Oh... Better still... BD-logo backlight by a blue LED!

^^^ that worked well... who broke the forums?

That's been like that ever since I joined... they don't like using the IMG tag

So what do you use the disks with when there aren't any Blu-Ray players/recorders?

Bit like the xbox 360 controllers that u can buy in JB now. I guess it's just a teaser for things to come.

So what do you use the disks with when there aren't any Blu-Ray players/recorders?

There are some burners/recorders already out in Japan but I didn't have a look. I just happened to see the Blu-Ray discs on the shelf by chance and just had a quick squiz.

Actually I've just found some gear that takes Blu-ray, starting at about $3000.

JAPANESE page (you can get the idea from some of the specs which are in English): http://www.yodobashi.com/enjoy/search.jsp?...go=%8C%9F%8D%F5

http://www.pioneer.co.jp/press/release159.html

For immediate release

December 27, 2005, Tokyo

Pioneer Corporation

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Pioneer Launches Its First Internal Blu-Ray Disc Writer

Supporting BD-R and BD-RE formats in recording/playback, and BD-ROM format in playback

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BDR-101A

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http://www.pioneer.co.jp/press/release159.html

Have a read of the doom9 story of 12/29, apparently the press release may have been premature thanks to the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) consortium slowing things down.

Have a read of the doom9 story of 12/29, apparently the press release may have been premature thanks to the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) consortium slowing things down.

And on top of that, even tho it does say shipping late Jan 2006, I love the PR line

"Single-layer BD-R and BD-RE discs can store up to 25 gigabytes of data, about five times more than a conventional DVD disc,..."

I guess it all depends on what ppl consider to be a "conventional DVD". If your talking a purchased DVD Video for example, they can store upto 9GB, then there is the DVD-DL media, which I know Pioneer know about, since I just got one of there drives that will burn + and - DL media and thats around 8.5GB.

Hence, its really only about 3 times more, till you goto the 50GB version.

Not that it really matters, half the space will be wasted anyway, if you use the MPEG4 video compressing, then a HD movie (plus extras, which wouldn't be in HD), would still nicely fit in 25GB or most likely 2 9GB DVD's, much like it all does today at SD res with MPEG2.

"Single-layer BD-R and BD-RE discs can store up to 25 gigabytes of data, about five times more than a conventional DVD disc,..."

It is absolutely obvious they were referring to a single-layer DVDR disc... 25 / 4.7 = ~5.3

You don't do 4.37 (actual capacity of a DVDR data disc) unless the 25gb they claim is the full size that you get (will probably end up being 23gb useable space or something). Pure marketing at work.

It is absolutely obvious they were referring to a single-layer DVDR disc... 25 / 4.7 = ~5.3

You don't do 4.37 (actual capacity of a DVDR data disc) unless the 25gb they claim is the full size that you get (will probably end up being 23gb useable space or something). Pure marketing at work.

Yeah, I know, "conventional" to them ment the more normal single layer DVDr's. Which lets face it, the main reason we still tend to use those, is that the DL media is like 4 times as much and hence not worth it.

But I'm expecting, especially to start with, that the first BD media will be far more expensive then DVD DL media.

In way, I wish that DL media would hit around 2 times more cost then single layer, ie same cost per GB, just one less disc, if that happens (and given that most/all DVD readers will read the media) then the new formats will matter even less.

Panasonic to ship Blu-Ray drives in March http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=28760

Memorex to ship HD DVD and BD-R media in April http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=28752

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...Flanguage_tools

First Blu ray burner in the test

Samsung wins a running around the first Blu ray burner. We could already submit the model Sh-b022 to a detailed test. It is to come in March on the market.

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All in USD of course (no GST either) and good luck with that $ony

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Sony is a backer of Blu-ray, a technology that displays films, TV shows and other programming in high definition. Sony set a wholesale price of $23.45 for new releases and $17.95 for older titles. That translates into a retail price of about $34.95 for new movies and $29.95 for catalog films

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/3646706.html

Pioneer's BDR-101A Blu-ray Burner Review

Amazon Marketplace $999.99

Blu-ray is here.

After a longer-than-expected gestation period, Pioneer is now shipping the BDR-101A Blu-ray recorder for the PC. Before we dive into the specs and performance testing, let's take a quick look at Blu-ray, what it is, and what it's not.

Blu-ray Disc is an optical storage medium with capacities of 25GB (single layer) and 50GB (double layer). The standard was jointly developed by members of the Blu-ray Disc Association, though Sony and Philips were the chief technology drivers in the organization. The Blu-ray Disc Association now consists of some 170 companies, including hardware, software and media manufacturers.

Most of the recent attention on Blu-ray has been focused on the ongoing format war for high-definition movie discs that's been going on between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc Association. Less attention has been paid to either drive as a PC storage device, even though both sides of the format fight are planning on releasing PC drives capable of recording discs.

While HD-DVD beat Blu-ray to market in the consumer player arena, with the Toshiba HD-A1, the first PC recordable drive on the market is Pioneer's BDR-101A Blu-ray recorder. Continued...

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1980095,00.asp