LG sets the pace for Blu-ray revolution

The company also plans to release a Blu-ray DVD player and disc by the end of the year, targeted at the audio-video and optical storage device market.

Launching LG's latest range of Blu-ray products, C. H. Lee, President, LG Electronics Gulf FZE, said: "With the latest launch, LG has become the leader in next-generation DVD technology by developing new audio-visual and storage products based on the Blu-ray format. LG has led the international market in light storage for eight years and plans to strengthen its brand power in the DVD market with this new technology."

LG's Blu-ray DVD writer, the Super Multi Blue GBW-H10N, can store up to 25 GB of data on a single disc. It can write to Blu-ray recordable discs at four times (4x) the normal speed, and Blu-ray re-writable discs at twice (2x) the normal speed. The Super Multi is compatible with Blu-ray discs of all sizes and is also backward compatible with standard CDs and DVDs.

'Blu-ray' is derived from the blue-violet laser it uses to read and write to the chalcogenide disc. A Blu-ray disc has more than five times the storage capacity of a DVD and can hold up 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a double-layer disc.

Ordinary DVD players use a 650 nanometer wavelength red laser, while CDs use an infrared 780 nanometer laser. In comparison to High-Definition DVD, which also uses a blue laser, Blu-ray has more information capacity per layer (25 gigabytes instead of 15).

LG also launched a conventional Super Multi GSA-H12N. The device is compatible with all DVD and CD formats and records at 18 times the normal speed (18x). It also comes equipped with LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling support. LightScribe is an optical disc recording technology that utilises specially coated recordable CD and DVD media to produce laser-etched labels.

Recently, LG became the first company in the industry to offer full HD LCD TVs in a range of sizes, including 32, 37, 42 and 55 inches. These TVs meet the rising demand for high-resolution home theatre solutions.

The Blu-ray disc format was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers, with more than 170 member companies from all over the world, including LG Electronics, on its board of directors.