The first dual-layer DVD+R recording media are set to go on sale in Japan at the end of this month and in the U.S. in June, says disc maker Mitsubishi Kagaku Media.
The discs were developed jointly by Mitsubishi Kagaku, which uses the Verbatim brand name, and Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV. The discs offer 8.5GB of recording space compared to the 4.7GB of space available on a standard DVD+R disc.
They will cost around $13.30 per disc in Japan, said a spokeswoman for the company.
As the name suggests, the extra recording capacity is made possible through the addition of a second recording layer inside the disc. To make it possible for a single laser to access both recording layers, one behind the other, the top layer has been made semi-transparent. That allows enough reflectivity for data storage and playback while also allowing light to pass through to the second layer.