TDK Unveils 200 GB Blu-Ray Media

Not that you can do anything with it (yet), but TDK has announced it has developed 200 GB Blu-ray disc media.

Hey, remember back when TDK boasted they had developed 100 GB Blu-ray media and were working on 200 GB capacties? Wel, seems they’ve gone and done it. There’s no consumer gear on the market which can use it (yet), but TDK announced today that it as developed a new Blu-Ray disc with a 200 GB capacity, double the capacity of the company’s earlier 100 GB prototype. Right now, the market is just barely lurching toward the idea of storing 25 GB on Blu-ray media, but it seems TDK is all about adding capacity to the format to keep film, video, and data mavens happy.

TDK’s 200 GB Blu-ray disk is still single-sided—just like all other Blu-ray media—but crams six layers into each disk and 33 GB onto each layer, using a new signal processing innovation which extends the initial 25 GB-per-layer capacity set out for Blu-ray, but still staying inside the BD playback specifications. TDK also says its materials and technology have enabled it to achieve 6× (216Mbps) recording speeds on write-once 25 GB media.

“The ultra-ambitious technology roadmap for Blu-ray has now been confirmed as realistic, with landmarks such as this proving the long term value of the format against its rivals. TDK was the first to develop a prototype 100GB recordable Blu-ray Disc, and yet again, our landmark achievement in creating a 200GB disc is affirming the company’s position as a true pioneer in advancing the capabilities of optical media,” said Bruce Youmans, TDK’s VP of Product Research & Development, in a statement.

[Hey, just think: with 200 GB media a reality, one day you'll be able to buy all the Star Wars movies (again!) on just one disk!]