TDK
Latest
TDK reveals 6x BD-R disc
Even though the fastest Blu-ray burner you can buy today maxes out at just a 2x write speed, media manufacturer TDK is already looking towards a wonderful future filled with 4x and faster drives writing 200+GB of data to 8-layer discs. Now that they're gotten the capacity part down, the company is hard at work on discs that won't take five hours to burn, and the first fruit of this labor -- a 25GB platter rated at 6x -- was recently unveiled at Japan's Eighth Data Storage Expo -- although don't expect it to hit stores until next year. They were also showing off that 100GB quad-layer BD-R we heard about awhile back but never got the chance to peep, so make sure to follow the Read link to check out that plus many more exciting shots from what we hear was a pretty happening storage conference.[Via HDBeat]
TDK shows off 6x BD-R discs
We don't even have 4x Blu-ray burners yet, but that didn't stop TDK from showing off 6x speed recordable media recently in Japan at the 8th Data Storage Expo. They also showed off a quad-layer 100GB Blu-ray disc, although it was only a prototype, they do expect to ship 4x discs before the end of this year. We're looking forward to burning 25-50GB at a time, we're not looking forward to waiting an hour for it to finish. These high speed discs need to get here and fast, HD DVD-Rs need to get their speed up to compete (actually, they need to become available at all but thats just splitting hairs).
.jpg.cf.jpg)
TDK's Xa-40 2.1-channel speaker cube
Just like Kensington, Logitech and countless others before them, it's TDK's turn to roll-out some NXT-based flat panel speakers. The Xa-40 cuboid brings a 3.5-mm mini-jack for connecting your portable DAP and features 2 x 5W NXT panels and a 10W sub to get your wee-man thump on. Measuring in at 165 × 180 × 175-mm (6.5 x 7.1 x 6.9-inches) and 3.3-pounds, the Xa-40 is expected to pull about ¥6,000 on the open, Japanese market or right around $52 Stateside. So if you've got a thing for cubes, you'd best start saving for the August 21 drop date.[Via Impress]
Pioneer shipping BDR-101A Blu-ray drives
One step closer to store shelves near you, the Pioneer BDR-101A recorder is now shipping enabling you to save 25GB at a time on your handy BD-R or BD-RE disc. It comes with Roxio burning software and a few TDK blanks (it should for $1000). PC World had good impressions of the drive when they reviewed it recently, having no problem burning Blu-ray discs, albeit with the tradeoffs of no CD read/write, managed copy support and a lack of included video editing software. These are interesting strategies by the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps, while HD DVD is seen as having support from PC companies like Microsoft and HP; they have pushed a standalone box out first, while Blu-ray is pushing PC-compatible drives in advance of the standalone player launch.[Corrected manufacturer]
Blu-ray recordable media appears at Circuit City Stores
Wow. This is a surprise. Circuit City is selling and stocking blank Blu-ray discs on their website and in their stores. They are single sided 25 gig TDK media for $24.99. We did know this was coming but not this soon. Do you think we need to go into how this is somewhat strange considering that there are no drives out yet to utilize these discs? Panasonic has a PC drive coming in June for $850 and and IO Data has their drive coming out a month later. But till then these discs will be nothing but a conversation starter.
Sony's Blu-ray blanks on the way; 50GB in June
Not to be forgotten in the BD-R and -RE party is Sony themselves, who have announced they are shipping single-layer recordable Blu-ray discs, with dual layer versions to follow in June, The pricing follows the model set by TDK, $20/$48 for BD-R single/dual and $25/$60 for BD-RE single/dual layer respectively. With the burners going for about $850, we'll take a raincheck, unless someone really needs to back up all their episodes of mariposaHD.[Via Engadget]
Sony ships 25GB Blu-ray recordables; 50GB to come in June
Lest anyone question their position as king of the Blu-ray mountain, Sony has announced that it has started shipping single-layer 25GB Blu-ray discs, and will begin follow up with 50GB discs in June. Yes, we know that TDK has already announced their own dual-layer discs (and is even working on eight layer 200GB versions), but it looks like Sony may just get their 50 giggers out the door first. Pricing is set at about $20 per disc for the single-layer version and $48 for the 50GB discs. Yes, that's right. The higher-capacity disc will have a higher per-GB price than the single-layer version. Such is the price for burning on the cutting-edge (and, no, we're not even going to try to visualize that horribly mixed metaphor).
Blu-ray appreciation day: Disc production problems solved, 200GB on the way?
Ok, ok, you found me out, I'm an anti-Blu-ray subversive (actually, I'm anti spending over $300 on a movie player but that's neither here nor there). Just so everyone knows there is no bad blood between Blu-ray and HD Beat we've got some good news to report.A small company called Blue Ray Technologies claim they have solved production issues with Blu-ray disc manufacturing that have lead to as much as a 75% defect rate, and lower that to 25%, drastically cutting costs. We'd love to take these guys seriously but in light of Nintendo's Wii, wii're taking naming very seriously and adding an E to the end of the technology does not cut it. Also, if current failure rates are at 75% for disc replicators, we don't want to see anyone's face when their $47 TDK dual-layer Blu-ray BD-R makes a coaster, ouch. However if they can really help get prices down we're all for it.Also, TDK has issued a release that they have developed a prototype 200GB Blu-ray disc that uses six 33GB layers to hold data. Sounds interesting; hopefully we'll see production versions soon.See? We can say nice things about Blu-ray...even though it's not out yet and delays make us very very angry.[Via CDRinfo & Newlaunches thanks for the tip!]
TDK: Ok, we're done with the 200GB recordable Blu-Ray
That was fast. It took 'em years to develop recordable DVDs, then another couple more for the dual layer variety, but now but a few weeks after TDK announced their hard workin' intentions to develop 8-layer 200GB recordable Blu-ray discs, they've got it bagged. Balls to the fact that we still don't have the players; the interesting thing about these discs, however, is that the data isn't stored on thin layers of dye, no no. Apparently when each layer of bismuth peroxide and germanium oxide is heated to 690K by laser, microscopic air bubbles form and create the bits we've come to know and obsess over. Oh sure, these discs are probably going to be horrendously expensive in the beginning, but isn't it nice to know we're already good to go on capacities large enough to archive years of home movies? [Warning: link is Japanese and requires subscription.][Via Newlaunches]
TDK Blu-ray media now shipping
TDK has announced the first shipments of cartridge-free Blu-ray Disc media, in both recordable and rewritable formats. Each version is available in single layer 25GB and dual layer 50GB capacities, with costs ranging from $20-60 each. The digital media leader is also currently working on quad layer 100GB and 200GB Blu-ray Disc prototypes. TDK claims there is no performance degradation after rewriting data 10,000 times, and the DURABIS hard coating grants each disc an archival life of 50 years through increased scratch, fingerprint, and light resistance. Nice for protecting your PS3 games, and Blu-ray's longevity and ability to back up entire hard drives in a single bound seem appealing.But let's not forget the recent advances in solid state Flash media (which are fast approaching 100GB capacities), as well as holographic storage. And if Microsoft has their way, the future will be on-demand. Are the format wars really coming to an end as Bill Gates has prophesized, or is the next wave just beginning?
TDK hard at work on 8-layer 200GB Blu-ray Disc
Since Sony, et al. hammered out the Blu-ray Disc spec, there's been speculation, theorization, and discussion of an 8-layer 200GB disc. Sony even supposedly had some working 200GB BRD demos way back in 2004. Well, now those mammoth coasters are in the works over at TDK, who apparently hope to commercialize the first presumably quad-layered dual-sided discs (or possibly octo-layered single-sided discs -- yeah, right). They're not giving it up as to when these discs could come out or how much they'll cost, but right now we're more worried about just getting our hands on some players, you know?[Via TechDigest]
TDK begins shipping 25GB Blu-ray media
We're not quite sure what you can use them for at this point (other than, maybe, as coasters for when you serve the good stuff), but TDK has begun shipping blank single-layer Blu-ray discs with a 25GB capacity. The discs are available in BD-R (recordable) and BD-RE (rewritable) formats, for $19.99 and $24.99, respectively. That's per disc. Yes, we were doing the math in our heads as well: That's about 79 cents per GB for the BD-R, which does come out to a bit more than the roughly 10 cents (or less) per GB of budget DVD-Rs. But those prices are sure to come down by the time TDK begins offering these in 50-disc spindles later this year. (By then, TDK will also have dual-layer 50GB discs available, for $47.99 and $59.99.) And maybe by then you'll actually be able to use these in some kind of drive.
TDK shipping Blu-ray media, still no players
Even with Blu-ray (and HD-DVD for that matter) players still MIA on store shelves, you might be able to buy the discs somewhere. They announced today they are shipping single-sided single layer (25GB) capacity discs. You can get the write-once BD-R blanks for $19.99 apiece while the rewriteable BD-RE will run you $24.99. They also announced they will ship dual-layer 50GB blanks later this year for $47.99 or $59.99 depending on -R or -RE. The discs also include DURABIS hard coating technology to protect against scratches dust and fingerprints form damaging your valuable (25 bucks a disc, yeah thats valuable) data.Eeesh. That certainly puts a damper on the whole create-my-own-archive-of-everything-ever-known-ever project. For $25 we can buy a 50 pack of single layer DVD blanks and get cases to boot. Heres to hoping prices come down (and quick).
