Blu-ray capacity upped to 128GB

A new set of specifications outlined by The Blu-ray Disc Association has paved the way for the standard capacity of discs to reach as much as 128GB.

However, unlike the recent spec boost that saw standard disc capacity upped to 33.4GB, the new disc standard will not be compatible with existing players, meaning those who wish to take advantage will need to buy new hardware.

Wired reports that the new BDXL format will see BDR disc capacity reaching 128GB, with BDRW discs hitting 100GB. This is achieved through adding between three and four additional writable layers.

In addition, an Intra-Hybrid Blu-ray Disc standard (IH-BD) will offer both write-once and re-write functionality on a single disc, with each offering up to 25GB of storage.

Though current players will not be able to take advantage of the new media, new hardware that does support them will also be backwardly compatible with existing Blu-ray media.