Blu-ray Disc Association Begins Licensing For Next-Generation Broadcast Recordable Blu-ray™ Format New Recordable Format Enables Recording of Ultra HD Broadcast Content in Japanese Market

LOS ANGELES – January9 2018 – The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today commenced licensing of its latest expansion of the Blu-ray Disc format. The specifications for next-generation broadcast recordable Blu-ray format will allow consumers in the Japanese market to record, view and archive Ultra HD broadcast content on new BD-RE XL media, as well as on legacy BD-R and BD-RE discs.

Blu-ray Disc’s large data capacity has made it a top choice for archiving personal video content. In Japan, where there are three times more Blu-ray recorders in homes than there are players, it’s widely used for recording and archiving broadcast content.

According to JEITA, more than 2 million Blu-ray recorders were shipped in 2016 and a similar number is forecasted for 2017, while approximately 600,000 Blu-ray players were shipped during the same years.

"Due to different business models and certain cultural aspects in Japan, Blu-ray recorder sales have outpaced player sales since the introduction of the format,” noted Victor Matsuda, Chair of BDA Global Promotions Committee. “Recording and archiving broadcast content is common in Japan and, with Ultra HD broadcast scheduled to launch there towards the end of 2018, adding Ultra HD recording capability was a given for the BDA and is an important benefit for Japanese consumers.”

Highlights of the Ultra HD Blu-ray recordable specifications, which were completed in November of 2017, include:

 Recording and playback of Ultra HD broadcast streams at up to 100Mbps in new BD-RE XL media  Recording of Ultra HD broadcast streams on legacy BD-R/BD-RE media  New File system specifications for recording AV streams up to 100Mbps  AACS2 recordable technology  Support for HEVC and HDR (Hybrid Log Gamma)

The new BD-RE-XL discs will allow for more than two hours of recording, even in the case of 100Mbps AV streams. And as has always been the case, Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders are required to play current Blu-ray, BD- R and BD-RE discs, meaning that consumers can continue to enjoy their existing recorded content collections as well as the vast 10,000+ title Blu-ray Disc library and the continually growing catalog of Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs.

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Additional information on licensing terms and the specifications may be obtained by contacting the BDA Licensing Agent: [email protected] Blu-ray Disc Association 4444 Riverside Dr. Suite 103 Burbank, CA 91505, USA

For media inquiries: HoogComm Heather Gioco +1-713-299-1312 [email protected]

About Blu-ray For the recordable format, Blu-ray Disc™ and BDXL™ are trademarks owned by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and licensed for use on discs, recorders and other products that use BDA’s optical disc format. The format defines high definition, 4K and 8K broadcast recording to the BDA’s recordable discs. Single layer Blu- ray Disc for recording can hold up to 25GB, dual layer disc up to 50GB. Also BDXL™ triple layer discs hold up to 100GB, quad layer discs hold up to 128GB. For ROM formats, Blu-ray Disc™ and Ultra HD Blu-ray™ are trademarks owned by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and licensed for use on discs, players and other products that use BDA’s optical disc format for high definition and ULTRA HD audio-video and high capacity data software applications. Single layer Blu-ray Disc can hold up to 25GB of data and dual-layer discs up to 50GB of data. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs hold up to 66GB and 100GB of data on dual and triple layer discs respectively.

About the Blu-ray Disc Association The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is responsible for promoting and developing business opportunities for Blu- ray Disc™ - the BDA’s optical disc format for high definition audio-video and high capacity data software applications. The BDA has approximately more than 60 members. Its Board of Directors consists of individuals affiliated with the following member companies: Dolby Laboratories Inc., , Ltd., Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., LG Electronics Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Pioneer Corporation, Electronics Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Corporation, Technicolor, Toshiba Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios , The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc and Inc.

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