The Tech Futurologist

DVDs Could Hold 1,000x Capacity of Blu-rays With New Japanese Research

While we're waiting for the Blu-ray Disc Association toupgrade discs to 128GB capacity, Japanese scientists have found a way to increase DVD capacity by 1,000 times—using just a slick of metal material over each disc.

According to Shin-ichy Ohkoshi, the chemistry professor at the University of Tokyo leading the project, painting a variant of titanium oxide onto a DVD will conduct electricity when put under light, but when taken away from light it turns back into black metal.

Although it's unlikely to hit the market—at least, not anytime before the BDA launches those new discs—the Japanese team's claims of the DVDs holding 1,000 more data than a Blu-ray certainly are impressive.

Blu-rays hold about five times the data of DVDs currently (25GB per single-layered disc and 50GB for dual-layered discs, compared to 4.7GB for single-layered DVDs or 8.5GB for double-layered), and despite millions each year buying a Blu-ray player, plenty more still own DVD players and have no plans to upgrade. [PhysOrg]