HD-DVD er fremtiden! - eller er Blu-ray!

TDK today announces that is has commenced shipping mass-production samples of its bare-type (cartridge-less) BD-R (write-once type) and BD-RE (rewritable type) Blu-ray Discs. The four new products include:

• BD-R25 (write once, single-side, single-layer, 25GB)
• BD-R50 (write once, single-side, dual-layer, 50GB)
• BD-RE25 (rewritable, single-side, single-layer, 25GB)
• BD-RE50 (rewritable, single-side, dual-layer, 50GB)

The discs will be produced at TDK's Chikumagawa Factory, which specialises in optical disc production. TDK is the only media company that's a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, and TDK's technological innovations have played a key role in enabling the development of the Blu-ray Disc.

The main features of TDK’s BD-R and BD-RE Blu-ray Discs include:

1. DURABIS 2 – the most protective hard coating formulation.
To ensure the new discs will be resistant to scratches, smudges and other contaminants even without external cartridges, they will be coated with TDK’s new DURABIS 2 hard coating. DURABIS 2 technology has been specifically formulated for Blu-ray Discs and is exclusive to TDK.


2. Unique high-precision spin coating creates a supremely flat cover layer.
TDK's exclusive Spin Coating manufacturing technology yields an ultra-uniform 0.1mm thick cover layer for TDK Blu-ray Discs. The hardware laser must pass through the media's cover layer in its path to the recording layer. Irregularities in the cover layer's thickness can cause laser tracking problems resulting in recording and playback errors. The ultra-smooth cover layer enabled by TDK Spin Coating ensures precise laser tracking for bit-perfect performance.

3. Inorganic recording layer offers outstanding data longevity.
TDK's write-once BD-R discs utilise an exclusive inorganic recording material. The high accuracy material is unaffected by exposure to light, making the discs exceptionally suitable for long-term archiving.

4. Outstanding record, playback and overwrite characteristics
The rewritable BD-RE discs incorporate high-sensitivity phase-change dye recording material. Even after up to 10,000 rewrites, a TDK BD-RE displays low error rates.

5. Huge capacities achieved through high-precision disc layering technology
TDK's High Precision Stacking technology overlays Blu-ray Disc layers with absolute precision. This technology realises the same ultra-high level of performance and reliability for multi-layer discs, such as the dual-layer 50GB capacity BD-R50 and BD-RE50, as can be expected from all TDK Blu-ray Disc media.

Structural diagram of the Blu-ray Disc
(single-sided, 1-layer) using DURABIS 2 coating

DURABIS 2 coating is formed by spin coating atop the cover layer.

Notes to editors
TDK Recording Media Europe, a subsidiary of TDK Corporation, Japan with sales of 6.2 billion U.S. dollars (Apr 04 - Mar 05 period), is a leading producer of recording and playback solutions as well as a publisher of quality entertainment software. Its product range encompasses tape and disc-based media for practically all established formats, as well as speakers and headphones. In Bascharage, Luxembourg, TDK has one of the world’s most sophisticated plants for recording media products in the world. Sales and Marketing functions are located in Ratingen, Germany.

For more information about TDK Recording Media products, go to:
http://www.tdk-europe.com
TDK is a trademark or registered trademark of TDK Corporation.

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