Sony announces blue-laser data storage format

23.3GB systems with 9MBps data transfer rate due by year end





Sony has announced development of a blue-laser-based optical disc system for data storage and says it should be available by the end of this year.

The system, which has yet to be named, is technically similar to the Blu-ray Disc format that was developed by a consortium of nine companies led by Sony, although it is incompatible. The data storage technology was announced Tuesday by Sony and is on display at the AIIM storage and content management conference in New York this week.

The main difference between the two formats comes in the data transfer rate. Blu-ray, which is aimed at consumer recording of high-definition television, can record data onto the discs at a rate of up to 36Mbps to match the data rate of digital television. However, Sony’s new data storage system can record data at 9MBps or double the rate of Blu-ray, said Sony in a statement.

The first version of the format will be based around a single-sided, single-layer optical disc and will have a capacity of 23.3GB and rewritable and write-once versions will be available, said Sony. The disc is 12 centimeters, just like CDs or DVDs, and is encased in a cartridge to protect the media.

Blue laser systems are able to store more data than DVDs because of the shorter wavelength of blue light. This means the laser, which is used to record data on the disc, makes a smaller spot on the recording layer and in turn that means that the space needed for each bit of data is smaller. Thus more data can be crammed onto the disc.

The company’s roadmap extends to a 50GB capacity version by 2005 and a 100GB capacity version at an unspecified point in the future and data transfer rates are expected to rise too. With the second generation disc they are predicted to double to 18MBps and then double again, to 36MBps, when the third generation version is launched.

To support the fast data transfer, initial drives will have an Ultra-wide 160 SCSI interface, said Sony. Samples of the drive and media will be available from the middle of this year for around $3,000 each for the drive and $45 for the media.

View : SONY Press Release about blue-laser data storage format



Source : InfoWorld