DVD is dead, long live ‘Super DVD’.
According to a new article in Nature magazine, Chinese researchers have been able to create a DVD-like disc with hundreds of layers – extending the disc capacity to the petabit level.
Researchers at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology published their results a few days ago. Using a 54-nanometer laser, the team managed to record hundreds of layers of data onto an optical disk, with each tier of the three-dimensional stack separated by just one micrometer.
The result is an optical data storage (ODS) solution of DVD size with a capacity of 1.6 petabits – which translates to approximately 200 terabytes (Tb) or 200,000 gigabytes (Gb).
To put that in perspective a regular DVD holds just 4.7 Gb on a single layer, a Blu-ray is 25Gb (single layer) or 50Gb (dual layer), and a 4K UHD disc maxes out with a multi-layered disc of 100Gb. A film like “Blade Runner 2049” on UHD clocks in at a file size of around 70Gb.
This would mean a single disc capable of holding thousands of 4K feature-length movies. Such technology is being seen as a potential game changer for archivists and large datacenters.
The advancement also comes at time when retailers are either scaling back or outright doing away with their physical media offerings.
Michael Johnson is a tech enthusiast with a passion for all things digital. His articles cover the latest technological innovations, from artificial intelligence to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
