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Sony's after all the laser diodes

post #1 of 18
7/11/06 at 10:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Rumours out of China suggest that a large launch of Blu-ray players may not happen even this year, as Sony nabs all the critical parts for its PS3 console.

Commercial Times, which is a Chinese newspaper, says that Sony is wary about the capacity it has to produce laser diodes for the next-gen optical drives. Sony supplies the diodes to Benq, Philips and Lite-On.

Potential shortages could hamper the availability of the PS3, which has a Blu-ray drive built in, and Sony is allegedly more keen for the PS3 to be a hit than it is for its manufacturing partners to have enough components to build drives that, technically, compete with the PS3.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07...ging_the_diod/
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post #2 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:14am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Not a good article for Sony and all other BD hardware mfg. Here comes the cost factor again, too pricey to make, too pricey to sell, possible shortage based on the article's point of the fact that Sony may have been to ambitious when it promised the numbers of PS3s, all the more reason for a dual format player. Salvage what you can, we won't laugh at you.
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post #3 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:42am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Yeesh, if BD players and BD50 discs can't be made in quantity, the format's in REALLY big trouble.

Does Toshiba have its own independent suppliers for the lasers in its players?
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post #4 of 18
7/12/06 at 10:26am
Thread Starter 

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Quote:
Does Toshiba have its own independent suppliers for the lasers in its players?
Good question Robert, to which I do not know the answer.
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post #5 of 18
7/12/06 at 11:02am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

I believe that HD-DVD is basically using the same tech as DVD therefore much cheaper to make and of course the cheaper it is to make, the more you can make. Not promising at all for BD, the cutting off your nose inspite of your face comes to mind here.
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post #6 of 18
7/12/06 at 11:47am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

So, I suppose that everyone here was hoping to get a new Bluray recorder? That's what the article is about: laser diode assemblies for Bluray recorders.

Maybe there's a supply problem associated with player assemblies as well, but that's just piling innuendo on top of rumor.
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post #7 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:00pm

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Quote:
So, I suppose that everyone here was hoping to get a new Bluray recorder? That's what the article is about: laser diode assemblies for Bluray recorders.

Huh???? The article doesn't even mention Blu-ray recorders. It does mention Samsung and Sony stand-alone Blu-Ray players, and Sony PS3 game console Blu-Ray players, none of which are recorders.

What article were you reading?

Regards,

Joe
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post #8 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:04pm

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
Huh???? The article doesn't even mention Blu-ray recorders. It does mention Samsung and Sony stand-alone Blu-Ray players, and Sony PS3 game console Blu-Ray players, none of which are recorders.

What article were you reading?

this one

Quote:
Optical disc drive (ODD) makers such as Lite-On IT and BenQ recently expressed concerns that a tight supply of key component laser diodes may affect the release of Blu-ray Disc burners, according to the Chinese-language Commercial Times.
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post #9 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Readers or recorders, reading either article it seems they are in short supply which could be a problem.
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post #10 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:45pm

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

IIRC, recording lasers are higher power than playback lasers, so the fabrication yield is less.
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post #11 of 18
7/12/06 at 9:52pm

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

See this article for details.

Specifically
Quote:
To reduce the problems associated with defects, manufacturers can produce lasers with shorter cavities, which results in fewer defects per device and delivers a much higher device yield. While difficulties associated with cleaving restrict the minimum cavity length to about 600 μm, facet etching allows much shorter cavities of 100 μm. Lasers of this size have a lower maximum power rating due to the shorter cavity, but because most will be used in next-generation DVD-ROM applications, a relatively low output power is acceptable. The specific fabrication, integration and full wafer-testing capabilities enabled by EFT also deliver significant benefits to the fabrication of higher-power GaN lasers for writable optical-disc applications.
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post #12 of 18
7/13/06 at 7:06am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Quote:
this one
So priority will be given to players (more specifically the PS3) over burners. According to this, Sony may not be able to make many PS3s anyway.
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post #13 of 18
7/13/06 at 8:05am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

It's a possibility, but I'm just speculating. There's so much HD/Bluray FUD out there, it's disgusting.
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post #14 of 18
7/13/06 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

What's FUD?
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post #15 of 18
7/13/06 at 12:17pm

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.
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post #16 of 18
8/30/06 at 7:18am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

With this recent setback I wonder if any of the BD hardware manufacturers are now considering to release a HD-DVD as well just so they can be on both sides of the fence.

ed
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post #17 of 18
8/30/06 at 10:33am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

Well, HD-DVD players use the same blue laser diode so I don't think that will be much of a factor.
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post #18 of 18
8/30/06 at 11:04am

Re: Sony's after all the laser diodes

and quite frankly, the licensing regime may restrict the development of universal players. hddvd and bluray are not unencumbered by patents.
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