High Definition Is Here
2006-11-29

High Definition TV(HD TV) is here, as is High Definition Camcorders and by the end of 2007 a significant proportion of sales will be high definition. HD TV gives the viewer not only a sharper, clearer defined picture than previous technology(DVD) but also crisper, sharper sound to give an even closer cinema feel. This means consumers have begun demanding higher capacity storage HD DVD Recordable fulfills that demand.

Capable of handling 15 gig of Video/Data in standard single layer form or high capacity 30 gig in dual layer form the blue laser technology using HD DVD is both capable and at standard 12cm physical size versatile. These discs are easily capable of storing over 2 hours of HD video.

How Does It Work?
Standard DVD uses a red laser technology which has a large data footprint while HD DVD & BluRay use blue laser technology(in the case of HD DVD a 1/3 smaller data footprint). This shorter data footprint size means the laser can write smaller data footprints in to the disc. This hugely increases the amount of data that can be stored on a 12cm diameter disc.

A simple way of explaining how a laser records on a disc. Imagine a disc is like a kilometre of wet sand. As you walk across it you leave footprints in the sand. The smaller your feet the more footprints you leave in the sand. DVD & the next generation HD DVD work in a similar manner. As the laser goes across the disc it leaves marks in the disc to record the data(or footprints as in our illustration). The smaller the marks that are made the more can be made across the distance of the disc. A red laser as used by DVD recorders leaves marks approx a third bigger than blue laser which is used by the next generation HD DVD recorders. Thus the HD DVD recorder can make more marks(or footprints) across the diameter of the same size disc and hence store more data.

How Soon Will High Definition (HD) Become Standard?
Its less than a decade since DVD launched on the world market and already there is a dvd player in nearly every TV viewing room in the average household. We have already seen the demand for HD TV is already here and thus the need for equipment that supports HD TV's requirements. HD Camcorders are here too and console games are fast approaching with the likes of Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's XBOX 360 to name but a couple. The question shouldn't be if HD will be the standard but when.

The manufacturing process for HD DVD recordable is not that much different from DVD recordable so existing production lines can easily be modified to change to HD DVD recordable production and in a reasonably quick period of time. The HD Revolution is here, join the revolution now.

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