History of Blu-ray Disc

When the CD was introduced in the early '80s, it meant an enormous leap from traditional media. Not only did it offer a significant improvement in audio quality, its primary application, but its 650 MB storage capacity also meant a giant leap in data storage and retrieval. For the first time, there was a universal standard for pre-recorded, recordable and rewritable media, offering the best quality and features consumers could wish for themselves, at very low costs.

Although the CD was a very useful medium for the recording and distribution of audio and some modest data applications, demand for a new medium offering higher storage capacities rose in the '90s. These demands lead to the evolution of the DVD specification and a 5-10 x increase in capacity. This enabled high quality, standard definition video distribution and recording. Furthermore, the increased capacity accommodated more demanding data applications. At the same time, the DVD spec used the same form factor as the CD, allowing for seamless migration to the next generation format and offering full backwards compatibility.

Now, in the next millennium, high definition video demands a new solution. History proved that a significant 5-10 x increase in storage capacity and the ability to play previous generation formats are key elements for a new format to succeed. This new format has arrived with the advent of Blu-ray Disc, the only format that offers a considerable increase in storage capacity with its 25 to 50 GB data capacity. This allows for the next big application of optical media: the distribution and recording of high definition video in the highest possible quality. In fact, no otherformat can offer the data capacity of Blu-ray Disc, and no other format will allow for the same high video quality and interactive features to create the ultimate user experience. As with DVD, the Blu-ray Disc format is based on the same, bare disc physical form factor, allowing for compatibility with CD and DVD.

BD Applications

- High Definition Television Recording- High Definition Video Distribution- High Definition Camcorder Archiving- Mass Data Storage- Digital Asset Management and Professional Storage

The Blu-ray Disc format was designed to offer the best performance and features for a wide variety of applications. High Definition video distribution is one of the key features of Blu-ray Disc, but the format's versatile design and top-of-the-line specifications mean that it is suitable for a full range of other purposes as well.

High Definition Television RecordingHigh Definition broadcasting is vastly expanding in the U.S. and Asia. Consumers are increasingly making the switch to HDTV sets to enjoy the best possible television experience. The Blu-ray Disc format offers consumers the ability to record their High Definition television broadcasts in their original quality for the first time, preserving the pure picture and audio level as offered by the broadcaster. As such it will become the next level in home entertainment, offering an unsurpased user experience. And since the Blu-ray Disc format incorporates the strongest copy protection algorithms of any format or proposal to date, the format allows for recording of digital broadcasts while meeting the content protection demands of the broadcast industry.

High Definition Video DistributionDue to its enormous data capacity of 25 to 50 GB per (single-sided) disc, the Blu-ray Disc format can store High Definition video in the highest possible quality. Because of the huge capacity of the disc, there is no need to compromise on picture quality. Depending on the encoding method, there is room for more than seven hours of the highest HD-quality video. There is even room for additional content such as special features and other bonus material to accompany the High Definition movie. Furthermore, the Blu-ray Disc movie format greatly expands on traditional DVD capabilities, by incorporating many new interactive features allowing content providers to offer an even more incredible experience to consumers. An Internet connection may even be used to unlock additional material that is stored on the disc, as there is enough room on the disc to include premium material as well.

High Definition Camcorder ArchivingAs the market penetration of High Definition TV sets continues to grow, so does the demand of consumers to create their own HD recordings. With the advent of the first HD camcorders, consumers can now for the first time record their own home movies in a quality level unlike any before. As these camcorders are tape-based, consumers cannot benefit from the convenience and direct access features they are used to from DVD players and recorders. Now, the Blu-ray Disc format, with its unprecedented storage capacity, allows for the HD video recorded with an HD camcorder to be converted and recorded on a Blu-ray Disc. When the HD content is stored on a Blu-ray Disc, it can be randomly accessed in a way comparable to DVD. Furthermore, the disc can be safely stored for many years, without the risk of tape wear.

Mass Data StorageIn its day, CD-R/RW meant a huge increase in storage capacity compared to traditional storage media with its 650 MB. Then DVD surpassed this amount by offering 4.7 to 8.5 GB of storage, an impressive 5-10 x increase. Now consumers demand an even bigger storage capacity. The growing number of broadband connections allowing consumers to download vast amounts of data, as well as the ever increasing audio, video and photo capabilities of personal computers have led to yet another level in data storage requirements. In addition, commercial storage requirements are growing exponentially due to the proliferation of e-mail and the migration to paperless processes. The Blu-ray Disc format again offers 5-10 x as much capacity as traditional DVD resulting in 25 to 50 GB of data to be stored on a single rewritable or recordable disc. As Blu-ray Disc uses the same form factor as CD and DVD, this allows for Blu-ray Disc drives that can still read and write to CD and DVD media as well.

Digital Asset Management and Professional StorageDue to its high capacity, low cost per GB and extremely versatile ways of transferring data from one device to another (because of Blu-ray Disc's extremely wide adoption across the industry), the format is optimized for Digital Asset Management and other professional applications that require vast amounts of storage space. Think of medical archives that may contain numerous diagnostic scans in the highest resolution, or catalogs of audiovisual assets that need to be instantly retrieved in a random manner, without the need to "restore" data from a storage carrier. One Blu-ray Disc may replace many backup tapes, CDs, DVDs or other less common or proprietary storage media. And contrary to network solutions, the discs can be physically stored in a different location for backup and safekeeping.

BD Key Characteristics

- Broadest Industry Support- Lifespan- Content Protection- Cost- Capacity- Robustness of Disc

Broadest Industry SupportHistory has shown that unified industry support for a particular format is most likely to lead to success. Therefore, the participation of the world's most renowned consumer electronics manufacturers and IT companies are leading in the success of the best standard for next-generation storage: Blu-ray Disc. Blu-ray Disc is supported by leading hardware manufacturers across the CE and IT fields from the U.S., Europe, Japan and Korea, including Dell, HP, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Matsushita (Panasonic), Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Thomson/RCA. Finally, major blank media manufacturers including TDK are supporting the Blu-ray Disc format as the successor of DVD. This broad industry support will lead to a broad selection of Blu-ray Disc products, including home video decks, PC drives, PCs line-fitted with Blu-ray Disc drives and blank media, to be available when the format is launched in the various regions in the world.

LifespanThe Blu-ray Disc format is designed to stay relevant for at least 10 to 15 years. Its high storage capacity of 25 to 50 GB allows for the best-possible High Definition video quality and satisfies even the most demanding data storage needs. As we have seen with DVD in the past, most premium titles require two discs. This is why Blu-ray Disc incorporates the additional storage space that is required for a High Definition feature film including bonus bonus material in the new standard from the beginning. Formats with a lesser capacity are only suitable as interim solutions, requiring them to be replaced much sooner than a format that takes tomorrow's data storage needs into account from day one. This will of course require multiple investments in production equipment, and will lead to increased consumer confusion.

Content ProtectionBlu-ray Disc provides some of the strongest copy protection methods ever developed for any consumer format. It makes Blu-ray Disc the best choice for any content publisher wanting assurance that their valuable assets are protected from piracy. Based on feedback from the content industry and taking a cue from the lessons learned by other formats, the Blu-ray Disc format incorporates a robust copy protection mechanism, which not only relies on implementation at the playback device, but which also includes precautions at replicator level, which will be strictly controlled. Unlike the voluntary implementation of CSS protection in DVD, the copy protection mechanism for Blu-ray Disc is mandatory and will be governed by strict licensing procedures.

CostBlu-ray Disc is developed to offer the best long-term profitability model for content providers. Although it might require a nominal investment in advance, it provides greater and longer-term profit potential. This is because the format is designed to last for a period of at least 10 to 15 years. Due to its enormous storage capacity, short-erm replacement of the technology is unnecessary, unlike other format proposals that might require less investment in advance, but higher investments in the long term due to the replacement of the technology when it becomes outdated. At comparable volumes, Blu-ray Disc production costs are within 10% of DVD production costs, although a Blu-ray Disc offers 5-10 x the capacity. It is by far the cheapest format measured in cost per GB. Since Blu-ray Disc requires fewer slots in a replication line compared to other formats, it will bring costs on par with DVD, or even cheaper, much sooner. Production facilities can produce many more Blu-ray Discs in the same time period as DVDs. Also, contrary to some rumors circulating, Blu-ray Discs do not require cartridges for any of the format variations (BD ROM, BD RE, and BD R).

CapacityThe Blu-ray Disc format offers the highest capacity of any consumer media format to date, also greatly surpassing the capacity of other format proposals. Blu-ray Disc's huge capacity allows not only for the highest quality High Definition video to be recorded at large bitrates (thereby eliminating the need for tight compression that could affect picture quality), it also opens the doors to new and existing applications. Think of extra sessions on a disc that could be unlocked when a user's Blu-ray Disc player connects to the Internet to validate authorization. Or what about bonus material and special features that will eventually also be recorded in High Definition quality? With Blu-ray Disc's large capacity, these extras can be included in high quality on the same disc, so there is no need for separate bonus discs to accompany the movie title. Only Blu-ray Disc will be able to offer these value-added options.

Robustness of DiscAs the result of recent breakthroughs in the development of hard coating for Blu-ray Disc, the discs offer much stronger resistance to scratches and fingerprints than other existing and proposed formats. Hard-coated Blu-ray Discs do not require a cartridge and can be used as a bare disc, similar to DVD and CD. This avoids extra production costs, and allows for small form factor applications, such as the implementation of Blu-ray Disc drives in a notebook computer. The hard-coating technology is used for BD ROM discs, giving them the same bare disc look and feel consumers know from DVD, and it can be applied to rewritable and recordable Blu-ray Discs as well.

BD vs. DVD

Just as DVD meant a five to ten time increase in storage capacity compared to CD, Blu-ray Disc will increase DVD capacity by five to ten times. This is due, among other reasons, to the usage of a blue instead of a red laser and improved lens specifications, allowing for a much smaller focus laser beam which enables the recording of much smaller and higher density pits on the disc.

Due to the fact that the data layer on a Blu-ray Disc is placed much "closer" to the laser lens than in DVD (or even the HD-DVD proposal), there is less distortion resulting in significantly improved tolerances. Hence, more precision and ultra high storage densities are made possible.

As a result of Blu-ray Disc being manufactured as a single substrate disc comparable to CD, but unlike DVD (and the HD-DVD proposal), the manufacturing process does not involve the bonding of two substrates, resulting in less production material, a shorter production time and hence lower production costs per disc.

Blu-ray Disc has the same physical characteristics as DVD and CD, and like its predecessors, it also does not require a cartridge. This makes it possible to create Blu-ray Disc products that are backwards compatible with CD and DVD, allowing for a seamless transition to the new technology. Likewise, the technology is perfectly suitable for integration in small form factor equipment, like notebook computers.