CUPERTINO, CA-The burgeoning Blu-ray standard for optical storage on DVDs received another boost with the addition of Apple to the Blu-Ray Disc Association’s (BDA) board of directions. Apple has been a leader in driving consumer adoption of DVD authoring since January 2001, when the company introduced the SuperDrive high-volume CD- and DVD-burning drive and related software applications.
“Apple has a long history of technical innovation around DVD hardware and software, and their support of the Blu-ray Disc format is a testament to their commitment of ongoing innovation,” said Maureen Weber, chief BDA spokesperson and general manager of HP’s Optical Storage Solutions Business. “The Blu-ray Disc format provides the immense capacity and the revolutionary functionality that Apple’s loyal customer base will be sure to enjoy.”
The BDA was created to broaden support for Blu-ray Disc, touted as the next generation optical disc for storing high-definition movies, photos, and other digital content. According to the BDA, Blu-ray discs will have five times larger capacity than current DVDs, with a single-layer Blu-ray Disc holding up to 25 gigabytes of data and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc holding up to 50 gigabytes of data. Current DVDs hold 4.7 gigabytes on single-layer discs and 8.5 gigabytes on dual-layer discs.
Despite growing competition from other technologies and remaining technical challenges, Blu-ray has gained support from industry heavyweights in the field of films and personal computers, placing it in the top slot as the next-generation DVD format (see OER, Dec. 1, 2004). In addition to Apple, the BDA has more than 100 members, including Dell, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Pioneer, and Sony. Blu-ray is banking on the support from Dell and Hewlett-Packard to become the next PC DVD format; meanwhile, Sony’s acquisition of MGM Studios is playing a key role in endorsing the Blu-ray format throughout Hollywood. Citing increasing demand for high definition pay-per-view content on cable and satellite channels such as HBO and Showtime, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will launch all its new titles on Blu-ray disks by early 2006.