Blu-Ray BD-XL and IH-BD Formats Announced

[engine]

Blu-Ray BD-XL and IH-BD Formats Announced [pcmag.com]

On Monday, the Blu-ray Disc Association announced upcoming specifications for high-capacity write-once and rewritable discs, including consumer versions.

The BDA proposed two new formats: BDXL, the name given to new 100-Gbyte and 128-Gbyte discs; and IH-BD, a so-called "Intra-Hybrid" disc that will incorporate both read-only and rewritable layers. Specifications for both disc types will be published during the upcoming months, the BDA said.

Both formats will be incompatible with existing hardware, the BDA said. However, new players designed to take advantage of the new formats will be able to play back existing Blu-ray discs (BDs) which are available in both 25- and 50-Gbyte capacity points, it said.

I wonder what the new read/writers will set you back. I think that's been the problem with blu-ray adoption is the disk readers are (still) hugely expensive, compared to DVD, with a relatively small improvement in visible performance. I don't see myself getting a Blu-ray player in the forseeable future.

[J_RaD]

200 for one that will burn a blu ray