# Blue Light DVD Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 12, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432 "2004-11-12T19:19:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432/1 "2004-11-12T19:19:06Z")

</div>

After reading [this article](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/11/spark.dvd/index.html) It occurred to me and my nerdy friends that the following question is unanswered:

If blue light lasers are superior to red light lasers due to shorter wavelength (and hence higher density of data) are ultraviolet lasers the logical next step for DVDs?

If so, are UV lasers not yet perfected , too expensive or have some other reason for not being useful?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432/2 "2004-11-12T20:00:33Z")

</div>

> [@BubbaDog](#):
>
> are ultraviolet lasers the logical next step for DVDs?

They’re already [on the way](http://www.engadget.com/entry/0805782712412113/)

> [@](#):
>
> Pioneer has developed a technology that they say will allow them to create optical data storage devices that can store up to 500GB of data

:eek:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432/3 "2004-11-12T20:02:00Z")

</div>

UV lasers are still in development. After all, let’s look at how long it’s taken to get blue-laser technology even close to being ready for consumer electronics.

Pioneer just announced on Wednesday that they’ve got a UV-laser based system in development, and that they expect a CD-sized disc to have a half-terabyte (500 GB) of storage.

[http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19531](http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19531)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-light-dvd-question/274432/4 "2004-11-12T20:28:44Z")

</div>

Thanks for the links.  
I think that my office gang just became Straight Dope fans! 😃