14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier in May, TDK presented all the details regarding its latest 200GB Blu-ray disc (BD), the world's highest optical disc capacity, attained by increasing the capacity of all six disc layers with 32%, the layers having 33GB apiece, from the initial 25GB capability.
Several months after, TDK announces it has just rolled out the discs that still feature the highest storage capacity and provide up to 18 hours of high definition video. The manufacturer also released a downgraded version that comes with 'only' 50 GB and is write-once or rewritable.
The 200 GB discs will be protected by a hard coating called DURABIS, TDK's patented technology which is meant to 'shelter' the discs from deteriorating. As a matter of fact, the Blu-ray Disc standard stipulates a scratch-free protective layer, but the DURABIS2 coating is said to exceed exceeds the standard requirements.
"Because of TDK's DURABIS2 technology, TDK Blu-ray Discs even withstand the steel wool test and are also dirt and dust repellent. Even fingerprint smudges can't interfere with the readability of the disc. With conventional discs, fingerprints can deposit a slight layer of grease that can redirect the laser and cause reading and writing errors," it is said on the manufacturer's web site.
The write-once 50 GB Blu-ray discs will be available on the retail market at about $45 each, while the re-recordable discs will be around $60 each.