Next-generation optical disks in the works

BBC : Sony and Panasonic have announced plans to jointly develop a higher-capacity digital data storage medium. Whereas current state-of-the-art Blu-ray disks hold up to 50 GB of data, the proposed optical disk would be capable of 300 GB. The growing archive market has been cited as the reason, because the new disks will be compatible between different formats and better able to withstand potential environmental degradation due to dust, humidity, and temperature. However, the real driver may prove to be the consumer market, which is constantly demanding higher-quality video capability. Although sales of movie disks have been dropping off as streaming video has increased in popularity, the development of the next-generation, ultrahigh-definition video format— 4K —could cause increased demand for disks because the 100-GB files would make streaming impractical for most households.