Amid all the talk of online video downloading and streaming, the optical disks still get bigger. Pioneer's future-looking roadmap now boasts of a 400GB optical disc, spread out on 16 layers and read by a head that's almost the same as those on Blu-ray drives. Read-only versions of these monster discs will arrive soon and then in 2010 there will be re-writable versions. There are even bigger plans on the horizon, with 1TB discs debuting in 2013.
This sounds like that capacity battle that was raging back when Blu-ray and the late HD DVD were locking horns, when last we heard, the top experimental capacity of Blu-ray hit 250GB in 2007. But isn't all this becoming a moot point? With hard disc prices hitting next to nothing, flash drive costs plummeting and online bandwidth skyrocketing, it's looking like optical disc's days are numbered.
However, there will still be a need for long-term archival storage. Perhaps that's where Pioneer's projected 1TB optical drive will be welcomed in 2013. Unless, of course, someone figures out a better way to store data for centuries by then. Five years is a long time — there could be a whole new way to store data by then.
Update: Pioneer says these 400GB discs are compatible with Blu-ray readers now on the market.
editor@dvice.com
By EnOne at 8:52 AM ON 12/02/08
I thought tape was still the archival medium of choice. Mainly due to it's long lifespan.
By budgethero at 11:54 AM ON 12/02/08
wat is with this growing hope that disks will go away forever? are they THAT terrable?
and dvice, i'm begging u. please do something about this posting system, something please. it's not the code thing, i understand that. it's the fact that if i don't finish a post in 60 seconds, i get an incorrect code error message. even after double checking my code for correctness.
By Luckyshot at 8:20 AM ON 12/04/08
Disks are not going anywhere. People like to show off their movie collections. We are collectors by nature.
By moviedemon at 8:44 AM ON 12/04/08
Personally, I would rather see them put more research and development effort into bringing holographic data storage to market...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_memory
BUDGETHERO: All you need to do is refresh your browser just before you hit the submit button. That will give you a new captcha code. (I always copy my post to the clipboard - just in case.)
By Adeptus at 6:17 PM ON 12/04/08
Are these the multi-layer transparent discs that have been "almost ready" for the past 10 years or so? Are they finally about to be released?
By perv at 10:36 AM ON 12/15/08
I like what I see in the picture,
don't care much about the disk though.