[Tim_Lou]

http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/8/10/1/1

the website above describes how new discovery can boost dvd's storage to terabytes...

wow, i can have my whole computer installed in a tiny dvd!
i wonder if it is possible to use this technology in harddisk, that would rock!

[TeleMad]

Sounds to me like the ability to record the various angles for a pit would require complex machinery. I'm curious if this technology would be limited to industrial recording of DVDs or if individuals too could use it to record DVDs.

[alexander]

I think that the closest storage media in the future is (i cant recall where i read this) a new type of RAM. The scientists have developed some kind of silicone something hybrid material, I believe that the problem before was that silicone combined with any other material looses its crystalic structure, but this hybrid does not making it be capable of storing data. I also recall that the researchers had problems with temperature. I beleive that the operating temperature of the device is about -200 C, i also recall something about them being able to now bring the operating temperature up but it still needs to be something about -170 C. The beaty of this material is that the entire ram industry does not have to be changed in order to produce the new RAM. Another positive thing is that once you would boot your computer, which will take whatever time it normally takes you, next boots will take as much time as it takes to spin up the drives and display the contents of what was stored in ram on the screen. (seconds)
As to the DVDs, it really sounds complex in that either the disk itself or the writing head will have to rotate, and that not only takes time, but as TeleMad said sime high tech equipment. I dont think that this would be available to the public as soon as the new dvds are released, but just like in CDs and current DVDs i think that eventually they will come up with a device that could be used at home...

[Freethinker]

DVDs and anything of this storage type (rotating composite optical disc) will never become a serious mass storage system. Especially for online. The transfer rate is way too slow. The medium is unstable and has a relatively short life span. CDs and DVDs are predicted to have aprox 25 yr life span. Differening co-efficient of expansion will cause seperation of the layers.

Where I see DVDs becoming a viable alternative is in music. With formats such as DVD Audio or SACD, digital storage actually becomes for the first time sonically on par with vinyl. The sampling rate and bit depth is high enough to overcome the digital sampling distortions so audible in current digital storage formats.

[alexander]

yes, and where vynil will wear off every time you play it, DVD's quality will not decrease (not unless you have a laser vynil player and those run 2 grand).

[Freethinker]

In case you missed it the first time, CD/ DVD's have a projected 25 yr life span. And that only under well controlled conditions. I have vinyl that has been played many many times over far longer that are as good as the day I bought them.

I have seen vinyl that is cracked and still plays (clicks? Yes, but plays). Try that with a DVD.

A well made, properly set up turntable has very little wear on a record.

And none of this helps the audibly inferior sound of regular digital storage formats.

[alexander]

on a dvd, maybe not, but if you took a 1 to 3X cd reader, put in a bent, scratched and/or cracked cd and play that! if i heard it somewhere i would never beleive it, but i saw it happen, and it played, skiped a little, yes, but played...