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Blu-Ray Disc

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IntroductionIntroductionIn 1997, a new technology emerged that

brought digital sound and video into homes. It was called DVD.

The industry is set for yet another revolution with the introduction of Blu-ray Discs.

With their high storage capacity, Blu-ray discs offers a new level of interactivity

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EvolutionEvolution

When the CD was introduced in the early 80s, it meant an enormous leap from traditional media.

Not only it offer a significant improvement

in audio quality, but its 750 MB storage capacity also meant a giant leap in data storage and retrieval.

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Evolution Contd…Evolution Contd…For the first time, there was an universal

standard for pre-recorded, recordable and rewritable media, offering the best quality and features consumers could wish for themselves, at very low costs.

Although the CD was a very useful medium for the recording and distribution of audio and some modest data-applications, demand for a new medium offering higher storage capacities rose in the 90s.

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Evolution Contd…Evolution Contd…

These demands lead to the evolution of the DVD specification and a five to ten fold increase in capacity. This enabled high quality, standard definition video distribution and recording.

Now, in the next millennium, High Definition video is demanding a new solution.

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Evolution Contd…Evolution Contd…

This new format has arrived with the advent of Blu-ray Disc, the only format that offers a considerable increase in storage capacity with its 25 to 50 GB data capacity.

This allows for the next big application of optical media: the distribution and recording of High Definition video in the highest possible quality.

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What is a Blu-ray Disc?What is a Blu-ray Disc?A current, single-sided, standard DVD can A current, single-sided, standard DVD can hold 4.7hold 4.7 GB of information. That's about the size of anGB of information. That's about the size of an average two-hour, standard-definition movie.average two-hour, standard-definition movie.

Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next-Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next-generationgeneration optical disc format is developed to enableoptical disc format is developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts video (HD), as well as storing large amounts ofof data. data.

The format offers more than five times the The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs storage capacity of traditional DVDs

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Why named Blu-Ray Dics?Why named Blu-Ray Dics?DVD rely on a red laser to read and write

data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-Ray.

The benefit of using a blue-violet laser(405nm) is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser(650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater precision.

This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space.

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Single & Double Layer DiscsSingle & Double Layer Discs

Blu-ray disc is roughly of same size as a DVD– A single-layer Blu-ray disc

• can hold up to 27 GB of data • 2 hours of HD video or about 13 hours of standard

video.

– A double-layer Blu-ray disc • can store up to 54 GB• 4.5 hours of HD video or more than 20 hours of

standard video.

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The design of the Blu-ray discs saves on manufacturing costs. Traditional DVDs are built by injection molding the two 0.6-mm discs between which the recording layer is sandwiched.

Blu-ray discs only do the injection-molding process on a single 1.1-mm disc, which reduces cost. That savings balances out the cost of adding the protective layer, so the end price is no more than the price of a regular DVD

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DVD Vs Blu-rayDVD Vs Blu-rayDVD Vs Blu-rayDVD Vs Blu-ray

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Problems in DVDProblems in DVDBirefringence

– Polycarbonate layer on top of the data can cause a problem called birefringence, in which the substrate layer refracts the laser light into two separate beams. If the beam is split too widely, the disc cannot be read.

Disc tilt– If the DVD surface is not exactly flat, and not

exactly perpendicular to the beam, it can lead to disc tilt, in which the laser beam is distorted.

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Solutions Solutions The Blu-ray disc overcomes DVD-reading

issues by placing the data on top of a 1.1-mm-thick polycarbonate layer. Having the data on top prevents birefringence and therefore prevents readability problems.

The recording layer sits closer to the objective lens, hence the problem of disc tilt is virtually eliminated.

Because the data is closer to the surface, a hard coating is placed on the outside of the BD to protect it from scratches and fingerprints.

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How Does Blu-ray Work?How Does Blu-ray Work?Discs store Digital information in pits --

spiral grooves that run from the center of the disc to its edges.

Blue laser reads the other side of these pits to play the movie or program that is stored on the DVD.

Smaller beam focuses more precisely, enabling it to read information recorded in pits

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FeaturesFeatures

The Blu-ray Disc system has the following parameters:– Data transfer rate 36 Mbps – Laser wavelength: 405 nm– Objective-lens numerical aperture (NA): 0.85– Cover thickness: 0.1 mm– reduced track pitch of 0.32 microns.

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AdvantagesAdvantagesHigh Storage capacity of 25/54 GB

enables user to store large amount of data.

Records high-definition television (HDTV) without any quality loss.

Instantly skips to any spot on the disc.

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Edit or reorder programs recorded on the disc.

Automatically search for an empty space on the disc to avoid recording over a program.

Advantages contd…Advantages contd…

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When Will Blu-ray Become When Will Blu-ray Become AvailableAvailable??

Blu-ray recorders are already available in Japan, where more consumers have access to HDTV than in the United States.

Blu-ray movies and TV shows on disc should become widely available. But the format is already available for home recording, professional recording and data storage.

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Contd…Contd…

Another important factor is cost. Just as with most new technologies, Blu-ray equipment will be pricey at first. In 2003, Sony released its first Blu-ray recorder in Japan with a price tag of around $3,000. The price is expected to drop as the format gains popularity.

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Blu-ray PlayerBlu-ray Player

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ConsumersConsumers

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ConclusionConclusionBlu-ray will soon replace previous DVDs.It is currently supported by more than 170

of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies.

The format also has broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format.

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ReferencesReferences

• www.blu-raydisc.com

• www.blu-ray.com

• www.howstuffworks.com

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Thank you

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