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Plexiglass-like DVD to Hold 1TB of Data

Posted by Zonk on from the bigger-and-bigger-storage dept.

jcatcw writes "Lucas Mearian at ComputerWorld has a story about a company that plans to demonstrate a new DVD-format at the January CES conference. The .6mm thick disc stores 500GB of data by writing 5GB of data on each of 100 layers within a polymer material similar to Plexiglass. The Israel-based company, Mempile Inc., said its TeraDisc DVDs will offer 1TB of storage for consumers in the next few years, but it's also targeting corporate data archive needs with the new technology that write bits at the molecular level on the florescent-colored polymer. The company plans to sell its first product, a 700GB disc for $30."

5 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. relevant info about price by computerchimp · · Score: 3, Informative

    FTFA:

    "Mempile's DVD drives will initially retail for between $3,000 and $4,000, and a 700GB platter -- the first model expected out around 2011 -- will sell for $30"

  2. hmm by wwmedia · · Score: 2, Informative

    1. make a press release 2. get slashvertised 3. wait few years to actually develop the technology at affordable prices 4. profit??

  3. Re:Every one of these formats are worth jack by DragonWriter · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm with you on the burner, but last I checked I spent ~$30 for 15 duel-layer DVDs (8 gigs each, 120gigs total) - so, around 10x the cost/size ratio of this new hologram-DVD. Eventually, the burner will pay for itself.


    Assuming DVDs are $30 for 120 GB with a $100 reader/writer, and the new disks are $30 per 700 GB with a $3,000 reader/writer, you crossover with a mass-archive need of ~14 TB.

    Which isn't all that astronomical (though enough that its probably not worth it for most personal users yet), and I would presume that as a new technology, both the media and reader/writer costs are going to come down more quickly than with the more established DVDs.
  4. Use Parchive, it's the tool for the job. by Kadin2048 · · Score: 3, Informative

    With a terabyte on a single disk this strategy might be useful again. It would be good if software could automate it though - striping the data for me automagically.

    This is what Parchives are designed for. You can specify an amount of redundancy (from 0% up to whatever you please, I personally do 30% on DVDs, but I use good media and haven't had many problems, plus I have disk backups as well) and it will create all the parity files necessary. Then you just go and burn it to the disc. Later if the file proves corrupted, you can use the parity files to repair or reassemble it.

    It's all open source, which is good for 'future proofing,' and gives you a lot more control than just recording multiple copies of the same file (which limits you to multiples of 100% redundancy).

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchive
    http://parchive.sourceforge.net/

    --
    "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
  5. The word is Plexiglas® by Antibozo · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is only one s in Plexiglas®. It's a trademark of the Rohm and Haas company. I am rather startled that everyone seems to think it's "plexiglass". Guess there are fewer plastics geeks out there than I thought.

    I have just one word to say to you, Ben...