Pioneer's 400 GB Blu-Ray Disc Coming

According to Pioneer, Blu-ray technology will be in for a huge upgrade. The firm claims that it has developed a new disc manufacturing technology that will allow up to 400 GB of data to be packed onto a single disc. Sounds too good to be true?

Here’s the real kicker: Pioneer claims that the new 400 GB Blu-ray discs will be fully compatible with existing Blu-ray readers. This means you can go out and buy a 400 GB who knows what, and pop it into your existing drive without a hitch.

The new discs are 16-layer discs, compared with today’s dual-layer discs, and utilize a smaller pitch and beam wavelength. Despite this, Pioneer still claims compatibility—although existing players and records may require firmwares to adjust the pickup.

Pioneer also claims that when these new discs start rolling out, 400 GB Blu-ray burners will accompany them as well. Just imagine what kind of things you can jam onto a disc of that capacity!