Blu-ray Rewritable Recordable Discs BD-RE
Sunday, September 14th, 2008
TDK 25GB BD-RE Blank Disc in Jewelcase
Blu-ray Disc Rewritable recordable discs make it possible to back up large data directories, record HD video, and store large amounts of data, music and video all on one disc. Like other recordable discs BD-RE uses phase change recording technology to make it possible to erase and write again. A special phase change metal alloy can be switched back and forth between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase, changing the reflectivity, depending on the power of the laser beam. Data can thus be written, erased and re-written. Some companies claim on upwards of 10,000 rewrites per disc with little degradation. Rewritable recordable Blu-ray discs use the same 405nm blue laser that write once read many (WORM) recordable Blu-ray discs use. Data capacity for BD-RE is currently 25GB or 50GB.
Currently TDK and MAM-A are the only manufacturers of rewritable Blu-ray discs. TDK is much more common and the leader in production (currently).
There are several other manufacturers of BD media including Ritek and FTI. TDK does OEM work so there are many “brands” out there. Rewritable Blu-ray discs are specialized and cost more then standard recordable Blu-ray disc media. BD-RE discs provide far greater rewritability then CD-RW and DVD+RW that top out at one hundred rewrites.
Blu-ray rewritable recordable discs offer large capacity storage for data backups and HD recording and rewriting.
