity. |
| laser which is used to read and write data on the | | | | Like Blue-Ray, the HD-DVD disc will be offered in |
| disc. | | | | three main variants also : HD-DVD-ROM, HD-DVD-R |
| By specifications, in Blue-Ray and HD-DVD disc is | | | | and HD-DVD-RW. The capacity of HD-DVD disc will |
| used laser, who emits light with wavelength of 405 | | | | be smaller than Blue-Ray disc. For single layer disc - |
| nm (blue-violet color). For example, by specification all | | | | 15GB and 30 GB for double layer disc. Pity, but multi |
| DVD devices use 650 nm (red color) wavelength to | | | | layered disc will not be available. |
| read and write information on discs. No doubt, this | | | | The founder of Blue-Ray technology is Sony Corp. |
| difference of wavelengths mean larger capacity of | | | | Sony says that main target of the company is to lay |
| Blue-Ray and HD-DVD disc. | | | | standard among the film companies. Till now, Sony |
| The thickness of each standard optical disc is 1.2 mm | | | | gained Walt Disney Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, |
| (CD, DVD). It could be summarized that there are 3 | | | | Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20-th |
| layers in the disc. Transparent layer (bottom site of | | | | Century Fox, Warner Bros, etc. The list includes also |
| the disc - protection layer), middle layer (in which you | | | | other companies - leading PC providers as |
| can look like in a mirror) and top layer (where you | | | | Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, Dell, LG, etc. |
| can place your labels). In standard DVD disc, the | | | | Microsoft say that they will not develop the Blue-Ray |
| middle layer (the mirror) is positioned on 0.6 mm | | | | technology with these companies and will not join the |
| deep from the bottom layer. In Blue-Ray disc the | | | | alliance. |
| middle layer is moved closer to protection layer - on | | | | HD-DVD founders are Toshiba and NEC. They say |
| 0.1 mm from the surface. Many people say that the | | | | that will invest in HD-DVD devices. Movie producing |
| Blue-Ray optical disc is more sensitive to incidentally | | | | companies like Warner Bros, New Line Cinema, |
| scratch of protection layer than any other optical | | | | Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures also support |
| disc. Except that, people think that the laser will be | | | | and joined Toshiba's and NEC's concern. Giants like |
| positioned very hardly to read the data. In new | | | | Microsoft and Intel work together for advancing the |
| Blue-Ray players the laser is positioned closer to the | | | | HD-DVD standard. |
| disc surface, which treats like risk for scratch. At the | | | | Only the time will show which technology will win |
| end this problem was solved with TDK and their new | | | | larger market share. Don't forget that the destiny of |
| protection layer. The company specialists think that | | | | one or other technology depends mostly on the end |
| this new technology give to disc better protection | | | | user mood. |