BD R
Blu-ray Disc Recordable. A BD R disc can be
recorded once, and cannot be accidentally
erased. BD R is the ideal format for archiving
valuable data or storing and distributing video
material.
BD RE
Blu-ray Disc Rewritable. A BD RE disc can be
recorded over and over again. It offers
extensive editing functionality on the disc. BD
RE is the ideal format for making sequential
backups, or recording video for time shifting
purposes.
BD ROM
Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory. A BD ROM disc
contains pre-recorded data. Although a BD ROM
may contain any form of data, most BD ROM discs
will contain movies in High Definition format,
for playback on Blu-ray Disc players.
CD
Compact Disc. First generation optical media,
introduced in the early 1980s. A CD contains up
to 700 MB of data. Mainly used for audio and for
data storage applications that do not require
much room. Most Blu-ray Disc products will be
compatible with CDs.
DVD
Digital Versatile Disc. Second generation
optical media, introduced in the mid 1990s. A
DVD contains up to 8.5 GB of data. Mainly used
for standard definition video and data storage
applications that require average room. Most
Blu-ray Disc products will be compatible with
DVDs.
Gigabyte (GB)
A gigabyte equals about 1,000 megabytes (MB). A
Blu-ray Disc capable of recording 50 GB
therefore stores about 50,000 megabytes.
HDTV
High Definition Television. Generic term used
for TV technology producing images in a much
higher quality picture than standard definition
TVs. An HDTV set displays 720 up to 1,080
visible lines. Blu-ray Discs usually contain HD
video.
Layer
In Blu-ray Disc, data is recorded on a single
side of the disc. However, a disc can store two
data layers, both at the same side. The read-out
or recording laser of the Blu-ray Disc device
will first read from or record to one layer, and
then re-focuses on the second layer. All this is
done automatically without any user
interference. A double-layer Blu-ray Disc can
store up to 50 GB of data.
SDTV
Standard Definition Television. Generic term
used for conventional television sets, based on
the NTSC or PAL standards. SD television
consists of 480 to 570 visible lines.