August 2006 marked a significant date for Dischromatics Limited, as we became one of a very few companies in the UK with the ability to offer fully replicated Blu-ray discs (or BD) produced to the highest technical standards at Sony DADC.

Key Features

• Amazing high-definition picture quality and incredible surround sound
• 25GB capacity per layer (maximum 8 layers, although only 2 initially)
• Supports HD-TV, advanced Codecs and Dolby Surround 7.1
• Supports Interlaced and Progressive images
• Compatible with Playstation 3
• Blu-ray players connect to the internet and have a hard drive for storage
• Interactive gaming, access to downloadable bonus content

Why Blu-ray and why now?

Blu-ray is the next logical step for optical media following on from CDs and DVDs.  Demand from different sectors of the industry (gaming/movie producers etc) means that DVD capacity is being stretched to the limits.  Indeed, film studios often supply set of 2 x DVD-9s to give space to "extras" such as bonus features, deleted scenes, soundtracks etc.  Blu-ray's increased capacity will also enable movies to be supplied in a much higher quality of image (known as HD-TV and already in use by some TV companies) and surround "cinema" sound (Dolby 7.1 will be supported).  This is due to the fact that data requires far less compression to fit onto a Blu-ray Disc compared to a DVD and that more advanced Codecs will be supported.  Blu-ray Discs will also enable movies to be supplied in 1920 x 1080 "Full HD" format (HD Ready is 1280 x 720), in either progressive or interlaced format (standard definition, or SD, television is currently broadcast in interlaced format where 2 images fit together to form 1, hence the blurring effect when a video is paused, progressive format however allows for a single image to be transmitted thereby eliminating the blurred effect when pausing).

What is Blu-ray and how does it work?

BD-ROM discs (replicated) are the next generation of optical media and intially will have a capacity of 25GB for single layer disc and 50GB for double layer discs.  However due to the way the discs have been developed there is in fact a possibility to increase this capacity to 200GB by using 8 layers!!!   The increase in capacity is due to the way the data is contained on the disc itself.  On a CD or a DVD, the data tracks are more spaced out to allow for reading with a red laser.  However the BD discs are read using a blue laser (hence the name) which has a shorter wavelength and therefore a smaller "spread" on the discs surface meaning that tracks of data can be more tightly packed together, thus increasing the capacity.  This data is protected by a specially developed hard scratchproof coating (as opposed to the original plastic casing) as a slight scratch would destroy far more information on a Blu-ray disc than on a DVD or CD.

However a BD disc is more than just a glorified DVD (see Blu-ray vs HD-DVD below). BD discs are also highly interactive, having an optional java mode built in.  They also allow for internet connectivity meaning a multitude of possibilities (see Additional Features below) via broadband.   Copy-protection (through AACS) is also a standard feature of all Blu-ray discs.

Recordable Blu-ray discs (BD-R) and re-writable Blu-ray discs (BD-RE) are also planned. 

Blu-ray was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association and is backed by most major film studios like Disney, Paramount and Warner as well as IT giants like HP and Apple.  Blu-ray is of course also supported by Sony and Playstation3.

New packaging variations are in the pipeline, but as the disc will be of the same dimensions as a normal CD or DVD, the current packaging options will of course still be available for use.

What is AACS (Advanced Access Content System) & Why is it needed?

AACS is a contract between the discs content owner and the AACS licencing authority and is required by all replicators prior to production of Blu-ray discs.  AACS basically works as a copy-protection system to stop unauthorised copies of discs being produced by introducing a "key" into the media during the replication process, however the replicator is unable to introduce this "key" without a valid licence provided by the content owner who must apply for this directly from the AACS authority without any involvement from Dischromatics or its manufacturer.  The Blu-ray organisation has stipulated that this licence is a required part of all Blu-ray productions and at this stage there are no alternatives when producing Blu-ray productions.

Charges will be levied by the AACS authority during the application stage (currently approximately $3000) and the licence document involves a 122 page contract.  More information can be found on their website: http://www.aacsla.com

Once the licence is obtained, there are also charges, albeit slightly lower ones, that must be paid to the replication company for application of the technology (mastering fee and per-disc surcharge).  More information on these charges can be obtained from your contact at Dischromatics.

Blu-ray Vs HD-DVD

HD-DVD's have also recently been released onto the market and are a direct competitor of Blu-ray technology.  HD-DVD discs are also read by a blue laser and therefore are also able to compress the space between data tracks, thereby also increasing the disc's total capacity.  A HD-DVD has a single layer capacity of 15GB and a dual layer capacity of 30GB. 

A HD-DVD is produced in a very similar fashion to a standard DVD.  This means that the data layers are positioned right in the centre of the disc (compared to the data on a CD which is towards the top).  However a Blu-ray Disc utilises an entirely new technology and therefore has its first data layer at the bottom of the disc.  This means that unlike HD-DVD, Blu-ray discs have space in which to include further layers of 25GB, up to a maximum of 8 layers or 200GB!!

Even without the extra layers it is worth noting that Blu-ray discs already hold more data per layer than HD-DVD's and this will mean that large films (such as Lord of The Rings) supplied on HD-DVD's will require more compression than those supplied on Blu-ray Discs meaning a loss of sound and picture quality for HD-DVD users.

Blu-ray transfer rates are also comparable or better than HD-DVD, depending on the application used.

HD-DVD's have been developed by Toshiba and NEC and were recently launched in the U.S.A, although the take-up rate was estimated at only 8,000 players in the first month.

Additional Features

Blu-ray technology allows for improved navigation menus to be used with button animations along with alternate sounds and colours.  Menus can also be programmed to "pop-up" whilst the film continues to play in the background.  This is unlike a DVD where pressing the "menu" button stops the films and takes the user to the route menu of the disc.

Picture in picture is also possible, allowing for additional bonus features to be accessed and utilised as the film is playing, all in amazing high-definition format.  This is possible using the Java interface which also permits pop-up menus (descibed above) and games to be played whilst the movie runs in the background.

As Blu-ray players can also be connected to the internet via a broadband connection, interactive on-line gaming is also possible along with content downloading.  This content can be stored on the players hard-drive and later backed up onto a BD-R.  This feature allows for endless possibilities from downloading of subtitles specific to a persons requirements through to choosing alternate endings to a film on different days of the week!  Even open source movies or live commentary from a director of a film can be achieved thanks to this unique combination of disc, player and the internet.

Of course, these possibilities mean that the marketing potential via feedback from customers, purchasing of "add-ons" to disc content or direct access to specific websites is enormous.  These possibilities are also greatly enhanced by Sony's powerful nCD tool.

How to Prepare Your Work for Production by Dischromatics

Dischromatics is happy to fulfil all requirements for Blu-ray Discs.  This is once again thanks to our unique agreement with Sony DADC.

To get the best out of your Blu-ray production it is useful to create your production in HD format and important to ensure that your master data is supplied in the correct format.  Acceptable master formats are: TGA Sequence on Firewire Drive NTFS Formatted, HDCAM SR, HDCAM, HDV tape, HD D5, a series of DVDR's (!) or on a Hard Disk Drive.
To ensure the best possible production, it is equally important to author your data correctly.  Dischromatics is also able to handle Blu-ray authoring, including menu creation and subtitle insertion.
It is equally important to ensure your graphics are prepared to our specifications and if required, we can design artwork to meet your needs.

Prices for Blu-ray Disc replication are now available, if you would like a quotation please do not hesitate to email us or call us on 01495 243222.