TDK, a leading maker of recordable medias, said that it had finally created a prototype of its 200GB Blu-ray disc. The company does not say when it will be actually able to commercially ship the technology.

"The ultra-ambitious technology roadmap for Blu-ray has now been confirmed as realistic, with landmarks such as this proving the long-term value of the format against its rivals. TDK was the first to develop a prototype 100GB recordable Blu-ray disc, and yet again, our landmark achievement in creating a 200GB disc is affirming the company’s position as a true pioneer in advancing the capabilities of optical media,” said Bruce Youmans, TDK vice president of product research & development.

200GB BDs sport 6 layers with 33GB per each. In order to fit 200GB over six layers, each layer’s capacity has been increased to 33GB (from 25GB) by using bismuth peroxide as the recording medium.  When the laser heats this type of medium, it oxidises to form bubbles of air, which affects the laser light in much the same way as pits on traditional CD and DVD media, which is why it is unclear whether the 200GB discs would be compatible with the first Blu-ray optical drives.

Traditional single-layer DVDs allow consumers to watch movies in 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) resolution with Dolby Digital audio. The blue-laser discs will provide consumers 1920x1080 resolution as well as DTS or Dolby Digital Plus audio along with some additional interactive features.

Blu-ray and HD DVD formats compete for replacing the DVD standard. HD DVD discs can store up to 15GB on a single layer and up to 30GB on two layers. Its competitor, Blu-ray, can store up to 27GB per single layer and up to 50GB on two layers, but Blu-ray discs are more expensive to produce. The HD DVD is pushed aggressively by Toshiba and NEC as well as being standardized at the DVD Forum, which represents over 230 consumer electronics, information technology, and content companies worldwide. Blu-ray is backed by Sony and Panasonic, which are among the world’s largest makers of electronics. Among Hollywood studios HD is supported by Warner Bros. Studios, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, whereas Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox endorse Blu-ray.

A claim about existence of 200GB Blu-ray media is targeted to showcase potential technology excellence of the Blu-ray discs over the competing HD DVD standard, which largest capacity is about 50GB today. It is unclear, however, whether it is possible to increase density of HD DVD layers using new media materials.