Pioneer tests 500GB blue laser disc
updated 03:45 pm EDT, Tue August 5, 2008
Pioneer 500GB Optical Disc
Pioneer today revealed that it has already developed a major improvement on optical technology it created just last month. Having already established a 400GB disc, the company now says it has produced a disc read by blue lasers made up of 20 25GB layers, fitting exactly half a terabyte of data on a single-sided disc. The size and technology are described as technically compatible with Blu-ray and could be used in a future reader able to recognize that amount of data.
The technology isn't likely to be ready for mass production until two to four years from today but could prove essential for future storage, says Pioneer multimedia product chief Brendan Sheridan. A 500GB disc holds ten times more data than a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray disc and would be large enough to hold multiple 1080p movies or back up much more content from a computer.
Using discs is also potentially less expensive than holographic storage, which is likely to be more expensive than using a readily adaptable laser technology. [via TrustedReviews]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2008
no more disk formats
we don't need any new optical disk format. HD-DVD is dead. Bluray is dead. Now a new one? for God's sake. Record companies are fine with DVD. If a disk like that is launched they will be able to fit an entire collection in one disk and they don't want that. Today they sell you, for example, the entire collection of 24, in a box with 60 DVD for 200 bucks. If this collections turns to be of just 1 or 2 DVD will they be able to charge 200 bucks for 2 disks? Will anybody pay 100 bucks per disk? This is why they stuff the DVD with c*** like photos, interviews, director's narration, etc. They have to fill the disc so they can justify more disks and charge more.
What we need now is solid state trustable, durable and cheap disk drives for computers. Dump the optical rotating c*** and give us memory. Store music and movies on memory stuff like usb sticks.