Show Why 'Optical'?Optical storage devices save data as patterns of dots that can be read using light. A laser beam is the usual light source. The data on the storage medium is read by bouncing the laser beam off the surface of the medium. If the beam hits a dot it is reflected back differently to how it would be if there were no dot. This difference can be detected, so the data can be read. Dots can be created using the laser beam (for media that is writable such as CD-Rs). The beam is used in a high-power mode to actually mark the surface of the medium, making a dot. This process is known as ‘burning’ data onto a disc.  This is a magnified view of the dots on the surface of a CD. The different patterns of dots correspond to the data stored on the disc. Read-Only Optical DiscsRead-only optical discs have data written onto them when they are manufactured. This data cannot be changed. CD-ROMCompact Disc - Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) discs can hold around 800MB of data. The data cannot be altered (non-volatile), so cannot be accidently deleted. CD-ROMs are random-access devices. CD-ROMs are used to distribute all sorts of data: software (e.g. office applications or games), music, electronic books (e.g. an encyclopaedia with sound and video.) DVD-ROMDigital Versatile Disc - Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM) discs can hold around 4.7GB of data (a dual-layer DVD can hold twice that). DVD-ROMs are random-access devices. DVD-ROMs are used in the same way as CD-ROMs (see above) but, since they can hold more data, they are also used to store high-quality video. High Capacity Optical DiscsBlu-RayBlu-Ray disks are a recent replacement for DVDs. A Blu-Ray disc can hold 25 - 50GB of data (a dual-layer Blu-Ray disc can hold twice that). Blu-Ray discs are random-access devices. Blu-Ray discs are used in the same way as DVD-ROMs (see above) but, since they can hold more data, they are also used to store very high-quality, high-definition (HD) video. The 'Blu' part of Blu-Ray refers to the fact that the laser used to read the disc uses blue light instead of red light. Blue light has a shorter wave-length than red light (used with CDs and DVDs). Using a blue laser allows more data to be placed closer together on a Blu-Ray disc, than on a DVD or CD, so Blu-Ray has a much higher storage capacity than these older discs. HD DVDHigh-density DVD (HD-DVD) discs can hold around 15GB of data (a dual-layer HD-DVD can hold twice that). HD-DVDs are random-access devices. HD-DVD discs are used in the same way as DVD-ROMs (see above) but, since they can hold more data, they are also used to store very high-quality, high-definition (HD) video. The HD-DVD format was launched at the same time as Blu-Ray. For about a year they competed to be the 'next DVD'. For various reasons, Blu-Ray won the fight, and the HD-DVD format has been abandoned. Recordable Optical DiscsRecordable optical discs can have data written onto them (‘burnt’) by a computer user using a special disc drive (a disc ‘burner’). CD-R and DVD-RCD-Recordable (CD-R) and DVD-recordable (DVD-R) discs can have data burnt onto them, but not erased. You can keep adding data until the disc is full, but you cannot remove any data or re-use a full disc. CD-RW and DVD-RWCD-ReWritable (CD-RW) and DVD-ReWritable (DVD-RW) discs, unlike CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, can have data burnt onto them and also erased so that the discs can be re-used. When CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are burnt, the laser makes permanent marks on the silver-coloured metal layer. This is why these discs cannot be erased. When CD-RWs and DVD-RWs are burnt the laser makes marks on the metal layer, but in a way that can be undone. So these discs can be erased. DVD-RAMDVD-Random Access Memory (DVD-RAM) discs are a type of re-writable DVD. They often come in a floppy-disc style case (to protect the disc). DVD-RAM discs have a similar capacity to a normal DVD, holding 4.7GB of data. DVD-RAM discs are random-access devices. DVD-RAM discs are used in many camcorders (video recording cameras). The discs are much higher quality than normal DVD-RWs and can reliably store data for up to 30 years. This means that they are often used for video and data back-up and archiving. Sorry to ask you this, but...This site took quite a bit of time and effort to create, and it costs me money to keep it up and running. If the site has helped you, please consider showing your appreciation by donating a little towards the site's running costs. Thank you! Sponsored Links...Which optical disc has the largest storage capacity?Optical disk storage capacities
A CD can store up to up 700 megabytes (MB) of data. A single-layer DVD can hold 4.7 gigabytes (GB) of data, and a double-layer disk can hold 8.5 GB. A single-layer Blu-ray disk can store 25 to 33.4 GB of data, and a quad-layer Blu-ray disk can store up to 128 GB of data.
Which type of tape cartridge can hold up to 3.0 TB of compressed data?The Fuji LTO5 tape cartridge or Fujifilm LTO Ultrium5 data cartridge holds up to 1.5TB of data native capacity. This data tape also holds up to 3.0TB of compressed data. The Fuji LTO 5 tapes have 1280 tracks and a tape length of 846 meters.
Is a BluBlu-ray is an optical disc format like CD and DVD. Blu-ray discs can hold more information than other optical media, because of the blue lasers that the disc drives use. A single Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25GB of data.
What is optical disk storage?optical storage, electronic storage medium that uses low-power laser beams to record and retrieve digital (binary) data. In optical-storage technology, a laser beam encodes digital data onto an optical, or laser, disk in the form of tiny pits arranged in a spiral track on the disk's surface.
|
