Sharp starts blue laser diode production ~

Reuters 2006 ^ | Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:00pm ET140 | Reuters 2006

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp Corp. (6753.T: Quote, NEWS , Research) said on Tuesday it has started the commercial production of blue laser diodes, taking aim at a market with strong growth potential.

Sharp in November began volume output of blue laser diodes, used to read and write data on high-definition optical discs, at 150,000 units a month at its existing plant in western Japan, Sharp spokesman Hiroshi Takenami said.

The diodes can be used in DVD players based on the Blu-ray format, championed by Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, NEWS , Research), as well as competing HD DVD technology, promoted by Toshiba Corp. (6502.T: Quote, NEWS , Research).

Sharp, which is entering the market dominated by Sony and unlisted Nichia Corp, plans to bring the monthly capacity to 500,000 units by the end of 2007, spending several billion yen.

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Resource links:

High Definition: The Future of DVD
High Definition DVD Tutorial: Blu-Ray Disc and Advanced Optical Disc

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Material on the above link is somewhat dated....

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Resource link:

Sony BWU-100A Blu-ray Disc Writer
Review

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Over the next few pages we'll take a look at the BWU-100A's features and then see how it compares to the Blu-ray Disc writers from Pioneer and I-O DATA. Does Sony's Blu-ray Disc writer have what it takes? Keep reading as we find out.

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Another Resource link....how about HD Audio....

Preparing You for the New High Definition Audio Formats: an Introduction to Dolby True HD and DTS HD

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by Murray Wasylnuk

With the excitement of the coming high definition optical disc formats building, yet the unstoppable threat of another format war brewing, I wanted to take a look at the details concerning the changes that are forthcoming from enhanced bit-for-bit digital audio, to be paired with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Both Dolby and DTS have developed new audio formats to complement the high definition visual content that will be present on both of the new optical disc formats.