Pioneer creates world's first 16-layer, 400GB optical disc

Could it take on Blu-ray?

7 July 2008 11:53 GMT / By Katie Scott

Pioneer has created the world’s first 16-Layer optical disc, which can store up to 400GB of data.

Unveiled at the International Symposium on Optical Memory and Optical Data Storage 2008 in Hawaii, the disc saves 25GB per layer.

And it will lead to more developments in this area, promises Pioneer.

"This development has bolstered Pioneer’s confidence in the feasibility of a large-capacity optical disc, which is expected to become necessary in the near future", it says in a press release.

Pioneer explains that the biggest problem will multi-layer discs had been "crosstalk" or interference from other layers when you are trying to get a signal from just one.

It now claims to have created a layer structure that "ensures clear signals" from every layer.

Pioneer concluded: "The 16-layer optical disc technology, capable of storing much more data than the conventional discs on one disc, will greatly reduce the number of discs to be used and therefore contribute to the conservation of resources".

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Hardware, Pioneer, Blu-ray