Behind Sony’s Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray disc is an optical disc format made by the Blu-ray Disc Association and some of the world’s leading electronic manufacturers, including Sony. This innovative format allows for recording, rewriting, playback, and for the storage of large amounts of data. Experts say the Blu-ray disc has five times the storage capacity of standard DVDs. The Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25 gigabytes on a single layer and 50 gigabytes on a dual layer disc. This extra space allows the consumer to get a truly amazing high definition experience. This new disc format gets its name because of the way data is read and written. It uses a blue-violet laser, unlike the standard discs which use a red laser. The advantage of using the blue-violet laser over the standard red one is the optimal precision. The blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength allowing it to be focused on specific areas with great accuracy. This also allows more information to be stored on a smaller space. Sony is proud to be amongst the many electronics companies that are doing research and development on the new blu-ray disc technology. The first Blu-ray disc player that Sony will offer is the BDP-S1 model, and is expected to be sold in the summer of 2006. This Blu-ray disc player has unprecedented high definition imagery, as well as finely tuned audio and visual components. In addition, Sony’s RC series VAIO personal computer will be compatible with the blu-ray disc technology. The RC series will be available with the Blu-ray disc drive in the summer of 2006. The combination of the high performance computer with the Blu-ray technology is going to be great for movie makers. They will be able to use a high definition camcorder to shoot the movies, then use Sony’s VEGAS software to edit it and use the Blu-ray disc to store and view it. Also, Sony plans to offer a standalone Blu-ray disc drive later in the year. Stating in the spring 2006 Sony will begin selling a 25-gigabyte single layer disc and the recording media. Sony will put the dual layer 50gigabyte disc on the market several months later it hopes. Sony boasts that the new disc use AccuCORE technology to make these discs scratch resistant and durable to all types of weather. Sony says that they will be able to start taking orders in February 2006. Sony plans begin in a Sony hopes plants and plants. on massively producing the Blu-ray discs. Production will Japanese facility, followed by the United States and Austria. to produce 5 million units per month in the United States 2.5 million units per month in the Japanese and Austrian
In order to promote this new Blu-ray technology and to encourage consumers to participate, Sony will be releasing twenty movies on Blu-ray discs. Sony Home Pictures Entertainment announces these twenty releases will previously made movies, but plans on formatting all future movie releases on a Blu-ray disc.
Sony wants customers to take full advantage of the complete entertainment package by partnering the soon to be released Blu-ray disc player with one of their high definition televisions. They advise watching a Blu-ray disc on a high definition TV will significantly enhance the experience. In addition, the Sony PlayStation 3 is scheduled to be released later this year and will have a Blu-ray Disc ROM, BD-ROM, incorporated in the unit. Sony hopes to apply the Blu-ray disc technology to all of their entertainment mediums. Sony hopes that in the future the Blu-ray disc will become the standard in high definition viewing. The discs will be 5 inches and have plenty of storage space for a wide variety of uses.