Pioneer develops 256GB Blu-ray discs

Japanese companies Pioneer and Memory-Tech have developed Blu-ray discs that can hold 256GB of storage on a single layer. The companies think they can double the storage capacity to 512GB by using two layers.

The companies are able to achieve the high capacity by replacing the current ‘guide tracks’ with several special layers that direct the lasers towards the recording layers. By separating the individual guide layers from the recording layers, the disk structure simplifies and multiple layers can be stacked for storage.

Pioneer and Memory-Tech use eight recording layers with the now developed Blu-ray disc to reach 256GB. However, they also say they have already provided a single side with ten layers, bringing a storage capacity of 720GB within reach in the future, and by applying new signal processing technology, it should be possible to stack 12 layers for more than 1TB.

The discs can be written on with devices that have the same optical specifications – the lens and wavelength – as with current Blu-ray discs. Existing players should therefore be able to play them after a firmware upgrade. However, it is not known when the companies expect a market introduction. The drives are primarily intended for long-term storage and other archival purposes.