What's the Blu-ray Disc? | Blu-ray by Panasonic

Benefit 4 Extensive Interactive Functions

Benefit 5 Supported by Various Companies

In addition to the MPEG-2 format used by DVD-Video, the BD-Video disc uses video codes, such as MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1, which deliver high image quality using high compression rates. The data transfer speed is 48 Mbps, which is about five times faster than DVD. A future plan also calls for a further increase in the data transfer speed. These technologies allow long-time playback of content with high-definition image quality.

			*AVC/VC-1 only
Compression methods	MPEG-2 MPEG-4 AVC SMPTE VC-1

Maximum data transfer rate	48 Mbps

Resolution and frame rate	1920 x 1080 1440 x 1080* 1280 x 720 720 x 480 720 x 576	59.94i, 50i, 23.976p, 24p 59.94i, 50i, 23.976p, 24p 59.94p 50p, 23.976p, 24p 59.94i 50i

The BD-Video disc optionally supports next-generation surround sound formats like Dolby Digital Plus. Connecting a BD-Video player to an AV center using an HDMI* cable enables linear PCM multi-channel data transfer. This makes it possible to reproduce high-quality 7.1-channel surround sound with each channel offering DVD-Audio quality, delivering a surround sound experience that rivals the quality of the master audio source.
* HDMI Ver. 1.1 and newer.

The BD-Video disc boasts a data storage capacity of 25GB* in a single layer and 50GB* in dual layer, because it uses the shorter wavelength blue-violet laser and a high-density objective lens to enable higher-density data reading. When a multi-layer system is adopted in the future, the storage capacity can increase to 100 GB* and even 200 GB*. One BD-Video disc can store a huge amount of data so users can enjoy many hours of high-definition content and high-quality surround sound that could not previously be provided by other media.

*1GB=1 Billion bytes. Useable capacity will be less.

Structure of the BD-Video Disc
The Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc with the same dimensions as the DVD disc: 12 cm in diameter and 1.2 mm in thickness. By using a combination of the 405-nm-wavelength blue-violet laser, which is a shorter wavelength than the red laser used by DVD, and a high-density objective lens with a numerical aperture of 0.85, BD uses a laser beam spot that is only about 1/5 the size used by DVD. Thanks to these technologies, a single-layer BD-Video disc can store five times more data than a DVD disc.

Some BD-Video disc is equipped with an extended function based on Java™ technology, called BD-J, to provide various interactive features. For example, this can be used to program various operations, such as displaying a pop-up menu while playing a BD-Video disc, and activating a keyword search. With unlimited application possibilities, BD-J offers interactive enjoyment that is simply not possible with conventional AV software.

The Blu-ray Disc specifications have been established mainly by leading electronics, PC and gaming manufacturers around the world, including Panasonic. These companies will support BD promotion by introducing a variety of hardware. A number of major motion picture production companies have expressed their support. A variety of software can be expected to hit the market before long.

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Panasonic has supported the Blu-ray Disc since the establishment of the BD standards. We will continue to provide advanced technologies and products in the form of players, discs, drives and more.

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