2X the storage of a Blu-ray disk using red laser? (1 Viewer)

[Cowbell]

Ran across this article on Avguide News and Blog» Archives » The Next Hi-Def Video Standard?- AVguide.com

Here's the article.
According to a press release, digital security company DreamStream and Royal Digital Media (or RDM) have collaborated to produce a high-definition video format that the company claims surpasses the capabilities of Blu-ray.

The release continues by saying that DreamStream will provide its 2,048-bit, military-strength encryption for the copyright protection of RDM’s high-definition discs. In contrast, Blu-ray uses a 128-bit system.

The release goes on to say that RDM’s discs have a storage capacity of 100GB—twice the amount of a Blu-ray disc. Additionally, RDM’s format is able to display 1920p resolution. A single disc would therefore be able to contain four hours of video at 1920p resolution.

The release adds that the system uses inexpensive red laser technology to minimize cost to the consumer. Discs and players will cost about as much as those of the DVD format. Adoption of the format will be relatively inexpensive for disc manufacturers as well: a single replacement chip could convert DVD production hardware to encode discs of this new format.

“The mission of RDM is to replace traditional DVD technologies with a comprehensive, next generation HD system,” said Eugene Levich, RDM’s CEO, in the press release. “The industry’s problem, which Sony has been unable to solve with Blu-ray, is how to transition into HD without destroying the existing DVD industry or gouging the pocketbooks of consumers. We have the solution and can solve this without having to drastically overhaul the entire infrastructure of DVD production.”

The release notes that RDM’s players are backwards compatible, meaning that they are able to read CDs and DVDs.

According to the release, RDM’s format is scheduled to become publicly available in Europe and Asia by the beginning of 2009; there is no word on when (or if, for that matter) the technology will reach U.S. shores.

Interesting. I'd like to understand how it's possible to get 2X the storage of a Blu-ray disk using a red laser on the same size disk.

Anyone?

 

[Edwin-S]

The only ways I can see are either more layers or holographic storage. Sounds like more smoke and mirrors marketing hype to me. Just have to wait and see if it actually materializes.

 

[MarkMel]

Woo-hoo! Bring back the format wars!

 

[troy evans]

Even if this tech is all that, people have been through the format war and are not likely to do it again. Blu-ray/sd dvd will be the physical media until downloads/streaming media ever takes over. I welcome any new tech which improves upon the HD experience. I just have extreme doubts people will buy into this even a fraction of the level they now have with Blu-ray.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Even if the tech is real, can't imagine it taking off for prerecorded home video use at this point (at least not for the mainstream anyway). The studios themselves would certainly not want another format war now.

Maybe it'll find a market in computing storage, home recording, etc.

_Man_

 

[TravisR]

That's what I was thinking too. Not to mention, how long it will take for there to be enough consumer 1920p monitors out there for the studios to even begin to think about this.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Not to mention how many folks will really have large enough screens and/or sit close enough to make use of 1920p vs 1080p. I certainly am not a likely target for that anytime soon, if ever.

_Man_

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Actually, the vast majority of U.S. consumers haven't just been through a format war. In fact, the vast majority of U.S. consumers don't even have HDTVs. Most of those who do seem to have ignored both HD-DVD and Blu Ray (based on the sales numbers I've seen for both formats vs. the numbers for HDTV sales.) It is sometimes easy for folks like us to forget, but we are the tiny minority, not the mainstream.

Blu-Ray has not met industry expectations for growth, and it is quite possible that they'll look at a cheap-to-introduce, backwards compatible, red-laser system that might appeal to the millions and millions of potential consumers who have scarcely heard of Blu Ray and HD-DVD, and who may not buy their first HDTV until late 2009 or maybe 2010.

Not saying this is going to work, just that it may not be as unlikely an idea was HT enthusiasts might be tempted to assume.

Regards,

Joe

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Well, we can probably come up w/ all sorts of unlikely ideas if we want to -- not that that hasn't been done before. But what's the point, if they are indeed unlikely?

That idea may be nice and all (for the average consumer), but it's most likely waaaay too late now unless VOD/download never takes off *and* BD does actually die. The powers that be are not just gonna scrap all their plans to jump at every next great *potential* just because things are moving along slower than the ideal. If the only way they can get more people to buy into HDM is to immediately turn the HDM market into the current, existing DVD market, then they're probably better off just sticking w/ BD for the high end (for the better margins) and DVD for the low end -- and wait for VOD/download to take off. Remember, they're in it to make $$$, not to benefit humankind w/out a price tag...

_Man_

 

[MarkHastings]

or larger discs! LD sized discs, anyone?? Bueller? LOL