Sony Announces Blu-ray Disc Production to Begin in Late February 2006

[one]

Spring is coming :smile:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060104/nyw174.html?.v=24

Sony DADC Announces Global Blu-ray Disc Roll-out
Wednesday January 4, 8:15 pm ET
Blu-ray Disc Production to Begin in Late February 2006

TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony DADC today announced its disc production plans for the new Blu-ray disc format. Beginning in late February of 2006, Sony DADC will be ready to accept orders and manufacture 25GB Blu-ray Discs on a global basis. The first production will begin in Sony's Shizuoka, Japan facility and will accommodate both local and export demand. The Sony DADC facility in Terre Haute, IN will start production by May 2006, and the Salzburg, Austria plant will commence production by July 2006.

Throughout the remainder of 2006, Sony DADC will continue to add equipment on a global basis, and will reach a capacity of 5 million units per month for the U.S. and 2.5 million units per month for both Japan and Europe. This will be accomplished with a total of 30 replication lines. By the late summer of 2006, all facilities will be equipped to manufacture both the 25GB and 50GB versions of the Blu-ray disc format. The initial lines will utilize a sheet- type process. The spin process, which has been successfully developed, will be implemented when second generation lines are developed.

"Sony DADC is committed to playing a key role in the global establishment of the Blu-ray format. Over the last 18 months, our engineers have been able to perfect the production process for Blu-ray discs, and we are now ready to begin manufacturing," stated Dieter Daum, President, Sony Disc & Digital Solutions.

"Sony DADC has been privileged to be involved with Blu-ray manufacturing preparations both internally and with our customers for well over a year now. We will support all of our customers during the launches of BD video and PlayStation 3 in the coming year and beyond," states Bob Hurley, Executive Vice-President, Sales & Marketing.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

25 GB, 50 in the Summer. Is HDDVD launching at 30 GB? sounds like inital BRDs will be a waste of money.

 

[drpepper]

Spring is coming :smile:

Speek for youself, it took 45 minutes to get to university by car today which normally took 5 minutes. The snow storm here is insane. And I don't feel the days getting any longer....

Good news for Blu-Ray anyways. But I wonder how long till the 50 GB discs come full swing.

 

["Nerve-Damage"]

I think the thread topic was already posted here somewhere…but I could be wrong.

Anyhow, my 2006 PS3 prediction:
* PS3 released in Japan by mid May
* PS3 released in America by mid October
* PS3 released in Europe by mid December
* All other territories will have to wait until 2007

 

[Carl B]

Isn't this news kind of old? I think it was posted in some thread around here a couple of days ago. I think someone beat you to it this time One!

(not that I'm going to dig around trying to find it)

 

[Danalys]

25 GB, 50 in the Summer. Is HDDVD launching at 30 GB? sounds like inital BRDs will be a waste of money.

it doesn't state no dual layer lines before summer. it states that all facilities will be capable of both single and dual layer in the summer. that leaves the option of some being ready before then. also we have heard that of those companies releasing on both HD-DVD and Blue-ray they will use the same encode. so there will be no difference on those titles.

 

[Synergy34]

I think the thread topic was already posted here somewhere…but I could be wrong.

Anyhow, my 2006 PS3 prediction:
* PS3 released in Japan by mid May
* PS3 released in America by mid October
* PS3 released in Europe by mid December
* All other territories will have to wait until 2007

I think that would be pretty accurate but I still doubt a 06 Euro launch. I don't see how Sony will be able to make enough units for a launch and satisfy JP and US gamers around the Holidays.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Wasnt the EU ps2 launch of ps2 only one month (give or take) after NA launch?

 

[Nicked]

25 GB, 50 in the Summer. Is HDDVD launching at 30 GB? sounds like inital BRDs will be a waste of money.

Have their been any 30gb discs announced? I haven't heard of any.
I did hear that lines have to be retooled just like BR to make 30Gb HD-DVD discs, just not 15Gb discs.

Wasnt the EU ps2 launch of ps2 only one month (give or take) after NA launch?

Yes. It was meant to launch at the same time, but was delayed by a month.

And I'm not going to guess on launches, but I think they'll make Spring in Japan as a way to prove their Spring talk.

 

[ihamoitc2005]

Drive

25 GB, 50 in the Summer. Is HDDVD launching at 30 GB? sounds like inital BRDs will be a waste of money.

If person owns Blu-ray player then HD-DVD disc is waste of money, if person owns HD-DVD drive, then Blu-ray disc is waste of money. So decision is not which disc to buy but which player/drive to buy.

 

[Platon]

Does those include burnable disks as well or only for movie studios and stuff...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If person owns Blu-ray player then HD-DVD disc is waste of money, if person owns HD-DVD drive, then Blu-ray disc is waste of money. So decision is not which disc to buy but which player/drive to buy.

I was thinking initial BRDs, if they're 25 GB and will soon be superceeded by 50 GB films. You'd buy a film only to have a better quality version release 6 months later?

Regards HDDVD, I thought they were only going to have 30 GB films. there was no 15 GB option. Is that incorrect?

 

[archie4oz]

25 GB, 50 in the Summer. Is HDDVD launching at 30 GB? sounds like inital BRDs will be a waste of money.

This is only for DADC... There are still other plants that will manufacture BD-ROMS...

I was thinking initial BRDs, if they're 25 GB and will soon be superceeded by 50 GB films. You'd buy a film only to have a better quality version release 6 months later?

How is that any different from now?

 

[mckmas8808]

When they say equipment do they mean players? Because if so....

Throughout the remainder of 2006, Sony DADC will continue to add equipment on a global basis, and will reach a capacity of 5 million units per month for the U.S. and 2.5 million units per month for both Japan and Europe. This will be accomplished with a total of 30 replication lines.

 

[ERP]

So here's an interesting little nugget....

Back before MS launched Xbox 1 (DVD had been around a while) one of their biggest logistical concerns was having enough DVD manufacturing capacity to get all of their launch titles duplicated in enough quantity befor launch.

And we're not talking tons of titles or even tons of units.

Sony shipped a lot of it's early titles on CD, but MS decided that they wouldn't allow bootable CD's.

Now Sony has an advantage in that they likely own some of the BR manufacturing facilities.

 

[archie4oz]

When they say equipment do they mean players? Because if so....

No, DADC is primarily a media production outfit...

Now Sony has an advantage in that they likely own some of the BR manufacturing facilities.

This came in handy w/the original Playstation as well as Sony was able to (and in fact did) divert music CD production for Playstation game production when game demand was high (this also hurt SEGA who still stuck w/the wholesaler method from the cartridge days of managing software inventory, when releasing software for the Saturn which slowed down turn-around time for new orders)...

 

[mckmas8808]

No, DADC is primarily a media production outfit...

Oh ok cool. So do you guys believe what Kaz said about most PS3 games being on Blu-ray disc and not DVDs?

 

[typoEDR]

Oh ok cool. So do you guys believe what Kaz said about most PS3 games being on Blu-ray disc and not DVDs?

I would say 50% DVD and 50% BluRay. I don't see a game like WarHawk filling a BluRay, but I could be wrong.

 

[ERP]

Oh ok cool. So do you guys believe what Kaz said about most PS3 games being on Blu-ray disc and not DVDs?

If there is any cost differential at all, I doubt many 3rd parties will go for BluRay over DVD.

 

[mckmas8808]

I would say 50% DVD and 50% BluRay. I don't see a game like WarHawk filling a BluRay, but I could be wrong.

Well to be fair he said, "the first year 74% of PS2 games were CD based, 26% were on DVD. Now 5 years later 5% are on CD's and 95% are on DVD's." And then he said he sees the samething happening next-gen with Blu-ray.

That's what he said, so I don't think he meant many launch games will be on Blu-ray.