Are You Ready for a 200GB Blu-ray Disc?

Move over, BD-50! TDK earlier today unveiled a prototype 200GB multi-layer Blu-ray disc at the IFA conference in Berlin, Germany.

Red Herring reports that the German-based optical storage manufacturer was able to greatly increase the capacity of its recordable high-definition Blu-ray discs -- well above even the company's initial 100GB prototype announced earlier this year -- by advancements in blue laser optical media technology

A 200GB Blu-ray disc would be an eight-fold increase in storage capacity over the current industry standard BD-25 single-layer disc, which maxes out at 25GB. It would also be four times that of the upcoming BD-50 dual-layer, 50GB disc variant, the recordable version of which TDK announced they would begin shipping to retailers tomorrow.

If TDK can eventually perfect its 200GB prototype for mass consumer production, it could conceivably hold up to 18 hours of Blu-ray formatted video -- and instantly render today's squabbling about BD-25 versus BD-50 moot.

However, backwards compatibility issues with today's current and upcoming Blu-ray players -- none of which are capable of playing a 200GB disc -- could prove problematic for TDK. Still, the idea of a Blu-ray disc with such massive storage potential is undeniably intriguing. (Just think of all those remastered 'Star Trek' episodes a single 200GB disc could hold!)

Stay tuned for the latest news as the story develops...