Holographic DVD to Hold 1.6 Terabytes

[komodo]

This is INSANE.

Source Link
Move over HD DVD and Blu-ray. Bell Labs spin-off InPhase Technologies and Hitachi Maxell are currently working on a computer disc about the size of a DVD that could hold up to sixty times the data. The companies hope to have the disc and compatible drives on the market by the end of next year.

The new discs will use a technology known as holographic memory. Data is stored on a crystal material that is sensitive to light. In order to read and write data, a light beam is split in two and one is passed through semi-transparent material. This material alters the beam to encode data.

The two beams then merge again in the crystal and the pattern of interference of the altered beam is recorded. Information is read and written quickly, as a large number of bits can be recorded and retrieved in parallel with one another.

This technique would ultimately allow a single disc to hold up to 1.6 terabytes of data read at 160 megabits per second -- 340 times the capacity and 20 times the data rate of traditional DVDs, and more than twice the data rate of Blu-ray and HD DVD with more than fifteen times the space.

Initially, however, holographic discs will launch with a capacity of 300GB.

While the format is not being marketed as a consumer alternative to either HD DVD or Blu-ray, some believe it could pose a threat to the new formats. A single disc could hold a dozen high-definition movies at better quality than the currently proposed next-generation DVD formats.

The manufacturers have already proved that using the holographic format for movies would be feasible; InPhase has tested a disc that streams a HDTV-formatted movie. Television network TNT has also utilized the format for streaming an advertisement on-demand during its program schedule.

"We believe the capacity and data rates of holographic storage will be critical to achieving the breakthrough improvements in work flow and cost reduction that the broadcast industry is seeking," said Nelson Diaz, InPhase CEO.

I'll probably be crazy expensive... but WOW. I'll take 3.

[DEATH2000]

Yea that would be expensive. but when the technology gets better it will be pretty sweat. You could hold like 10 movies on a single disc. you could have the entire Star Wars collection including bonus material all on one DVD.

[nick_318is]

Thats really awsome

[komodo]

Originally Posted by DEATH2000

Yea that would be expensive. but when the technology gets better it will be pretty sweat. You could hold like 10 movies on a single disc. you could have the entire Star Wars collection including bonus material all on one DVD.

Do you realize how big 1.6TB is? Assuming an average movie is, say, 2GB for nice quality... that's 819 high quality movies on a single disk.

[DEATH2000]

Originally Posted by komodo

Do you realize how big 1.6TB is? Assuming an average movie is, say, 2GB for nice quality... that's 819 high quality movies on a single disk.

ok damm...... Can u say every movie uve ever seen on a single disc?

[DEATH2000]

Originally Posted by komodo

Do you realize how big 1.6TB is? Assuming an average movie is, say, 2GB for nice quality... that's 819 high quality movies on a single disk.

ok damm....... 819? shit thats like every movie uve ever seen on a single disc.

And i meant to type 100, but even then i was pretty far off.

[komodo]

Haha, yeah, it's insane.