Verbatim introduces Blu ray in Q3

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Verbatim has announced that it will begin shipping its new Blu-ray Recordable/Rewriteable media during July. Manufactured at Verbatim's parent company - Mitsubishi Chemical Company (MCC) - optical disc facility in Mizushima, Japan, Verbatim's initial products will include 25GB single layer media in both write-once (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) formats. Verbatim has already supplied burner/recorder manufacturers and their software suppliers with engineering samples of the new high-capacity media for securing read/write compatibility.

"Our automated manufacturing equipment is in place and we have confirmed the feasibility of mass production of BD-R and BD-RE media," said Torsten Leye, Product Manager DVD, Verbatim. "Currently licensing and media qualification procedures are being established. Verbatim will lead the industry in the production of high-quality, next-generation media, much as we did with CD and DVD recordable products. Our experience with DVD dual layer manufacturing also gives us a head start in producing 50GB dual layer Blu-ray media which will be introduced later this year."

The new Verbatim BD media will include the proprietary ScratchGuard hard coat developed by MCC. This protective coating is a key technology for BD disc production as the BD data layer is close to the surface of the disc and not protected by a plastic substrate as with DVD media. The new hard coat will protect the BD data layer from scratches and fingerprints without warping the disc and allows the usage of the media in a bare disc form, without a cartridge.

Ron Stuart, General Manager, Verbatim UK, commented, "Blu-ray will revolutionize the media industry as the discs will allow far greater storage capacity than is possible with CD and DVD technology. The blue laser has a shorter wavelength and this means it is possible to write smaller data pits, which vastly increases the amount of data that can be put onto a disc - and the discs also have extremely long archival life plus excellent playback performance.

"Verbatim's products have a ScratchGuard coating and will withstand finger print smudges as well as being dirt and dust repellant. They are also less sensitive to ultraviolet light and have successfully passed the 'steel wool' test - this involves a steel wool cloth being rubbed against our Blu-ray discs to simulate possible day-to-day hazards."

Well known for its role in the development of recordable and rewriteable CD and DVD media, Verbatim has established excellent relationships with leading optical hardware manufacturers and by providing benchmark media for performance and compatibility testing Verbatim validates its media across the broad range of burners, recorders and players..

The additional testing ensures that the best compatibility between hardware and Verbatim-branded media.

With Verbatim premium quality recordable BD media, users will be able to recordand enjoy the amazingly sharp images that high-definition video provides. Blu-ray discs will find extensive application in computer data storage. thanks to their 25GB capacity.

Verbatim is a contributing member of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA).

About Verbatim:

Since 1969, development in data storage technology has been led by Verbatim - ranging from floppy discs and magneto-optical storage media to the latest CD and DVD formats, USB keys and flash memory cards.

As part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Group Verbatim benefits from outstanding research and development enabling countless innovations shaping today's storage media market. Verbatim's demanding quality control during manufacturing processes guarantees first-class products.

The company has won acclaim in numerous international comparative product reviews and is the market leader for optical media in Europe. For more information please visit: www.verbatim-europe.com