[John Mason]

Hologram pictures can store images representing millions of data bits, a density suitable for storing more than 400 gigabytes--100 digitized movies--on a DVD-size disc.


Ian Austen's article in today's New York Times outlines an advance in holographic technology from a former Bell Labs researcher and others. Instead of using costly and exotic crystals, this research team adapted low-cost lasers from DVD machines and developed a blend of special plastics to capture hologram interference patterns. While CDs and DVDs store data in a string of on-off bits etched in a spiral pattern, holograms store million-bit chucks of data distributed throughout the plastic recording media. The former Bell Labs holography researcher said that by varying the wavelengths and other properties of recording lasers they can also produce terabyte (1000 billion byte) discs.


Product development, including consumer applications, may take a few years, according to the article. -- John




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STOP DVI/HDCP AND DFAST

 

[John Mason]

Here's an update, from someone in the alt.video.dvd.tech newsgroup, on an announcement I spotted in the NY Times last year and summarized above.


An extract from newsgroup writeup:
Quote:

On the radio this morning [3/26/02], there was mention of a demo to broadcasters next month...Data transfer rates of one BILLION bits per second. Storage capacity of at least 45 GB per side (5.25" disk). This should be able to handle a 2hr HD-DVD movie at a 25 Mbps compression rate.

Here's a 1999 press release from Bell Labs on the development. And here's a technical link with further details and diagrams. -- John

 

[John Mason]

More information on holographic DVD-like discs from the 99th issue of Tech-Notes. . An extract:
Quote:

InPhase Technologies today announced that it will demonstrate the world's first holographic video recording system at the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, April 8-11 The InPhase system, called Tapestry (TM), will demonstrate holographic read- write functions for broadcast-quality video. Holographic data storage is poised to become the next generation of optical storage, beyond DVD. InPhase will target the professional video industry as its initial vertical market, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there is a consumer market out there too. The Tapestry system will come to market in the fourth quarter of 2003, and will initially hold 100 GB of data, enough for 20 compressed feature-length films, or roughly 30 minutes of uncompressed high-definition video.InPhase Technologies today announced that it will demonstrate the world's first holographic video recording system at the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, April 8-11 The InPhase system, called Tapestry (TM), will demonstrate holographic read- write functions for broadcast-quality video. Holographic data storage is poised to become the next generation of optical storage, beyond DVD. InPhase will target the professional video industry as its initial vertical market, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there is a consumer market out there too. The Tapestry system will come to market in the fourth quarter of 2003, and will initially hold 100 GB of data, enough for 20 compressed feature-length films, or roughly 30 minutes of uncompressed high-definition video.

This is the InPhase link for further details. No, don't have any stock...but wouldn't mind a recorder that could holographically capture lots of HDTV flicks on single DVD-like discs. -- John