The Blu-ray Disc Association announced today that the format specification is complete and that licensing is ready to begin for BD-ROM, BD-RE and BD-R.

The completion of the specification now enables content providers and manufacturers to begin the process of producing Blu-ray Disc products for a wide variety of uses.

The Blu-ray Disc Association approved these specifications on January 2, 2006. Licensing of the BD-R and BD-RE 2.0 specifications began December 26, 2005. Specifications have been approved for the Blu-ray Disc single (25GB) and dual (50GB) layer specifications.

"We are very pleased to announce this very important milestone for the Blu-ray Disc format," said Victor Matsuda, global chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association Promotions Committee. "The completion of these specifications is an important step in establishing Blu-ray Disc as the premiere next-generation optical disc format and provides manufacturers with the information they need to launch products beginning this Spring."

With the completion of these specifications, consumers can expect to see Blu-ray discs in the market over the course of the next few months.

Parties interested in licensing the Blu-ray Disc technology should contact the Blu-ray Disc License Agent (agent@blu-raydisc.info of fax +81-3-5769 5727) and execute the required license agreement. Companies interesting in developing, manufacturing, and selling Blu-ray Disc products must sign a license agreement to comply with the format specifications.

In addition the Blu-ray Disc Association formally kicks off a new era of entertainment today as more than 20 companies announce Blu-ray Disc products, including players, recorders, high definition computer drives, recordable media and PC applications, as well as over 100 movie and music titles.

"Due to the unparalleled support of Blu-ray Disc, we will be able to offer movies, music and games as well as an unmatched array of product that will provide consumers with a dramatic new home entertainment experience," said Victor Matsuda, global chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association Promotions Committee. "With Blu-ray Disc, the bar has now been raised for the home viewing experience."

Blu-ray Disc provides consumers and content providers with a single common format that has the capacity, image and audio quality, interactivity and connectivity needed to expand beyond the simple movie playback and into a range of interoperable consumer products and applications that will bring a new dimension to home entertainment.

"Today's announcements are a clear demonstration of the overwhelming cross-industry support for the Blu-ray Disc format," said Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation. "A majority of the CE, IT, Hollywood studios, music and game companies have already endorsed Blu-ray Disc because of its technical superiority and its ability to provide an entirely new experience to consumers. We are thrilled to announce that we are now ready for consumers to experience Blu-ray Disc for themselves."

Consumers in the U.S. can expect to see Blu-ray Disc product on retail shelves beginning in the first quarter of 2006, with additional products and titles expected over the course of the year. For a list of companies that have announced Blu-ray Disc products, and for a look at the first wave of Blu-ray Disc movie and music titles.

"With the rapid growth in high-definition TV, blue-laser technology is an important step forward in creating an unparalleled consumer entertainment experience," said IDC's Joshua Martin, associate analyst, consumer markets. "The winning format will offer consumers breadth of product and depth of content at competitive price points."

"We believe that Blu-Ray Disc will give our customers a revolutionary new home entertainment experience that goes beyond high definition in every sense. With Blu-ray Disc, consumers will have access to life-like picture and sound, rich interactivity and interoperability across all their devices, from PCs to TVs to set-top players and recorders," said Michael Dell, Chairman of Dell Inc.