SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES to Develop
Manufacturing Technology and Production Equipment for Blu-ray Disc
SINGULUS
and SONY working together for BD-ROM mass production targeting
2005
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.
Source: Singulus
