SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS), the global market leader for optical disc, is currently delivering its first Blu-ray production systems to major international customers. This makes SINGULUS the first European line manufacturer to place Blu-ray replication lines in test production.
An alliance was formed with SONY in Nov. 2004 for the development of these inline systems for the Blu-ray single layer format. The SINGULUS BLU-LINE was presented to the Hollywood majors by SINGULUS and SONY since April 2005, after successful testing in Kahl.
Following the launch of the first HD DVD SPACELINE II production lines in the summer of 2005, SINGULUS has once again positioned itself early on as the premier supplier for 3rd generation format equipment, regardless of which format will finally win out with consumers. This excellent position all but assures SINGULUS’ continued market leadership for the new generation of optical discs.
Background: Blu-ray Disc / HD DVD and HDTV
The seasoned PAL-television in Germany with its 576 visible lines will be discarded in the near future and replaced by the new high definition television (HDTV). With a higher resolution the pictures can then be presented in an impressive quality. The television sets have to meet certain requirements to offer the viewers the complete HDTV-experience. One of the requirements is that the sets can at least display 720 lines. For an optimum HD display a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels is required.
In order to record high definition movies, five times the storage capacity of a DVD is necessary. There are two formats fighting to become the next standard for optical discs: Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Both are able to record HDTV-programs: Blu-ray Disc with 25 or 50 gigabyte and HD DVD with 15 or 30 gigabyte of storage capacity. On a disc with 25 gigabyte a two-hour movie in high definition quality can be stored.
In contrast to a DVD, which uses a red laser, a blue laser is employed for both new formats. The shorter wavelength of the blue laser enables writing significantly smaller signal markings on an optical data medium.
Meanwhile, both formats are scheduled to be launched in 2006.