If true, I love this: According to Pioneer, this 16-layer 400GB optical disc can be read in any normal Blu-ray player. And it's only the beginning, because they have planned 1TB for 2013.

The technology of the super multi-layer read-only disc is based on Blu-ray Disc (BD) with a breakthrough in material of reflective layers, according to Pioneer High Fidelity Taiwan. The specifications of the pick-up head (PUH) of the disc is the same as those for the PUH of blank BD discs, and therefore the Pioneer discs can be read on BD players.


How is this possible, you ask? I don't know for sure. In theory, it may be compatible, since they both use 405 nanometer heads, but then again, the track pitch is different (10 and 14 nanometer in the Pioneer super-disc versus 25 nanometer in a Blu-ray disc). But Pioneer seems pretty adamant about it in their statement. Maybe existing Blu-ray players would only need a firmware update? We will have to wait and see when it's released during the next year. [Digitimes]