400 GB Blu-ray 16 layers

diogen said:

A snowflake has a better chance to survive in hell then existing BD players reading anything outside 2 layers on any disc: the OPU is not capable of anything else (and can't be made using software only). Backwards compatibility means new players will be capable of reading old 2-layer BD discs. Just like today's BD players are backwards compatible with DVD, i.e. capable of playing DVDs.

The chance to see those new 400GB discs/players outside engineering samples is even lower than that snowflake chances for success...

And before you ask, yes, it's my opinion...

Diogen.

Click to expand...

mike123abc said:

Perhaps BD 3.0. 2 copies of a movie could be put on the BD. One for the old 2.0 and lower BD players, and perhaps deeper color depth and/or higher resolution put in a few of the new layers. New players could read the new layers, and the old player continue to work.

But, I somehow doubt they will ever do anything practical like that. I do not think that the studios will go for 4k resolution with 32 bit color depths/channel.

Click to expand...

If at first you succeed, just go and raise the bar anyway...

Since seems to be the motto at Pioneer since it has followed up its ground breaking (and potentially Blu-ray compatible) 16 layer 400GB optical disc (below) with a 500GB version less than one month later.

A mammoth 25 layers were jammed onto the disc this time around and it also has the same potential to be made Blu-ray compatible - though whether a disc with the capability to handle around 20+ 1080p flicks has really any use other than as a storage medium is open to some debate (2160p Fuller HD anyone?!).

"While Blu-ray discs (BD), offering both 25GB and 50GB, are sufficient for users' current demands, we envision the need for a technology that can support far greater capacities as HD streaming in particular becomes commonplace and users build larger files of digital content," said Pioneer Multimedia Division Product Manager Brendan Sheridan. "The multi-layered method is compatible with Blu-ray devices providing a long term future for the technology and is more easily produced when compared to competing technologies such as holographic storage."
Sheridan admits the disc is only a research project at present though talks are ongoing with the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) about formalising the standard. Public availability? Between two and four years it claims - though I'm guessing it will take a brave man to risk a 500GB coaster...

Click to expand...