Microholography Could Lead to 500 GB Discs 158
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.'"
Not again. (Score:5, Insightful)
Can someone already remove all the moving (spinning) parts of my laptop? I really do not see the point of including 3 different motors in a XXI century technology.
Re:What do you suppose would happen... (Score:1, Insightful)
You should always backup your "backup".
I miss minidisc (Score:5, Insightful)
I've always found DVDs/CDs too large. Yes, they make mini-cdrs and mini-dvds (I used to have a Sony CD Mavica) but they don't have the protective case the minidiscs had. Some things are just ergonomically right, and I regret that we didn't go a little further in that direction.
DVD with more megas? Profit! (Score:2, Insightful)
1. Microholograph?
2. 500 Gb DVDs!?
2.
3. Profit!
New video format coming... (Score:3, Insightful)
Data. (Score:3, Insightful)
Good point (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not again. (Score:5, Insightful)
I said it... (Score:3, Insightful)
The cutting edge of optical disks are HD-DVDs als BR-Discs with up to 50 Gigs, but even todays
harddisks can store an entire terabyte of data. At the beginning one or two CD-Rs where able to
store the content of a common harddisk, today you would need dozens of expensive BR-Discs to
backup all that stuff. A holographic storage system with 500 Gigs or more should be the past,
not the future. The industry failed at this point. They try to sell us an old, but badly advanced
technology from yesterday.
I hope this is chance for Newcomers. New smaller companies with good and really innovative
products. But my fear is that the power in public relations of the present giants of the market
will prevent it. Wouldn't be the first time that bad technology wins the race.
No it won't (Score:4, Insightful)
Can you say fucking YAWN (Score:3, Insightful)
Optical media is garbage and always has been and is an overly fragile way to store data. It's only redeeming feature is once the discs get bellow $1 they effectively become disposeable.
In another year or so, flash chips will reach a price point that'll make them a cost effective alternative for buying movies on DVD's, they've already reached that point for music CD's.
Once the industry notices that, and gets over their DRM OCD, I say good riddance to optical media.
Re:Good point (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, you get 500Gb on one disc. So it makes a bit of sense.
New disks... (Score:3, Insightful)
Seriously though, they have been talking about huge storage disks since we discovered round plastic circles. Yeah, they've been getting higher data densities, but if you look at the progression of other storage formats (especially hard drives) optical is just not keeping up. By the time we get 500Gb disks, they'll sound to us much like yesteryear's 40Gb disks sound to us now compared to our 500+Gb hard drives.
Easy backups (Score:5, Insightful)
Not very easy to scratch all the disks at the same time if one is in your office, another in your car and the other at your cousin's place.
Could be the next minidisc (Score:3, Insightful)
500GB is a LOT of data. Great for backups, perhaps for storing raw video footage and so on, but hard to justify for distributing data or for sneakernet uses.
A minidisc equivalent would be what, 100GB or so? That is a very viable proposition. Credit card sized discs would be quite popular too. Solid state equivalence is a long way off.
Re:Good point (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I said it... (Score:2, Insightful)
One problem... BANDWIDTH! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What do you suppose would happen... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not that the scratch resistant coating on my glasses help that much... most minor scratches on media doesnt affect it's readability (unless it is on the top/label surface). Major scratches on the bottom that affect media readability wont be prevented with the anti-scratch technology used on glasses.
The better idea would be a better coating on the label side, or like on some old CDs, a second layer over the media substrate layer. I still have some old CDs that had a second plastic layer - thus embedding the actual media layer between two plastic layers and protecting the media from the types of scratches that are the primary cause of data loss. You cant seem to buy disks like that anymore... oh well...
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. (Score:3, Insightful)
If only there were a DVD format writable/readable with consumer-grade drives that had multiple redundant TOCs.