To assist customers in selecting the latest generation of DVD players without confusion, Japan’s Ricoh Company has developed a unit capable of reading and writing all Blu-ray, HD DVD, as well as standard DVD and CD formats.
This unit features a circular diffraction disk, 1 mm thick and 3.5 mm in diameter, positioned between an optical lens and a laser. The diffraction element adjusts the light beam directed toward the lens, focusing the light at the appropriate location for each different disc format.
The data layer of a Blu-ray disc is located 0.1 mm below the surface of the disc, while the HD DVD has a depth of 0.6 mm, similar to that of a standard DVD. The data layer of a CD reaches a depth of 1.1 mm. Ricoh’s multi-format compatible device can identify which type of disc is being used and adjust the path of the laser to the lens accordingly.
“This is the first product that is truly ready to support all four optical disc technologies, and customers will be the first to benefit,” a Ricoh spokesperson confirmed.
Ricoh will showcase their device at the International Optoelectronics Exhibition taking place from July 12 to July 14 in Tokyo, Japan, and plans to implement this technology into production by the end of this year.
