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Issue Date: January 2010
Panasonic and Sony develop technology to increase Blu-ray disc capacity
January 1, 2010
It finally looks like the per-layer storage capacity of Blu-ray Discs will really be increased, from 25 GB to 33.4 GB, thanks to the appearance of a new method of evaluating Blu-ray Disc media quality even at the higher capacity. The new method is likely to accelerate development of discs offering even more storage space.
Read and write at 33.4 GB per layer would be implemented thanks to the use of partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) signal processing. The new method can continue to use the existing Blu-ray optics: a blue-violet laser diode with a 405 nm wavelength, and an object lens with a numeric aperture (NA) of 0.85.
The problem until now has been there was no evaluation technology appropriate for 33.4 GB media using PRML. PRML assumes inter-symbol interference, which makes it difficult to base optical disc quality evaluation on jitter, as is widely done now for Blu-ray and many other optical discs. A source at Sony Corp. states, "At high-density recording, such as 33.4 GB, the relationship between the error rate and jitter collapses, and it becomes extremely difficult to evaluate jitter."
Sony and Panasonic Corp. resolved this by developing the i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) evaluation index. Details of i-MLSE were announced at International Symposium on Optical Memory 2009 (ISOM '09), held in October 2009. The first of the two key characteristics is that i-MLSE has a strong correlation with the error rate (Fig. 1) even in read/write at 33.4 GB using PRML. The second, according to Sony, is that "i-MLSE exhibits the same relationship to signal quality as conventional jitter." In other words, it will be relatively simple to estimate the read error rate from the i-MLSE, just as can be done now with jitter.
Read the entire briefing on this new Blu-ray technology at NikkeiBP Back to Industry Trends Archive
Blu-ray 3D Logo Unveiled at CES
January 6, 2010
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3D" specification last December. Blu-ray 3D is expected to reach consumers in 2010. Here is the logo as it was unveiled by the BDA at the CES show:
The "Blu-ray 3D" specification allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby maintaining the industry leading image quality to which Blu-ray Disc viewers are accustomed. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.
The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world. The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.
Read the entire briefing on Blu-ray 3D Logo Unveiled at CES at CDRinfo.comBack to Industry Trends Archive
Record number of Consumer Electronics (CE) products at CES 2010 bodes well for Global Economy
January 11, 2010
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3D" specification last December. Blu-ray 3D is expected to reach consumers in 2010. Here is the logo as it was unveiled by the BDA at the CES show:
More than 2,500 technology companies introduced more than 20,000 new products this week at the 2010 International CES, according to data released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
With a record 330 new exhibitors, major technology trends unveiled on the 2010 CES show floor included 3D TV, mobile DTV, connected TV, green technologies, tablets and apps. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2010 International CES, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, concluded today in Las Vegas.
"This show exceeded expectations with its innovation, optimism and excitement. What a great way to kick off the new decade." "The innovations unveiled this week at the 2010 International CES brought new optimism and opportunity to our industry and the global economy," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. "This show exceeded expectations with its innovation, optimism and excitement. What a great way to kick off the new decade."
Cutting-edge technology trends wowed crowds throughout the 2010 International CES show floor including advancements in 3D technology, mobile DTV, tablets, netbooks, eReaders, apps, connected TVs, embedded internet technologies and green technology. Major innovations creating a buzz from CES included the Android OS, Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sprint’s 4G networks.
"The 2010 CES featured a record number of new exhibit areas on the show floor highlighting cutting-edge technology trends that will redefine our industry," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. "The iLounge Pavilion included 100 companies and featured the latest apps and accessories for iPod, iPhone and Mac products the largest display of its kind in CES history and areas such as Living in Digital Times unveiled the next generation of innovation for consumers of all demographics."
Read the entire briefing on New CE Gadgets at CES 2010 on CDRinfo.com Back to Industry Trends Archive
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