In the image below, the top-left disc is a single-sided 200GB prototype. That's right, we're talking of a potential to store over 40 DVDs' worth of data on a single disc.
TDK has managed to reach this outlandish mark by increasing the layer count to six and the capacity per layer to 33.3GB from the usual 25GB associated with Blu-ray Disc media.
It's unclear whether current Blu-ray Disc drives will be able to support 200GB media but the prototype needs to be passed by the Blu-ray Disc standards body before certification is approved. Whatever the case, at CES 2007, the supporters of Blu-ray Disc look to have lots more to shout about than their HD DVD counterparts.
You may be aware of the fact that Blu-ray Disc media has a much smaller coating layer than the 0.6mm coating on standard DVDs and HD DVD media. The BD discs shielding is just 0.1mm thick, so media makers have needed to come up with methods to safeguard data. TDK's solution is its Durabis 2 hard-coating technology.
The image above highlight the effectiveness of the hard-coating technology against the usual scratches and wear. Discs were abused with fine wire wool and a permanent marker. The disc on the left is a standard DVD, the one on the right has a Durabis 2 coating.
There's no noticeable damage to the TDK BD disc but this rough treatement left the DVD disc unplayable. Okay, that's not the most scientific of tests but it does indicate that TDK's protective coating seems to work.
Want to know how multi-layer BD is constructed? The picture above shows the process involved in engineering TDK's four-layer 100GB prototype. There's more to it than meets the eye.