TDK has begun sampling recordable and rewriteable Blu-ray Discs that don't need to be kept in cartridges, the company said today.

Four discs types are going out to TDK's customers, it said: BD-Rs and BD-REs in single-layer, 25GB and dual-layer, 50GB forms. All of them are rated for 2x recording speed, TDK claimed.

TDK also touted its Durabis material, which provides the discs with sufficient scratch- and dirt-protection that the discs no longer need to ship in protective cartridges. TDK launched Durabis almost a year ago. Up until that point, recordable and rewriteable BDs recorded very careful handling indeed - something that set them at a disadvantage to the rival HD DVD spec. ®