Try scratching this DVD

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HD DVD supporters include Memory-Tech, NEC, Sanyo Electric and Toshiba. According to an NEC representative, HD DVD doesn't call for a protective layer and will be as durable as current DVDs.

Still, analysts and industry executives said they believe TDK's protective coating will prove to be a major boost for Blu-ray.

"This (TDK's coating) could make for a great marketing opportunity, helping to differentiate Blu-ray from HD DVD," said Shyam Nagrani, an analyst with research firm iSuppli.

Andy Parsons, senior vice president of advanced product development at Pioneer Electronics, said that removing the cartridge requirement will make Blu-ray that much more appealing, given its higher storage capacity.

"Going without a cartridge takes a significant amount out of costs and, history tells us, makes the discs more convenient from a consumer standpoint," Parsons said.

Getting the right mix
In order to meet Blu-ray's specifications, TDK's coating had to be less than 0.1 mm thick, be hard enough to take a beating and be transparent enough to be easily read.

"We could have developed a metal alloy that would have met the protection requirements, but then it would have been opaque and impossible to read," said Bruce Youmans, vice president of marketing at TDK. "We've come up with the right polymer mix and production method to balance all three conditions."

According to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in September, the process essentially spin-coats two layers onto discs. One is for protection against scratches and the other protects against stains and oils.

Youmans said that the protective layer on the currently available DVD-R discs represents the first generation of the coating and that the company has been refining the technology to better suit Blu-ray Discs. Although it might seem possible to adapt the polymer to other uses in LCD, CRT and plasma screens, TDK plans to target the DVD market for now, Youmans said.

One big market for TDK could be DVD rental services. Scratches are so frequent on DVDs that they last about 12 to 13 rentals on average, said Bill Fischer, vice president of corporate development at San Francisco-based DVD Station, a start-up that sets up DVD rental kiosks for retailers such as those in Sony's Metreon center.

While Netflix executives and many parents might consider scratch-proof DVDs a godsend, TDK for now is positioning its technology for the arrival of Blu-ray.

"There's an outcry for extra protection in the DVD market where scratches on rented DVDs is a fairly common occurrence," Youmans said. "But the bigger opportunity may be Blu-ray Discs...We're poised for that market."

CNET News.com's Evan Hansen contributed to this report.

[grey_eminence]

From Russia, Highly Advanced Atomic Switch Nanotechnology

http://www.nanonewsnet.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=4&pid=6

[LinuxRules]

I Want My Cartridge!

"But it also renders them more vulnerable to
damage, so much so that the Blu-ray industry
group stowed its rewritable discs in a
protective cartridge, much like a cassette
tape."

OK now I am pissed I much rather have a well
protected disk in a cartridge than a bare disk.
And the industry convinced Blu-ray not to use
it. Screw the industry, the bastards want your
children to handle the disk to distroy it, in
order for you to rebuy a new disk. There is a
ton of information in that bare disk. The greedy
bastards! screw them1!!

[repairdvd]

Yes, agree DVD should be covered with a better more protective covering. But they are not and they get scratched up. Luckily, they have 90% polymer bottom layer that can be rebuffed at http://www.wefixdvds.com with patented hydro-abrasive technology that will keep your disc cool as it is rebuffed to it's like new stat. This keeps your data safe. After all the laser is just being deflected as it hits the scratched. Note: Blu-ray and HD DVD can be scratched too... But they have a wider beam that can skip over lager scratched the standard DVD player. Also Blu-Ray , PS3 and HD DVD only have 8% polymer layer and you should NOT attempt to fix these at home or by hand.