Kahl, 30.11.2004 - SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES, the world’s leading system integrator of optical disc replication equipment, announced today that it will manufacture production equipment for pre-recorded Blu-ray Discs (BD-ROM). It has agreed with Sony Corporation to jointly conduct research and development activities for the development of Blu-ray Disc mass production technology. SINGULUS will design and manufacture the BD-ROM replication lines for mass production, which will be distributed in the future by the well-established marketing, sales and service organizations of SINGULUS.
Prototype machines will be available in Spring 2005 for single-layer BD-ROM and in Fall 2005 for dual-layer BD-ROM. Mass production machines will be compatible for both single-layer and dual-layer BD-ROM. The machine is compact in size, similar to the current DVD9 line.
“We are very excited to be working on the Blu-ray Disc, especially at the birth of the new format, and with Sony who is one of the founders of the format� said Roland Lacher, CEO and President of SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES. “We believe that there is a great future in Blu-ray Disc as the next generation optical discs. We look forward to supplying our customers with competitive equipment that will enable them to make a smooth transition to the new high definition world. We expect that the long-term manufacturing costs for mass production of the BD-ROM will be similar to DVD, as will the price for BD-ROM production equipment.�
Although the BD-ROM is a newly-created format for the next generation, the replication machine itself incorporates a great majority of standard technologies, such as moulding and sputtering processes, used for current DVD9. SINGULUS is using its expertise in addressing BD-ROM specific requirements to realize the most efficient production methods.
“We believe that Blu-ray Disc is the best option for next generation high density optical discs,� said Mr. Masanobu Yamamoto, Senior General Manager of Sony Corporation, a board member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, “We are pleased that SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES, who is one of the most reputable system integrator of disc replication equipment in the world, will be providing pre-recorded Blu-ray Disc replication machines, enabling replicators worldwide to have the ability to manufacture BD-ROM. This announcement from SINGULUS is a clear indication that the industry has started preparations for the business phase of BD-ROM. We are looking forward to working with SINGULUS in bringing the industry to speed�.
Blu-ray Disc has storage capacity of 25 GB for single-layer and 50 GB for dual-layer discs, which represents a quantum leap from DVD, which has storage capacity of 4.7 GB for single-layer and 8.5 GB for dual-layer discs