TDK ships "mass-production" samples of 25 and 50 GByte Blu-ray discs

Tokyo (Japan) - TDK today said that it has begun shipping limited numbers of single- and dual-layer Blu-ray media to customers. The BD-ROMs can record data at a speed of 2x or 72 Mbit per second.

The company is the first company actual availability of BD media in a quality that can be expected to appear on store shelves sometime in 2006. According to the company, four different types of media are being manufactured on a mass production line at the firm's Chikumagawa Techno Factory in Japan.

The product series consists of two write-once single side media with a single-layer capacity of 25 GByte (BD-R25) and a dual-layer capacity of 50 GByte (BD-R50). Also, there are rewritable single-sided versions with respective capacities: The BD-RE25 will store 25 GByte, the BD-RE50 50 GByte. The amount of possible rewrites is estimated at 10,000.

Both types are capable of 2x recording speeds or a maximum of 72 Mbits per second and are coated with the firm's proprietary "Durabis 2" coating to ensure the media's "resistance" to dirt and scratches "even without external cartridges," TDK said.

No date for actual mass production was provided, but the firm indicated that it will ramp manufacturing as soon as it will receive licensing for the bare disc.