The Blu-ray Disc Association is shifting its focus on data backup and recording of high-definition broadcast content while stepping away from movie distribution. The recent release of the latest Blu-ray disc format called BDXL offers storage capacity of up to 128GB.

The new format uses more storage layers doubling the storage capacity of existing Blu-ray discs which offer 50GB of storage. The 128GB BDXL discs are write-once while a re-writable format will also be available allowing for 100GB of storage capacity.

BDXL recorders will be used as set-top boxes to record broadcast TV and archive sensitive data, video, and images. While millions of Blu-ray players have been sold on the market, the new format is not compatible with the existing devices. It will require the purchase of new hardware. Such was the case with the evolution of DVD format in the early 2000s.

The existing storage capacity of 50GB Blu-ray discs is large enough to fit most high-definition movies and 3D movies based on the Blu-ray 3D format. The BDXL format addresses the need for high capacity discs to back up data in case of hard drive failure.

Further down the line, you can expect the development of BDXL drives for laptops and computers. No time frame on the release of BDXL hardware has been identified.

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