Verbatim has officially announced plans to support the development of both Blu-ray and High-Definition DVD (HD-DVD) recordable and rewritable media.

Both formats are expected to begin shipping in early 2006, when high-definition drives and recorders are expected to be released.

Verbatim Blu-ray media will be available with 25GB (single-layer) and 50GB (double-layer) capacities. The HD-DVD media will be available with a single-layer capacity of 15GB. Double-layer HD-DVD media is also being developed for release following format finalisation.

Verbatim is already working with the standards groups and burner/recorder manufacturers to develop and refine the materials and manufacturing processes, has joined both the BDA (Blue-ray Disc Association) as a contributor and the HD-DVD Promotion Group as a general member. Verbatim officials noted that the company will leverage its experience in producing professional blue laser media for the consumers as well.

A world leader in media dye, sputtering and production process technologies, Verbatim has assigned the development of the next-generation technologies to two of its leading-edge facilities. The Singapore facility, where substantial experience has been gained in producing DVD double layer media, is the focal point for the development of HD DVD recordable media. With its expertise in magneto-optical and UDO media development and high-precision mastering, the Mizushima Plant, in Japan, will focus on the Blu-ray media.

The two high-definition formats are currently rallying support from major distributors and manufacturers worldwide in order to become the next standard for movie and data storage. Whilst there has been talk of a compromise format being developed, there has been no final decision released on this subject and it is apparent that both formats will be released to market.