Panasonic DMP-BD10 - Manual (Page 9)

9
What's a Blu-ray Disc?
Structure of the BD-Video Disc
Benefits of the BD-Video Disc
The Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a next-generation optical disc format for storing a large amount of data
using a short wavelength blue laser to read and write. Like DVD, there are a number of BD
standards, such as read-only BD-ROM, recordable BD-R and rewritable BD-RE.
The single largest feature of BD is its high-density data storage capacity of 25 GB # per layer on
one side. This lets you store many hours of content, such as movies with HD resolution and
high-quality music with loss-less audio compression. BD also features a high-performance
interactive function that uses Java TM , called BD-J, to deliver a new video experience to users not
offered by conventional video media. With many motion picture production companies and
electronics, PC and gaming manufacturers expressing their support for BD, new hardware and
software products are expected to hit the market soon.
650nm
0.6
120mm
1.2mm
0.6mm
0.74 μm
4.7GB #
8.5GB #
10.08Mbps
Laser Wavelength
Numerical Aperture (NA)
Disc Diameter
Disc Thichness
Protection Layer
Track Pitch
Capacity (Single-layer)
Capacity (Dual-layer)
Data Transfer Rate
405nm
0.85
120mm
1.2mm
0.1mm
0.32 μm
25GB #
50GB #
48Mbps
DVD BD-Video Disc
C
L R
RS LS
SBL SBR
SW
Compression methods
Maximum data transfer rate
Resolution and frame rate
MPEG-2
MPEG-4 AVC
SMPTE VC-1
48 Mbps
1920 x 1080 59.94i, 50i, 23.976p, 24p
1440 x 1080* 59.94i, 50i, 23.976p, 24p
1280 x 720
59.94p
720 x 480 59.94i
720 x 576 50i
BD-ROM Video Formats
*AVC/VC-1 only
1.2 mm
0.6 mm
100% 19%
DVD(4.7GB) BD-Video(25GB)
Lens numerical aperture: 0.6
Laser wavelength: 650 nm Lens numerical aperture: 0.85
Laser wavelength: 405 nm
Substrate
Substrate
Minimum pit length
0.4 µm
Track pitch 0.74 µm Recording layer Track pitch 0.32 µm
Optical spot area ratio
Cover layer
0.1 mm
Minimum
mark length
0.149 µm
The Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc with the same dimensions as the DVD disc: 12 cm in diameter and 1.2 mm in thickness. By using a
combination of the 405-nm-wavelength blue-violet laser, which is a shorter wavelength than the red laser used by DVD, and a high-density
objective lens with a numerical aperture of 0.85, BD uses a laser beam spot that is only about 1/5 the size used by DVD. Thanks to these
technologies, a single-layer BD-Video disc can store five times more data than a DVD disc.
1. One Single-Layer Disc Equals Five DVDs in Data Capacity
The BD-Video disc boasts a data storage capacity of 25 GB # in a single
layer and 50GB # in dual layer, because it uses the shorter wavelength
blue-violet laser and a high-density objective lens to enable
higher-density data reading. When a multi-layer system is adopted in the
future, the storage capacity can increase to 100 GB # and even 200 GB # .
One BD-Video disc can store a huge amount of data so users can enjoy
many hours of high-definition content and high-quality surround sound
that could not previously be provided by other media.
2. HD Image Quality Video
In addition to the MPEG-2 format used by DVD-Video, the BD-Video disc
uses video codes, such as MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1, which deliver high
image quality using high compression rates. The data transfer speed is
48 Mbps, which is about three times faster than DVD. A future plan also
calls for a further increase in the data transfer speed. These technologies
allow long-time playback of content with high-definition image quality.
4. BD-J for Extensive Interactive Functions
The BD-Video disc is equipped with an extended function based on
Java TM technology, called BD-J, to provide various interactive features.
For example, this can be used to program various operations, such as
displaying a pop-up menu while playing a BD-Video disc, and
activating a keyword search. With unlimited application possibilities,
BD-J offers interactive enjoyment that is simply not possible with
conventional AV software.
5. Extensive Support for Both Hardware and Software
The Blu-ray Disc specifications have been established mainly by leading
electronics, PC and gaming manufacturers around the world, including
Panasonic. These companies will support BD promotion by introducing a
variety of hardware. A number of major motion picture production
companies have expressed their support. A variety of software can be
expected to hit the market before long.
3. High-Quality Surround Sound
The BD-Video disc optionally supports next-generation surround sound formats like Dolby ® Digital Plus.
Connecting a BD-Video player to an AV centre using an HDMI* cable enables linear PCM multi-channel
data transfer. This makes it possible to reproduce high-quality 7.1-channel surround sound with each
channel offering DVD-Audio quality, delivering a surround sound experience that rivals the quality of the
master audio source.
* HDMI Ver. 1.1 and newer.
BD-Video
1 disc
DVD
5 discs
CD
35 discs
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems
# 1GB=1 billion bytes. Useable capacity will be less. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems.