Dual Layer DVD+R Developed

Lucretian writes "And they said it couldn't be done... It appears that Philips has found a way to burn a dual layered DVD+R. Unlike other dual layered disks that have been developed, this one is also designed to be backwards compatible with current DVD players. Phillips will be demonstrating this new technology at CEATEC this coming week at the DVD+RW alliance booth. The DVDs will hold 8.5GB of data (4 hours of video) and are set to be released as soon as next year."

Comments

It will be expensive

[The One KEA]

This latest DVD burning technology will undoubtedly be quite expensive, for both the drives and the media. Especially the media, since it will probably take Phillips a while to manufacture enough media for these devices.

OTOH, it will certainly make it easier for the home movie crowd.

Seriously

[chendo]

Why haven't they agreed on a standard format for DVDs yet? I can't keep track of the -s and +s.

Re:BlueRay

[The One KEA]

I think the biggest barrier to BlueRay is the fragility of the discs. The discs used by the BlueRay drives are very delicate because of the way they are manufactured, in order to work with a blue laser technology. IIRC, the discs thus have to be encased in cartridges, like old Sun SCSI CD-ROMs used to use.

People probably see that as a barrier to adoption, because instead of a thin disc you now have a big bulky cartridge. It will probably take a while to either get rid of that requirement or get rid of the stigma surrounding encased CDs.

Price & Standards

[TennesseeJeff]

Well, it looks like this will drive down the price of current single-layer DVD-R's (hopefully).

It also appears to comply with standard to play/read in all current DVD players/readers.

Backups will take fewer disks! Now what about the speed?

Re:Two things

[goombah99]

Yep, until now the floodgates of dvd copying have been held back by the fact that movies are ubiquitously about 4.5GB insize and a single DVD-r cant hold that much. Sure you could copy it to your hard drive, but that gets full quickly (at least on a laptop). Or you could compress it, but then for people with home theaters this sucks in quality.

you could burn it onto two CDs but this cost money, is a hassle to actually do correctly, and is a hassle to play back correctly or in a timely fashion when you want to view it.

So until now actually making copies of DVD movies has had significant prohibitive obstacles which are now about to be erased. Of course this will not happen overnight since the price of these things and the media will still be a barrier. But Notice has been served. DVD copying is about to become a real issue.

Jack Valenti's gonna be livid

[crovira]

The average movie is 7+GB in size. 4.5GB drives were no threat to the MPAA. Hence we weren't subjected to a whole lot more than mere rhetoric from the end of Valenti's digestive system incapable of facial expression.

Given that most of the movie leaks to date have come from industry insiders, and that industry capable drives aren't common, the MPAA enjoyed what the RIAA could only whish it had, an exclusive advantage in both the market place and in the means of production.

Look forward to RIAA-style lawsuit writs being included in the installation instructions with every drive.