“DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS &

COMMUNICATION”

SEMINAR REPORT
ON
“BLU-RAY DISC”

SUBMITTED TO :- SUBMITTED
BY :-
Mr. Rohit Tripathi Sonal Singh
(Seminar Incharge) EC 4th year
(0616431111)

1
 ACKNOWLEDMENT

I would like to thank everyone who helped to see this seminar

to completion. In particular, I would like to thank my seminar
incharge Mr. Rohit Tripathi for his moral support and
guidance to complete my seminar on time.

I express my gratitude to all my friends and classmates for

their support and help in this seminar.

Last but not the least I wish to express my gratitude to God

almighty for his abundant blessings without which this seminar
would not have been successful.

2
 ABSTRACT

Optical discs share a major part among the secondary storage

devices. Blu-ray disc is a next generation optical disc format.
The technology utilizes a blue laser diode operating at a
wavelength of 405nm to read and write data. Because of the
blue laser it can store enormous amount of data than was ever
possible.

Data is stored on a BD in the form of tiny ridges on the surface

of an opaque 1.1mm thick substrate. This lies beneath a
transparent .1mm protective layer. With the help of Blu-ray
recording devices it is possible to record upto 2.5 hrs of very
high quality audio and video on a single BD.

Blu-ray also promises some added security, making ways for

copyright protections. Bd can have a unique ID written on them
to have copyright protection inside the recorded streams.

Blu-ray Disc takes the DVD technology one step further just by
usin g a laser with a nice colour.

3
 INDEX
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..1-5

1. HISTORY OF BLU-RAY DISC………………………………..6

1.1 FIRST GENERATION………………………………….6
1.2 SECOND GENERATION…………………………….6
1.3 THIRD GENERATION…………………………………6-7
2. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
2.1 HDTV……………………………………………………….8
2.2 MPEG………………………………………………………8-9
2.3 GIGABYTE………………………………………….9
2.4 LAYER………………………………………………………9-10
2.5 SDTV……………………………………………………….10
2.6 NUMERICAL APERTURE……………………………10-11
2.7 BLUE LASER………………………………………………11-12
3. OPTICAL DATA STORAGE FOR DIGITAL VIDEO
3.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………16
3.2 PARAMETERS FOR HD VIDEO STORAGE WITH OPTICAL
DISCS……………………………………………………….16
3.2.1 OPTICAL PARA METER…………………………16-22
3.2.2 DISK STRUCTURE PARAMETERS……………22-24
3.2.3 DATA MANAGEMENT PARAMETERS…….24-26
4. DIFFERENT FORMATS OF BD………………………………27
5. TWO VERSIONS OF RECORDING…………………………28
5.1 ONE TIME RECORDING……………………………..28
5.2 RECORD MANY TIMES……………………………….28-29
6. BLU-RAY DISC STRUCTURE………………………………….30-31
7. BLU-RAY DISC CHARACTERISTICS………………………..33
7.1 LARGE RECORDING CAPACITY……………………33
7.2 HIGH SPEED………………………………………………33
7.3 RESISTANCE TO SCRATCHES
7.4 AND FINGERPRINTS…………………………………..33
8. BLU-RAY
FOUNDERS………………………………………………….34
9. CHARACTERISTICS OF IDEAL COMMUNICATION………..35

4
10. HOW DOES BLU-RAY DISC WORK? ……………………………
36-37
11. COMPARISONS…………………………………………………………
.38
12. BLU-RAY DISC AND HD-DVD………………………………………
39-40
13. ADVANTAGES OF
BD………………………………………………….41-42
14. THE BLU-RAY
IMPACT………………………………………..........43
15. APPLICATIONS…………………………………………………………
…44
15.1 HIGH DEFINITION TELEPHONE RECORDING………44
15.2 HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO DISTRIBUTION……………45
15.3 HIGH DEFINITION CAMCORDER ARCHIVING………45
15.4 MASS DATA
STORAGE……………………………………….46
15.5 DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT AND
PROFESSIONAL
STORAGE…………………………………
…………………………46
16. REQUIREMENTS………………………………………………………
……47
17. CHALLENGES…………………………………………………………
……….47
18. FUTURE
DEVELOPMENTS……………………………………………….48
19. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………
……….49
20. REFERENCES……………………………………………………………
………50

5
 Introduction

Tokyo Japan, February 19, 2002: Nine leading companies

announced that they have jointly established the basic
specifications for a next generation large capacity optical disc
video recording format called "Blu-ray Disc". The Blu-ray Disc
enables the recording, rewriting and play back of up to 27
gigabytes (GB) of data on a single sided single layer 12cm
CD/DVD size disc using a 405nm blue-violet laser.

By employing a short wavelength blue violet laser, the Blu-ray

Disc successfully minimizes its beam spot size by making the
numerical aperture (NA) on a field lens that converges the laser
0.85. In addition, by using a disc structure with a 0.1mm optical
transmittance protection layer, the Blu-ray Disc diminishes
aberration caused by disc tilt. This also allows for disc better
readout and an increased recording density. The Blu-ray Disc's
tracking pitch is reduced to 0.32um, almost half of that of a
regular DVD, achieving up to 27 GB high-density recording on a
single sided disc.

Because the Blu-ray Disc utilizes global standard "MPEG-2

Transport Stream" compression technology highly compatible
with digital broadcasting for video recording, a wide range of
content can be recorded. It is possible for the Blu-ray Disc to

6
record digital high definition broadcasting while maintaining
high quality and other data simultaneously with video data if
they are received together. In addition, the adoption of a
unique ID written on a Blu-ray Disc realizes high quality
copyright protection functions.

The Blu-ray Disc is a technology platform that can store sound

and video while maintaining high quality and also access the
stored content in an easy-to-use way. This will be important in
the coming broadband era as content distribution becomes
increasingly diversified. The nine companies involved in the
announcement will respectively develop products that take full
advantage of Blu-ray Disc's large capacity and high-speed data
transfer rate. They are also aiming to further enhance the
appeal of the new format through developing a larger capacity,
such as over 30GB on a single sided single layer disc and over
50GB on a single sided double layer disc. Adoption of the Blu-
ray Disc in a variety of applications including PC data storage
and high definition video software is being considered.

Concept of the format establishment :

➢ To realize the large capacity with 12cm disc

- More than 2-hour high definition video recording
- High capacity of more than 4-hour recording by double
layer technology.

7
➢ To cope with digital broadcasting
- High compatibility with digital broadcasting
- To prevent illegitimate duplication of contents

➢ To enhance the Blu-ray Disc world

- Adoption of the Blu-ray Disc in variety of media and
applications

Main Features of physical format:

➢ Large recording capacity up to 27GB:

By adopting a 405nm blue-violet semiconductor laser, with a
0.85NA field lens and a 0.1mm optical transmittance protection
disc layer structure, it can record up to 27GB video data on a
single sided 12cm phase change disc. It can record over 2
hours of digital high definition video and more than 13 hours of
standard TV broadcasting (VHS/standard definition picture
quality, 3.8Mbps)

➢ Easy to use disc cartridge:

An easy to use optical disc cartridge protects the optical disc's
recording and playback phase from dust and fingerprints

8
➢ High-speed data transfer rate 36Mbps:
It is possible for the Blu-ray Disc to record digital high definition
broadcasts or high definition images from a digital video
camera while maintaining the original picture quality. In
addition, by fully utilizing an optical disc's random accessing
functions, it is possible to easily edit video data captured on a
video camera or play back pre-recorded video on the disc while
simultaneously recording images being broadcast on TV.

➢ Recording format:
Like the DVD, the Blu-ray disc uses phase change recording. This
must be good news for those who plan to make the new format
compatible with its wildly popular predecessor. This recording
format will also makes a two-sided disc easily realizable because
both writing and reading can be executed by a single pickup.

➢ Multiplexing:
Blu-ray disc utilizes global standards like MPEG-2 Transport Stream
compression technology for video and audio multiplexing. This
makes it possible for a Blu-ray Disc to record high definition
broadcasting and other data simultaneously with video data if they
are received together. Data captured on a video camera while
recording images being broadcast on TV can also be edited
simultaneously.

Main Features Of Logical format :

➢ Highly compatible with digital broadcasting :

9
MPEG2 transport stream compression technology for video
recording can record digital broadcasting including HDTV while
maintaining its original picture quality.

➢ Best data structure for disc recording

Achieving improvement of searching, easy editing functions
and play a list playback functions by adapting logical data
structure making the best use of random accessing.

➢ File system for HDTV real time recording

Adapting the file system which can achieve high bit rate
recording and playback of HDTV and best use of disc space

10
 1.History of Blu‐ray Disc

1.1 First Generation

When the CD was introduced in the early 80s, it meant an

enormous leap from traditional media. Not only did it offer a
significant improvement in audio quality, its primary
application, but its 650 MB storage capacity also meant a giant
leap in data storage and retrieval. For the first time, there was
a universal standard for pre‐recorded, recordable and
rewritable media, offering the best quality and features
consumers could wish for themselves, at very low costs.

1.2 Second Generation

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. 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

11
and recording. Furthermore, the increased capacity
accommodated more demanding data applications. At the
same time, the DVD spec used the same form factor as the CD,
allowing for seamless migration to the next generation format
and offering full backwards compatibility.

1.3 Third Generation

Now High Definition video is demanding a new solution. History

proved that a significant five to ten time increase in storage
capacity and the ability to play previous generation formats are
key elements for a new format to succeed. 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. In fact, no other proposed
format can offer the data capacity of
Blu‐ray Disc, and no other format will allow for the same high
video quality and
Interactive features to create the ultimate user experience. As
with DVD, the Blu-ray Disc format is based on the same, bare
disc physical form factor, allowing for compatibility with CD and
DVD. The Blu‐ray Disc specification was officially announced in
February 2002. Blu‐ray Disc recorders were first launched in
Japan in 2003.

• 1982 ‐First working CD player developed by Philips. Philips

and Sony developed CD standard – 12cm disk,
74 minutes on a single spiral
• 1983 ‐First CD players sold
• 1985 ‐CD‐ROM introduced – not popular at first. More
powerful PCs lead
to demand for multimedia, image processing and larger
applications. Growth in sales brings prices down.
• 1990’s ‐ CD‐R and CD‐RW introduced – big success.
• 1996 ‐DVD introduced
• 1999 ‐DVD becomes mainstream
• 2003 ‐BD introduced

12
 2. Glossary of Terms

2.1 HDTV (High Definition Video)

This high resolution 16:9 ratio, progressive scan format can

now be recorded to standard mini DV cassettes. Consumer high
definition cameras are becoming available but this is currently
an expensive, niche market. It is also possible to capture video
using inexpensive webcams. These normally connect to a
computer via USB. While they are much cheaper than DV
cameras, webcams offer lower quality and less flexibility for
editing purposes, as they do not capture video in DV format.
Digital video is available on many portable devices from digital
stills cameras to mobile phones. This is contributing to the
emergence of digital video as a standard technology used and
shared by people on a daily basis.

2.2 MPEG

13
MPEG, the Moving Picture Experts Group, overseen by the
International Standards Organization (ISO), develops standards
for digital video and digital audio compression. MPEG‐1 with a
default resolution of 352x240 was designed specifically for
Video‐CD and CD‐media and is often used in CD‐ROMs.

MPEG‐1 audio layer‐3 (MP3) compression evolved from early

MPEG work. MPEG1 is an established, medium quality format
(similar to VHS) supported by all players and platforms.
Although not the best quality, it will work well on older
specification machines.

MPEG‐2 compression (as used for DVD movies and digital

television set‐top boxes) is an excellent format for distributing
video, as it offers high quality and smaller file sizes than DV.
Due to the way it compresses video MPEG‐2‐encoded footage is
more problematic to edit than DV footage. Despite this, MPEG2
is becoming more common as a capture format. MPEG 2 uses
variable bit rates allowing frames to be encoded with more or
less data depending on their contents. Most editing software
now supports MPEG2 editing. Editing and encoding MPEG2
requires more processing power than DVD and should be done
on well specified machines. It is not suitable for internet
delivery.

MPEG‐4 is a set of video and audio standards intended to

deliver quality video over limited bandwidths that also support
a range of other media types such as text, still image and
animation. MPEG‐4 offers high quality, scalable streaming over
a range of bandwidths, including those provided by mobile
networks. The standards also include components and
elements that allow the viewer to interact with the picture on
the screen or to manipulate individual elements in real time.
The MPEG4 format is a container for various versions called
layers. There are different implementations, some of which are
proprietary and not compliant with the ISO MPEG4 standard. It
was initially thought that MPEG4 would become the default
format for video over the internet. With support from Apple,
Real Networks and others this may still be the case. However,

14
problems over licensing costs and the lack of digital rights
management in the standard made many content providers
slow to embrace it. These issues are being tackled but it also
faces competition from proprietary formats such as Windows
Media. MPEG4 is beginning to be supported in other areas such
as mobile video (3G), mobile television, set‐top boxes and
video on demand (VOD).

2.3 Gigabyte (GB)

A gigabyte equals about 1,000 megabytes (MB). A Blu‐ray Disc

capable of recording 50 GB therefore stores about 50,000
Megabytes

2.4 Layer

In Blu‐ray Disc, data is recorded on a single side of the disc.

However, a disc can store two data layers, both at the same
side. The readout or recording laser of the Blu‐ray Disc device
will first read from or record to one layer, and then re‐focuses
on the second layer. All this is done automatically without any
user interference. A double layer Blu‐ray Disc can store upto 50
GB of data.

2.5 SDTV

It stands for “Standard Definition Television.” Generic term

used for conventional television sets, based on the NTSC or PAL
standards. SD television consists of 480 to 570 visible lines.

2.6 Numerical Aperture and Resolution

15
The numerical aperture of a microscope objective is a measure
of its ability to gather light and resolve fine specimen detail at a
fixed object distance.

Image‐forming light waves pass through the specimen and

enter the objective in an inverted cone as illustrated in Figure
1. A longitudinal slice of this cones of light shows the angular
aperture, a value that is determined by the focal length of the
objective. The angle μ is one‐half the angular aperture (A) and
is related to the numerical aperture through the following
equation:
Numerical Aperture (NA) = n (sin μ)

Where n is the refractive index of the imaging medium between

the front lens
of the objective and the specimen cover glass, a value that
ranges from 1.00 for air to 1.51 for specialized immersion oils.
Many authors substitute the variable μ for μ in the numerical
aperture equation. From this equation it is obvious that when
the imaging medium is air (with a refractive index, n = 1.0),
then the numerical aperture is dependent only upon the angle

16
μ whose maximum value is 90°. The sin of the angle μ,
therefore, has a maximum value of 1.0 (sin90° = 1), which is
the theoretical maximum numerical aperture of a lens
operating with air as the imaging medium (using “dry”
microscope objectives).

2.7 THE BLUE LASER

The laser used with the Blu‐ray disc has a wavelength of

405nm.Though the red and the green lasers were discovered
much earlier, it was only in 1996 that the blue laser was
discovered. Actually, the wavelength 405nm would correspond
to the blue‐violet part of the visible light, in the spectrum. This
achievement is attributed to the efforts of Shuji Nakamura of
Nichia Corporation, Japan. The device utilizes a GaN diode as its
laser source. The operating current is kept between 60mA and
70mA for optimum performance.

For writing into the disc, the power of the laser used is about
6mW. For reading from the disc, much lesser power is required,
only about 0.7mW.The GaN source can give a power of about
65mW. So, it is an ideal choice for the laser source to be used
with the Blu‐ray disc. Due to the much lower wavelength
involved, the amorphous mark size (bit size) is small, leading to
higher storage capacity on disc of the same size, about five to
six times the capacity of a DVD.

A blue laser operates in the blue range of the light spectrum,

ranging from about 405nm to 470nm. Most blue laser diodes
use indium gallium nitride as the material to create the laser
light, although the amount of indium included in the material
varies. (Some blue laser diodes use no indium.) Some

17
manufacturers create blue LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which
create light in a manner similar to lasers with silicon carbide.

Blue laser beams have a smaller spot size and are more
precise than red laser beams, which lets data on blue laser
optical storage discs be stored more densely. The spot size of a
laser beam is one determining factor, along with the materials
in the optical disc and the way the laser is applie d to the disc,
in the size of the pits the laser makes on an optical disc. Laser
beams with larger spot sizes typically create larger pits than
those with smaller pit sizes. Blue lasers are desirable because
blue light has the shortest wavelength among visible light.

A blue laser operates at a shorter wavelength of about 405nm

than a red laser at about 650nm. A nanometer (nm) is one-
billionth of a meter, one-millionth of a millimeter, and one-
thousandth of a micron. One inch is equal to about 25.4 million
nanometers. A human hair is about 50,000nm wide.

Blue Laser Development

Shiju Nakamura is credited with inventing the blue diode laser

and blue, green, and white LEDs. Nakamura was working at
Nichia Chemical Industries in Japan when he developed the
blue laser in 1995. It’s a technology many large corporations
had been trying to develop for several years.
Nakamura had worked with LEDs and lasers for several years
before tackling blue lasers in the late 1980s. Because most

18
research at the time focused on using zinc selenide as the laser
material, Nakamura decided to work with gallium nitride. He
spent two years perfecting a technique for growing high-quality
gallium nitride crystals, something other researchers had been
unable to achieve.
Finally, Nakamura had the materials necessary to create blue
LEDs, which he did in 1993. He followed with green LEDs and a
blue laser diode in the next few years. He says the biggest
commercial use for blue lasers should be DVD players.

Putting Blue Lasers to Work

Blue lasers could appear in a variety of business applications,

including high-density DVDs, laser printers, and lighting
situations.

HD DVDs: HD (high-definition) DVDs using blue laser light

could lead to five or six times the storage capacity possible
using red laser light on a DVD. Blue laser light could create HD
CDs, too.

Because blue lasers can increase the capacity of optical discs

by five-fold or more, they give manufacturers a few options for
their digital files. Manufacturers could choose to burn
additional data onto the disc while keeping the same digital
quality, potentially making CDs containing 50 to 75 songs.
Manufacturers also could choose to use blue laser to increase

19
the quality level of the video or audio recording. Keep in mind
that nearly all DVDs using the MPEG-2 standard automatically
contain some compression of the video file, which allows the
file to fit on the disc. With an HD DVD, manufacturers could
choose to use no compression on the video file, which should
improve file quality.

Light bulbs: With green and red lasers already available,

development of a blue laser would be the final piece of the
laser puzzle among primary colors. By using all three colors of
lasers, a researcher could create a device that would mix the
laser light and create white light, which, at some point, could
replace the common light bulb. If you combine red, green, and
blue laser light, you can produce light with greater brilliance
and greater efficiency than currently is available with
fluorescent lights.

Creating LEDs in this manner can be of particular help in areas

where light bulbs are expensive and difficult to replace. An LED
can burn for several times as long as a light bulb for about one-
fourth the operating cost because most of the LED’s energy is
involved in creating light, rather than creating heat energy.
Traditional light bulbs create a lot of heat along with the light.

LEDs already are used in many traffic lights, where traditional

bulbs usually last less than one year, can be tough to see in
sunlight, and fail suddenly. LEDs in a traffic light should last at
least five years, remain highly visible in sunlight, and gradually

20
fade in intensity rather than failing suddenly.

Medicine: Scientists already are experimenting with blue

lasers in discovering certain types of cancer. Using an
endoscope, researchers have had some success finding tumors
using a blue laser light inside the patient’s stomach and
intestinal tract.

Printing: Laser printers using blue laser light would be

smaller and more precise than today’s laser printers, which use
red laser light. Because of blue laser light’s smaller
wavelength, the laser mechanism inside a printer that uses
blue laser light could be smaller, leading to smaller printers.
Print resolution using blue lasers would be at least double that
of today’s top laser printers, too; some researchers estimate
resolution as sharp as 2,400dpi in a blue laser printer. Blue
laser could play a role in full-color scanners and fax machines,
too.

Security: After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, fears have

increased over additional attacks using biological or chemical
weapons. However, blue laser light causes some chemical and
biological agents to give off light, even though those agents
are invisible to the naked eye, which might let security
screening personnel spot a biological agent during a routine
search or as the agent comes through customs.

21
 3. Optical Data Storage for Digital Video

3.1 Introduction

Optical data storage is commercially successful in the form of

Compact Discs (CDs) for audio and software distribution and
Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) for video distribution. CDs and
DVDs look very similar because the fundamental optical
technology for both devices is the same. This similarity is also
true for the next generation of optical data storage, which may
be used for digital home theater recording and HDTV
distribution. However, CDs, DVDs and next generation products
are different in terms of specific optical components in the
drive, in how data are managed and in details of the disk
structure used to store the information. These differences allow
a larger volume of data to be recorded on each successive
generation. Larger data volumes translate into higher quality
video and longer playing time.

3.2 Parameters for HD Video Storage with

Optical Disks

➢ Optical Parameters
➢ Disk Structure Parameters
➢ Data Management Parameters

Optical parameters include laser wavelength, objective lens

numerical aperture, protective layer thickness and free working
distance. Data management parameters include data rate,
video format, HDTV play time and bit‐rate scheme. Disk
structure parameters are user data capacity, minimum channel
bit length and track‐to‐track spacing.

22
3.2.1Optical parameter

Digital information is stored on optical disks in the form of

arrangements of data marks in spiral tracks.

The process for exposing data marks on a recordable optical

disk is shown in Fig. 1, where an input stream of digital
information is converted with an encoder and modulator into a
drive signal for a laser source. The laser source emits an
intense light beam that is directed and focused onto the
surface by the objective lens. As the surface moves under the
scanning spot, energy from the intense scan spot is absorbed,
and a small, localized region heats up. The surface, under the
influence of heat

beyond a critical writing threshold, changes its reflective

properties.
Modulation of the intense light beam is synchronous with the
drive signal, so

23
a circular track of data marks is formed as the surface rotates.
The scan spot is
moved slightly as the surface rotates to allow another track to
be written on
new media during the next revolution.

Data marks on prerecorded disks are fabricated by first making

a master disk with the appropriate data‐mark pattern. Masters
for prerecorded CDs and DVDs are often exposed in a similar
manner to exposing data marks on recordable optical disks,
except that the light‐sensitive layer is designed to produce pits
in the master that serve as data marks in the replicas.
Inexpensive replicas of the master are made with Injection‐
molding equipment.
Readout of data marks on the disk is illustrated in Fig.2, where
the laser is used at a constant output power level that does not
heat the data surface beyond its thermal writing threshold. The
laser beam is directed through a beam splitter into the
objective lens, where the beam is focused onto the surface. As
the data marks to be read pass under the scan spot, the
reflected light is modulated. Modulated light is collected by
illumination optics and directed by the beam splitter to servo
and data optics, which converge the light onto detectors. The
detectors change light modulation into current modulation that
is amplified and decoded to

24
 Fig 2

produce the output data stream. A fundamental limitation to

the number of

data marks per unit area is due to the size of the focused laser
beam that
illuminates the surface. Small laser spots are required to record
and read out
small data marks. More data marks per unit area translate into
higher
capacity disks, so evolution of optical data storage is toward
smaller spot
sizes.

Figure 3 shows a detailed picture of the laser irradiance

approaching the surface, where irradiance is defined as the
laser power per unit area. Ideally, maximum irradiance is
located at the recording material, along with the smallest spot
size s. As the distance increases away from the ideal focus, the
spot size increases and the peak irradiance decreases. A
defocus distance δz of only a few micrometers dramatically
reduces peak irradiance and increases spot size. An
25
approximate formula used to estimate the ideal spot size at
best focus is s = λ/(sin θ), where θ is the marginal ray angle of
the illumination optics, as shown in Fig. 1. Spot size s is the full
width of the irradiance distribution at the 1/e2 (13.5%)
irradiance level relative to the peak. The value of sin q is often
called the numerical aperture or NA of the optical system.

Fig 3

Instead of focusing directly on the recording surface, optical

disks focus through a protective layer, as shown in Fig.4 for a
simple CD‐ROM. The protective layer prevents dust and other
contamination from directly obstructing the laser spot at the
data marks. Instead, the out‐offocus
contamination only partially obscures the laser focus cone, and
data can
usually be recovered reliably. If the protective layer is
scratched or damaged,
it can be cleaned or buffed.

26
As the protective layer gets thinner, the error rate increases to
an unacceptable threshold due to obscuration of the laser
beam. This sensitivity decreases as NA increases, due to the
smaller defocus range associated with these systems. In
addition, the free working distance separates the objective lens
from the spinning disk. This separation protects the disk
against accidental contact between the objective lens and the
disk.

In order to maximize disk capacity, the optical system uses

high NA and short wavelength. For maximum contamination
protection, the protective layer should be as thick as possible.
However, the combination of thick protective layer and high NA
is not easily accomplished. High NA systems are sensitive to
changes in substrate thickness and disk tilt. Manufacturing
variations create thickness no uniformities, which are usually

Fig 4

27
a small percentage of the total disk thickness. Motor
instabilities induce tilt as
the disk spins. Energy from the central portion of the spot is
redistributed to
concentric rings, which degrade the quality of the read out
signal. This Degrades the read out signal. Tilt causes coma,
which is another form of
aberration effect, is called spherical aberration.

Sensitivity of the spot to degradation from thickness variations

and disk tilt is plotted in Fig. 5 as a function of total protective
layer thickness for two values of NA. In order to limit these
effects, the substrate is made as thin as possible without
sacrificing contamination protection.

The most conservative technology is the Video CD. Its thick

protective layer, relatively low NA and long laser wavelength
produce a stable system that is not very sensitive to
environmental factors like dust and scratches. The ideal spot
size is about 0.78/0.5 = 1.6 micrometers. Although the cover
layer is thick at 1.2 mm, the sensitivity to thickness

28
variations and disk tilt is low because of the low NA. DVD
technology uses a
shorter wavelength laser, higher NA optics and a thinner
protective layer. The
combination of short wavelength and higher NA produce a spot
size of about
1.1 micrometers. The protective layer had to be made thinner,
because the
sensitivity to thickness variations and disk tilt is too high
otherwise. DVDs
are slightly more sensitive to dust and scratches than CDs. The
net effect is
not great, because higher NA reduces the focal depth and DVDs
have a more
robust error management strategy.

The Advanced Optical Disk and Blu‐Ray systems both use a

new blue laser source that emits 0.405 micrometer light. The
29
Advanced Optical Disk system uses the same protective layer
thickness as a DVD, and it uses the same NA objective lens.
Due to the short wavelength, the spot size for the Advanced
Optical Disk is about 0.62 micrometers.
Sensitivity to dust and scratches is about the same as a DVD,
as well as the
sensitivity to thickness variations and disk tilt. The Blu‐Ray
system uses both
higher NA and thinner cover layer. The spot size is 0.405/0.85
= 0.48
micrometers, which is the smallest spot size of all the
technologies. However,
because of the high NA, the protective layer had to be made
thin to limit
sensitivity to thickness variations and disk tilt. Therefore, Blu‐
Ray disks are
sensitive to dust and scratches. The free working distance is
nearly is same for
all technologies except Blu‐Ray. Blu‐Ray systems utilize more
complicated
lens systems due to the high NA, so working distance had to be
reduced. The
integrity of this reduced working distance is not clear at this
time.

3.2.2 Disk Structure Parameters

The spot size created from the NA and wavelength parameters

is the most important factor to determine the track‐to‐track
spacing and the minimum channel bit length along the track.
Several channel bits are encoded into each data mark. The
number of channel bits per data mark depends on the
modulation scheme. The relatively large spot produces
relatively large data marks and correspondingly wide tracks
and large channel‐bit lengths. Progressively smaller spot sizes
enable smaller track spacing and shorter channel bit lengths.

30
 Fig 6

To the user, all generations of optical disks look very similar.

They all are round disks that are approximately 120 mm in
diameter, have a central mounting hole and are approximately
1.2 mm thick. Through many years of experience with CDs, this
format has proven effective and mechanically reliable.
However, the manner in which data layers are arranged on the
disk depends on the technology used. For example, the CD
uses a simple 1.2 mm thick substrate, as shown in Fig. 6A. Data
are recorded on only one side of the disk, through the clear 1.2
mm substrate, which also serves as the protective layer. DVDs,
Warner HD‐DVDs and Advanced Optical Disks use the format
shown in Fig. 6B, where two 0.6 mm substrates are bonded
together and the data are recorded on the bond side of each
substrate. DVDs also allow more two layers per side (A, B in Fig.
6B), where the layers are separated by a thin adhesive spacer.
The two layers are fabricated before bonding at the same time
as the individual 0.6 mm substrates. Like the CD, data are
recorded and read through the clear substrates. It is likely that
the Warner HDDVD and Advanced Optical Disk

31
will also take advantage of this multiple‐layer concept. A
potential implementation of the Blu‐Ray disk is shown in Fig.
6C, where the protective layers on each side are very thin at
0.1 mm. In this case, data are recorded on the substrate, which
does not serve as the protective layer. Instead, a protective
layer resin is spun on and hardened or a thin protective sheet is
bonded on each side of the substrate. Because of the thin
protective layer, the
Blu‐Ray disk must also be used with a cartridge.

The only optical disk technology that plans to use a Cartridge is

the Blu‐Ray system. The Blu‐Ray cartridge is necessary for
contamination Protection, but the working distance of around
0.1 mm and protective layer thickness of 0.1 mm are large
compared to the contact recording.

The technology for making disks is very similar to existing DVD

technology. Higher‐resolution mastering machines and finer
control over the injection molding process should produce the
required changes without substantially retooling the industry.
The Blu‐Ray system requires the most changes of the three,
including a blue laser, detector, and advanced objective lens.
Blu‐Ray also requires new disk and cartridge manufacturing
technology, which may be difficult to implement in a short time
frame.

3.2.3 Data Management Parameters

The logical organization of data on the disk and how those data
are used are considerations for data management. Data
management considerations have important implications in the
application of optical disk technology to storage for HDTV. For
example, simply using a more advanced error correction
scheme on DVDs allows a 30% higher disk capacity compared
to CDs. Data rate, video format, bit‐rate scheme and HDTV play
time are all data management issues.

32
There is a basic difference in data management between CDs
and DVDs. Since CDs were designed for audio, data are
managed in a manner similar to data management for
magnetic tape. Long, contiguous files are used that are not
easily subdivided and written in a random access pattern.
Efficient data retrieval is accomplished when these long files
are read out in a contiguous fashion. To be sure, CDs are much
more efficient that magnetic tape for pseudorandom access,
but the management philosophy is the same. On the other
hand, DVDs are more like magnetic hard disks, where the file
structure is designed to be used in random‐access architecture.
That is, efficient recovery of variable length files is achieved. In
addition, the Original error correction strategy for CDs was
designed for error concealment when listening to audio, where
DVDs utilize true error correction. Later generations of optical
disks also follow the DVD model.

The random‐access nature of DVDs allows very efficient

methods for data compression. For example, MPEG‐2 with
variable bit rate allows data to be read out from the disk as
they are required, rather than supplying data at a constant
rate. Slowly moving scenes, like love scenes or conversations,
require much less information per frame than a fast‐moving car
chase or explosion. In these fast‐moving scenes, the maximum
amount of information per scene is limited only by the
maximum data rate of the player. For HDTV, acceptable picture
quality is obtained by using MPEG‐2 with a maximum data rate
of about 13‐25 Mbps for most scenes. During a slow scene, not
as many files are accessed, and much less storage area on the
disk is used. This architecture leaves room on the disk for the
data associated with faster‐moving scenes.

Fixed‐rate schemes, like magnetic tape, supply data at a

constant rate, no matter what the requirements of the scene.
During fast‐moving scenes, the data stream from the tape
supplies an adequate data rate. The tape speed and data rate
for these devices are set by the upper limit of the scene
requirements. Since the tape does not slow down during slower

33
scenes, the data stream is ‘padded’ at these times with useless
information that takes up valuable storage area on the tape.
Overall, the random‐access architecture of optical disks is a
much more efficient way to use the available storage area. That
is, optical disks do not require as many gigabytes of user data
capacity for an equivalent length and quality HDTV
presentation.

It is not practical to store HDTV on CDs and DVDs with MPEG‐2.

For CDs, special multiple‐beam readout or high velocity disk
dives could produce the data rate, which is an advantage of the
fixed‐bit‐rate scheme. However, the play time would be only a
few minutes, at best. DVDs are not capable of the 13 Mbps
random data rate to support MPEG‐2. The Advanced Optical
Disk exhibits acceptable data rate and reasonable user data
capacity for up to two hours of HDTV per side compressed with
variable bitrate MPEG‐2. Blu‐ray has slightly higher capacity
and data rate. The two‐hour play time for HDTV with Blu‐Ray in
Table I is really a specification for realtime recording, which is
not easily compressed into an efficient variable‐rate scheme.
Blu‐Ray should easily provide two hours or longer of
prerecorded HDTV per side compressed with MPEG‐2.

MPEG‐2 is a technique for compressing video data and

replaying the data associated with certain rules that are
defined in the MPEG‐2 specifications. The action of the optical
disk system is not to compress data or interpret the video
information rules. Instead, the optical disk system only stores
and retrieves data on command from the video operating
system. Therefore, as video operating systems and associated
compression technology become more advanced, no
fundamental changes are required to the optical disk system.
MPEG‐4 technology is an advanced video compression scheme
that utilizes advanced pre‐filtering and post‐filtering, in addition
to a rule‐based algorithm. Estimated improvement in
compression is a around a factor of three beyond MPEG‐2.

34
 4. Different Formats of Blue‐ray Disc

BD‐ROM : A read only format developed for prerecorded

content.

BD‐R : A write once format developed for PC storage.

BD‐RW : A rewritable format developed for PC storage.

BD‐RE : A rewritable format developed for HDTV

recording.

35
 5. Two Versions of Recording
5.1 One Time Recording
Making permanent changes to a disc. If we use BD‐R the
material on the disc itself is changed forever. There is no way
to get the material back into its old state. The recording
material is crystalline in nature. As scan spot falls on the
surface it changes to amorphous. We cannot change it back to
crystal state.

5.2 Record Many Times

If we use a BD‐RW the material on the disc itself changes, but

can be changed back again .We can do this as long as the
material doesn’t get worn out. By heating up the crystals, they
change form. Now when we quickly cool them, they stay in that
form itself. That is the material is changed from crystal state to
amorphous state.

Now, if we want to erase the BD‐RW, we have to make sure

that we lose all the data. So we want to get rid of that
amorphous state. By heating up the material again, but this
time taking more time and less heat, the material gradually

36
wants to take its old form again, and thus the information is
erased. This state is called the crystalline state.

So, by very quickly heating it and very quickly cooling it, give
the crystal another state (Amorphous state) which thus
contains the data and by very quite slowly heating it and
cooling it, we can give the crystals their old form back
(crystalline state) which contains no more data. It’s a constant
change of phases. And so it is called as phase change
recording.

Data is stored in the form of grooves, on an optical disc. Next to

the grooves, there are lands. Lands are the borders between
the grooves. Grooves and lands have a sinus form. This is
called a wobbled groove. In the groove, pits are formed to store
data.

37
6. Blu‐ray Disc Structure

38
The structure of the BD is as shown. The 0.1mm transparent
cover layer is made of a spin‐coated UV resin. It is formed by
sandwiching a transparent layer between a protective coating
and a bonding layer. This layer offers excellent birefringence.
Beneath, there is a layer of Antis layer acts as a heat sink,
dissipating the excess heat during the write process. A spacer
layer made of ZnS‐SiO2 comes next. Then, the recording layer
made of Ag, In, Sb, Te, Ge comes. Grooves are formed on this
layer for recording reflective layer of Ag alloy falls beneath and
finally a plastic substrate comes.

The key features of the technology are introduced as follows:

39
Highly flat and smooth cover layer:

At the high speed recording rate involved, the linear velocity of

the disc reaches 20m/s or more and as a result accurate focus
control becomes difficult. Various experiments showed that
flatness and smoothness of the transparent cover layer have a
marked influence on the focus control capability. This end is
achieved by using the spin coating method for obtaining the
transparent cover layer. Thus stable record ability at high
speed recording is secured.

Phase change film for high speed recording:

The phase change film should have high re-crystallization

speed to enable direct recording at the high linear velocities
involved. A recording layer made of Ag, In, Sb, Te, Ge meets
this purpose.

Super advanced rapid cooling structure:

The excess heat from the LASER irradiation causes distortion of

the recorded mark edge. So, to diffuse the remaining excess
heat, a transparent di‐electric film of high thermal conductivity,
for example, AlN is used.

40
41
 7. Basic Blu‐ray Disc Characteristics

7.1 Large Recording Capacity

The Blu‐ray disc enables the recording, rewriting and playback

of HD video unto 27 GB of data on a single sided single layer. It
is enough to put 2.5 hours of HDTV recording on it. It also can
record over 13 hours of standard TV broadcasting using the
VHS/ standard definition picture quality.

7.2 High Speed

It has a data transfer rate of 36 Mbps. Because of this high

speed transfer rates it can also record the data in very little
time. In a perfect environment it would take about 2.5 hours to
fill the entire BD with 27 GB of data. More than enough transfer
capacity for real time recording and playback.

7.3 Resistant to Scratches and Fingerprints

The protective layer is hard enough to prevent accidental

abrasions and allows fingerprints to be removed by wiping the
disc with a tissue.

42
 8. Blu-ray Founders

The Blu-ray Disc is a technology platform that can store sound

and video while maintaining high quality and also access the
stored content in an easy-to-use way. This will be important in
the coming broadband era as content distribution becomes
increasingly diversified.

The following companies have jointly established the basic

specifications Blu‐ray disc video recording format

1. Hitachi, Ltd

2. LG Electronics Inc.

3. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.

4. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

5. Pioneer Corporation

6. Royal Philips Electronics

7. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

8. Sharp Corporation

9. Sony Corporation

10.Thomson

43
 9. Characteristics of Ideal Communication

1. Speed: The blue laser technology will allow DVD

recording devices to record data at a speed of 36Mbps.
Developing companies such a TDK also stated that they will be
able to increase the recording speed up to 72Mbps and
144Mbps. Developing companies such as Toshiba and NEC
have been working on this technology and have already
developed the blue laser standard.

2. Reliability: Storage mediums used by blue laser

burners will provide high reliable backup at affordable prices.
Media types will provide a 50 year data life. They will also
employ a new dual shutter cartridge to minimize contamination
and protect valuable data stored on a disc.

3. Quality: Media storage devices using this technology will have a quality
similar to the quality of red laser storage devices. Optical discs have to be used
in a safe way. They should be in the case they come in or in the device using it.
This is to avoid scratching of the discs which can cause data on a disc to be
unreadable. Laser printers would me more precise than regular laser printers
that use red laser, because of the shorter wavelength that blue laser has.
4. Ease of Use: DVD recording devices are very simple to
use. Even children can use them. There are no complexities to
the use of blue laser recording devices. They are used just like
any regular red laser DVD recording device. An easy to use
optical disc cartridge protects the optical disc's recording and
playback phase from dust and fingerprints.

5. Cost: The price of an optical disc recording device using

blue ray will start off with a high price tag around $1700. Just
44
like any computer related devices that are new the price will
decrease as time passes. It has a high storage capacity which
is up to 60 GB on a dual sided DVD.

6. Safety and Security: Blue laser light helps in

detecting some chemical and biological weapons
because it causes them to give off light. So it could be
used in airports and other places that have security
screening to detect such a weapon.

10. How does Blu-ray disc work?

History of Technology

The challenge to write more information on disk Shiju

Nakamura is credited with inventing the blue diode laser and
blue, green, and white LEDs.
Nakamura was working at Nichia Chemical Industries in Japan
when he developed the blue laser in 1995.

Description of how this technology works

Blue lasers have a wavelength of 405 nanometers, shorter than

that of red lasers, which have a wavelength of around 650
nanometers and are used for reading and writing DVD and CD
discs. The shorter wavelength means that the laser can
register smaller dots on a disc and more data can be stored. As

45
a result, blue laser technology has been adopted for the
development of next-generation optical discs.

1. Using double infrared frequency to create the wavelength for

blue light.

2. A blue laser operates in the blue range of the light spectrum,

ranging from about 405nm to 470nm.

3. Most blue laser diodes use indium, gallium nitride as the

material to create the laser light.

4. Blue laser beams have a smaller spot size and are more
precise than red laser beams, which lets data on blue laser
optical storage discs be stored more densely.

5. The spot size of a laser beam is one determining factor,

along with the materials in the optical disc and the way the
laser is applied to the disc, in the size of the pits the laser
makes on an optical disc.

6. Laser beams with larger spot sizes typically create larger

pits than those with smaller pit sizes.

46
 11. Comparisons

While current optical disc technologies such as CD, DVD, DVD-

R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW use a red laser to read and
write data, the new format uses a blue laser instead, hence the
name Blu-ray. The benefit of using a blue laser is that it has a
shorter wavelength (405 nanometer) than a red laser (650
nanometer), which means that it's possible to focus the laser
beam with even greater precision. This allows data to be
packed more tightly on the disc and makes it possible to fit
more data on the same size disc. Despite the different type of
lasers used, Blu-ray Disc Recorders will be made compatible
with current red-laser technologies and allow playback of CDs
and DVDs.The following diagram shows the comparison
between different storage Techn.

47
 12. Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD

The HD‐DVD format, originally called AOD or Advanced Optical

Disc, is based on much of today’s DVD principles and as a
result, suffers from many of its limitations. The format does not
provide as big of a technological step as Blu‐ray Disc. For
example, its pre‐recorded capacities are only 15 GB for a single
layer disc, or 30 GB for a double layer disc. Blu‐ray Disc
provides 67% more capacity per layer at 25 GB for a single
layer and 50GB for a double layer disc.

Although the HD‐DVD format claims it keeps initial investments

for disc replicates and media manufacturers as low as possible,
they still need to make substantial investments in modifying
their production equipment to create HD‐DVDs. But what’s
more important is that HD‐DVD can be seen as just a transition
technology, with a capacity not sufficient for the long term. It
might not offer enough space to hold a High Definition feature
along with bonus material in HD quality and additional material
that can be revealed upon authorization via a network. When
two discs are needed, this will degrade the so‐called cost
benefit substantially. It is even possible that the HD‐DVD
specification will be followed up by a renewed version of the
technology within a few years, requiring media manufacturers
to upgrade their existing production lines again, and consumers
to replace their existing playback/recording equipment. On the
other hand, the Blu‐ray Disc format was designed to be a viable
technology for a period of at least 10 to 15 years.
48
Also on the application layer, the HD‐DVD format incorporates
many compromises. As the capacity is not likely to be sufficient
to encode a full‐length feature plus additional bonus materials
using the MPEG‐2 format, different and stronger encoding
formats need to be used. Although Blu‐ray Disc offers these
advanced codec as well, the disc has such high capacity that
publishers can still use the MPEG‐2 encoding format at bit rates
up to 54 Mbit/sec. As MPEG‐2 is the de‐facto standard used in
almost any industry involved in digital video (DVD, HDTV,
digital broadcast), many authoring solutions are available.
Chances are high that a full line MPEG‐2 encoding suite is
already available, which can be used with no or minor
adaptations to encode High Definition content for Blu‐ray Disc.
But perhaps the most important factor for the success of Blu‐
ray Disc is its overwhelming industry‐wide support. Almost all
consumer electronics companies in the world (combined
market share of about 90%) and the world’s two largest
computer companies support the Blu‐ray Disc format.
This ensures a large selection of Blu‐ray Disc players,
recorders, PC drives,
Blu‐ray Disc equipped PCs and blank media will become
available. A competing format will not have the manufacturing
power to penetrate the market in a level even approaching that
of Blu‐ray Disc.

49
 13. Advantages

The main advantages of the Blu‐ray disc are

➢More storage capacity on a disc of the same size

The data storage capacity on a Blu‐ray disc is 27GB on a single

layer and 54GB on dual layer, which is about five to six times
the capacity of a DVD. It would mean about 2.5 hours of HDTV
video and about 13 hours of SDTV video.

➢ High data transfer rate.

The basic data transfer rate in Blu‐ray disc is about 36Mbps

which is about three times that of a DVD and thirty times that
of a CD.

50
➢ Available in different versions like ROM, R and RE

The BD is available in different versions like the ROM (write

once), R (read only), RE (rewritable).

➢ Backward compatible

The BD drives are designed to be backward compatible, i.e.

CDs and DVDs work equally well with the BD drives.

➢ Strong content protection

The features of the content protection system are

• Format Developed with Input from Motion Picture Studios.

• Strong Copy Protection.

• Renewability with Renewal Key Block and Device Key.

• Enhanced Encryption Algorithm: AES 128 bit.

• Physical Hook against Bit by Bit Encrypted Content Copy.

• Title‐based Expandable Content Control File.

• Production Process Control Works against Professional Piracy.

• Public Key Based Authentication in PC Environment.

➢ Compatible with analog and digital transmission

The BD fares well with analog as well as digital transmission. It

offers the only means to the recording and reproducing of
digital HDTV video. Format for encoding analog signals also,

51
called SESF (Self Encoded Stream Format) is also incorporated
into the BD.

➢ Higher disc life

In the case of ordinary discs, the disc life is less fir the
rewritable versions, as re‐writing is done repeatedly to one area
of the disc most probably, the inner perimeter. This limits the
disc life. But, the BDFS(Blu‐ray Disc File Structure is designed
so as to avoid this problem, by using a system that uses free
disc spaces with equal frequency.

52
 14. The Blu-ray Impact

Blu-ray is expected to challenge DVD's run as the fastest

selling consumer-electronics item in history. If that happens,
the impact would be too big for the major players to discount.
For example, the number of films sold on DVD more than
doubled last year to over 37 million. In addition, almost 2.4
million DVD players were bought in the past year. As Blu-ray is
not compatible with DVD, its success could upset the applecart
of many players. If the new format turns out to be much
popular, the demand for DVD players could come down
drastically. Not withstanding the challenge to DVD makers, the
new format is seen as a big step in the quest for systems
offering higher data storage. It is expected to open up new
opportunities for broadcasting industry. Recording of high-
definition television video—an application in which more than
10GB of storage space is filled up with just one hour of video—
will get a major boost. Conversely, the format could take
advantage of the spread of high-definition television. As Blu-ray
Disc uses MPEG-2 Transport Stream compression technology,
recording for digital broadcasting would become easier. Its
adoption will grow in the broadband era as it offers a
technology platform to manage stored content. But the real
action will begin when the companies involved develop
products that take full advantage of Blu-ray Disc's large
capacity and high-speed data transfer rate. As that happens,
Blu-ray will move beyond being a recording tool to a variety of

53
applications. Adoption of Blu-ray Disc in PC data storage is
already being considered.

54
 15. Applications

➢ High Definition Television Recording

➢ High Definition Video Distribution

➢ High Definition Camcorder Archiving

➢ Mass Data Storage

➢ Digital Asset Management and Professional Storage

The Blu‐ray Disc format was designed to offer the best

performance and features for a wide variety of applications.
High Definition video distribution is one of the key features of
Blu‐ray Disc, but the format’s versatile design and top‐of‐the‐
line specifications mean that it is suitable for a full range of
other purposes as well.

15.1 High Definition Television Recording

High Definition broadcasting is vastly expanding in the US and

Asia. Consumers are increasingly making the switch to HDTV
sets to enjoy the best possible television experience. The Blu‐
ray Disc format offers consumers the ability to record their High
Definition television broadcasts in their original quality for the
first time, preserving the pure picture and audio level as
offered by the broadcaster. As such it will become the next
level in home entertainment, offering an unsurpassed user
experience. And since the Blu‐ray Disc format incorporates the
strongest copy protection algorithms of any format or proposal
to date, the format allows for recording of digital broadcasts
while meeting the content protection demands of the broadcast
industry.

55
15.2 High Definition Video Distribution

Due to its enormous data capacity of 25 to 50 GB per (single

sided) disc, the Blu‐ray Disc format can store High Definition
video in the highest possible quality. Because of the huge
capacity of the disc, there is no need to compromise on picture
quality. Depending on the encoding method, there is room for
more than seven hours of the highest HD quality video. There is
even room for additional content such as special features and
other bonus material to accompany the High Definition movie.

Furthermore, the Blu‐ray Disc movie format greatly expands on

traditional
DVD capabilities, by incorporating many new interactive
features allowing
content providers to offer an even more incredible experience
to consumers.
An Internet‐connection may even be used to unlock additional
material that is
stored on the disc, as there is enough room on the disc to
include premium
material as well.

15.3 High Definition Camcorder Archiving

As the market penetration of High Definition TV sets continues

to grow, so does the demand of consumers to create their own
HD recordings. With the advent of the first HD camcorders,
consumers can now for the first time record their own home
movies in a quality level unlike any before. As these
camcorders are tape‐based, consumers cannot benefit from the
convenience and direct access features they are used to from

56
the DVD players and recorders. Now, the Blu‐ray Disc format,
with its unprecedented storage capacity, allows for the HD
video recorded with an HD camcorder to be seamlessly
transferred to a Blu‐ray Disc. When the HD content is stored on
a Blu‐ray Disc, it can be randomly accessed in a way
comparable to DVD. Furthermore, the Blu‐ray Disc can be
edited, enhanced with interactive menus for an even increased
user experience and the disc can be safely stored for many
years, without the risk of tape wear.

15.4 Mass Data Storage

In its day, CD‐R/RW meant a huge increase in storage capacity

compared to traditional storage media with its 650 MB. Then
DVD surpassed this amount by offering 4.7 to 8.5 GB of
storage, an impressive 5 to 10 times increase. Now consumers
demand an even bigger storage capacity. The growing number
of broadband connections allowing consumers to download vast
amounts of data, as well as the ever increasing audio, video
and photo capabilities of personal computers has lead to yet
another level in data storage requirements. In addition,
commercial storage requirements are growing exponentially
due to the proliferation of e‐mail and the migration to paperless
processes. The Blu‐ray Disc format again offers 5 to 10 times as
much capacity as traditional DVD resulting in 25 to 50 GB of
data to be stored on a single rewritable or recordable disc. As
Blu‐ray Disc uses the same form factor as CD and DVD, this
allows for Blu‐ray Disc drives that can still read and write to CD
and DVD media as well.

15.5 Digital Asset Management and Professional

Storage

Due to its high capacity, low cost per GB and extremely

versatile ways of transferring data from one device to another
(because of Blu‐ray Disc’s extremely wide adoption across the
industry), the format is optimized for Digital Asset Management
57
and other professional applications that require vast amounts
of storage space. Think of medical archives that may contain
numerous diagnostic scans in the highest resolution, or
catalogs of audio visual assets that need to be instantly
retrieved in a random access manner, without the need to
“restore “ data from a storage carrier. One Blu‐ray Disc may
replace many backup tapes, CDs, DVDs or other less common
or proprietary storage media. And contrary to network
solutions, the discs can be physically stored in a different
location for backup and safekeeping.

16. Requirements

1) Blue laser

2) Detector

3) Advanced objective lens

4) New disk and cartridge manufacturing technologies

17. Challenges

High cost

The technology is not that popular and hence, the price of the
BD recorders and players available in the market is very high.

58
HD-DVD

The HD‐DVD (High Definition DVD) based on the Advanced

Optical System championed by Toshiba and NEC is the primary
rival to BD in the market. Though its data storage density is
lower, it has lower manufacturing costs also, which may prove
challenging to the Blu‐ray disc.

18. Future Developments

Efforts are progressing on many fronts to make the Blu‐ray

discs, players and recorders cheaper. On 15 April 2004 for
instance, Sony and Toppan Printing announced the successful
development of a Bluray Disc that is 51% (by mass) composed
of paper, which could reduce production costs and improve its
environmental friendliness. The cost would come down as BD
becomes more and more popular.

TDK has been researching the hard coat technology that will
provide protection against fingerprints and scratches. Colloidal
silica dispersed UV‐curable resin is being used for the
researches and results are encouraging.

59
Figure shows the cross section of the disc being developed.

19. Conclusion

In conclusion the Blue-ray Disc is a technology platform that can store sound
and video while maintaining high quality and also access the stored content in
an easy-to-use way. Blue lasers have a shorter wavelength, which means the
laser beam can be focused onto a smaller area of the disc surface. In turn, this
means less real estate is needed to store one bit of data, and so more data can be
stored on a disc. This will be important in the coming broadband era as content
distribution becomes increasingly diversified. Companies involved in the
development will respectively make products that take full advantage of Blue-
ray Disc's large capacity and high-speed data transfer rate. They are also aiming
to further enhance the appeal of the new format through developing a larger
capacity, such as over 30GB on a single sided single layer disc and over 50GB
60
on a single sided double layer disc. Adoption of the Blue-ray Disc in a variety
of applications including PC data storage and high definition video software is
also being considered. There is a lot of talk about blue-laser-based systems
being focused around high-definition television, which has heavy data needs.
But Blue-ray Disc groups are also considering development of write-once and
read-only formats for use with PCs.

Prototype blue-laser-based optical disc systems have been around for more than
a year. However, one problem has hampered development of commercial
systems: cost. A sample blue-laser diode currently costs around $1000, making
consumer products based on the parts unrealistic. However, Nichia, the major
source for blue lasers, is expected to begin commercial production this year and
the price of a blue-laser diode is expected to tumble once the company begins
turning them out in volume. The DVD forum may or may not invite the blue-
ray light into is era but the 27GB disc is not far off in practically disturbing the
DVD wave.

20. REFERENCES

Research Papers:

1) “Wobble-address format of the blu-ray disc”. By S.

Furumiya, S. Kobayashi, B. Stek, H. Ishibashi, T. Yamagami, K.
Schep: Presented at ISOM/ODS Hawaii, July 2002 .

2) “Millipede”- Nanotechnology Entering Data Storage”, By

P. P. Vettiger, G. Cross, M. Despont, U. Drechsler, U. Dürig, B.

61
Gotsmann, W. Häberle, M. A. Lantz, H. E. Rothuizen, R. Stutz,
and G. K. Binnig:

3) “34 GB Multilevel-enabled Rewritable System using Blue

Laser and High NA Optics”. By H. Hieslmair, J. Stinebaugh, T.
Wong, M. O’Neill, M. Kuijper, G. Langereis: Published at
ISOM/ODS Hawaiï, July 2002.

Websites:

http://www.licensing.philips.com/

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/st/disciplines/storage/

http://www.bluraydisc.com/

http://www.blu-raytalk.com/

62
63