Microholography Could Lead to 500 GB Discs

angrykeyboarder writes "Scientists have discovered a way to fit 500 GB of data onto DVD-sized discs. These discs would be created with a process called 'microholography, which combines multilayer storage of data with holographic imagery. From the article: 'Microholography allows data to be stored in three dimensions. The technology works by replacing the two-dimensional pit-land structures currently found on CDs and DVDs with microgratings, which are holographically induced using two laser beams. In other words, instead of recording to a series of bumps and pits like standard CDs, the new technology creates three-dimensional holographic grids that can be used for reading and writing data throughout the physical structure of the disc.'"

What do you suppose would happen...

[HydroPhonic]

... if you scratch one of these? :-

Plus

[niceone]

Once your bored of them you can use them as a holodeck in your ant farm :)

Next steps

[OpenSourced]

Good! Now let's make two incompatible standards out of it, start a formats war, and sell the same old films to the same old people again, in both formats if possible.

Re:Yes please, make the new DVD formats obsolete.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is something the "scientists" have clearly not realised. For a new media format to be successful it must be packed full of DRM. Why are they working on increasing storage capacity or access speed, and not disk size? Do they not realise that there are people out there who copy disks and that they are undermining our very society?

Long live DRM!

Re:I miss minidisc

[thinkertdm]

I really miss the 8 inch floppies. Don't see why they waste time trying to improve things that spin.

Microholography Could Lead to 999 TB Discs

[Anonymous Coward]

Microholography Could Lead to 999 TB Discs --- well, it could.
I'm willing to say, Microholography Could Lead to 999,999,999,999,999,999 TB Discs. All of these statements are true, yet meaningless.

A frozen pig could fly out of the poster's arse too. well, it could happen, right?

Mod me troll, please.

Re:Not again.

[ozbird]

They won't be happy until you lose a Library Of Congress in one scratch.

AH HA!

[frankwolftown]

I guess the 4 terabyte flash disk will come sooner than I thought. As seen here http://dresdencodak.com/cartoons/dc_037.html [dresdencodak.com]

Re:Next steps

[dattaway]

And don't forget to create a new obscure encryption just like CSS and ACSS. Surely no one will be able to find the key to a hologram!

Re:Easy backups

[IonOtter]

You've obviously never seen my work desk, driven in my car or been to my cousin's place. Your disk would be safer riding in the cab of a bulldozer in a scrap yard.