New optical technology offers a CD-size disc with half a terabyte capacity

[aneeshm]

Source

A Japanese electronics giant has developed an optical disk with a storage capacity of up to 510 gigabytes - or just more than half a terabyte.

With its huge storage capacity, Pioneer's 12cm thick silver platter will store the amount of data that would require 100 typical DVDs today. An ultraviolet laser will be used to write to the disk.

In order to attain such storage capacity, scientists had to develop a new laser technology, which emits shorter wavelengths raised than blue lasers, the type used today for the highest-capacity optical disks.

The new ultraviolet laser beam allows "data holes," which are used to store data on optical disks, to be separated by only 70 nanometres, about 20 times better than with blue lasers.

While such a high storage capacity sounds impressive today, it may leave users still wanting more when they find out that such a disk can only hold about 3.5 hours of high-definition television programming.

It is not yet clear when the new high-capacity disks, or the technology necessary to write to them, will be in stores.

Seems great . Wonder how expensive the thing will be .

 

[stratego]

While such a high storage capacity sounds impressive today, it may leave users still wanting more when they find out that such a disk can only hold about 3.5 hours of high-definition television programming.

But it can hold over 510 screener quality dvd rips, and for that, I'm happy.

 

[Zwelgje]

I'd hate to see such a disc get corrupted though. I'd use it for a HDTV movie, not for data storage.

 

[aneeshm]

You can use it for double or triple backup - your entire network backed up on not more than ten discs - three time over .

 

[FriendlyFire]

12cm

Uhhhh ??? I hope they can make it much much smaller.
Still its in its infancy Iam sure they will be miniturised in the near future

 

[Chieftess]

I'd hate to see such a disc get corrupted though. I'd use it for a HDTV movie, not for data storage.

I think that's just the problem (and this thread should probably be in Computer talk...). That disc might soon become standard (sort of like floppies are going the way of the dodo bird). The more "naive and gullible" (as AOL called them in an article I read on CNN. ) users will always go for the "best", and wind up putting 1 measely 500 byte word document on a .5 terabyta disc...

 

[Zwelgje]

Well, USB sticks are getting more and more popular, I think not many people are that stupid chieftess.
I may be wrong though.

 

[MarineCorps]

Well, USB sticks are getting more and more popular,

Yeah. I own a couple of those myself. Rather usefull. Plus they can hold more then a CD ROM.

 

[Syterion]

12 cm thick doesn't sound CD-size. Will people need special drives to use it?

And will people need to buy an ultraviolet laser as well?

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Pretty cool. I'm guessing dvds are gonna follow the path of floppies and cds.

 

[hbdragon88]

Pretty cool. I'm guessing dvds are gonna follow the path of floppies and cds.

Damn. Technology really does move too fast now. I mean, c'mon...I thought DVDs were the great technology and it would end there - no more sound and picture quality degrading, extra features, compact size...and now we may have to re-buy again? Pfft.

Although it would be nice to buy whole seaons on one super-DVD than getting a humongo 10-disc collection (like the X-Files).

 

[MarineCorps]

Damn. Technology really does move too fast now. I mean, c'mon...I thought DVDs were the great technology and it would end there - no more sound and picture quality degrading, extra features, compact size...and now we may have to re-buy again? Pfft.

Although it would be nice to buy whole seaons on one super-DVD than getting a humongo 10-disc collection (like the X-Files).

DVDs are not outdated quite yet. This thing has yet to even go on the amrket.

 

[Chieftess]

Well, USB sticks are getting more and more popular, I think not many people are that stupid chieftess.
I may be wrong though.

And they're pricey too. I wouldn't want one of those just to store a few resumes, and college papers on. A huge waste of space and money.

DVDs are not outdated quite yet. This thing has yet to even go on the amrket.

It will probably be awhile before those 12cm (5 inches) CD-like discs will hit the market, and by then, there'll probably be even better technology. Maybe techolony that will use atoms for data, or even electrons/photons for data, creating really large amounts of space on a small area.

 

[hbdragon88]

And they're pricey too. I wouldn't want one of those just to store a few resumes, and college papers on. A huge waste of space and money.

If you have that little data you can buy a 16MB stick for $10.

 

[Souron]

It will probably be awhile before those 12cm (5 inches) CD-like discs will hit the market, and by then, there'll probably be even better technology. Maybe techolony that will use atoms for data, or even electrons/photons for data, creating really large amounts of space on a small area.

Commertial Quantum Commputing is a very long way off.

At this stage we know:
-It is possible
-How to generate photons at a steady pace
-How to create a NOT gate with Macroscopic substances or mechines, that uses the principles of quantum mechnics.
-Quanum error correction is possible (error correction is necessary for any computer)


That is all, to the best of my knowledge. If somebody knows anything more, Please post a link.

 

[Chieftess]

If you have that little data you can buy a 16MB stick for $10.

$10 is still pricey in my book. Then again, I come from a very thrifty family...

 

[hbdragon88]

$10 is still pricey in my book. Then again, I come from a very thrifty family...

So do I. I got that stick for free. It was in the string of tax rebates - along with TurboTax State, Norton Antivirus/Antispam, and QuickBooks - that came out to be free after rebates.