TDK makes 1TB optical disc
updated 07:55 pm EDT, Mon October 11, 2010
TDK shows prototype 1TB optical disc
At the recently concluded CEATEC expo in Japan, TDK showed off a prototype optical disc with a 1TB capacity. The technique was accomplished by creating 16 recording layers on the medium, each with a capacity of 32GB. In comparison, a typical Blu-ray disc has a 25GB or 50GB (dual layer) capacity and a maximum of four layers.
The disc has a very high light transmittance, with 95.1 percent for each layer and 72.6 percent for the entire disc. Part of the material used for the creation of the new disc is already used in Blu-ray media, so durability is not unproven, said a TDK representative.
The read speeds of the new discs are also said to be identical to those of Blu-rays as well, while symbol error rates for reading out data ranges between 1 x 10-5 to 1 x 10-4, or low enough for commercial production. The thickness is one area that needs to be addressed, however. A Blu-ray recording layer needs to be 100μm or less, while the TDK disc is 260μm thick, causing aberration of the optical lens.
TDK said it needs the support of other disc makers before it can commercialize this medium, with applications expected to include backup, use in broadcasting and recording in the home. [via Tech-On]
