DVD+RW Double Layer format with 8.5GB capacity coming by year-end

The DVD+RW Alliance has announced that it has started discussions for a new rewritable double layer DVD+RW DL standard that will be finalized by year end. Using a double layer DVD+RW DL disc a consumer can write and re-write up to 8.5 Gbytes of information or up to 4 hours of DVD quality time-shifting recording onto a single 12 cm disc.

"8.5 GB Double layer DVD recording is quite popular amongst PC users and is now standard on any new DVD writer," said Frank Simonis, Chair of the DVD+RW Alliance Product Promotions Group and Strategic Marketing Director for Philips Optical Storage. "Rewritable double layer DVD+RW DL will give consumers the extra recording time for consumer video recording and especially the 8cm discs for DVD camcorders."

During the ISOM/ODS conference Hawaii (July 2005), Philips Research presented its recent achievements in rewriteable double layer DVD+RW DL recording. Good performance was presented for recording at 2.4x as well as 4x recording speeds; for both layers low jitter and high modulation values were achieved. Effective reflection of the media is around 5-7 %. In order to read this low reflective media, these discs will only be readable in DVD players/recorder that are designed to be compatible.

Based on the expertise of successfully standardizing the 'write-once' recordable double layer DVD+R DL in 2004 and the new technology innovations in rewritable 'phase change' technology in the past half year, the DVD+RW Alliance, together with consumer electronics and PC drive manufacturers, will shape the new DVD+RW DL standard. Moreover, on September 29 the DVD+RW Alliance will update these consumer electronics and PC drive manufacturers on the proposed details of the rewritable double layer standard during a technical seminar in Tokyo.