Beyond Blu-ray: Ultraviolet 500GB optical discs

Pioneer has developed a technology that they say will allow them to create optical data storage devices that can store up to 500GB of data, 20 times that of soon-to-come Blu-ray technology.  Ultraviolet lasers emit shorter wavelengths than those of blue lasers, so the data can be packed tighter on the optical disc. No one knows when Pioneer will have this technology ready to know, but we'll go out on a limb and guess that it's just a few years away.

[John @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

oh my god

[JJ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

my two hard drives only hold 60 gigs together..
i feel shamed

[Guttrhead @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I agree, this is getting a little ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome, that is.

[Gabe Hoffman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Assuming that the current generation of Blu-Ray disks can hold a High-Def movie. And knowing that they will never put more than 1 movie on a disk, what's their suggested use? A Ultra-High-Def movie? I can see a use for data, 500 gigs would be great, but as entertainment pushes things like this, they'll have to come up with something. 3-D?

[christopher wanko @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Longer than a few years, folks. Sony pioneered blue-laser tech way back in 1993. It still hasn't come to market in force after elevent years. Ultraviolent is significantly different, look for another dozen years of wait.

But hey, it's nice to dream.

[Abe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Gabe, just remember the mythical Bill Gates quote: "640k should be enough for anybody."

[Ed @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

The development of blue-laser technology helped UV-laser technology get developed faster. UV lasers exist, they just need to work on the intesity and their energy efficiency before they can be mass produced. Expect to see this stuff around 2010.

[OUSanbornEE @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

When movies are captured (while being made I should say), they have upwards of 4k resolution. Opposed to current HD of 1080 lines, that 4k would take up a HUGE ammount of disc space. Upwards of multiple terabytes.

I think we will all be peeing our pants in 2030

bluray dvd's will be a complete joke (like cassete tapes and laser discs)

[TheZodiac @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

cant forget the Holographics Storage:

http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010423S0113
http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/rd/443/ashley.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=holographic+storage

[Fabien Peyrot @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

technologie

[b @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I dunno... they might put more than one movie on a disc. If they are gonna sell you a box set of, say, the police academy movies, they probably aren't going to fill the discs with a ton of extras, or use ultra high bitrates.

It would be more cost effective for them to fit the movies on as few discs as possible, and then still charge you based on the number of movies.

[bubblejunkie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Cant wait to backup every computer i own on one disc.

[Alps @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

or every season of the simpsons?

[Gabe Hoffman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

---Gabe, just remember the mythical Bill Gates quote: "640k should be enough for anybody."---

I am not saying that blu-ray is enough for anyone, I am just asking what compelling reason are they going to say that we are dying to have. Surely the have something in mind.

[Nate @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Multiple versions of the same movie on the same disk - hi def, regular def, maybe widescreen/fullscreen of each, plus multiple audio tracks plus extras... if SD Lord of the Rings can take up 4 DVDs, I'm guessing HD LotR could easily take more than one Blu Ray.

With UV DVDs, we might be able to get back to having just a single DVD for all movies, even with high def. Wouldn't that be a nice change.

Plus, like others have said, you could fit an entire season of an hour long TV show on there. Also cool.

-Nate

[Abe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I almost cried the first time I made a DVD coaster (back when discs were really expensive), I don't even want to think about the horrors of burning my first blu-ray/UV coaster.

[Permanent4 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

We haven't even had our cursory Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war yet, and now we're already gearing up for the generation after that -- UVD (Pioneer) vs. HVD (Optware). Ultraviolet lasers vs. collinear holography. Sure, it sounds cool, but do you really think either one will come with reach of consumers before the end of the Mayan calendar?

If Pioneer REALLY wants to get my attention, they should come out with a car stereo that can play MP3s from DVD+/-R and DVD+/-RW discs. Now THAT would be hot...

[russdogg @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Of all sagas, trilogies, and series of movies, I love that the guy above used "Police Academy" as an example. Classic. Steve Gutenburg is somewhere smiling.

[Ultima Smith @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

When is it due out? :P

[lzim (bael) @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

i feel the same way.. but fear not

not only is hamr technology going to give you upto 4 terabytes on your hdd within the time it will take for pioneer to deliver this technology ..

but it will be just one more step forward before the true revolution

UHDTV. maybe divx will reduce the amount of data required to get the same immersive feel but the point of UHDTV is the unabashed quality and clarity provided by 2 gigs per second of data.

also i think it'll take a few years to refine the projection and display technologies to make UHDTV portable. like a 148' roll up polymeralloy display doped with oled pixel cells activated by a UV projector..or something

[grey eminence @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

UV Ferroelectric Disk Patented 7 years ago.

It will be interesting to see the lawyers for
the inventor ( David ) taking on Goliath ( Blu-Ray Group )

http://colossalstorage.net

[Ian @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Gabe, now that so-called 'high definition' has increased the amount of pixels, perhaps it's about time we started pushing for 100 frames per second... 25/30 is terrible really, especially on big screens.

[Ian @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Gabe, now that so-called 'high definition' has increased the amount of pixels, perhaps it's about time we started pushing for 100 frames per second... 25/30 is terrible really, especially on big screens.

[Todd Jefferis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I heard the movie Sahara out today available on DVD or UVD. What`s up with that?

[Todd Jefferis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

I heard the movie Sahara out today available on DVD or UVD. What`s up with that?

[Elektron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"Posted Nov 8, 2004, 10:20 AM ET by christopher wanko
"Longer than a few years, folks. Sony pioneered blue-laser tech way back in 1993. It still hasn't come to market in force after elevent years. Ultraviolent is significantly different, look for another dozen years of wait.

But hey, it's nice to dream."

The only difference is now they have prototypes and a release date.

[Elektron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

The other disk Sahara is coming out on is the PSP video disk.