Holographic Versatile Disc
Encyclopedia
The Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) is an optical disc technology developed between April 2004 and mid-2008 that can store up to several terabytes of data on an optical disc the same size as a CD
, DVD
or Blu-ray disc. It employs a technique known as collinear holography
, whereby a green and red laser
beam are collimated
in a single beam. The green
laser reads data encoded as laser interference fringes from a holographic layer near the top of the disc. A red
laser is used as the reference beam to read servoinformation
from a regular CD-style aluminium
layer near the bottom. Servoinformation is used to monitor the position of the read head over the disc, similar to the head, track, and sector information on a conventional hard disk drive
. On a CD or DVD this servoinformation is interspersed amongst the data. A dichroic mirror layer between the holographic data and the servo data reflects the green
laser while letting the red
laser pass through. This prevents interference from refraction of the green
laser off the servo data pits and is an advance over past holographic storage media, which either experienced too much interference, or lacked the servo data entirely, making them incompatible with current CD and DVD drive technology.
Standards for 100 GB read-only holographic discs and 200 GB recordable cartridges were published by ECMA
in 2007, but no holographic disc product has appeared in the market. A number of release dates were announced, all since passed.
Current optical storage saves one bit per pulse, and the HVD alliance hopes to improve this efficiency with capabilities of around 60,000 bits per pulse in an inverted, truncated cone shape that has a 200 μm
diameter at the bottom and a 500 μm diameter at the top. High densities are possible by moving these closer on the tracks: 100 GB at 18 μm separation, 200 GB at 13 μm, 500 GB at 8 μm, and most demonstrated of 5 TB for 3 μm on a 10 cm disc.
The system uses a green laser
, with an output power of 1 watt
which is high power for a consumer device laser. Possible solutions include improving the sensitivity of the polymer
used, or developing and commoditizing a laser capable of higher power output while being suitable for a consumer unit.
was developing a rival holographic format called Tapestry Media, which they claim will eventually store 1.6 TB with a data transfer rate of 120 MB/s, and several companies are developing TB-level discs based on 3D optical data storage
technology. Such large optical storage capacities compete favourably with the Blu-ray Disc
format. However, holographic drives are projected to initially cost around US$15,000, and a single disc around US$120–180, although prices are expected to fall steadily.
, the HSD Forum comprised these corporations :
created Technical Committee 44, dedicated to standardizing HVD formats based on Optware's technology.
On June 11, 2007, TC44 published the first two HVD standards: ECMA-377, defining a 200 GB HVD "recordable cartridge" and ECMA-378, defining a 100 GB HVD-ROM disc. Its next stated goals are 30 GB HVD cards and submission of these standards to the International Organization for Standardization
for ISO approval.
New High Definition Video Technologies Road Map (2004–2010) From Maxell Corporation of America shows the road map of HVD.
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
or Blu-ray disc. It employs a technique known as collinear holography
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
, whereby a green and red laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
beam are collimated
Collimated light
Collimated light is light whose rays are parallel, and therefore will spread slowly as it propagates. The word is related to "collinear" and implies light that does not disperse with distance , or that will disperse minimally...
in a single beam. The green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
laser reads data encoded as laser interference fringes from a holographic layer near the top of the disc. A red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
laser is used as the reference beam to read servoinformation
Servomechanism
thumb|right|200px|Industrial servomotorThe grey/green cylinder is the [[Brush |brush-type]] [[DC motor]]. The black section at the bottom contains the [[Epicyclic gearing|planetary]] [[Reduction drive|reduction gear]], and the black object on top of the motor is the optical [[rotary encoder]] for...
from a regular CD-style aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
layer near the bottom. Servoinformation is used to monitor the position of the read head over the disc, similar to the head, track, and sector information on a conventional hard disk drive
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
. On a CD or DVD this servoinformation is interspersed amongst the data. A dichroic mirror layer between the holographic data and the servo data reflects the green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
laser while letting the red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
laser pass through. This prevents interference from refraction of the green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
laser off the servo data pits and is an advance over past holographic storage media, which either experienced too much interference, or lacked the servo data entirely, making them incompatible with current CD and DVD drive technology.
Standards for 100 GB read-only holographic discs and 200 GB recordable cartridges were published by ECMA
Ecma International
Ecma International is an international, private non-profit standards organization for information and communication systems. It acquired its name in 1994, when the European Computer Manufacturers Association changed its name to reflect the organization's global reach and activities...
in 2007, but no holographic disc product has appeared in the market. A number of release dates were announced, all since passed.
Technology
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
diameter at the bottom and a 500 μm diameter at the top. High densities are possible by moving these closer on the tracks: 100 GB at 18 μm separation, 200 GB at 13 μm, 500 GB at 8 μm, and most demonstrated of 5 TB for 3 μm on a 10 cm disc.
The system uses a green laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
, with an output power of 1 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
which is high power for a consumer device laser. Possible solutions include improving the sensitivity of the polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
used, or developing and commoditizing a laser capable of higher power output while being suitable for a consumer unit.
Competing Technologies
HVD is not the only technology in high-capacity, optical storage media. InPhase TechnologiesInPhase Technologies
InPhase Technologies is a technology company developing holographic storage devices and media. InPhase was spun out from Bell Labs in 2000. Their technology eventually promises multiple terabyte storage. In May 2008 the company was due to release their first reader, tapestry 300r, offering a...
was developing a rival holographic format called Tapestry Media, which they claim will eventually store 1.6 TB with a data transfer rate of 120 MB/s, and several companies are developing TB-level discs based on 3D optical data storage
3D optical data storage
3D optical data storage is the term given to any form of optical data storage in which information can be recorded and/or read with three dimensional resolution ....
technology. Such large optical storage capacities compete favourably with the Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
format. However, holographic drives are projected to initially cost around US$15,000, and a single disc around US$120–180, although prices are expected to fall steadily.
Holography System Development Forum
The Holography System Development Forum (HSD Forum; formerly the HVD Alliance and the HVD FORUM) is a coalition of corporations purposed to provide an industry forum for testing and technical discussion of all aspects of HVD design and manufacturing., the HSD Forum comprised these corporations :
- SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
- Hoplon InfotainmentHoplon InfotainmentHoplon Infotainment is a Brazilian development corporation of massively multiplayer online games . It is most commonly known for its development of the Space game, Taikodom....
- Alps Electric Corporation, Ltd.
- CMC MagneticsCMC Magnetics- Products :CMC produces CD and DVD storage media products, including: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM, Floppy Diskettes, Media Packaging.CMC media is sold by HP, Maxprint, Imation, Memorex, Philips, TDK, Verbatim, Staples, Office Depot brand and many OEM brands. Mr. Data is CMC's own brand...
Corporation - HitachiHitachiHitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
- MitsubishiMitsubishiThe Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
- Apple Inc.
- Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc. (DIC)
- EMTEC International (subsidiary of the MPO Group)
- Fuji Photo Film Company, Ltd.Fujifilmis a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
- Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.Konica Minoltais a Japanese manufacturer of office equipment, medical imaging, graphic imaging, optical devices, and measuring instruments. It is headquartered in the Marunouchi Center Building in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, with a Kansai office in Nishi-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture...
- LanixLanixLanix is a Mexican electronics company based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. It is Mexico's largest domestically owned electronics company, and sells a wide array of both consumer and professional electronics...
- LiteOn Technology Corporation
- Moser Baer, (India)Moser BaerMoser Baer is the world's 2nd largest optical storage media manufacturer and supplies to the world's top dozen brands. They now make CD-R's for Memorex , TDK , Verbatim Sony and Agfa-Gevaert . They used to make CD-R's for Imation and Staples . The company was founded in New Delhi in 1983...
- Mexican Digital Media Storage OrganizationLanixLanix is a Mexican electronics company based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. It is Mexico's largest domestically owned electronics company, and sells a wide array of both consumer and professional electronics...
- Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Company, Ltd. (MKM)
- NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
- Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.
- Nippon Paint Company, Ltd.Nippon PaintNippon Paint is a Japanese paint and paint products manufacturing company.-History:The company, Nippon Paint was founded in 1881. Nippon Paint Co. Pte. Ltd. is an affiliate of Nippon Paint Japan which is among the established pioneers in the paint industry with more than 120 years of experience in...
- Optware Corporation
- Pulstec Industrial Company, Ltd.
- Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
- Software Architects, Inc. (?)
- Suruga Seiki Company, Ltd.
- Targray Technology International, Inc.
- TeijinTeijinis a Japanese chemical and pharmaceutical company. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of USD 3.9 billion. It operates in five main business segments: synthetic fibres; films and plastics; pharmaceuticals and home health care; trading and retail; and IT and new...
Chemicals, Ltd. - Toagosei Company, Ltd.
- Tokiwa Optical Corporation
Standards
On December 9, 2004 at its 88th General Assembly, the standards body Ecma InternationalEcma International
Ecma International is an international, private non-profit standards organization for information and communication systems. It acquired its name in 1994, when the European Computer Manufacturers Association changed its name to reflect the organization's global reach and activities...
created Technical Committee 44, dedicated to standardizing HVD formats based on Optware's technology.
On June 11, 2007, TC44 published the first two HVD standards: ECMA-377, defining a 200 GB HVD "recordable cartridge" and ECMA-378, defining a 100 GB HVD-ROM disc. Its next stated goals are 30 GB HVD cards and submission of these standards to the International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
for ISO approval.
New High Definition Video Technologies Road Map (2004–2010) From Maxell Corporation of America shows the road map of HVD.
See also
- DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
- Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
- HD DVDHD DVDHD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
- Ultra Density OpticalUltra Density OpticalUltra Density Optical is an optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data.- Overview :...
(UDO) - Professional Disc for DATAProfessional Disc for DATAProfessional Disc is a digital recording optical disc format introduced by Sony in 2003 primarily for XDCAM, its new tapeless camcorder system...
(PDD or ProDATA) - Holographic memory
- Tapestry Media
- 3D optical data storage3D optical data storage3D optical data storage is the term given to any form of optical data storage in which information can be recorded and/or read with three dimensional resolution ....
- Protein-coated discProtein-coated discProtein-Coated Disc is a theoretical optical disc technology currently being developed by Professor Venkatesan Renugopalakrishnan, formerly of Harvard Medical School and Florida International University. PCD would greatly increase storage over Holographic Versatile Disc optical disc systems...
- Magneto-optical driveMagneto-optical driveA magneto-optical drive is a kind of optical disc drive capable of writing and rewriting data upon a magneto-optical disc. Both 130 mm and 90 mm form factors exist. The technology was introduced commercially in 1985...
(MO) - Holographic Versatile CardHolographic Versatile CardThe Holographic Versatile Card is a data storage format by Optware; the projected date for a Japanese launch had been the first half of 2007, pending finalization of the specification, however as of July 2010, nothing has yet surfaced. One of its main advantages compared with discs is the lack of...
- Stacked Volumetric Optical DiskStacked Volumetric Optical DiskThe Stacked Volumetric Optical Disc is an optical disc format developed by Hitachi/Maxell, which uses an array of wafer-thin optical discs to allow data storage....
(SVOD) - InPhase TechnologiesInPhase TechnologiesInPhase Technologies is a technology company developing holographic storage devices and media. InPhase was spun out from Bell Labs in 2000. Their technology eventually promises multiple terabyte storage. In May 2008 the company was due to release their first reader, tapestry 300r, offering a...
, developer of competing holographic disc - General Electric holographic discGeneral Electric holographic discGeneral Electric Global Research Centers have created a new format of disc, dubbed the holographic disc. It has the same physical dimensions as CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray Discs, yet can hold many times the data – up to 500 GB. General Electric has been working on their HVD for six years, and it is...
- Holographic DriveHolographic driveA holographic disk is a form of data storage designed for computers, created by InPhase Technologies. The smaller holographic drives can store thirty times the information of a Blu-ray Disc....
External links
- DaTARIUS signs agreement with InPhase Technologies to be their sole sales, service and support supplier of Tapestry Media hardware and media to ship starting in 2007 (300 GB WORM discs) with 600 GB discs and re-writable technology in 2008 as well as 1.6 TB media available in 2010.
- HVD Forum standards consortium.
- Optware, creator of HVD format.
- InPhase, a company developing a competing holographic storage format (*See Above).
- Video explaining holographic storage – PC Magazine, October 4, 2006
- Holography system rides single beam EE Times, 27 February 2006 – interview with Hideyoshi Horimai and Yoshio Aoki of Optware Corp.
- Holographic storage standards eyed EE Times, 28 February 2006 – article about the upcoming technical committee meeting to begin standardization of HVD.
- How stuff works explains how HVD works.
- Elusive Green Laser Is Missing Ingredient Wall Street Journal 13 February 2008
News
- 27 April 2009: General Electric unveils a 500GB disc, "Optical disc unveils 500GB storage"