Pioneer develops 16-layer, 400GB Blu-ray disc

by Kyle Orland { Jul 7th 2008 at 9:30PM }

Dual-layer Blu-ray discs are so 2006. The new hotness is Pioneer's just-developed, 16-layer Blu-ray disc (pictured above) with a whopping 400GB of writable storage space. For reference, that disc could hold roughly eight copies of Metal Gear Solid 4, 187 copies of Final Fantasy VII, or 1.25 million copies of the original Super Mario Bros.

The new discs require a special "wide-range spherical aberration compensator and light-receiving element" to detect the weaker laser signal, so don't plan on sticking one of these data-bloated monstrosities into your existing PS3. That said, the next generation of game consoles could support this new disc system, which is fully backward-compatible with existing Blu-ray discs. Of course, by the next generation, game systems might not be using optical discs at all, so who knows what the future will hold.

Tags: blu-ray, data-storage, disc, optical-disc, Pioneer, PS3, Sony, storage, technology

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

jsn @ Jul 7th 2008 9:34PM

awesome, it'll only take them 2 more years to make a player to support it and 3 more for it to be under $400... BLU RAY ROCKS!

why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 7th 2008 10:22PM

Yes, that seem about correct.

And what's wrong with that? If you're price-sensitive, don't buy the 400GB version, buy a 50GB player only (like a PS3). There won't be movies on the 400GB format for a long time (if ever) anyway.

Do you expect higher capacity versions to be the same price or ready immediately? If so, why?

BigD145 @ Jul 7th 2008 10:29PM

I could be buying 400GB hard drives for the price of most PS3 games. Let me choose 8 games, put them on a hard drive, and maybe I'll continue to not care about Blu-ray.

Poisoned Al @ Jul 7th 2008 10:53PM

It could have been worse. It it wasn't for HD-DVD, Blu-ray would have come in a damn caddy!

Maverick Saturn @ Jul 7th 2008 11:02PM

PS3.5 will play it :) Then our games will be even bigger, and longer to develop, yay, MGS5, here we come!

BigD145 @ Jul 8th 2008 1:18AM

More cut scenes and less button pressing than ever before.

Temple @ Jul 8th 2008 2:00AM

I'm more interested in a 400GB Blu-ray recorder, not so much as a format for distributing games/movies.

superaktieboy @ Jul 8th 2008 4:10AM

damn thats a long load :O

4MyFriends @ Jul 8th 2008 11:59AM

I'd rather wait on one of the superior formats coming out in the future, ones that can support TBs worth of information.

Slayer @ Jul 7th 2008 9:35PM

That thing has more space than my hdd. D:

FOXHOUND @ Jul 8th 2008 12:53AM

same here! o_o; It nearly makes my TB external drive useless.

Zach @ Jul 7th 2008 9:36PM

Its one thing to develop it, it's another to mass produce it. Chances are this will compete with the other high storage optical disc formats for enterprise solutions.

Poisoned Al @ Jul 7th 2008 10:56PM

Bang on the money. Blu-ray had been around in some form (a horrid caddy based thing) in the corporate world for quite awhile before phlebs like us got hold of it.

Mrblonde @ Jul 7th 2008 11:35PM

Those discs have over a terabyte of storage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc

FixtSux @ Jul 7th 2008 9:45PM

"it is possible to maintain compatibility between the new 16-layer optical disc and the BD discs."

Mr.ESC @ Jul 7th 2008 9:47PM

I thing it would be even more impressive if it was a cartridge.

PojoMofo @ Jul 7th 2008 10:24PM

that cartridge would be the size of my couch

Nincodedo @ Jul 7th 2008 10:45PM

The cartridge would BE your couch.

Dovi @ Jul 7th 2008 10:49PM

Your ass would get sore rather quickly

The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Jul 8th 2008 1:03AM

Though the cartridge would load games before your ass would get sore.

Negativecool @ Jul 7th 2008 9:53PM

So...they've created massive storage capacity, that will only be economically viable YEARS from now, on a medium that will be extinct within the same time frame...

Brilliant!

erico316 @ Jul 7th 2008 10:33PM

nothing can ever replace a hard copy of full retails games.Microsoft statements are dumb about dlc. blu ray or a new format will always be there with downloadable games will also be there

Co @ Jul 7th 2008 10:07PM

Damn you summed it up pretty good.

Negativecool @ Jul 7th 2008 10:48PM

You're uninformed, ignorant, and naive comments weren't needed at all erico316.

The optical disc is a medium that will die out. Maybe not soon, but by the time a 400GB disc is available for purchase in a 25 pack for a reasonable price, it will be.

Maverick Saturn @ Jul 7th 2008 11:06PM

Die out to what Negative cool? DLC? Maybe so, but I'm sure there will be a market for high definition movies as long as there is the technology to play it. When such new technology takes its place, so be it, we will move on. But while its popular, why not make the most of it, you might be right, then again, you might not be so right...yet.

Negativecool @ Jul 7th 2008 11:33PM

Die out to storage space and DLC!
Is it that hard of a concept?
Would you rather bring up 5,000 songs instantly on iTunes(or what have you), or shuffle through hundreds of CD's to play the one song on your mind?
DLC is giving the music industry headaches because they're as stubborn about keeping their precious physical CD's as some people are about championing the future proofness of blu ray.

VHS lost out fast to DVD because it was quite obvious to even the most dimwitted of consumers that DVD was infinitely more convenient.

All blu ray does is simply offer more than DVD does, but is in no way more convenient.
The only way consumers will recognize more convenience, is if they ditch the physical medium and are able to navigate their library instantly, just like mp3’s.

Replica23 @ Jul 8th 2008 1:08AM

LOL, the release of the Call of Duty 4 map pack crashed LIVE and you seriously think the industry is capable of supplying a couple million people with the bandwidth and stability needed to successfully let users download 10-25GB titles?

The only reason Microsoft blows that horn so fucking loud is because of their DRM practices. A company can make a lot more money off people when they are able to control the way those people use what content they buy from them. You will no longer be able to rent, borrow, sell or trade any of your games. And if you think MS (or any other company for that matter) is interested in letting you practice these actions you need to wake up.

Steam is arguably as successful as it is because PC gamers were screwed a long time ago with authentication keys and the like. Buying a PC game in the store is not much different than buying it on Steam. Buying a physical copy of a console game currently have a lot of advantages. You'd be wise not to give them up.

Vidikron (FU) @ Jul 8th 2008 1:17AM

"Would you rather bring up 5,000 songs instantly on iTunes(or what have you), or shuffle through hundreds of CD's to play the one song on your mind? "

I don't know what the future holds and I do think that digital distribution is the future at some point... But I also know I'd rather not have to rebuy all 5000 when my HDD dies.. that's for sure. Digital ditribution may be the future, but if consumers aren't careful we'll wind up giving away all our rights for convenience. Hooray! Fuck DD.

ck @ Jul 8th 2008 10:59AM

Yeah, whoever claims digital distribution will take the place of disc media are kidding themselves. There will ALWAYS be a place for disc media and dare I say it, it will still be the dominant form of entertainment (at least movie and video game-wise) for the average consumer.

Most people do not want just a digital copy, they want something physical. Maybe in 10 years our download services will be 10 times better, but will the average consumer be able to afford it? And even if it was 10 times faster, if you want a HD digital media with all the bells and whistles for your movie (commentaries, etc.) that will still take forever to download.

People said the theater was dying, but it seems to me they're doing pretty well and ticket sales are up every year (according to boxofficemojo.com). It's the same thing here, nothing will ever totally replace disc media.

Boy With Balls on Chin @ Jul 8th 2008 11:28AM

Man, ck said exactly what I was going to.

I'll add:

You say folks want instant access to their content, but they will have to spend hours to download an HD movie in 7.1 audio. With Blu Ray, or any other big physical media, it allows for instant playback and gratification for uncompressed audio tracks and HD. All they have to do is put in the disk!

Its funny that a lot of people that bitch about installing a game to a hard drive before playing it want to see a downloadable world where you buy something and then wait a few hours to view/play it.

erico316 @ Jul 7th 2008 9:54PM

um the info is being twisted by this site.they never said it couldnt be use in other players
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/07/pioneers-blu-ray-disc-hits-400gb/
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1484

Coluthard @ Jul 8th 2008 3:33AM

hillarious, they got caught on on PS3Fanboy posting their twisted lies, but they continue to post it here...

Kyle Orland @ Jul 8th 2008 9:00AM

The wording of the press release is a bit unclear, but it seems that the 16-layer disc requires a special optical sensor, and thus won't work on existing Blu-ray players. That said, it seems existing Blu-ray discs will work on the new sensor. This seems to be the source of the confusion.