We have applied the blue-violet laser in developing several technologies for the next-generation digital versatile disk (DVD). We are convinced that four items, i.e., large capacity, high data-transfer-rate, cyclability, and portability, are equally important. We have set targets for capacity and data-transfer-rate. Separate development processes have been carried out in the fields of optical heads, systems (servo-mechanisms, read/write channel and signal processing) and basic subjects and combined the results to achieve our targets. Basic subjects that cross these technical fields and have previously been neglected were studied to find solutions to new problems that arise with next-generation requirements.