Sony and Panasonic have signed a deal to develop a CD-style optical disk with a storage capacity of at least 300 gigabytes by the end of 2015.
In a joint statement, both the companies highlighted the potential of high-capacity optical disks to store archived data securely and reliably over a long period of time.
The Optical discs have outstanding properties to protect them against the environment. They are dust and water-resistance and can also resist changes in temperature and humidity when stored. Hence, it diminishes the fear of losing data due to environmental effects.
They allow inter-generational compatibility between different formats, ensuring that data can be read even as formats advance. This makes them a strong medium for long-term storage of content.
At present, Sony markets optical disk cartridges for its XDCAM high-end video products, with each cartridge holding 25 disks with the capacity of 25 gigabytes each.
On the other hand, Panasonic’s LB-DM9 series of optical drives uses a “magazine” of 12 disks with 100 gigabytes each.
Sony and Panasonic are currently marketing optical disks for the archival market, with the hope that the deal will allow them to pool their intellectual property to create a new, high-capacity standard.
