The dual-layer strength of Blu-ray high definition video technology has already seen its 25GBs per layer capacity quash the resistance of format pretender HD DVD – and now that strength is to be reinforced thanks to advancements made by Sony and Panasonic.
The biggest is about to get bigger. Image: Blu-ray Association.
More pointedly, with the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) looming large on the calendar, heavyweight market giants Sony and Panasonic have revealed a new data evaluation technique that could lead to Blu-ray discs holding up to 33.4GBs per layer for a total storage count of 66.8GBs.
The technique in question, called i-MLSE (or Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation), has been created to better gauge optical quality when used during read and write processes, thus allowing both Blu-ray readers and burners to deal with up to a third more capacity, while Hollywood distributors could pack their releases with longer movies and more related content.
According to a report posted via Tech-On, the introduction and implementation of i-MLSE does not require that device manufacturers create new laser components in order to take advantage of the data storage improvement – mainly because the technique is largely dependent on software as opposed to hardware.
However, the report also notes that processing hardware within certain Blu-ray drives may need to be tweaked as the improvements associated with i-MLSE are reliant on boosted performance in real time.
Although neither submitted to nor approved by the official Blu-ray Disc Association, Sony Corp. is expected to formally table i-MLSE for possible inclusion to the existing Blu-ray standard.
And, given Sony’s core positioning within the development of Blu-ray, it’s hard to see the association not green-flagging such a worthwhile format improvement.
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