Sanyo said it has created a new blue laser diode with the ability to transfer data up to 12 times as fast as previous technologies. The laser, which emits a 450 milliwatt beam about double that of previous Blu-ray Disc systems, which can read and write data on discs with up to four data layers, affording Blu-ray players the ability to store 100GB on a disc, or 8 hours of high-definition video. A new 450-mw blue laser diode unveiled by Sanyo, however, will enable players to read and burn four-layer 100GB discs at up to 12x speeds. Actual drives with the new laser are still probably a year or two away. At 12X speed, 100GB of data could be burned to a Blu-ray disk in 10 minutes. Optical disc systems such as Blu-ray Disc typically advance throughout their lives, thanks to developments in component technology.

Sanyo’s 12x stronger lasers mean additional recording layers can be added and discs can be spun faster. Most of the latest Blu-ray Disc drives support double-layer at speeds of up to 6X.

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