http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/ Engadget HD Comments for Atmel intros 'industry's smallest' laser diode driver for HD DVD / Blu-ray http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/Jul 24th 2007 11:29AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/Jul 24th 2007 11:58AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/
Apart from being smaller, this diode doesn't really bring anything new in terms of diodes for HD DVD and Blu-Ray. In fact, in terms of the laser diode both HD DVD and Blu-Ray are identical (they use the same blue-violet laser). The challenge in making dual format drives is designing the collimating optics because the physical disc structure differs significantly between the two HD formats.

This is why dual format drives are significantly more expensive than HD DVD only or Blu-Ray only drives; you basically have to either shove in two sets of optics or you have to use some sort of fancy reconfigurable optics. With HD DVD, DVD, and CD only drives, the disc structure is close enough that it's not a problem to use one set of optics. Blu-Ray makes more stringent (and different) requirements on the optics so that it can achieve the higher data density. The laser diode doesn't change though...]]>Jul 24th 2007 3:06PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/24/atmel-intros-industrys-smallest-laser-diode-driver-for-hd-dvd/Jul 24th 2007 3:12PM