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July 12, 2007
NEW TDK BLU-RAY DISCS ACHIEVE HIGH-SPEED 4X RECORDING
– TDK Recordable Blu-ray Discs Combine New Speed Milestone
with Remarkable Capacities and Revolutionary Durability –
GARDEN CITY, NY, July 12, 2007 – TDK, a world leader in digital recording
solutions, today announced the launch of two new write-once Blu-ray Discs capable
of recording at 4x speed. TDK 4x 25GB BD-R Blu-ray Disc media and the 50GB
version will both begin shipping later this summer. Retail pricing is set at
$19.99 for a 4x 25GB BD-R25B (recordable), while pricing for the 4x 50GB BD-R50B
(recordable) has not been finalized. A TDK 4x 25GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully
recorded in 22 minutes, and a TDK 4x 50GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully recorded
in 45 minutes, cutting the recording time in half in comparison to 2x Blu-ray
Disc media. Additionally, TDK announced that it will offer business customers
the world’s first 50 piece spindles of 4x 25GB BD-R Blu-ray Disc media.
A pioneer of blue laser recording technology and founding member of the Blu-ray
Disc Association, TDK began offering its highly anticipated 2x 25GB recordable
and rewritable Blu-ray Disc media in the first quarter of 2006. TDK first shipped
mass production samples in December 2005, and with the subsequent issuance
of the relevant license, the company immediately commenced full force manufacturing.
“Demand for recordable Blu-ray Disc media has been growing rapidly,” noted
Bruce Youmans, TDK Vice President of Product Research and Development. “By
achieving a 4x recording speed, TDK’s new discs slash recording times in half
compared to 2x media, extending the format’s appeal even further by making
it as convenient as it is powerful.” He continued, “Our 4x, 50GB and 25GB Blu-ray
Disc media products solidify TDK’s role in enabling the achievement of remarkable
capacities, fast transfer rates and revolutionary durability for TDK Blu-ray
Discs.”
The BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) certified the specification for the new
4x, write-once type Blu-ray Discs, paving the way for their launch. The
new discs support recording speeds from 1x to 4x, and like previous TDK Blu-ray
Discs, incorporate a recording layer comprised of inorganic material. The discs
are further highlighted by TDK’s exclusive DURABIS 2 hard coating technology,
an ultra-smooth cover layer created through the innovative spin coating method,
and a host of other advanced TDK technologies that enable the creation of high-reliability
media.
TDK Technologies Make Bare Blu-ray Discs a Reality
TDK Blu-ray Discs are manufactured to the highest quality standards at the
company’s Chikumagawa Techno Factory in Japan. Outfitted with state of the
art technology, the Chikumagawa factory is poised to lead the charge on optical
media development well into the future. TDK heavily committed its worldwide
engineering resources to Blu-ray, and has created new formulations and manufacturing
techniques that constitute revolutionary milestones in recording technology.
Because Blu-ray Disc media’s data tracks are quite narrow even in comparison
with DVD media, precise, stable interaction between the laser and the recording
material is especially critical to ensuring error-free recording and playback.
That’s why TDK developed DURABIS 2, an innovative hard coating technology that
makes bare Blu-ray Disc media a reality by protecting the disc surface against
common contaminants such as scratches and fingerprints. DURABIS 2’s revolutionary
resistance to fingerprints and scratches eliminates the need for a cartridge,
minimizing manufacturing costs and allowing for the same user experience as
with today’s CDs and DVDs. TDK pioneered hard coating technology, and its DURABIS
2 is the ultimate protective coating for Blu-ray Discs.
Main Features of TDK 4x Blu-ray Discs
1. 4x recording compatible: Reduces recording time by half compared
to 2x disc.
A recording layer boasting high sensitivity is utilized for compatibility
with 4x recording (144Mbps transfer rate). 4x recording reduces recording time
by half compared with the previous 2x disc. 4.7GB of data can be copied in
less than 5 minutes, which is comparable to a DVD-R recording speed of 16x.
2. DURABIS 2 coating provides significantly greater resistance to
scratches and dirt (particularly fingerprint smudges), ensuring safe use
even without a cartridge.
Since the area of the laser spot on the Blu-ray Disc is small (about one-fifth
that of the DVD), scratches or dirt on the recording surface can have an especially
detrimental effect, causing errors. DURABIS 2 overcomes the issue by
offering significantly higher resistance to scratches, and exceptional resistance
to dirt and grime (particularly fingerprint smudges).
3. Exclusive, high-precision spin coating creates a cover layer with
nano-precise smoothness for breakthrough stability.
The precision and smoothness of the cover layer is extremely important, because
the laser beam must cleanly pass through the cover layer in its path to the
recording layer. To form this cover layer, TDK utilizes an exclusive high-precision
spin coating method. The thickness of the cover layer is controlled to the
nano-level. As a result, the load on the focus servo circuit used to correct
laser beam positioning is reduced, enabling breakthrough stability.
4. Recording layer utilizing inorganic material in a metal, dual-layer
structure is unaffected by exposure to light, giving it outstanding archivability.
Previous write-once optical media such as CD-R and DVD-R utilized organic
dye for their recording layers. Write-once type BD-R media is based on a completely
new concept for the recording material wherein a two-layer structure composed
of silicon (Si) and copper alloy (Cu) inorganic materials is utilized. When
heated by the recording laser beam, these melt and the Si and Cu alloy become
a composite to form recording marks. Because the material is inorganic, it
is not affected by light, and offers superior archivability.
About TDK
TDK Corporation (NYSE: TDK) is a leading global electronics company
based in Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize “ferrite,” a key
material in electronics and magnetics. The company today is a leader in the
development of next-generation technologies such as Blu-ray Disc recording
media, an optical disc ideally suited for high-definition video recording.
TDK offers a full line of recordable DVD and CD media, digital camcorder tapes,
professional data storage solutions including LTO Ultrium media, and much more.
# # #
For more information contact:
Franklyn Roth
FM Public Relations
(631) 385-1304
franklyn.roth@fm-group.net
TDK logo is a trademark or registered trademark of TDK Corporation.
DURABIS is a registered trademark of TDK Corporation.
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