Blu-ray Dimensions

Blu-ray recordable Technology offers high storage capacity: 25Gbytes on single layer Blu-ray Disc media (BD-R & BD-RE) and 50Gbytes on dual layer BD-R media.  Blu-ray recordable is compatible with players and computer drives and offers both large storage capacity and high definition capabilities.  Blu-ray recorders and duplication systems offer the convenience of producing your own Blu-ray titles and spares the expense of some mandatory copy protection schemes that are required in BD-ROM production.

Blu-ray duplicators can be divided into two categories:  duplication towers and auto loading duplicator publishers.  Duplicators are somewhat different then a recorder drive in that they have more then one drive and work independently of a PC.

Blu-ray recorders offer speeds of up to 6x (for Blu-ray) and also support CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW/RAM/ +R/RW+/-R DL, BD-RE/R read and write compatible.  Typically the Blu-ray recorder has dual lasers for reading/writing red laser based optical discs like CD-R and DVD-R/+R and a Blue-laser for BD-R and BD-RE. the drive interface is Serial ATA or SATA with a 1.5Gbits/sec data transfer.

Blu-ray Tower Duplicators

CD Dimensions Blu-ray Duplication Tower

Tower Blu-ray duplicators are composed of an enclosure, power supply, controller, fans and hard drive.  Drive configuration (or target configuration) can vary from 2 drives up to currently 11 drives. Blu-ray duplicators support CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R and Dual Layer Plus R recording and reading.   Hard drives are required for Blu-ray duplicators and the larger/faster the better.  The hard drives are also SATA which allows for high speed data transfer. The controller uses a LCD screen and key pad to manage the Blu-ray duplicator.  Commands setting speed, write strategy, read speed, test mode, hard drive setting and other functions are overseen by this unit.

Auto-loading Blu-ray duplicators

R-Quest 2 Drive Autoloading Blu-ray Duplicator Publisher

Automated Blu-ray duplicators offer robotics or some method of moving the blank BD-R disc from the input spindle (usually a stack of blank discs) to the recorder (s), printer(s) and then to the output spindle. Capacities vary, ranging from 20 to 1000 discs.  Many automated auto-loading Blu-ray duplicators have input/output bins that can be configured for various jobs including multi-format publishing jobs. DVD-R can be in one bin and Blu-ray disc in another bin. Pick the media you need for the job and it’s automatically loaded.   Publishing jobs can be sent to the duplicator via a network connection so various departments can copy over jobs.  Combine this with a disc printer and you have a Blu-ray publishing duplication system.  Thermal printers and inkjet printers are available for the recordable blu-ray format. Even thermal re-transfer and dye sublimation are available for auto-loading recordable Blu-ray duplication.

With the growing demand for high-definition video Blu-ray disc provides an excellent choice for the consumer.  Even better is the fact that a recordable Blu-ray format exists that allows for recording your favorite shows in high-definition. Both write-once and rewritable Blu-ray disc media exists in 25GB and dual layer 50GB capacity. Almost 5 times the storage of standard recordable DVDs.  Blu-ray recordable represents a huge jump in capacity that not only allows for less compression of the video signal but gives even more room for features that were just a dream in DVD format.

So what makes recordable Blu-ray so much better then DVD?

Blu-ray technology uses a violet-blue laser which operates at a higher frequency then the red laser that DVD relies on.  This allows for the information (or pits) to be placed closer together on the same sized disc as DVD.  This change of lasers requires additional lasers for backwards compatibility with DVD and CD.  Unlike the past format releases (DVD specifically) consumers do not have to face the decision of upgrading to a new format and casting aside their current library.  Blu-ray readers and recorders have been designed to provide full support for the older formats.

One of the little known facts of the new BD-R format is it’s construction vs. DVD recordable.  Blu-ray recordable discs use a single polycarbonate disc which provides better sealing against oxidation then recordable DVD.  Recordable DVD’s use two layers: a sandwich with the dye and reflective layer in the middle.  The only thing keeping the DVD recordable disc from separating is glue. As production of DVD recordable has been perfected the separation of the two parts is less likely but still a concern. Not only from the outside of the disc but the hub in the center where it is in contact with a locking mechanism when stored in a DVD case.  As this glue fails it allows oxygen to enter the disc at a faster rate then through the plastic itself.  Oddly enough recordable CD-R have a far longer archival life then recordable DVD.  This is because CD-R (like Blu-ray recordable) has a single layer of polycarbonate with various sealing layers on top that provide greater reduction of oxidation then the DVD sandwich.

So besides the increase in storage capacity Blu-ray also offers greater longevity then recordable DVD media.  How much longer is being tested right now by most of the blank blu-ray disc media manufacturers.