Abstract: A hybrid data disc, method and system of forming the disc are disclosed. The hybrid disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, and at least two data layers of different formats for access from different sides of the disc. One example provides the second substrate structure with a second substrate that has at least one curable material layer on each side of the second substrate, and the curable material has a property that results in shrinkage associated with curing of the material. Other examples provide a data disc with different stacking ring configurations, a thinner substrate and substrate structures of opposite curvature.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a recorder having at least two optical pickup heads for simultaneously recording at least two bit streams on respective layers of recordable media in one of an opposite track path and a parallel track path.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a recorder having at least two optical pickup heads for simultaneously recording at least two bit streams on respective layers of recordable media in one of an opposite track path and a parallel track path.

Abstract: There are provided a method and apparatus for embedding a second level code into a first level code of an optical disc by data modulation rule variation. The apparatus includes a multi-level, varying rule based modulator (199) for modulating the first level code to obtain a channel bit stream representative of the first level code and having the second level code embedded therein. The multi-level, varying rule based modulator modulates the first level code using modulation rules respectively having different statistical properties of pit-land length distributions that preserve a readability of the first level code and that are distinguishable at readout of the optical disc. The different statistical properties represent binary or multilevel data of the second level code.

Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.

Abstract: There are provided a method and apparatus for embedding a second level code into a first level code of an optical disc by data modulation rule variation. The apparatus includes a multi-level, varying rule based modulator (199) for modulating the first level code to obtain a channel bit stream representative of the first level code and having the second level code embedded therein. The multi-level, varying rule based modulator modulates the first level code using modulation rules respectively having different statistical properties of pit-land length distributions that preserve a readability of the first level code and that are distinguishable at readout of the optical disc. The different statistical properties represent binary or multilevel data of the second level code.

Abstract: The optical recording medium has a recording layer sensitive for recording at a first wavelength and sensitive for reading at a second wavelength, the recording layer having a groove structure, wherein at the first wavelength the groove structure has a diffraction efficiency into a first diffraction order sufficiently large to generate a push-pull signal, and at the second wavelength it has a diffraction efficiency into a first diffraciton order close to zero. The optical pickup for recording on an optical recording medium intended to be read with a second wavelength and a second numerical aperture is characterized in that it has a light source for generating a light beam at a first wavelength and a numerical aperture given by the second numerical aperture multiplied with a ration of the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a storage medium for storing downloaded encoded media content, and a decoder for decoding the stored encoded media content for a choice of one of a viewing rental of the decoded media content and recording the decoded media content to a recordable media.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller for enabling replicating of media content from encoded content received, and a recorder responsive to the controller for recording content on media readable by a device other than said recorder.

Abstract: The present principles provide a way to place a multilevel grayscale image, visible with the bare eye in the data area of an optical disc. This feature can be used to authenticate a legitimate disc, since the image features are lost when copying a disc either with a PC recording drive or by a pirate creating a data set to be used on a laser beam recorder to produce forged ROM discs. The modulation rules are selectively varied during disc writing in a way to change the distribution of pit/land lengths, so that the at three (3) different diffraction properties are generated, and therefore produce at least three (3) distinct looks to the bare eye.

Abstract: A system and method for replicating protected content on media includes a controller for enabling replicating of media content from partial encoded content received at a location of the controller. A media recorder is coupled to the controller and including a modulation process (104) to complete encoding of the partial encoded content to record media content on media readable by a device other than the media recorder.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling radial runout between stacked disk portions (14, 18) and providing a cylindrical pin (20) having at least two diameters (22, 24). The pin is dimensioned and configured to permit the disk portions, which have different center hole dimensions, to be indexed such that a center hole of each disk portion is received by a separate diameter of the pin. The disk portions are maintained in spatial relationship as provided by the pin by spot curing a portion of the adhesive.