TDK Corporation announced that it has reached a licensing agreement with Sony for TDK to
begin manufacturing and distributing TDK Professional Disc (PD-RE23CN) media, rewritable optical
discs that provide compatibility with Sony's Professional DiscTM System.
The new TDK Professional Disc media will launch worldwide in June 2005.
The TDK Professional Disc, which uses a blue-violet laser with a short wavelength for recording and
playback, boasts a capacity of 23.3GB - approximately five times that of DVD media - as well as a
rapid transfer rate of 72Mbps. Thanks to its random data access capability and other features
available only from optical disc media, it can be expected to find growing acceptance in broadcasting
applications.
In the development of its Professional Disc, TDK, a world leader in specialty recording media
manufacturing, has incorporated technologies specifically developed for use with the advanced
blue-violet laser. These technologies include the recording materials and recording layer that form the
basis for its performance utilizing high-sensitivity phase change materials and a layer structure
designed exclusively for high-speed recording. Through high-precision spin coating technology, discs
are manufactured with an extremely smooth 0.1mm-thick transparent cover layer. In addition, to
accommodate the disc's extremely narrow track pitch, high-precision mastering and injection
technology achieve the exceptionally accurate recording and playback stability demanded by the
Professional Disc System.
Due to the high-density recording required by the Professional Disc System, adherence of any dust
on, or scratches to the disc surface can have a serious impact on recording and playback accuracy.
By utilizing TDK's DURABIS PRO, a hard coating technology developed for professional-use discs,
TDK's Professional Disc offers extremely high durability and recording reliability.
In the future, demand for optical discs in professional broadcasting applications is expected to
increase further, thanks to such capabilities as fast transfer of images to IT systems, high-speed
editing, random access and other advantages. In this environment, TDK is confident that its
Professional Disc for broadcast use will assume a key role.
For additional information visit
www.tdk.co.jp.