Three-Layer 51 GB HD DVD Apparently Approved
It appears the approval was given on August 31st, but for some reason the news is just leaking out now. In any case, there hadn't been any official announcements by Toshiba or the DVD Forum prior to the leaked information.
The 51 GB derivative enables three layers to be bonded together within the same 0.6 mm substrate limitations as standard discs, with varying reflectivity for each layer that enables contents from buried layers to be revealed, even through the bonding material. Multi-layer bonding is not a novel process, though the reflectivity formula is. Engineers from Warner Bros. have filed patents for similar multi-layer bonding concepts including, according to patents, a four-layer process, though recent events lead to the conclusion that Warner isn't interested in exploiting its own intellectual property, at least presently.
Also, in an apparent escalation of the format wars, Warner Bros. was reportedly offered cash to switch from supporting both formats to supporting HD DVD (by Toshiba, naturally).
The 51 GB derivative enables three layers to be bonded together within the same 0.6 mm substrate limitations as standard discs, with varying reflectivity for each layer that enables contents from buried layers to be revealed, even through the bonding material. Multi-layer bonding is not a novel process, though the reflectivity formula is. Engineers from Warner Bros. have filed patents for similar multi-layer bonding concepts including, according to patents, a four-layer process, though recent events lead to the conclusion that Warner isn't interested in exploiting its own intellectual property, at least presently.
Also, in an apparent escalation of the format wars, Warner Bros. was reportedly offered cash to switch from supporting both formats to supporting HD DVD (by Toshiba, naturally).
