Blu-ray Disc (official abbreviation BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 video games, and other data, with up to 25 GB per single-layered, and 50 GB per dual-layered disc. Although these numbers represent the standard storage for Blu-ray Disc drives, the specification is open-ended, with the upper theoretical storage limit left unclear. The discs have the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.
The name Blu-ray Disc derives from the "blue laser" used to read the disc. While a standard DVD uses a 650 nanometer red laser, Blu-ray Disc uses a shorter wavelength 405 nm laser, and allows for almost ten times more data storage than a DVD. The laser color is called "blue," but is violet to the eye, and is very close to ultraviolet ("blacklight").
During the high definition optical disc format war, Blu-ray Disc competed with the HD DVD format. Toshiba, the main company that supported HD DVD, conceded in February 2008, and the format war came to an end.[2] In late 2009, Toshiba released its own Blu-ray Disc player.[3]
Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group representing makers of consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion pictures. As of June 2009, more than 1,500 Blu-ray Disc titles were available in Australia and the United Kingdom, with 2,500 in Japan, the United States and Canada.[4][5]
Blu-Ray Discs can be clustered together in systems such as optical jukeboxes to increase data storage. This increase of storage can span multiple terabytes and utilize hundreds of Blu-Ray Discs. These systems are currently the largest storage units using Blu-Ray technology.
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