The promoters of Blu-ray seem to have a gift to shoot themselves in the foot with their products. Ceaseless changes prove the inventiveness in various sectors of the electronics industry and cause hesitation among the consumers. One thus was the data base Profiles 1.0, that was the original, but then quickly replaced by the 1.1, and now by the 2.0; with the result that the majority of the equipment in use is unable to be updated for these databases.
Now, it is the multi-layers that are evolving. Currently, a Blu-ray disc has two layers of 25 GB. The manufacturers have already announced prototypes of 100 GB (4 layers of 25 GB), 200 and even 250 GB (10 layers). Some others have gone even further with 320 GB (10 layers of 32 GB).
Confronted by this confusion, a representative of the BDA who sets the standard has stated the following.
He clearly indicated that the current blu-ray readers will be unable to read media exceeding two layers, but that 50 GB will be enough for films for many years. He even compared Blu-ray of 50 GB with the video cassette of 2 hours. Although other larger capacity were born later on, the cassette of 2 hours remained the reference for the distribution of films.
In a way this is not wrong, 50 GB should be enough for a long time for 1080p films and their bonus offerings, even in 3D where the number of images is doubled. But his remarks lead to confusion. If Blu-ray disks of more than 50 GB are useless, why speak about them? If they are not it, which purchaser will buy a current reader?
To finish this story, and before you tell us, the analogy with the VHS is partly false. Even a basic reader bought the day of the release of the standard was able to read and to record on a cassette of 4 or 5 hours.
