"Our automated manufacturing equipment is in place and we have confirmed the feasibility of mass production of BD-R and BD-RE media," said Tim Clatterbuck, Verbatim Optical Storage Manager. "We are just waiting for licensing and media qualification procedures to be established. As a true manufacturer, Verbatim looks forward to leading the industry in the production of high-quality, next-generation media as we did with CD and DVD recordable products. Our experience with DVD dual layer manufacturing also gives us a head start in producing 50GB dual layer Blu-ray media for launch later this year."

The new Verbatim BD media will include a proprietary super-hard coat developed by MKM. This protective coating is a key technology for BD disc production since the BD data layer is close to the surface of the disc and not protected by a plastic substrate like DVD media. The new hard coat will protect the BD data layer from scratches and fingerprints without warping the disc, and allows the usage of the media in a bare disc form, without a cartridge.

Well-known for the role it has played in the development of recordable and rewriteable CD and DVD media, MKM/Verbatim has excellent relationships with the leading optical hardware manufacturers. By providing them with benchmark media for performance and compatibility testing, Verbatim/MKM validates its media across the broad range of burners, recorders and players that will be released. For end users, the additional testing means they will have the best compatibility between their hardware and Verbatim-branded media.

In developing its BD-R and BD-RE media, MKM/Verbatim also leveraged its experience in producing 30GB UDO (Ultra Density Optical) blue laser media. The new Blu-ray media uses a structure similar to the UDO disc, which has delivered outstanding blue laser performance for more than a year and is widely used in optical libraries for legal, financial, healthcare and government applications.

With the availability of MKM/Verbatim premium-quality recordable BD media, users will be able to record and enjoy the amazingly sharp images that high-definition video provides. The high-capacity discs will also find extensive application in computer data storage.

Verbatim/MKM is a contributing member of the Blue-ray Disc Association (BDA).

Verbatim is exhibiting at the CES 2006 Show in Las Vegas this week at Booth #36049, South Hall 4.

About Verbatim

Verbatimฎ Corporation, a Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Company, is an international organization that develops and markets innovative, high-quality products for storing, moving and using digital content. Known for its leadership in the removable storage media and related accessories markets, the company provides reliable, unique technologies and products that are highly sought after and broadly distributed worldwide. For more information, contact Verbatim at 1200 W.T. Harris Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28262, (800) 421-4188, FAX (704) 547-6609; or visit the company's web site at http://www.verbatim.com