Faster write once Blu-ray is finally on the way. At the NAB 2007 show, Panasonic announced that they will introduce 4x BD-R media this summer. Released alongside their new 4x BD drive, these discs will be available in capacities of 25GB and 50GB.
Based on its 35-year experience in optical disc development, Panasonic succeeded in developing a new phase-change recording layer to achieve a 4x writing speed. The maximum data transfer speed for a 4x disc is 144Mbps, which means it can copy a 1GB folder in just one minute. This phase-change recording technology is used both for single and dual layer structures and ensures precise and stable recording at speeds ranging from 1x to 4x.
No word on price yet but like most Blu-ray media, Panasonic's new 4x discs probably won't be cheap. If you'd like to read more, Panasonic's entire press release can be found here.
