Pioneer launched a 400GB Blu-ray disc just last month, but the firm’s already smashed its own capacity ceiling by unveiling a 500GB successor.

The latest disc tops the 400GB disc’s measly 16 layers by adding a further four layers, resulting in 20 layers each with a 25GB capacity.

Brendan Sheridan, Multimedia Division Product Manager at Pioneer, said that 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray discs might be enough for current demands, but that Pioneer envisages the need for “far greater capacities as HD streaming in particular becomes commonplace and users build larger files of digital content”.

It was thought that between the separate layers on the disc could cause problems, but Pioneer seems to have the issue licked. Because the firm’s in talks with the Blu-ray Disc Association to make the multi-layered method – which Sheridan said is compatible with Blu-ray devices – a standard for the format.The 500GB disc is currently only at the prototype stage."