Singulus Extends Bluline II Blu-ray Production Line

Singulus Technologies AG developed
a replication line under the product name Bluline III for the manufacturing
of triple-layer Blu-ray discs with a storage capacity of 100GB.

Production equipment by Singulus enables the production of next generation
optical discs on the basis of the current Bluline II machines for dual-layer
Blu-ray Discs.

Dr.-Ing.
Stefan Rinck, CEO of Singulus, comments: "Just
in time for the market introduction of the new ultra-high definition television
technology (4K or Ultra-HD), we completed the development of the production
technology for the new triple-layer Blu-ray discs with 100GB storage capacity."

He adds: "For Singulus in the optical disc segment the year 2013 has been very positive overall. Until the
end of this year’s August we received more orders for Blu-ray disc production
machines than in the prior-year period. We also see good opportunities for the
sales of our Blu-ray production equipment in the future. The positive life
cycle of the Blu-ray disc will continue for some years with the launch of the
new ultra-high definition television format."

The advancement of triple-layer Blu-ray discs with 100GB storage capacity, is the preferred playback medium for the new
4K technology. With the realization of a designed data
compression method for the ultra-high definition technology, the storage volume
per information layer can be increased from 25GB to 33GB. In its committees,
the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is
currently discussing the specifications of new, global standards. Singulus completed the marketable concept of a new replication line.

At the IFA 2013 media and technology companies provide insights into the future
of television: Sky, Astra, Sony, Harmonic, the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute and
the German TV-Platform present
ultra-high definition. The new generation of high definition television
provides four times the resolution (3,840 x 2,560 pixels) of HDTV. 4K will
become less expensive: in Berlin a Chinese manufacturer is presenting new
Ultra-HD TVs with a price tag of less than €2,000.

Background Blu-ray disc market trends
In the 1st half of 2013 Blu-ray disc
sales increased by 41% compared with the same period one year ago (German
Association of Audio-Visual Media (BVV), August 2013). With a share of more
than 90%, physical media (Blu-ray and DVD) also continue to dominate sales in
the home entertainment market in 2013. Blu-ray disc sales in the US, the
international key market, will expand with a double-digit growth rate in 2013.
This trend is amplified by the market launch of the new ultra-high
definition television technology and the upcoming market introduction of the
new gaming consoles Playstation PS 4 by Sony and Microsoft’s Xbox One. Both
gaming consoles are even expected to be equipped with a Blu-ray drive with 4K
support. At several gaming conventions and the IFA,
the two new consoles were a highlight.