Blu-ray discs soaring to 128GB capacity

Blu-ray set for capacity overhaul
Blu-ray set for capacity overhaul

The Blu-ray Disc Association has launched two new standards designed to increase the capacity and capability of Blu-ray discs.

The new BDXL discs will have a write-once capacity of 100GB and 128GB, and re-writable discs will be capable of storing 100GB of information.

These discs will reach said capacities by having up to four recordable layers, improving both the quality and the quantity of information stored.

These BDXL discs will initially used for businesses for storing information, but the Blu-ray Disc Association says they will be used for consumers in 'areas where BD recorders have achieved broad consumer acceptance'.

Intra-galactic Blu-ray for me

An Intra-Hybrid Blu-ray Disc (IH-BD) has also been unveiled, with locked content at the heart of the disc and a separate re-writeable layer which can track user data.

The BDA says "this allows for consumer specific applications where combining published content with related user data on a convenient, single volume is desirable".

Sadly, these discs won't work on current Blu-ray players, meaning you'll have to fork out for a new Blu-ray player. But at least the new units will be backwards compatible, so your 'Speed Racer' Blu-ray won't be obsolete.

We're still waiting to find out whether the UK is deemed a location where Blu-ray recorders have reached 'broad consumer acceptance' and a release date, but you'll find out when we do.

From Business Wire via Pocket Lint

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.